ORCA OR-268 Reviews
Great bag for the F6
By Kevin
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-11-07
Completely satisfied!
Nice little bag, firm fit, just what we needed
By Matthew
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2021-10-25
We very much like the Zoom F6 for run and gun video shoots with limited crew, but we needed a way to strap it to someone securely and without limiting access. This bag is well built, and has four different point that you can use to hook it to something. There are the two obvious loops at the top corners that the included shoulder strap hooks to, but there are two more nylon loops at the bottom back corners that you can put d-rings or carabiners through if you want to attach the thing to a vest and want the weight to be held at the bottom of the bag instead of the top.
We only have two lavs (Sennheiser G3s), so this bag is a nice fit for them, as we can fit both of them in the front pocket with all the XLR connections between them and the recorder running through the inside of the bag. We decided to power our F6 from a standard USB-C power bank like you would use for your cell phone. The Orca bag has a back pouch that is the right size to fit our power bank. This makes it so that we can run the thing all day without ever having to worry about power, and then just charge up the bank at night. The short USB-C cable that we use to connect the power bank to the F6 also fits inside the bag completely. As a result, when we are operating the thing, we don't have a bunch of cables hanging everywhere despite the fact that it's not a very big bag.
The zip away sides work very well for providing access to the 6 XLR ports and the bottom of the recorder, such that we never have to take it out of the bag but can leave it permanently strapped inside. When we do run a shotgun mic on a boom with it, we can still keep the sides mostly zipped up to protect everything inside from the elements or what have you.
The reason I took off a star is that when I first got the bag, it wasn't tremendously clear how I was supposed to strap the F6 into it securely. I worked out a way to wrap the inner velcro straps at the top around the the F6's bottom rods and the bag's rods at the top corners. The bag's lower straps that have the plastic clips on them don't seem to be designed to go with the F6. I'm not sure how they're supposed to be laced around it or through its rods. There isn't really an explanation, so who knows what the designer at Orca was thinking. In any case, we got it working in a satisfactory way so it now holds everything very firmly.
If you need a small bag for your F6 that will protect it from weather while you work, and that gives you some options for holding batteries, a couple of remote microphone receivers, and has a couple of different attachment points that you can use to strap it to your rig rather than just having it hang from the shoulder strap they give you, this might be the one for you.
Great Sound Bag
By Jordan
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2021-03-25
A little hard to clasp the pronged straps to the Zoom but other than that it's great!
Great bag for the Zoom F6!
By Mike
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2020-12-07
This is a great option for the Zoom F6! It can conformably fit up to 4 transmitters (2 in each side pouch)... and allows the connecting XLR cables to run inside of the bag, keeping everything cleaning connected. I definitely recommend this bag!
Impossible To Install a Zoom F6 Into This Bag
By James
Rated 1 out of 5
Date: 2020-09-06
I've seen the videos and tried my best, but I have found it impossible to thread the holding straps through the bars to secure the F6 into this bag. Impossible. Also, what are the two Velcro straps on the top edges supposed to be for? They don't have any use with the F6 and just seem to get in the way. A real shame too because if I could actually secure my F6 into this bag it would seem to be very usable.
Best (only?) sound bag for the ZOOM F6 field recorder!
By Spike
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2020-08-18
This review of the ORCA OR-268 Low Profile Audio Mixer Bag for the ZOOM F6 field recorder was prompted by the fact I found it hard to find a good video review when I came to buy a sound bag for my ZOOM F6. So if you want to watch my review it is available at:
https://youtu.be/L-PLok-kjkQ
Meanwhile, the transcript and my full observations are below:
Hi, I’m Spike and this is my review of the ORCA OR-268 Low-Profile Audio Mixer Bag for the ZOOM F6 field recorder. I am a hybrid shooter and I bought the ZOOM F6 to complement my Deity Connect wireless system and have subsequently added a Sennheiser MKH-416 to my audio kit. I love the form factor of the Deity Connect RX receiver and the ZOOM F6, and during lockdown at home this was fine on a light stand next to the camera. However, I want to be able to go further afield with confidence with the audio kit whose primary purpose is for interviews and documentary work alongside recording ambient sounds nearer home, especially birdsong and wildlife in our rainforest environment.
