With its butter-soft leather and tasteful gold hardware accents, you would be forgiven for thinking that the Voygr 1 Camera Bag was merely a stylish messenger bag. Happily, this is exactly what the team behind Voygr designed the bag for. There is no unnecessary bulk or drab technical fabric here – only premium materials and a sleek, compact profile.

As one of only a small handful of products by Voygr, this bag was created for photographers and creators who do a lot of traveling. Accordingly, I can absolutely see this as being excellent for the best cameras for street photography, especially with its low-profile design. As someone who loves a good city break, I would also rate it as one of the best camera bags for travel (as long as you’re someone who doesn’t need to carry a huge amount of kit).

Despite its elegant exterior, this bag is far from being all style and no substance. Inside is a Mary Poppins-esque array of artfully designed nooks and crannies that made me verbally note “oh, that’s useful” to myself multiple times. I’ve hoisted many a camera bag upon my shoulders in my time, but I fear the Voygr 1 may have spoiled me for the future. After all, if other camera bags don’t come with pebbled calf leather memory card holders, then I don’t think I want them.

Voygr 1: Specifications

Voygr 1: Price

The Voygr 1 Camera Bag is available for $281 / £179 / AU$395 with free shipping. This is on the more expensive side for camera messenger bags, but I would say that it’s a fair price when you consider the leather exterior and the suede interior.

When you compare it to the Billingham Eventer MKII bag (currently billed as the luxury option in our best camera bags guide), which retails for roughly $834 / £662 / AU$1,171, I think it’s practically a steal.

Voygr 1: Design & Handling

The Voygr 1 can hold one DSLR or mirrorless camera and two lenses. There are suede-covered inserts that can be adjusted to create smaller and larger pockets within the bag. As opposed to some other bags I’ve tested, the velcro holds really nicely and it takes a significant tug to take it away from the bag’s interior fabric. There are two small cupholder-like pockets on either end of the bag. These are a nice idea in theory, but when the bag is filled with kit, there isn’t really room to put anything substantial in there.

There is a front interior pocket that can fit an iPad Mini, but will not house a laptop or tablet larger than 10 inches. The rear interior pocket has three leather SD card holders and four more cupholder-like pockets that could house tripod plates, rolls of film, cables, and other various accoutrements. I would say that they run on the smaller size, so they are unable to fit in filters (especially those with larger circumferences). I would have personally preferred three slightly larger pockets than the smaller four. However, the rear pocket as a whole is more than big enough to store multiple filters if necessary – they just won’t have individual homes.

The rear exterior of the bag has a zipped compartment that contains four slots for bank cards or photo ID. It’s a relatively roomy pocket, but I would be hesitant to put too much into it for fear of stretching the leather. However, it would be perfect for holding a phone and passport.

The zip on the back pocket of the bag is smooth and uninterrupted. However, my one major quibble with this bag regards the zip for the main compartment. The end of the zip is tucked into the interior of the bag itself. This means that there is no clear ‘stop’ for the zip to come to when the bag is opened. When drawing the zip back and forth along the back, it noticeably sticks for the first couple of inches while being closed. Additionally, if the zip is tugged fully open, then the end of the zip needs to be untucked from the bag in order to close it. For me, this isn’t a dealbreaker. However, it is an irritation.

The leather strap is adjustable and features a shoulder rest. However, that rest doesn’t appear to contain any additional padding. There are also four studs on the bottom of the bag to protect the leather from being placed directly on the floor. These studs also help to easily keep the bag upright rather than tipping over.

One of my favorite features of the bag is the clip-on camera strap that can be attached to either the D-rings at each end of the bag, or to the spare adjustable clip on the shoulder strap. For me, this really highlights how perfect this bag is for travel and street photography. If you’re ever in a location where you want to keep a tight hold on your camera, you can attach it to your shoulder strap and take photos without worrying that it could be yanked from your hands mid-shot.

Voygr 1: Performance

Even without any kit inside the Voygr 1 camera bag, I immediately noticed that it felt relatively weighty in the hand. Considering the premium materials used, this isn’t a surprise. However, my perennial bugbear with all camera messenger bags is that it’s a lot of weight to put on one shoulder, especially if you use DSLRs. If this is something that you think might bother you, then you might be better off with something like the Bellroy Venture 10L Sling Camera Edition bag, which weighs almost 200 g (7 oz) less (although is also far less stylish!).

When the bag was fully loaded up, it felt a little boxy to carry. I walked with it for an hour, and found myself pretty aware of it the entire time. However, when carrying lighter kit that has a smaller profile, this is less of an issue.

With a DSLR and two lenses packed inside the Voygr 1, I will say that room inside the bag felt tight. Those additional pockets are great, but realistically, it’s tough to actually fit anything extra inside them. In fact, when I tried to add in a couple of filter holders, I started to struggle to be able to close the zip. I think that this is partially due to the material of the bag. If you take the aforementioned Bellroy Venture as a comparison, the external material has a level of give that the leather of the Voygr 1 bag just doesn’t.

On the leather, I would be remiss not to mention that the pebbled calf leather exterior isn’t going to be the most practical material when caught in a downpour. While it will typically handle a light shower of rain relatively well, repeatedly taking it out in inclement weather may result in damage to the leather (and to the camera kit inside). This is a shame when rain can provide some excellent street photography opportunities, but it’s also much of a muchness if you’re considering a leather camera bag in the first place! It would be nice if Voygr included a rain cover for their bags to ensure that users aren’t limited to shooting solely on non-rainy days.

Another material consideration is the bag’s zip. While the large-toothed zip looks great, I did find myself wincing as I pulled my camera in and out of the bag. More than once, my camera body scratched against the zip, which isn’t ideal. If you’re a little too laissez-faire with your lens cap like me, then this could be a recipe for a lens-scratch disaster.

Ultimately, while Voygr’s assertion that the bag can fit a DSLR and two lenses is correct, I think users will be more comfortable sticking to kit with a smaller profile.

Voygr 1: Verdict

The Voygr 1 Camera Bag is a beautifully crafted messenger bag that prioritizes good quality materials and plenty of thoughtfully designed pockets. The removable inserts mean that this is a bag that will live a lot of lives with me, rather than just being relegated to my closet whenever I’m not shooting.

During testing, I appreciated how discreet the Voygr 1 is. There was no way that the strangers I passed were able to tell that I was carrying camera kit worth thousands. Considering that some camera bags can feel like I’m hoisting a flashing advert crying “please rob me” onto my back, I was surprised at how calm I felt with the Voygr 1.

My only significant frustration revolved around the zip, which did tend to stick when fully open. This is a real shame, because it’s something that could have been resolved with a shorter end that didn’t need to be tucked into the bag. I would also caution users to be careful when lifting delicate glass in and out of the bag, as I could foresee issues with lenses potentially being scratched.

Alternatives

See our full guide to the best messenger bags for photographers

I once went through a phase where I needed a wagon to drag my photography props along on a shoot – but once I’ve tasted the freedom of a minimalist gear kit, it’s hard to go back. Camera bags are beginning to jump on the minimalist trend too, skipping the plethora of pockets for a sleek and streamlined look. The Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L is one of those bags.

The exterior of the Peak Design Travel Backpack is all clean lines and simplicity – and the 20L is even more so than the earlier 30L and 45L options. Inside, the bag is minimalist as well, meant to carry a mirrorless and a few small lenses with a medium (or Smedium) camera cube.

The bag’s minimalist design isn’t just about looks – there’s little to get caught on tucking the bag under a seat, and the bag’s size was perfect for my more petite frame. But there were two features that were a bit too minimal for me to make it my go-to camera bag.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L: Specs

Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L: Price

I tested the 20L version of the Peak Design Travel Backpack, but the company also has 30L and 45L variants of the bag, which are not only larger but have slightly different pockets and features.

The 20L backpack sells for about $200 / £170 / AU$390 / CA$280 for the bag on its own.

But, like Peak Designs' other backpacks, the system needs a camera cube to carry photo and video gear. The Smedium camera cube sells for about $70 / £60 / AU$150 / CA$95, and the Medium for about $100 / £85 / AU$190 / CA$140, which adds to the cost of the bag.

That’s certainly not cheap, but it does make it one of Peak Design’s more affordable backpacks.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L: Design

My first impression of the Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L is just how sleek and minimalist the bag is. The backpack has very few protrusions on the outside, creating a slim and streamlined look.

Those clean lines aren’t just for looks. With fewer pockets and protrusions, there’s not much of the bag sticking out to get caught while trying to tuck it under an airplane seat or in another compact spot.

The bag’s main compartment unzips from the back panel in a clamshell style opening. This makes the main compartment easy to access. The bag will fit a Smedium or medium camera cube here and still have a bit of extra packing space at the top of the bag.

Those camera cubes have a divider system that’s both rigid and smart. Some of the divers have a built-in shelf – this is key for making sure that small pancake lenses don’t have too much space to bounce around. Using a “shelf” I could tuck a pancake and a GoPro in the same small lens slot.

There’s an exterior zipper that expands the bag’s main compartment a bit – which is required in order to fit a camera cube inside.

