Not too long ago my beloved camera took it’s last picture. I’ve had it for many years and it decided it was time for me to put the lens cap on it and remove the batteries for good. She was a good old camera and is greatly missed.

I need a camera. Not only do I need a camera to take pictures of thing I blog about but I also enjoy taking pictures of my family, pets and the world around me.

I have been agonizing about which camera to buy. I wanted to go up a few notches and get a better quality camera than my previous one – one with a lot of “bells and whistles” and a camera where I can use different lenses.

I lucked out and came across a camera “kit” (camera and two lenses) that was on clearance. There was nothing wrong with it. The store just purchased too many of them for the holiday season and this was the only one left.

SCORE!

I ended up saving around $100 for the camera. It’s not the one I truly wanted, but it’s a start. What I bought is a good introductory level camera that will help me learn more about DSL cameras and all the different things you can do with them.

Now that I have a beautiful new camera I also needed a new camera case. My new camera is twice as big as my old one and won’t fit in the camera bag that I already had. I needed to find a new one.

I looked on Amazon (my go to shopping spot) figuring they would have a nice assortment. They had some great bags but nothing really stood out to me. I wanted something with “personality” and something other than basic black. I couldn’t find anything that I liked.

Around the same time I bought my new camera I received an e-mail from a company called Mod. Mod carries BEAUTIFUL camera straps. I really wanted a nice strap for my camera (the one that came with it was “boring”). I asked Mod if I could do a review and they said “yes”. Yeah!

It was hard to narrow down which one I liked best. They are all so pretty! I eventually decided upon the Premium Strap called Kaleidoscope. I liked how colorful it was. It looks like a fun strap and I’m a fun person so I knew it would be perfect for me.

I noticed on their site that they also carry camera bags and totes. Since I was in the market for one and I have not found one I liked thus far I wanted to see what Mod had available.

Mod has what they call “drop in” camera bags. They are drawstring bags that slip over your camera. When combined with the camera strap it gives the appearance of a small purse.

I asked the kind people at Mod if I could review a camera bag too and they happily agreed. Thank you Mod! :-)!

Since I was already getting the camera strap in the Kaleidoscope design I thought it would be fitting to get the camera bag in the same design.

As you can see from the above photo from the Mod website the camera bag and strap combined give the illusion of a purse/pocketbook.

I was super excited for the strap and bag to arrive. The moment they did I put the strap on the camera and tucked it neatly inside the bag.

The strap is just as bright and colorful as it appears on the computer screen.

The underside of the strap (the part that rests on you body) is line with a super soft, plush material making it VERY comfortable to wear. Unlike leather straps which can stick and rub on your skin, this plush strap rests comfortably across your body.

You can wear it over your shoulder or across your chest (as pictured). I’m a “big girl” and I was able to wear it across my chest comfortably.

The camera bag is made of the same material both inside and out. The inside is just as soft and plush as the strap.

The drawstring is made of a ribbon. I was concerned that it might slide open but that never happened. When you pull the straps closed it stays closed until you open it up again.

Unlike bulky camera bags this bag is light weight and enjoyable to tote along with me.

I took this bag on a trip to the West coast with me. My ONLY concern with the bag is that plane rides can be very bumpy and I worried about the camera getting knocked around under the seat in front of me (I had placed it in a larger tote bag). Thankfully my camera survived the trip.

If you are planning on using the overhead compartment to store your camera or checking it with your luggage you will need a sturdier case because this will not protect your camera against much abuse.

For day to day use this camera bag I perfect.

I currently keep this on my camera at all times. The only time I would swap it out is if I was going to travel again, which I rarely do.

Since the strap is on my camera it was hard to take a picture of my camera with the strap and bag so I had to use my cellphone. They pieces are much nicer in person.

I am THRILLED with the strap and the bag. I love them both and I really think they show off my personality too.

Mod carries a variety of patterns, designs and colors. They also carry other accessories like bags for camera lenses (I plan on picking up a couple to match my camera bag) and Cap Savers which help keep your lens cap safe and helps you not to lose it. I found out the hard way that you ned something like this.  My cap kept falling off and I almost lost it a few times. Mod’s Cap Savers are pretty too – kind of like jewelry for your camera.

If you are looking for a new camera strap or an easy, fashionable way to tote around your camera, look no further than Mod.

For more information or to check out the product line visit www.ModStraps.com. You can also find them on the various social networking sites.

Kimberly

*I received free products in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.