Which Ristretto?

[Rhiannon]

I switch between my Ego and Imago most days and I'm pretty happy with both, but there are some times when I'd like a bag that takes up the least amount of space possible to carry just the essentials without worrying about it bumping into people and things in crowded cities and stores or where I'm going to stash it at dinner. It sounds like the Ristretto is the way to go here, but I'm not sure which one to get.

Here's what I'd be carrying:

7" tablet
Small SLR
Small notebook
Hairbrush
Backup battery pack about the size of a pack of cards

Is the iPad Ristretto enough to carry this? Or would one of the larger ones give me a little more volume and room?

(You'll see from my signature that I do have a Buzz, which is a great low-profile bag, but I'm looking for something I can carry when I'm dressed in such a way that a sling bag would be impractical.)

[cucciasv]

It sounds like the Ristretto is the way to go here, but I'm not sure which one to get.

Hi, Rhiannon ... absolutely! I believe the Ristretto for iPad will indeed work for you. I use mine now with BOTH my iPad AND iPad mini (not at the same time, but it could accommodate both together)... the iPad mini is probably just a bit larger than your 7" tablet. I must suggest that there is a slight danger that the smaller tablet will slide out if the open Ristretto is inverted since the neoprene flap is really intended for the larger iPad to sit in snugly. And so, I tend to use a vertical cache for iPad mini – but not always, and I prefer using my iPad mini naked (the iPad mini is naked, not me – well not always!).

Hard to tell about the SLR camera body without knowing which one you have. If it's a micro-4/3 camera body then it probably would fit fine. I have a full-sized Nikon D7000 body that fits, but at the expense of other items I wish to carry.

Good luck ... perhaps others can chime in!

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Someone please help me!
I have BAS (Bihn Acquisition Syndrome)!!

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[Fat Crip]

I have two of the old style Ristrettos and love them. My iPad size in Steel/Wasabi is my EDC and my 13" MacBook size only comes out if I have A4 files to carry or perhaps even my MacBook Pro. However, much as I love these bags, I'm not sure they're what you're after. The problem is that they are quite flat and SLRs, even small ones aren't flat. I think you'd be better with a small or medium café bag plus, perhaps a cache or a pouch for your tablet. They are a bit more flexible to accommodate what you have in mind. On the downside, unlike the Ristrettos, you can't swap to an Absolute Shoulder Strap which is a real shame.

[Rhiannon]

Thanks for the details! My SLR is one of the smaller, cropped-sensor ones, and I've fit it into some surprisingly narrow bags before.

Fat Crip, I should have mentioned that I'm not interested in a Cafe Bag. I've had them before and they're way too easy to fill beyond their capacity. Plus they lack internal organization and, yes, the absolutely necessary Absolute Strap.