F.64 Camera Bag Company

[Stephen Prunier]

Does anyone have any information on F.64? I purchased one of their waist packs around 10 years ago. I really like it and it was made in the USA. So, after researching for a backpack for my RZ67, I purchased the F.64 BP Lg. based on reviews by other photographers. Mostly Lg Format users.. I'm pleased with it, BUT. It arrived from B&H with no tags, warranty card, NOTHING! Oh it does say it's made in China. I realize it's not in the same price range as others so I can understand the out sourcing. I'm just baffled that it had no info with it. I can't even find anything online. All I get is links to retailers who sell F.64 gear. Are they a small company, and their just trying to keep cost down? Or, was it bought out, and now just capitalizing of the name? B&H doesn't even show them in their catalog anymore.

 

[Oren Grad]

Dunno what their current status is. A search of the Internet Archive shows that their website has been down for more than a year. Here's a snapshot from 2013:

https://web.archive.org/web/20130119083757/http://f64camerabag.com/

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I realize they deal mainly with LF, but it probably wouldn't hurt to give Fred Newman a buzz at the view camera store…I've purchased F/64 stuff there in the past. Maybe he knows something.

fred@viewcamerastore.com

 

[Stephen Prunier]

I'm happy with what I have purchased. I just thought it was a little odd the way that it arrived with no info. That video review that you linked was one of the reasons I purchased it!

 

[Sal Santamaura]

Too bad they've moved production to China. Although f64 might have originally manufactured in the US many, many years ago, for a long time Vietnam was their outsourced facility's location. I spoke on the phone with them some time ago to verify that was still true before ordering a second f64 backpack and the person who answered said it was. Even without prompting, just based on the question, he commented on how awful most Chinese textile products smell. His exact words were "reek of gasoline." While I wasn't sure of the exact chemical source for those aromas, he was spot on about why I'd inquired. The backpack I subsequently bought was indeed made in Vietnam and exhibited no offensive odor.

Apparently the "Walmartized" market for camera cases these days has driven even f64 to China. Good luck with any purchases.

PS Recently I've been patronizing Think Tank. Much better designs, not made in China, no bad smells.

 

[benjiboy]

The majority of consumer goods are made in China these days, we had better get used to it.

 

[Sal Santamaura]

The majority of consumer goods are made in China these days, we had better get used to it.

Feel free to get used to it, but I'll continue to evaluate them and, if deficient, either simply not purchase anything or buy better alternatives. For example:

...Recently I've been patronizing Think Tank. Much better designs, not made in China, no bad smells.

 

[benjiboy]

Feel free to get used to it, but I'll continue to evaluate them and, if deficient, either simply not purchase anything or buy better alternatives. For example:

It's your money Sal you can buy what you please with it, but I personally have no prejudices about Chinese made goods all the ones I own have been just as good as Western made ones and in many cases more reliable. I'm old enough to remember what they used to say about Japanese goods fifty years ago and they were proved in time to be completely unjustified.

 

[Sal Santamaura]

...I personally have no prejudices about Chinese made goods all the ones I own have been just as good as Western made ones and in many cases more reliable...

I have no prejudices, but form opinions based on experience. My experiences in that regard do not comport with yours.

...I'm old enough to remember what they used to say about Japanese goods fifty years ago and they were proved in time to be completely unjustified.

Actually, "what they used to say" was completely justified in the beginning, more like 60 years ago. However, after Deming inculcated that county's manufacturers with the precepts of statistical quality control, their process of continuous improvement in combination with modern environmental regulations incrementally advanced Japanese products to the top-tier position they occupy today.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, China currently exhibits neither a drive toward continuous quality improvement nor any proclivity to regulate then environment and materials used in manufacturing. Also unfortunately, I'll not be alive 60 years hence when that might have changed. Of course, by then the multinationals which today outsource to China will have moved their subcontracts to other third-world countries lacking environmental standards or manufacturing discipline. But consumer "stuff" will be cheap and all the Walmart shoppers, who really can't afford to buy it over and over, will think they're happy.

 

[Stephen Prunier]

It wasn't my intention to make an issue about it being made in China. I was just saying how my other items from them, although "older" were made in the USA. That, along with the lack of company info is what made me ask about the company. I'm still happy with the BP, and it doesn't have any weird smells, so maybe I misread the "Made In" tag, and will try to find it again. Although, I'm starting to think it was just a piece of paper with the quality control # and country were it was made.