On the flip side of the back opening, there’s a laptop sleeve, and an extra small pocket, the right size for a handful of batteries and filters. The laptop sleeve is roomy for such a compact bag, fitting a 16-inch MacBook Pro, but this does make the back panel rigid, so it doesn’t mold as well to my back and isn’t quite as comfortable.

There’s a small secondary zipper at the top of the bag. This pocket extends down through maybe a third of the bag’s height and can fit smaller items like a wallet, sunglasses, and keys.

At first glance, there’s no obvious water bottle pocket on the bag. But that’s because the bag uses a hidden interior water bottle pocket that keeps the bottle upright on the inside of the bag.

On the one hand, this hidden water bottle pocket is great because the traditional mesh stretchy side pockets often catch on things, like when sliding the bag underneath a seat.

But I found the hidden water bottle pocket too minimalist for two key reasons. One, the pocket only fits smaller bottles and won’t fit, say, a travel coffee mug with a handle on it or a Stanley-style cup with a straw. I also had to turn the camera cube to get a water bottle to fit.

But the bigger problem is that while the exterior fabric is waterproof, the interior lining of the water bottle pocket is not. The thin fabric made me nervous while packing a bottle inside, so I decided to intentionally leave a water bottle cap a little too loose, and the water did, in fact, end up in the main compartment where camera gear is stashed. Peak Design’s camera cubes are water-resistant, but that would mean keeping the cube zipped rather than open for fast access.

The interior water bottle pocket won’t fit a full-height tripod, but Peak Design still included a tripod carry option on this bag. Included straps will attach a tripod to the bag. The straps are a bit fiddly to get on, but once gravity is helping keep the straps tight, my tripod didn’t budge.

The exterior fabric is, however, water-resistant, including weather-sealed zippers. The nylon shell feels very sturdy and gives the bag a classic look. But, the feel of the material is a little rougher than other Peak Design bags that I’ve tried – like the Travel 2-in-1 – and that texture tends to attract pet hair and dirt more than other nylon bags that I’ve tried.

The straps on the Travel 20L are a little narrower than Peak Design’s larger bags, but I have a more petite frame, and I thought this design fit quite well. The straps also have a good amount of padding and are well-shaped, with a removable chest strap to keep them in place.

The bag was very comfortable to wear for several hours with smaller items tucked inside. The bag is comfortable with a mirrorless camera, a few small lenses, and a flash tucked inside. Fully packing the bag out with a laptop and tripod latched on, the weight is a bit much – it’ll be fine for short periods, but I wouldn’t hike with it all day with that much gear inside – it’s best for minimal gear setups.

Along with the straps, there’s also a thick grab handle at the top and a luggage trolley pass-through at the back.

While the Peak Design Travel 20L carries the same name as the brand’s previously launched Travel Backpack 30L and 45L bags, the smaller bag takes an even more minimalist approach. There’s no secondary side access to the main compartment, the water bottle pocket has moved to the inside, and there’s no waist belt on the smaller bag.

Peak Design Travel Backpack: Verdict

The Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L is both wonderfully and frustratingly minimalist at the same time. I loved the sleek look of the bag, the streamlined pockets, and the fact that there’s nothing for the bag to really catch on.

The bag is also pretty comfortable to carry a mirrorless camera and a few smaller lenses with. As a petite person, I often feel a bit swallowed by larger camera packs, so the compact size of this bag was a good fit for me personally.

However, I think the internal water bottle pocket at least should have used a waterproof material to avoid disastrous leaks. I also didn’t like the fabric – it tended to attract pet hair and dirt more than other nylon bags.

Overall, that mix meant I liked the bag, but didn’t quite love it. It’s great for a minimalist bag and particularly well-suited for petite frames and short trips. But, I wouldn’t put a water bottle in it, nor overload it with both camera gear, a laptop, and a tripod.

Peak Design Travel Backpack: Alternatives

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Take a bow, Robert Weinreb. He’s a native New Yorker and professional photographer who’s faced challenges in his career, confessing to wrapping his cameras and lenses into knitted hats for packing into regular backpacks when going in search of ‘the shot’, most notably while trekking in harsh Himalayan environments. His solution was to get a Manhattan-based sewing shop to stitch up a bespoke camera bag of his own design and that’s how, back in 1977, Tenba was born. Almost 50 years later, Tenba has become one of the top names in the camera bag business. The name itself comes from a Tibetan word meaning strong, unshakable and reliable, backed up by a company motto of ‘Never Compromise’.

Tenba’s evolutionary design process has recently hatched the Roadie v2 collection, claiming to be the world’s first rolling camera cases with completely removable backpack straps. The backpack straps themselves are actually sold separately as optional extras but even so, the Roadie v2 series builds on the successful design concepts of the original versions, aiming to be the ‘most advanced camera carry solutions’ on the planet, and among the best roller bags for photographers. I got my hands on the Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International, which is literally a case in point.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International: Specifications

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International: Price

From full-sized bags to small battery pouches and accessories, I’ve consistently been impressed with Tenba products large and small. The Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International case that I’m reviewing here lives up to my expectations, with a premium look and feel. It’s only fair that this is reflected in the selling price, which is towards the top end of the scale for a camera roller bag, at $489 / £445 / AU$699. The Tenba is undeniably more expensive than a few other popular camera roller bags that double as backpacks, including the Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II at $429 / £319 / AU$549 and the Vanguard Alta Fly 55T G2 at $349 / £250 / AU$469.

If you’re in the mood for extras, the completely removable Tenba Roadie v2 Backpack Straps sell for $39 / £52 / AU$99, and they’re an additional purchase, not supplied with the bag itself. You can also unzip and pull out the entire camera insert section and replace it with the optional Tenba Roadie v2 Luggage Liner Kit, converting the camera bag into a regular, general purpose carry-on roller bag, at an additional cost of $49 / £56 / AU$109.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International: Design & Handling

I’m precious about my cameras, lenses and photographic accessories, which is only natural because they’ve cost me big bucks. The hustle and bustle of air travel can make it a dangerous environment for kit that’s made from glass and delicate parts, so I’m up for all the cossetting I can give them. I like that the Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International feels soft to the touch, its outer being made from padded water-repellent 1680D ballistic nylon that helps to absorb the shock of any knocks. The inner camera compartment is soft but firm, and fully customizable with plenty of adjustable Velcro dividers. Even so, reinforcements are on hand, with rigid protection featured at likely collision points around the bag’s construction.

The sibling Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 ‘Air Case’ is advertised as being so strong that you can stand on it. The ‘International’ that I’m reviewing here doesn’t have as much weight-bearing potential but you can happily put it on its side and sit on it without fear of damaging anything inside. That’s thanks to a rigid inner frame that runs around the top, sides and bottom of the bag. Unlike the Air Case, however, there’s no slide-in pad that fills the laptop compartment and adds weight-bearing potential to the lid.

In terms of size, the bag is designed to be small enough for full compliance with the international carry-on regulations of commercial airlines, although weight might be an issue, as I’ll come to later. Despite being built down to certain size regulations, the bag can accommodate two or three mirrorless or DSLR cameras, or a pro-sized cine camera complete with a grip. Got lenses? You can pack eight to ten of them, ranging in size from pancake optics up to and including a typical 400mm f/2.8 prime and/or a 180-600mm super-tele zoom.

Lifting the lid on the bag, so to speak, is a pleasurable experience. It lifts easily on its hinge but has the added attraction of adjustable Velcro-fixed straps, for which you can change the length or remove them altogether. I like that I can adjust the straps to stop the lid opening too far, making the four pockets built into it easily accessible without any kerfuffle. These zippered pockets have a neat organizer layout, ideal for storing accessories like photographic filters and spare batteries, or any other little extras that takes your fancy.

Call me greedy but I prefer roller bags that have four sets of wheels rather than just two. For one thing, you can just nudge the bag along in small increments, when you’re queuing for check-in or boarding. Four sets of wheels also enables you to roll the bag sideways, making it easier to navigate narrow aisles, whether you’re on a plane, train, coach or anywhere else with limited space. What I don’t like are small wheels that catch on the smallest of lumps and bumps on the floor or ground.

The Tenba wins out on both counts, with four sets of wheels that boast ‘WideTrak design with CloudDrive technology’. They’re placed in the extreme corners to give maximum stability and avoid the risk of the bag toppling over. They also glide over challenging surfaces thanks to having large-diameter, elastic, shock-absorbing outers and carbon-steel bearings. The result is that the Tenba is a smooth operator in the rolling stakes.

I’ve often been identified as ‘the tall guy’, standing at 6ft 5in. Catering amply to me and others of pretty much any height, the sturdy, aluminum handle of the bag is made in telescoping sections with three alternative locking heights. I found the uppermost option supremely comfortable in use, not only because of its generous height but also due to its rubberized grip area, which ensures a comfy and secure hold. As I’d expect, the handle folds down flush with the top of the bag, for when you want it to be out of sight and out of mind.

With the best will in the world for rolling along at every opportunity, there are times that you simply have to carry any carry-on bag, even if it’s just to lift it onto a security check conveyer or into an overhead locker. Catering to this, the bag has two luxuriously comfortable and padded, leather-lined carrying straps on the top and on one of the sides. They feel like they’re lightening the load when you’ve got the bag fully stuffed with camera gear and the weight becomes considerable.

