What Happened to Crumpler Products in Japan?

Just really curious about what happened to Crumpler products in Japan.

I own several Crumpler bags, from simple messenger bags that I used when I was in college, to camera bags and laptop bags that I still use now.

One of the ones that I still use frequently now is the Flying Duck Sling 4000 bag, as it is a very lightweight bag yet provides adequate protection, on top of being the perfect size for my kit when I need to go compact.

If I remembered correctly they used to have a flagship store here in Tokyo, but during COVID I guessed the dealership contract with the official distributor here in Japan ended and was not renewed, so the flagship store is gone and most, if not all, products have been pulled from shops and retailers.

It’s really quite disappointing as I do really like their products for their practicality and toughness, and their camera-oriented products have always been well-regarded and are reasonably priced as well.

I do sincerely hope their products will make their way back here again soon.

Shoutout to Think Tank Photo’s Great Customer Service

I have been using quite a number of Think Tank Photo products over the years, many of which are still going strong after all this while and still see regular use in my assignments. I usually equip the modular belt system with a digital holster when I am on location, but ferry them there in the lovely Urban Access 15 backpack - this has been my go-to set up for several years now.

I believe there is no doubt or question about the quality of their products, as in addition from my own personal experience, many independent reviews or forum talk give their products great praises too.

However one thing that has not been mentioned much is the quality of their customer service - tl;dr version? It’s great!

Case 1: My digital holster’s supplied strap has worn out terribly over the years, and I contacted them to get a quotation for a replacement strap as I could not find the part available on their website. The response - they asked for my shipping address, and a replacement strap was shipped out to me at no cost, which completely surprised me!

Case 2: I contacted them as I wanted to know if certain equipment could fit into a bag. A while later a snapshot was sent to me showing how the said equipment could be packed in.

Case 3: This happened to a fellow photographer friend of mine - he lost the rain cover for his bag as he was packing in a hurry after shooting in bad weather. He contacted customer support as he could not find a replacement rain cover locally, and they sent him an exact replacement at no cost.

I always believe that great customer service goes a long way, and my experience with them have definitely locked me in as a loyal customer!

(Now I’m just waiting for a bag with Streetwalker Hard Drive’s capacity, but in Urban Access’s material and look…)