 

[Roger Cole]

It's your money Sal you can buy what you please with it, but I personally have no prejudices about Chinese made goods all the ones I own have been just as good as Western made ones and in many cases more reliable. I'm old enough to remember what they used to say about Japanese goods fifty years ago and they were proved in time to be completely unjustified.

They were often justified at the time. The Japanese stepped up their QC.

EDIT: Fired that off before reading Sal's next post. But yeah.

The same is happening, albeit apparently more slowly, with China. By and large I find the quality of Chinese made goods to be "good enough." And most of the time "good enough" really IS good enough. It's improving, but a "Made in China" label is still a long way from the badge of quality that "Made in Japan" became.

I've no idea what's happening with F64. I have one of their backpacks. It's superb; it holds all my 4x5 gear with room to spare and the design allows for use as either a bag or backpack without much compromise of either. I bought it used, sort of (that is, I bought it second hand but if it has actually been used I couldn't tell it.) I don't know where it was made. I can check for a label.

 

[Stephen Prunier]

They were often justified at the time. The Japanese stepped up their QC.

EDIT: Fired that off before reading Sal's next post. But yeah.

The same is happening, albeit apparently more slowly, with China. By and large I find the quality of Chinese made goods to be "good enough." And most of the time "good enough" really IS good enough. It's improving, but a "Made in China" label is still a long way from the badge of quality that "Made in Japan" became.

I've no idea what's happening with F64. I have one of their backpacks. It's superb; it holds all my 4x5 gear with room to spare and the design allows for use as either a bag or backpack without much compromise of either. I bought it used, sort of (that is, I bought it second hand but if it has actually been used I couldn't tell it.) I don't know where it was made. I can check for a label.

That's alright. You don't need to check. It's well made, and has plenty of room for all my gear and then some. The model I bought has the two detachable 4x5 film holder pouches. You can add even more, as there's plenty of attachment spots. If I owned one, I could probably still fit a 4x5 camera along with my 6x7 gear.

 

[benjiboy]

They were often justified at the time. The Japanese stepped up their QC.

EDIT: Fired that off before reading Sal's next post. But yeah.

["good enough" really IS good enough. It's improving, but a "Made in China" label is still a long way from the badge of quality that "Made in Japan" became.The same is happening, albeit apparently more slowly, with China. By and large I find the quality of Chinese made goods to be "good enough." And most of the time



I've no idea what's happening with F64. I have one of their backpacks. It's superb; it holds all my 4x5 gear with room to spare and the design allows for use as either a bag or backpack without much compromise of either. I bought it used, sort of (that is, I bought it second hand but if it has actually been used I couldn't tell it.) I don't know where it was made. I can check for a label.

"good enough" really IS good enough. It's improving, but a "Made in China" label is still a long way from the badge of quality that "Made in Japan" became.The same is happening, albeit apparently more slowly, with China. By and large I find the quality of Chinese made goods to be "good enough." And most of the time


The Chinese like the Japanese before them aren't going to be satisfied with the cheap end of the market forever once they have their foot in the door, their government have made massive investments in state of the art factories and high tech cutting edge machinery they can produce quality products cheaper and more efficiently than in Western countries and in a much lower wage economy, the Chinese are buying vast amounts of land and resources in Africa and South America, oil refinerys, power stations etc. Instead of dismissing Chinese products I think we should be very afraid of them.

 

[mgb74]

In the end, poorly made products (Chinese or otherwise) exist because the companies selling them (typically Western) emphasize low cost over quality. They, and perhaps by extension us, prefer really cheap low quality over somewhat cheap good quality.

As to the OP, the lack of any tags suggests to me that it might have been a return.

 

[benjiboy]

In the end, poorly made products (Chinese or otherwise) exist because the companies selling them (typically Western) emphasize low cost over quality. They, and perhaps by extension us, prefer really cheap low quality over somewhat cheap good quality.

As to the OP, the lack of any tags suggests to me that it might have been a return.

Western companies manufacturing their products in the Far East doesn't generally result in significantly lower prices to the consumer, what it does is increase their profit margin and the dividends to their shareholders.

 

[benjiboy]

]In the end, poorly made products (Chinese or otherwise) exist because the companies selling them (typically Western) emphasize low cost over quality.

Plus the fact that that the consumers aren't willing to pay twice the price for a Western made product that in many cases is only inferior according to perceptions the buyers prejudices.