If your bag gets lumped in with a load of other luggage, it’s a safe bet that it’ll somehow be facing the wrong way when you want to retrieve it. With that in mind, as well as for packing or maneuvering it in tight spaces, there’s a third grab handle on the bottom of the bag. It’s a more basic strap that isn’t leather-lined like the other two, but it’s still padded and comfortable to use.

Stop for a moment and consider the total value of a bag like this, when it’s packed full of expensive camera kit. It can feel like putting a huge wad of cash within easy reach of anyone who’s technically competent enough to undo a zipper and help themselves to what’s inside. Making your camera gear inaccessible to anyone who’s not desperately determined to get at it, there’s a TSA-approved combination lock on one side of the bag, which secures the two main zipper handles of the main camera compartment. This makes it impossible to open the bag without cutting/breaking off the zipper handles or slicing into the bag itself.

Taking security a step further, you can lock down the entire bag rather than just confining the zippers of the main camera compartment. A small pocket at the top of one side opens to reveal a long steel cable which is fastened internally to the base of the bag’s aluminum extending handle. The other end has a loop and the cable comes with a TSA-approved combination padlock, so you can tether your bag to any suitably immovable object and make sure it stays put.

Naturally, tethering your bag to an immovable object is all very well (and safe) until you actually want to go anywhere. And going places is kind of the whole idea of a roller bag. To help you keep tabs on your bag when it’s on the move, one of the four zippered sections in the lid has an internal neoprene sleeve that’s designed to hold an AirTag or Tile tracker.

Whereas there’s a small pocket on one side of the bag for the steel security cable, a much deeper pocket on the other side acts as a drop in holder for a tripod. It’s zippered, so you simply open it and drop in one or more of the legs of your tripod to stow it. An adjustable strap helps to keep the tripod firmly fixed in place.

When you’re traveling with a lot of luggage, keeping it all together in one place can feel a bit like herding cats. But at least if you’ve got a pair of bags that you don’t want to be separated, there’s a strap that pulls out of the Tenba’s top zippered pocket. It has an easily adjustable length and works well for securing an additional bag to the roller bag.

I’m old enough to remember international photographic expeditions to far-flung destinations where one of the biggest concerns was where to stash all my dozens of rolls of film. They’ve now been replaced by the obligatory laptop computer and, sure enough, an addition to the v2 is a whole new dedicated compartment that can accommodate a 16-inch (or smaller) laptop. This compartment was notably absent from the original Tenba Roadie Air Case Roller 21 roller bag. It’s housed within a separate zippered enclosure at the front of the bag that also has a supplementary full-length pocket and an organizer section for the likes of your passport, business cards, wallet and other travel essentials.

The Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International is so travel-friendly, well made and smartly turned out that it seems a shame to only use it when you’re on photographic assignments. As luck would have it, however, undoing a single internal zipper is all that’s required so that you can lift out the entire camera compartment. You can then fill the empty space with whatever you need instead of your camera kit, for the journey at hand.

Nature abhors a vacuum, as they say, and the empty space that’s left after removing the camera compartment can be suitably filled by the optional Tenba Roadie v2 Luggage Liner Kit, at an additional cost of $49 / £56 / AU$109. Of similarly high quality to the bag itself, this offers the perfect way of converting your camera bag to a regular roller bag for general traveling. The kit comes complete with a liner that zips into the main compartment, plus a soft inner bag.

The retail pack of the optional Tenba Roadie v2 Luggage Liner Kit is shown above, supplied in its own handy mesh pouch. It only takes a few seconds to install the kit in the empty space left by the removed camera compartment, the net result being shown below.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International: Performance

There are various aspects to the performance of any roller bag designed for camera gear but for me, the main one is how well it protects the camera kit itself. I’m happy to say that the Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International accommodates all of my photographic paraphernalia in cosseted comfort and safety. I’ve got cameras of different sizes and lenses large and small, and they can all be made to feel right at home, thanks to the provision of many dividers that are endlessly customizable to enable a tailor-made solution.

I like that the space on the inner side of the lid doesn’t go to waste. The four separate zippered pockets are useful for stashing all sorts of small gadgets and photographic accessories, but one of my favorite uses is for stowing photo filters.

The outer 1680D ballistic nylon skin of the bag is water-repellant and very resistant to inclement weather but when it comes to camera protection, I’m a belt and braces kind of guy. I’m happy therefore that Tenba has seen fit to include an additional weather-proof cover. It scrunches down nice and small, into its own integral pouch, but pulls out to cover the whole bag. Furthermore, it’s reversible so that the outer surface can be either black or silver. Black is good for going incognito, while silver is ideal for reducing the build-up of heat within the back, if it’s out in the blazing sun.

Another critical aspect of the performance of any roller bag is just how well it rolls along. The Tenba scores really highly here, thanks to those trick wheels and sturdy extending handle that I mentioned earlier. During my testing, I found that the bag successfully negotiated tricky terrain, quietly gliding along where some roller bags would have trouble traversing. That’s all well and good but if you’re trekking across the likes of sand, mud, snow or craggy terrain, there’s no other option than to pick up the bag and carry it. The optional backpack straps are ideal for this, being highly adjustable, very comfortable and of similarly high quality.

The external dimensions of the bag mean that you can expect it to sneak in below the size limits for carry-on luggage imposed by international airlines. The only problem might be the weight. Even by camera roller bag standards, the Tenba is hefty at 10.9lb / 4.9kg, and that’s when it’s completely empty. Many international and domestic airlines are relatively relaxed about maximum weights but some restrict carry-on weight to as little as 14.43lb / 7kg, which would only enable you to pack one camera body, a couple of standard lenses and no laptop before flying. It’s something to bear in mind when you’re planning a trip.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International: Verdict

I reckon Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International could easily become my favored travel companion. It’s thoughtfully and cleverly designed, expertly manufactured to the highest standards, and impeccably finished. I really like that the styling makes it look like a regular roller bag, rather than something that’s shouting out that it’s holding a not-so-small fortune’s worth of camera kit.

The build is a great blend of shock-absorbing soft surfaces and padding, with hardy, rigid interior sidewalls. I feel that the bag also has a really go-anywhere attitude, working perfectly as a smoothly gliding roller bag over most terrains, and having optional backpack straps for when the going gets really tough. I’m not quite so happy that I have to buy the backpack straps separately as an optional extra, but feel it’s more reasonable paying extra for the luggage liner kit that can take the place of the camera compartment. The Tenba is quite hefty so it’s worth checking carry-on weight restrictions before you travel, but all in all, it’s a brilliant bag that’s terrific for almost any journey you can think of, near or far.

Alternatives

Tenba is a company with a history of designing bags, cases and accessories for photographers, by photographers, going back about 50 years. The history itself is that pro photographer Robert Weinreb used to go about his business, wrapping his camera lenses in woolly hats and stuffing them into regular backpacks, until finally getting a local Manhattan sewing shop to stitch up his own specialized camera bag. That was all the way back in 1977.

Tenba has literally gone from strength to strength over the ensuing decades. The name is derived from a Tibetan word meaning strong, reliable and unshakable, and the company’s motto is ‘Never Compromise’. One of the most recent, upgraded designs, the Tenba Roadie v2 collection launched as the world’s first rolling camera cases with removable backpack straps. Indeed, the backpack straps are so removable that they’re actually sold separately as optional extras. Either way, the Roadie v2 series builds on the success and reputation of the original Tenba Roadie Air Case Roller 21, aiming to be the ‘most advanced camera carry solutions’ to date, and among the best roller bags for photographers. Let’s take a closer look.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 Air Case: Specifications

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 Air Case: Price

I’ve always been highly impressed by Tenba bags and cases. The Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 Air Case that I’m reviewing here is typical of the brand, with the look and feel of an absolutely premium product. Unsurprisingly, that’s reflected in the selling price, which at $549 / £495 / AU$749 is towards the top end of the scale.

It’s certainly more expensive than some of my other favorite roller bag/backpacks, including the Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II at $429 / £319 / AU$549 and the Vanguard Alta Fly 55T G2 at $349 / £250 / AU$469. And although the Tenba’s backpack straps are completely removable, they also cost extra to buy, priced at $39 / £52 / AU$99. Is the Tenba worth the money? Yes, absolutely.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 Air Case: Design & Handling

When I’m after the ultimate protection for my camera kit, I’ve often been tempted by hard cases. Personally, however, I’ve never really got on with them. They transmit much of the shock from accidental knocks to whatever’s inside, and can give you a bit of a hard knock as well, if you bump into one. I like that the Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 Air Case feels soft to the touch, its outer being made from water-repellent 1680D ballistic nylon. The inner camera compartment is suitably soft and comfy, as well as being endlessly customizable with a generous provision of adjustable Velcro dividers. Even so, there’s literally a hard side to this roller case.