When I came to search for an audio bag for the slightly different shape of the ZOOM F6 my options seemed limited. I had seen a few folk online using the K-Tek KSF6 Stingray Bag, but wherever I searched it seemed discontinued including on the B&H site. In the ZOOM F6 Facebook Group someone mentioned that ORCA had something, which I tracked down on the ORCA website before a couple of weeks later discovering it on the B&H site somewhat cheaper than I could source it for in Australia.
At the time of ordering, there were only a handful of reviews online including challenges of fitting the ZOOM F6 into the Audio Bag… and only one video one of the reviewers linked to actually install the F6. So when B&H followed up with me asking for a review, I thought it might be helpful to provide one for others who are looking for a way to make the ZOOM F6 secure and portable in the field.
At the time of purchase it was US$107 plus tax and shipping (totalling US$140.81 delivered to Australia), and it arrived from New York to Sydney within five days. It is a small bag with a rigid metal frame. It has a clear rain cover velcroed to the top and unzips all the way around with additional zips and pouches in the front and rear storage sections.
I use the ZOOM F6 with four internal AA batteries as well the large NP-F970 external battery (that actually came with my Aputure Amaran 672s LED kit). It is important to note this, as the bag seems designed for the form factor of the larger battery in mind.
One of the criticisms I read was that it is difficult to get the support clips through the metal bars on the underside of the F6. True, and it certainly reduces the inclination to take the F6 in and out of the ORCA bag, which may be a problem for some… but in the month I have been using the bag I have happily kept the F6 in it as all functionality is accessible without removing it from the ORCA.
I was also keen to make sure that the ORCA would be functional as my sound bag to hold my Deity Connect RX receiver, and the two TX plus my HD-TX along with a couple of lavaliers. I put the RX in the front pocket and it is secured with velcro and the XLR cables fit through with a slight squeeze. Likewise a pair of TX transmitters, or my more usual case a single TX and an HD-TX also fit fine.
All functionality of the F6 is accessible, including removal of internal batteries, SD card and the NPF battery, but I have found that now I am more inclined to connect it via USB into the computer when I want to offload data as it is easier than messing with the SD card.
Overall, I am happier with the bag than I expected as it is definitely fit for my purpose. I am far happier having my audio kit securely in one place than wireless components rattling around in my camera bag. I am happy to recommend the OR-268 Low-Profile Audio Mixer Bag for the ZOOM F6 field recorder to others and I hope this short video (which isn’t sponsored by ORCA, ZOOM or DEITY) will help you make a more informed purchase decision on a sound bag option to take the ZOOM F6 and your audio kit into the field safely and securely.
Zoom F6 bag with straps that dont fit an F6 Recorder?
By Brian
Rated 2 out of 5
Date: 2022-06-22
The strap that is meant to hold the recorder in the bag doesnt fit between the rails of the F6. The inside is filled with velcro but they decided to use a nylon snap\clip to hold it in but the buckle is too large to fit correctly.
the bag seems nicely made and it's easy to get at things but it seems odd to make a bag for a specific recorder and then not even bother to test that it fits.
Great design, great fit.
By Tim Mcbeth
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-05-04
A really outstanding bag for the Zoom F6. Super sturdy, great design. I used the Zoom bag with the F4, and I liked it - but this is better. And frankly, the F6 would be difficult to use otherwise. I do recommend that you use it together with the large Sony NP-F9xx batteries, since they hold the F6 at the correct height to use easily. As many others have noted, fitting the F6 in the bag takes a little effort, but once you figure it out, it is easy enough.