In between the soft nylon exterior and padded camera insert, there’s a super-strong hard shell that delivers maximum protection. The bag is advertised as being shippable, checkable (rather than just being designed as a carry-on) and virtually uncrushable. Indeed, it’s designed to withstand weights of up to 500lb (240kg). It’s strong enough to stand on but, as I didn’t want to wipe my dirty feet all over it, I sat on it instead. With that in mind, it can come in handy if you find yourself in for a lengthy delay at the airport.

So yes, ultimately the Tenba is designed to be compliant with carry-on regulations when flying on commercial airlines, while also being tough enough to check as hold baggage if the need arises. Although the dimensions are limited to carry-on specifications, the bag is nevertheless sufficiently voluminous to carry two or three mirrorless or DSLR cameras, or a pro-sized cine camera complete with a grip. You can also stash eight to ten lenses, ranging in size up to a typical 400mm f/2.8 prime or a 180-600mm super-tele zoom. Oh, and there’s a separate compartment for holding tablets and a laptop of up to 16 inches (40cm) in size.

I like that the lid has captive straps to stop it over-opening, and that you can remove the straps altogether if you prefer. Like the dividers, they have Velcro fasteners. Better still, the lid has an organizer layout with four separate sections that are ideal for storing photographic filters, spare batteries and other small accessories.

To help you keep tabs on your bag, one of the four zippered sections in the lid has an internal neoprene sleeve that’s designed to accommodate an AirTag or Tile type tracker. And to help bring on the joy of movement, I’m pleased that the bag has four sets of wheels rather than just two. This can be a big plus point when maneuvering the bag along narrow aisles in aircraft or on a train, and in other confined spaces. And they’re not just any old wheels. The ‘WideTrak wheels with CloudDrive technology’ are placed to give maximum stability, and designed with carbon steel bearings and large-diameter, elastic, shock-absorbing outers to ensure smooth and quiet rolling on the widest possible range of surfaces.

Going from bottom to top, the rolling action is based not only on tricked-up wheels but also a three-section extending handle, which is made from tough aluminum. As such, it folds away flush with the top of the bag but also allows for three different height options when in use. I’m unusually tall at 6ft 5in but found that the maximum height setting of the handle was very comfortable for me.

There’s a good range of handles for grabbing and carrying the bag when you’re not rolling it along. I’m particularly pleased that there are two comfortably wide and padded, leather-finished strap handles on the top and side of the bag. Not only that but there’s also a more basic grab strap on the bottom of the bag, which can come in useful if you’re trying to retrieve it from an airport carousel or other luggage area, and the bag happens to be facing away from you.

For the security conscious (well, the bag is designed to hold a stash of pro-grade camera gear, after all) there’s an integral combination lock for the zippers that open the main camera compartment. As I’d expect in this day and age, the lock is TSA-approved. The same goes for the steel cable that you can pull out from one of the pockets to tether the bag to a fixed object. Again, this comes complete with a TSA-approved combination lock.

Over on the other side of the bag to the steel cable pocket, there’s a tall pocket that’s designed as a drop-in for a tripod. It has a generous opening circumference and features an adjustable strap to secure the tripod in place.

Up on top, there’s yet another small pocket. This one opens to reveal an internal adjustable strap. Extend it to the desired length and you can attach a second bag, keeping them tethered together.

A laptop is all but essential for many photographers on the move. Sure enough, the bag has a specially designed compartment for holding laptops of up to 16 inches in size. It’s a new addition in the v2 series but that’s not quite the whole story. The Air Case is strong enough to be shipped as cargo, but that strength is compromised if you put a laptop in the internal compartment. The bag is therefore supplied complete with a reinforced block that slides into the laptop compartment to ensure maximum robustness and integrity. If you’re using the bag as a carry-on, you can simply remove the block and pop in your laptop instead.

With the block removed, you can slide in your laptop and secure it with a safety strap. The separate zippered enclosure also includes an additional full-height pocket plus an organizer section for stowing the likes of a passport, business card, wallet and so on.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 Air Case: Performance

The main performance criteria is that the bag should keep my camera kit safely cosseted, and it does this in fine style. I use the word ‘style’ advisedly, as the Tenba looks just like a regular roller case, rather than advertising the fact that it’s accommodating a lot of expensive gear. To ensure that cameras, lenses and other gadgets don’t rattle around, the moveable dividers come to the fore, enabling an endlessly customizable fit.

The lid is equally useful for stowing smaller items, and it’s nice that there are no less than four separate zippered compartments. I tend to stuff them with photographic filters to which I need quick and ready access.

A nice little extra that’s often supplied with photo bags is a weather-proof cover. You get one here, that scrunches down into a little self-contained bag, despite the outer material of the bag itself being very weather-resistant in its own right. Better still, the all-weather cover is reversible, so you can have black or silver on the outside. The latter is a good option for reflecting light, and therefore heat, under a blazing sun.

I said earlier that the large-diameter wheels are designed to give smooth and quiet rolling on a wide range of ground surfaces. They’re also positioned right at the corners, to maximize stability. However, with the best will in the world, there’s no way you can effectively drag any roller bag across mud, sand, snow or really bumpy terrain. With that in mind, the pair of backpack straps that are available as an optional extra can pay dividends. They’re of high quality, comfortable, very adjustable and come complete with a sternum strap for added stability.

My only reservation is that the bag weighs in at 12.65lb / 5.7kg and is therefore quite heavy even when empty, before you’ve started adding your camera kit. Given that some airlines have a maximum weight limit of as little as 14.43lb / 7kg, you might well need to check the allowance with your carrier, to avoid any last-minute problems at departure.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 Air Case: Verdict

I feel that the Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 Air Case offers the best of both worlds. It’s largely soft and shock-absorbing on the outside (and the inside) but with hard reinforcements on critical points of the exterior. It also has a rigid and super-strong shell that sits between the exterior and the camera compartment – so strong that you can literally stand on the bag with no danger of damaging anything within. It therefore works equally well as a camera bag that you can use as carry-on luggage, or check into hold baggage if space (or weight) doesn’t allow.

Adding further to the versatility, I’m pleased that the Tenba works so well as a roller bag on all sorts of terrain, apart from sand, mud and the like. And furthermore that straps are available to buy as an optional extra, for effectively turning the bag into a backpack. To be picky, I’d have liked the backpack straps to be supplied as part of the standard kit. The only other issue is that the bag is quite weighty, so you might fall foul of carry-on weight limits with some airlines. Even so, it’s a top-quality bag that’s full of clever tricks and design flourishes. Excellent work, Tenba!

Alternatives

When I travel, I’m always torn over how to pack – do I grab the carry-on that I can fit the most in to avoid a checked bag, or a smaller bag that won’t make my shoulders ache while I’m out exploring? The decision is why the Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1 caught my eye – it’s an oversized bag with plenty of space – and a separate smaller pack that quickly zips off the front.

As the name suggests, this backpack isn’t one but two bags. Used together, the bag still slides in under most airlines' carry-on bag dimensions. The larger main pack can also be used without the front pack, and when traveling light is warranted, the front pack zips off for a minimalist carry – and, yes, it still has straps.

I spent some time with the new Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1 to see just how versatile the bag is for traveling photographers and videographers.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1: Specifications

Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1: Price

The Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1 retails for $399 / £349 / AU$779 / CA$559.

The backpack on its own doesn’t accommodate camera gear – a camera cube is needed, which is typically sold separately. I used the Large Cube (about $120 / £99 / AU$240 / CA$170), which takes up the entire main compartment of the backpack, but it is also compatible with the Medium ($90 / £85 / AU$190 / CA$140) if you want more space for non-photo gear.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1: Design & Performance

The Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1 is two backpacks that can be used together to carry up to 40L. The main pack can also be used on its own to carry up to 34L, and the daypack on its own can carry up to 16L (yes, separately they fit a bit more, due to stretching and the need to tuck away those straps).

Because the bags are designed to be used both together and separately, several features are repeated on both bags. Both can accommodate up to a 16-inch laptop, both have two water-bottle-small-tripod-sized pockets on each side, and both have chest straps. Features like grab handles, luggage pass-throughs, exterior attachment clips, and external front pockets are also repeated across both bags.

The daypack and main pack both have comfortable straps, but there are a handful of notable differences between the two. As the straps that will handle both the main pack and both packs zipped together, the main bag’s straps are thicker and more shapely. These straps are also magnetic, so they hang the bag nicely when not in use.

The main pack has a padded waist belt that the smaller daypack lacks. It’s well-padded, comfortable, and even manages to fit in another small pocket. (But don’t worry, waist-strap haters, the belt can be tucked between the bag and the back padding when not in use. I legitimately didn’t even realize it was there until I did some in-depth exploring.)

The bags zipped together fit quite a bit of weight in them – I wouldn’t want to carry any bag that fits that much gear all day long. But the bag’s straps are well-shaped and well-padded – and the waist-belt helps quite a bit in distributing that weight. I think the bag is comfortable considering how much weight I put into it – but I’m also glad there’s a luggage pass-through for long airport hauls.

The daypack’s straps aren’t quite as wide, the chest strap is thinner, and there’s no waist belt. But the daypack isn’t built for heavy gear, and I found the straps more than sufficient for what can fit inside. I used the smaller pack on a beach day trip, holding a change of clothes, a Kindle, and a GoPro, and even my freshly sunburnt shoulders didn’t complain.

While I managed to slip a GoPro into the daypack – and a compact camera would also do just fine – the smaller daypack isn’t made for camera gear. Mirrorless cameras, lenses, DSLRs, and drones are relegated to the largest compartment in the main pack.

I used the bag with a large camera cube in the main pack, and I fitted in two mirrorless bodies, two telephoto lenses, three primes, one pancake lens, and a flash. The bag is fairly deep, but some of the dividers can collapse to create a shelf – this was key for storing the pancake lens, as it would have bounced around in the bag too much had this feature not existed.

It’s a versatile and rigid divider system. The only thing that seemed odd is that with the Large camera cube, there’s an extra inch of space at the top between the main bag and the cube. The bag comes with clips, though, so the camera cube will stay in place even with the extra space.

Also on the inside, on the rear panel, against the back, is the laptop sleeve, along with one smaller interior pocket that’s a good size for filters and batteries. I did wish the bag had a dedicated interior pocket for SD cards – a classic symptom of a bag that can be a camera bag but can also be a standard backpack.

Gear access to that main compartment is entirely through the campshell zip that opens the back panel. There’s no side zip access like some Peak Design bags. I didn’t mind, as I rarely use the side zips anyway and loved having four (FOUR!) water bottle pockets. I could carry water, coffee, a small tripod, and an umbrella if I really wanted to.

The daypack uses the more classic top zip access rather than the rear panel access – which makes sense, as this allows both bags to remain accessible when zipped together. The only pocket I couldn’t access when zipped together is the small front pocket on the main pack.

Detaching and reattaching the two packs is simple – the zipper lines up easily to restore the bag to its full 40L capacity.

The bag’s exterior uses a weather-resistant fabric that’s a type of recycled nylon, but feels thicker and more luxurious than the nylon on cheap packs. Most of the zippers are also sealed – the zip between the two packs is not, but with both bags water-resistant, the only thing that risks getting damp are the straps on the day pack.

The zippers also have a built-in loop that can be latched around each other – this makes the bag more challenging to open quickly, which helps deter pickpockets in crowds. And there’s an AirTag pocket that’s so well hidden, it took me a while to actually find it.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1: Verdict

Peak Design’s take on the modular backpack is well thought out, creating a two-bag system that helps traveling creators customize their bag to match their day. The main pack fits large camera kits (or smaller ones with a medium or small camera cube), while the day pack isn’t designed for camera gear, but makes a quick and lightweight grab bag for essentials.

I loved how much space and how many pockets the system has. I’m always irritated when I have to choose between packing a tripod or packing a water bottle, but there are four side pockets on this bag. Similarly, there are two laptop sleeves (plus a tablet fits as well).

But the biggest plus was that the shoulder straps and waist packs are so well designed that carrying all that weight is well-balanced.

My complaints about the bag are minor. There’s a small gap between the main compartment and the large camera cube that’s too small to fit much but big enough to be mildly irritating. And, I wish the bag had a dedicated pocket for memory cards.

I do have one complaint that isn’t quite so minor, though: the price. The bag retails for $399 / £349 / AU$779 / CA$559, but photographers will also need to pair it with a camera cube, which means this is every bit a $500+ camera bag. The versatility comes with a higher price tag than Peak Design’s less versatile bags.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1: Alternatives

I’ve long puzzled over how to pack the most in a carry-on bag while still having a comfortable bag to use once I arrive there. Peak Design’s Travel 2-in-1 does an excellent job at this while staying in backpack form. I haven’t found a camera bag that’s two backpacks in one that works as well, but there are a few different types of bags that have more packing versatility than standard packs.

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Explore with the best camera backpacks or the best camera bags for travel.

Mous is best known for making protective tech accessories, particularly phone cases, so it makes a lot of sense to see the brand applying that same mindset to a backpack. The Mous Flap Backpack is designed as an everyday bag with extra protection built in, namely AiroFoam cushioning to protect from drops and bumps. The backpack is aimed at people carrying valuable tech such as laptops and tablets, but is large enough to hold cameras, lenses, and other accessories if you don’t necessarily want the look of a traditional camera backpack, or want something a bit more multipurpose.

That is really the appeal here. Plenty of the best camera bags are practical, but also don’t gel with my style. I find they often look boxy, overdesigned, or styled in an aggressively technical way. The Mous Flap Backpack takes a different route. It is more of a contemporary daypack, one that blends into daily life far more easily while still promising a bit more security for the gear inside.

For photographers, that makes it interesting. It is not trying to replace a full modular camera backpack with padded inserts and dedicated lens dividers, but it does offer an option for anyone who wants to carry a lighter setup in a more discreet, more fashionable way that would work just as well without cameras as a flight bag or on the daily commute. After spending time with it, I found that balance to be its biggest strength.

Mous Flap Backpack: Specifications

Mous Flap Backpack: Price

The Mous Flap Backpack is a premium backpack, but in use, it generally backs that up with a strong quality, design, and extra AiroFoam reassurance for carrying expensive kit. The appeal here is less about specialist camera-bag functionality and more about getting a bag that looks good enough for daily life while still offering more protection than a standard backpack.

That does make its value a little dependent on what kind of user you are. If you want a dedicated photography backpack with built-in dividers and fully padded compartments, there are more purpose-built options out there. But if you want a stylish, understated bag that can carry a camera setup or just some daily essentials on the commute, the Mous makes a strong case for itself.

Mous Flap Backpack: Design & Performance

The Mous Flap Backpack doesn’t really look like a camera bag. It has a really sleek, modern design that feels much more like a stylish everyday backpack as well as something made for carrying expensive gear. Personally, I love that. If I am walking around with camera kit, especially while traveling, I do not always want to broadcast that fact to everyone around me. The Mous feels far more discreet than many dedicated camera bags, and I think that alone will make it hugely appealing to a lot of photographers.

It also helps that the bag just looks great. This is the kind of backpack that works across different situations. I could see myself using it without cameras for commuting, travel, events, day trips, and just general everyday use. I have the bag in all black, and it pretty much goes with everything from smarter outfits to more casual clothes, which is not always something I can say about camera bags. There are also multiple color choices available if you want one that pops a little more.

In practical terms, there is a lot to like. A zip runs down the front of the bag, which makes the main compartment easier to load and arrange than I expected. I was able to fit my Canon EOS R, Canon 24-70mm f/2.8, and a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 in the main compartment, which is a respectable amount of gear for a bag that does not look particularly large from the outside. It will also take up to a 16-inch MacBook and a 13-inch tablet, which makes it easy to take your editing gear on a shoot.

That said, this is not a true camera bag. There are no built-in camera dividers, so if you want more internal organization and protection for separate pieces of kit, you will probably want to add a small camera cube. For me, that is not necessarily a dealbreaker, because I think the whole point of this bag is flexibility, but it does mean the Mous will suit photographers with a lighter or simpler carry style more than those who want a fully compartmentalized setup.

The protective element is reassuring. Mous uses its AiroFoam protection here, and while I definitely did not test that by throwing my gear to the ground, it is nice to know I have more protection than I would get from a normal backpack. There is also water resistance, which is enough to shrug off light rain and adds another layer of confidence when carrying cameras and tech. I would not treat it like a fully weatherproof expedition bag, but for everyday real-world use, it feels adequately protected.

There are a few caveats. The material felt a little stiff to begin with, though I am not sure it will soften up over time with use. Comfort is generally good, even though there is not a huge amount of padding on the straps or the back panel. It is comfortable to wear, but not especially plush, and breathability is only average. For daily use, that is fine, but on a long, hot day, I think you would notice that compared to a more heavily padded hiking-style bag.

The large top handle is excellent for quick grab-and-go use. There is a discreet pocket at the back that is ideal for a passport or wallet when traveling. The single clasp is also a nice design touch. It is quick to undo when you want access, but it feels secure enough that I would expect to notice anyone trying to get into the bag. It also has multiple positions, which help adjust for how full the bag is. The stretchy side pocket is another handy addition, easily handling different sizes of drinks bottles or coffee cups.

My main reservation is that the AiroFoam protection is only on the base and the back, which means your gear is still more vulnerable to impacts from the front. That does not ruin the bag, but it is an important limitation to be aware of. This bag offers more protection than a regular backpack, but not the all-around padded security of a dedicated camera bag.

Mous Flap Backpack: Verdict

After a few weeks with it slung around my shoulders, I am sold on the Mous Flap Backpack. I want a bag I can use for multiple occasions, and the Flap feels like a bag designed for real life, not just for gear. It is stylish and versatile, but the thing I liked most is how the bag is more discreet than some overtly "tech-y" specialist camera bags; it doesn't really announce itself and the expensive gear it has hidden inside. Instead, this feels like a premium everyday bag for people who want extra safety for their kit without sacrificing style.

The lack of internal dividers does mean it is not a true camera bag, although it does easily take a camera and two or three lenses, or you could squeeze in a small camera cube, and the front opening zip makes it easy to access gear inside. The added AiroFoam gave me a little more confidence carrying expensive tech than a normal backpack would, although the front of the bag is vulnerable to knocks. But overall, for many photographers, I think it works extremely well, and I came away genuinely impressed by how much I enjoyed using it.

Alternatives

I’ve wrapped newborns for photo sessions – but a new accessory has me imagining wrapping my camera in a security blanket instead. The Spin Design ProWrapp Impact+ is a new set of thick wraps designed to help keep cameras, lenses, tripods, and other accessories protected.

The ProWrapp isn’t the first of what I like to think of as a security blanket for a camera – but the company says that the ProWrapps are twice as thick as competing options. The wraps use a high-pile fabric that’s designed specifically to dampen shock and vibrations.

The fabric is also a hook-and-loop closure all over, so as photographers wrap up the gear, the fabric stays in place.

The tech wraps are designed to fit multiple shapes and sizes of gear – the company says the wraps are designed to offer protection without the bulk of dedicated cases. The upcoming ProWrapps will come in four different sizes to accommodate everything from portable hard drives all the way up to lighting equipment and tripods.

It’s those last two categories that grab my attention the most. I have plenty of camera bags to store my gear, but my tripod often ends up getting scratched up hanging out outside my bag. A scratch on a tripod may be less devastating than a scratch on the front of a lens, but tripods are still expensive accessories.

Large studio lights are often harder to find cases to fit – many need custom cases or oversized haulers. I can see the large wrap coming in handy for oversized gear.

The ProWrapp is launching on Kickstarter, where early backers can pick up a four-pack with every size for early pledges starting at $105 / £78 / AU$146 / CA$143 or single wraps starting at $16 / £12 / AU$22 / CA$21.

All crowdfunding projects come with higher risk over retail. Spinn Design is a German-based company that has launched several projects previously. The ProWrapp has surpassed its original funding goal, and the company expects to ship in August 2026.

The campaign ends on May 15, 2026.

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Need to carry some serious camera gear, including a really big lens? The new Vanguard Alta Sky 69 has you covered. This giant 69cm-tall bag is so big it can swallow a gripped camera body with up to a 1200mm f/8 lens fitted! Alongside it you'll still have room for a further 8 lenses, or you can customise this section to store personal effects instead. A dedicated laptop compartment is large enough for a 17-inch laptop, plus there are smaller pockets and compartments for storing a 13-inch tablet, memory cards, cables, batteries, charger and smartphone. A large tripod can be strapped centrally to the front to keep weight centralised. A lighter tripod, monopod or water bottle can also be carried in an expanding side pocket.

Naturally, all this gear adds up to some considerable weight, so to ease the strain the Alta Sky 69 features an ergonomic, fully adjustable back and harness system. The thickly-padded, breathable 3D back and uniquely shaped, height-adjusting shoulder straps lighten the majority of the load, plus there's an adjustable sternum strap and well-padded waist belt to add further comfort on long treks. It all comes together to form what Vanguard claims will be a ‘never-tire’ user experience.

The main compartment of the Alta Sky 69 can be accessed by a top flap that also peels part-way down the front of the bag to provide a larger opening. Alternatively, there's a large hatch in the rear that gives access to the lower portion of the bag. To ensure your gear is well protected, the bag is constructed from tough 1000D and 600D polyester, and there's a separate rain cover to protect against heavy downpours. The bag is backed by a 2 year warranty, extendable to 10 years upon registration.

The Alta Sky 69 is available now, priced at $400/£300. For a limited time, you can also claim a free Alta Accessories Pouch that's ideal for organising small accessories like batteries, cables and SD cards.

Alta Sky 52

If you want the build and features of the Alta Sky 69, just in a smaller overall package, then there's the Alta Sky 52. Its 31 x 24 x 52cm external dimensions make it 17cm shorter, 10cm narrower and 6cm shallower than the Alta Sky 69, as well as being 50% lighter. These dimensions also mean the bag falls within IATA hand luggage guidelines, though airline rules do vary, so check with your preferred airline before travelling.

Despite the crash diet, you can still carry a 150-600mm lens attached to a full-frame camera, plus 4-5 additional lenses and a 16-inch laptop. You also get a similar level of back and strap padding, along with a an adjustable sternum strap and hip belt. Like the Alta Sky 69, there's a tripod mounting point on the front panel, and the main compartment can be accessed either through the top, or via a large opening in the rear panel.

The Alta Sky 52 costs $269.99/£210 and is available now. Vanguard is also offering the same Alta Accessories Pouch offer as with the Alta Sky 69, while stocks last.

Camera backpacks tend to be more ergonomic, but messenger bags tend to offer faster access. Sling bags feel like a hybrid of both – and accessory giant Think Tank has a new sling made for fast lens swaps without taking off the camera bag.

The Think Tank PhotoCross Sling V2 is a bag geared towards outdoor photographers. The pack can swing along its single strap towards the front, where a side-access zip offers fast access for lens swaps.

That single strap is wide and padded with what Think Tank calls “waist wings” as well as a stabilizer strap.

Another key to creating an ergonomic bag with a single strap? The bags aren't massive, designed to house one body with a lens attached and two to four additional lenses. The larger 14L version fits a body with a 24-70mm f/2.8 attached, a 14-28mm f/2.8, and a 70-200mm f/2.8. The smaller 11L version of the bag can fit a 24-70mm f/4, a 14-24mm f/2.8, and a 50mm f/1.4.

A tripod can be strapped onto the front of the bag or slipped into the side water bottle pocket.

The bag is built with ripstop nylon and a Cordura base and front panel with a water-repellent coating. The zippers are also weather-resistant, while a rain guard is included for additional protection.

I tend to gravitate towards backpacks because distributing the weight of heavy camera gear is most comfortable divided between two straps and a waist belt. But even backpacks that can swing around the front on the waist strap don’t look as fast as a single-strap slide can manage. Judging a backpack on specs alone is hard to do, but the PhotoCross looks like an intriguing choice for photographers torn between the comfort of a camera backpack and the speed of a messenger bag.

The Think Tank PhotoCross 11L size lists for about $160 / £154 / CA$224, while the larger 14L is about $176 / £169 / CA$249. The bags are available from a handful of retailers, including B&H in the US, with pre-orders open at Park Cameras in the UK, as well as directly from Think Tank in the US and Canada.

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The best Canon camera bag is an essential purchase if you've just invested in one of the best Canon cameras. We've compiled a list of some of the best bags to carry your kit, regardless of whether you have a compact system such as the Canon G7X Mark III or one of the best mirrorless cameras such as the Canon EOS R5 and need space for lots of kit. 

Sometimes you may just want to have a bag big enough to fit your camera in but there will be times where you need room for additional Canon RF lenses, Speedlites and other accessories such as ND grad filters. You'll want a bag that has lots of well-padded compartments to keep your kit safe and if you plan on walking long distances you'll need a bag that is comfortable too!

Here is a selection of my favorites, at a variety of different prices, and with varying capacities…

Best Canon camera bag

One of Lowepro’s bigger backpacks, the Lowepro ProTactic 450 AW can hold one or two pro-grade Canon DSLRs and up to eight additional lenses or other accessories, so you don’t need to leave anything behind that you might need when hiking into the hills for a landscape shoot, touring the city for architectural photography, or just about anything else. Access to kit is quick and easy, thanks to four separate access points on the top, rear and both sides of the backpack. For negotiating tricky terrain and climbing over obstacles, there’s a waist band that adds stabilising support as well as providing extra storage for small items, but you can remove this if you need a more streamlined approach. Lowepro’s ActivZone System design ensures a really comfortable fit.

You can also get the ProTactic in a smaller size - the Lowepro ProTactic 350 AW II which is perfect if you need to carry less kit and have a smaller stature.

The Billingham Hadley Pro shoulder bag is a class act, with its fully waterproof canvas-look outer, coupled with full-grain leather and brass fixings. For a photographic shoulder bag, the design is refreshingly slim, and yet there’s enough room inside for a full-frame DSLR body like the Canon 5D Mark IV with an attached 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, plus a 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom (without tripod collar) and a pro-grade flashgun like the 600EX II-RT. 

Two additional front pockets enable extra gear to be stashed away, and the rear zippered pocket is big enough for a tablet. For heavier collections of kit, the optional shoulder pad is worth buying, and additional ‘AVEA’ pockets that can attach to both ends are also available in two sizes. This is easily one of the best bags you can buy for your Canon camera.

Whether you’re on your daily commute, going for a day out, or just off for a coffee, the Peak Design Everyday Messenger  is a really handy messenger bag for stashing your Canon camera kit. Available in 13-inch and 15-inch options, it’s ideal for carrying a medium-sized Canon DSLR or mirrorless kit, plus either a 13-inch or 15-inch laptop, respectively. 

Innovative design elements include quick-action MagLatch closures, plus a zippered top flap for even faster access to your camera, without opening the whole bag. FlexFold dividers are said to be origami-inspired and, while they work very well to cosset your kit, they can seem a bit unintuitive at first. The Version 2 editions have enhanced weatherproofing and their small inner pockets are made from a more durable fabric.

Think Tank’s TurnStyle sling-back bags are available in three sizes and two colour options: blue/indigo and charcoal. The Think Tank TurnStyle 20 V2.02 is the largest, but all three have one shoulder strap rather than usual two, and are designed to be worn across the body. A particular bonus is that you can swivel the bags around on their strap, enabling you to get access to your camera and accessories without needing to take the bag off and lay it down. There’s enough room for a full-sized Canon DSLR and up to four additional lenses or other accessories. The 10 edition takes one less lens, and the 5 edition is better suited to mirrorless Canon EOS-M outfits. Each bag has an additional tablet pocket, and an extra front compartment. if you're looking for a sling bag for your Canon camera, these options are top-class.

When I travel, I’m usually forced to choose between a big pack that will let me pack the carry-on maximum, or a smaller bag that won’t weigh me down while exploring. But accessory brand Peak Design has an unusual solution: a modular, two-in-one backpack.

After the success of the Peak Design Roller Pro carry-on suitcase, the brand is back on Kickstarter, but this time with four new bags for the Travel series. That list includes two backpacks – the unusual 2-in-one as well as the brand’s most compact travel backpack yet – along with a duffle bag and crossbody.

A travel backpack that converts to a day pack

The Peak Design Travel 2-in-1 backpack is a 34L base backpack and a 16L zip-off day pack. The bags can be worn together for the most capacity (40L), or either of the two modular sections can be worn on their own.

The largest 34L main backpack is compatible with Peak Design’s Large Camera Cube, though camera compatibility isn’t noted with the smaller day pack portion. The main backpack can also accommodate a laptop and tablet (and the day pack also has a single laptop sleeve). The primary pack also has a front pocket that can be used when the two bags aren’t attached.

The modular bags are made with weatherproof nylon, including a waterproof bottom. The backpack straps can be removed for storage, including a removable hip belt. Luggage pass-throughs are also part of both bags.

Peak Design's most compact travel backpack yet

Peak Design is also launching its smallest travel backpack yet – the Travel Backpack 20L. This bag borrows the minimalist look of the Peak Design 45L Travel Pack, but is small enough to be a personal item when flying.

The interior of the bag can fit one “Smedium” camera cube, while the bag can also fit up to a 16-inch MacBook Pro. A compact tripod can be latched to the bottom of the bag, while there’s also a hidden AirTag pocket and tucked-away water bottle pocket.

A re-imagined duffle bag

Peak Design is also reimagining the duffel bag with a stand-up bag that also folds flat when not in use. The Peak Design Travel Weekender 25L can fit a number of the brand’s packing cubes – including a “Smedium” camera cube, as well as laptops up to 16 inches and a 32oz water bottle.

The duffle is designed to stand up on its own, with an interior organized with an assortment of pockets and dividers. The bag is constructed from weather-resistant recycled Versa Shell, along with weatherproof zippers.

A new crossbody for compact cameras

Finally, the brand is also taking inspiration from its Tech Pouch to craft a cross-body bag. The Peak Design Travel Crossbody is a 3L bag with origami pockets. The small bag is made for essentials like keys and wallet, and, yes, it also fits a small compact camera.

All four bags are launching on Kickstarter – making it the brand’s 16th such campaign. All crowdfunding campaigns carry some risk, but working with a well-established company negates some of that risk. The company expects the bags to be available through traditional retail channels and Peak Design’s webstore beginning on June 2.

The Travel Backpack 2-in-1 is expected to retail for about $400 (which is about £300 / AU$569 / CA$548). Both the new 20L Travel Backpack and Travel Weekender duffle retail for about $200 (which is around £150 / AU$285 / CA$274).

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When choosing a camera bag, I always consider not just the equipment I currently possess, but the potential for future expansion. And, while I believe there’s no such thing as an ideal camera bag for me – precisely because my wants and needs are in constant flux – I’m nonetheless always on the hunt for a single solution catering to all eventualities.

Enter the Vanguard Alta Fly 55T G2, a roller bag that thinks it’s a backpack. Or vice versa. Shoulder straps tuck neatly into the rear back padding when not needed. Similarly, chest and waist belts are provided for added stability if worn. Four wheels provide manoeuvrability when dragging the bag, with the added advantage of raising the bottom of the bag some four inches off the ground and clear of puddles. These wheels are also detachable, providing maximum flexibility and convenience.

With overall dimensions currently meeting most airline carry-on restrictions, I can take the Vanguard Alta Fly 55T G2 aboard as hand luggage. I found the multi-directional 360-degree rotation of its four wheels provides fluidity of movement when wheeling the bag around; in a busy airport or train station, the ability to quickly steer around other people’s trolleys and luggage when heading through security and on to the boarding gate is much easier with four wheels rather than just two. Naturally, an extendable/retractable handle is also included, onto which potentially a smaller, lighter second bag could be hung. This handle is neatly hidden within a zippered compartment when not in use.

First impressions are that this relatively lightweight and manageable roller bag/backpack combo could very well be a travel solution requiring fewer compromises than most. That’s thanks to the ability to transform the unit from a rolling case to a pack, and back again, as required.

But how does it also shape up when it comes to safely storing and transporting my precious camera kit, laptop, and possibly a tripod?

Vanguard Alta Fly 55T G2: Specifications

Vanguard Alta Fly 55T G2: Price

This backpack/roller bag combo certainly looks and feels premium from the outset. So, the manufacturer’s suggested price of $271.99 / £250 / AUS $369.99 does not come as a shock, or feel ‘off’, to me. Further peace of mind comes via an initial two-year warranty.

The asking price for the Vanguard Alta Fly 55T G2 also seems fair when compared to the competing Tenba Roadie Air Case Roller 21, which likewise resembles a traditional bag or pack from the outside, yet in this instance hides a hard case interior. It provides marginally more depth for housing kit, but is slightly heavier with it.

Another alternative in the same price bracket, which is bigger and heavier still for an increased level of protection, is Vanguard’s 53D rolling case. Bear in mind that this option does weigh three times as much as the Alta Fly 55T G2, so getting more storage and greater protection requires some compromise.

Vanguard Alta Fly 55T G2: Design & Handling

Design-wise, this resembles a stylish, premium-look-and-feel regular backpack, until you notice the wheels at its base; if, that is, you’ve chosen to attach them. In terms of where this bag fits into its maker’s line-up, the ‘G2’ is an update of its original (but now discontinued) Alta 55T pack. What’s new this time around is what Vanguard terms its ‘ReGLIDE’ removable wheel system, plus a more comfortably curved style of handle. Both combine to provide a greater degree of control regarding how the bag is manoeuvred.

Weighing 3.8kg when empty, the Vanguard Alta Fly 55T G2 is lighter than comparably priced hard cases, which can be stood on yet still hold their shape, such as the Peli 1535 Air – should I want a greater degree of protection. Albeit only just, as that rival weighs 4kg without any kit loaded. The Vanguard also deliberately looks – and handles – more like a standard backpack than a photographic case, meaning it’s less likely to attract prying or envious eyes. It’s not obviously a ‘camera bag’.

While I’d classify this more as an everyday pack for photo enthusiasts as opposed to pros, that’s not to say Alta Fly 55T G2 doesn’t feel rugged. The outer fabric is firm to the touch and looks hard-wearing. The materials used in its construction are moisture-resistant, though a pull-out rain cover is provided as an added measure. This gives me peace of mind that it’s an item that should last years of use. I found that the shoulder straps, when in use, are also comfortably padded and avoid digging into the skin when transporting heavier loads.

Upon unzipping the main part of the bag, there’s a self-contained camera compartment, approximately 11.5cm in depth, with the usual array of padded dividers to prevent expensive items from rubbing up against one another. Fastened in place by Velcro, this enables a degree of adjustment and modification to accommodate varying sizes of stored items, while also keeping them snug and preventing them from rolling around inside the bag.

With the entire camera compartment measuring 310 x 115 x 410mm, Vanguard suggests there’s room for two mirrorless or DSLR format camera bodies, one with up to a standard 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom attached, plus a further six lenses. Enabling the pack to be used as a storage solution for non-camera gear, or to mix and match what I’m carrying, the entire camera compartment lifts out.

There is space for a laptop within the front interior section of the bag when unzipped. The pouch here, measuring 290 x 25 x 410mm, ably accommodated my 14-inch laptop, with additional room for an 11-inch tablet, if needed. There’s the opportunity to cart around a standard tripod, too, if you’re OK with tethering it to the outside, though obviously all of this potentially adds to the combined weight on your back.

Of course, if I don’t want to max out the interior capacity with tech, I can use the remaining space for clothes and other items I might require when travelling. As noted, the removable interior divider system – the cushioned camera storage section lifts out as a single unit – allows for such personal customization. I particularly admired the choice of bright yellow interior – yes, it’s ‘on brand’ for Vanguard, but it also makes it easier to spot and retrieve smaller camera items and accessories.

Vanguard Alta Fly 55T G2: Performance

What I want from a good quality camera bag is not only peace of mind that it will protect my kit when out and about, but that it will provide quick and easy access to said equipment when a photo opportunity unexpectedly and fleetingly presents itself.

As well as the 47cm two-stage extendable/retractable handle for use when the bag is used as a roller, there’s a heavy-duty fabric carry handle at the top of the bag, plus another at one side. I found this useful when lifting the bag out of an overhead locker or simply picking it up off the ground.

Removing or attaching the wheels at the base is a quick and easy process. It simply involves squeezing a pair of tabs and pulling the wheel downwards to remove it, or realigning the tabs and pushing the wheel upwards and into place until hearing a definite ‘click’ to fix it. It’s intuitively straightforward.

Aside from sufficient padding and exterior strength to reassure me that whatever kit I have stowed isn’t going to get wrecked, even if my bag should endure rough handling, the other thing I care about is said equipment not getting damaged by damp conditions. While the wheels, if attached, do keep the bottom commendably clear of the ground, the rain cover – stashed in yet another zippered compartment near the handle – can envelop the bag/backpack if so wished.

Rather more quirkily – and thoughtfully – pull-down rain covers are also provided for the rear wheels. So, if I did quickly opt to wear the pack on my back in inclement conditions with wheels still attached, they hopefully wouldn’t leave dirty or wet marks on my clothes or jacket. As an added extra, the bag also comes with a combination lock, for added security when travelling, or if I need to stash my bag somewhere I don’t constantly have eyes on it. I get the impression Vanguard has thought of almost everything here.

As I would expect of any premium camera bag, numerous zippered compartments are provided for additional smaller items, not just the rain cover, but also, potentially, travel documents and paperwork.

As well as the top-located fabric handle plus extendable/retractable metal handle, I also liked the fact that we get an additional fabric handle on one side, so the entire setup can be carried like a briefcase/suitcase. It makes lifting it in and out of the boot of a car that much easier, too.

At each stage of exploration and use, everything is of high-quality construction. I didn’t spot any loose threads or fraying fibres, and setup and operation feel intuitive, practical and fluid at every step. I want, after all, to be quickly and easily loading and retrieving my kit, not endlessly faffing around with belts and zips.

Vanguard Alta Fly 55T G2: Verdict

Pushing versatility to the fore, this is a well-made, practical, and flexible transport solution for anyone who has a medium amount of kit to cart around. To that end, it would better suit the keen photo enthusiast rather than the fully professional photographer, which, in turn, is reflected in the feature-set and pricing.

There’s nothing ‘amateur’ about the Alta Fly 55T G2’s construction, however. Its rugged outer fabric provides peace of mind, and the bag/pack outwardly maintains its shape when squished or squeezed, with very little give. Inwardly, too, it provides a snug and safe fit for an average amount of photo gear.

It all adds up to a quality product for those wanting a relatively lightweight yet sturdy camera pack/rolling case combo, at a fair price.

Alternatives

Check out our full guides to the best roller bags for photographers, and to the best camera backpacks

When accessory brand Wandrd launched a roll-top camera backpack called the Prvke, the bag was successful enough that the Prvke is now on its fourth generation. But Wandrd has just re-imagined the Prvke again – this time without the rolltop. The Wandrd Prvke Zip and Prvke Pocket take the popular roll-top and swap it out for a classic zipper for a more minimalist design.

While the Wandrd Prvke Zip and Pocket ditch the rolltop, the bags keep several of the features made popular by the original Prvke. That includes durable, water-resistant materials, well-padded straps, and a modular interior that can be used for camera gear or as a regular backpack.

Like the original, the Wandrd Prvke Zip and Pocket have a fully unzipping back panel that allows for full access to the main gear compartment. Using a large Pro Plus Camera Cube converts the entire main compartment to gear storage, while using the Essentials Cube dedicates two-thirds of the interior to gear while leaving the top third for other items.

Both the Zip and Pocket have a similar main and top compartment – the key difference is that the Pocket has an added front pocket for more storage, while the Zip has a more minimalist front. Both bags have expandable side pockets on each side for carrying items like water bottles or a travel tripod.

The two new additions to the Prvke series are available in both 21L and 31L sizes and in black or green. That leaves the original Prvke both with more sizes and colors, as the V4 is available in four sizes and seven different standard colors (although there is currently an eighth color, a limited edition shiny black).

The 21L on both the Pocket and Zip retails for $234 / £226 for just the bag or $319 / £283 bundled with a camera cube. The larger 31L size retails for $254 / £226 as a standard backpack or $344 / £306 as a camera bag. Pre-orders for the bags have already opened at retailers, including Adorama in the US (Zip / Pocket) and Wex Photo in the UK (Zip / Pocket).

Read our hands-on take of the two new bags with the Wandrd Prvke Pocket and Zip review.

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Vanguard has launched a newly revised version of its Alta Fly 55T 4-wheel roller bag. The new G2 variant improves on the original 55T as its four wheels are now detachable. This not only enables the bag to be stowed in tighter spaces; it also helps improve longevity, as the wheels can now be replaced if necessary. Another new feature is the bag's robust dual handle that replaces the previous single bar handle design, enabling easier two-handed lifting.

The signature feature of the original Alta Fly 55T was its ability to transform into a backpack in seconds, and this is retained for the G2. It allows photographers to switch easily from rolling the bag through an airport terminal to carrying it comfortably over rugged terrain, with the backpack mode benefitting from padded shoulder straps, an adjustable chest strap, and a waist belt for improved load distribution.

When the going gets tough, the bag's durable, anti‑scratch, moisture‑resistant materials should shrug off plenty of abuse, plus there's a rain cover to protect against heavier downpours. Vanguard has even included pull‑out wheel covers to keep your clothing clean when the bag's on your back.

Inside, the padded camera compartment measures 310 x 115 x 410mm and is large enough to accommodate up to two camera bodies with a 70–200mm f/2.8 attached, up to six additional lenses (up to 300mm f/4), and 14" laptop and/or an 11" tablet. A range of accessories and travel documents can be stowed in large external front pockets which incorporate internal organizers, while a tripod is able to be strapped to the side of the bag. The entire camera insert can also be removed, allowing the bag to double as a standard travel roller bag.

Externally, the Alta Fly 55T G2 measures 340 x 245 x 555mm, making it compliant with IATA airline carry-on rules, though it's always worth double-checking the exact carry-on size limits of your chosen airline.

As the Alta Fly 55T G2 is intended for international travel, Vanguard has incorporated several security features: the main zipper includes padlock‑ready loops. Side buckles prevent the zipper from opening fully, yet still allow quick top access to essential gear. And inside, a zippered mesh panel adds an extra layer of protection when the front is open.

The Vanguard Alta Fly 55T G2 is available to buy now, priced at $272/£250.

Check out our full guide to the best roller bags for photographers

Vanguard Veo Lite backpacks are designed for everyday photography and everyday weather. With how changeable the climate is around the world these days, it’s so easy to get caught out by bad weather when you’re out on location taking photos. The great thing about these weatherproof Vanguard Veo Lite backpacks is that you don’t have to pack up and go home as quickly as you normally might when there’s a shower – enabling you to keep your kit dry as you try and capture those dramatic skies or reflections in city streets that many of us miss as we’ve run for shelter!

Vanguard Veo Lite backpacks are available in 20-liter (B20L) and 25-liter (B25L) sizes. The B25L models are available in a tasteful navy blue and (perhaps a little impractical) cream, while the B20L version is also available in a trendy red. I’m testing the 25-liter B25L navy blue model.

So, what’s the practical difference in size between the 20 and 25-liter packs? The B20L is better suited to smaller DSLRs or mirrorless cameras and a kit lens, plus two to three extra lenses, a 14-inch laptop, and an 11-inch tablet. Whereas the bigger B25L will accommodate larger full-frame DSLR or mirrorless bodies with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, plus room for three or four additional lenses, and a 16-inch laptop and 13-inch tablet.

Both can accommodate a travel tripod in the side pouch/strap, or a water bottle. As I use full-frame Canon EOS cameras and regularly carry a chunky EF 70-200mm f/2.8L lens, the B25L should suit me and my kit well.

Vanguard Veo Lite: Specifications

Vanguard Veo Lite: Price

The Vanguard Veo Lite 25-liter backpack sells for £150 in the UK and AU$220 in Australia, while the smaller 20-liter variant sells for £130 and AU$200. Given the modest addition cost for the larger bag, that's the option I'd go for, unless you really like to travel as light as possible and don't see your camera kit expanding anytime soon.

The Veo Lite range wasn't available in the USA at the time of writing, but Vanguard has assured me that stock is on its way and will be available from the usual camera retailers soon.

Vanguard Veo Lite: Design & Handling

The ability to wipe clean this Vanguard Veo Lite B25L backpack whenever it gets wet or muddy when I'm out on location, such as photographing landscapes in wintry or damp places, is a real bonus. It's also reassuring to know this Vanguard Veo Lite B25L backpack is also showerproof, so it doesn't matter if I stay out if there's a bit of drizzle.

Just to clarify, Vanguard says the Veo Lite backpacks are made of a “high-quality polyester with an eco-friendly PVC smooth coating with a durable water-repellent finish and weatherproof zippers, making the bag as weatherproof as possible, with a rain cover for the wettest days.”

Good to know, because I've been known to stumble too close to the water's edge trying to nail that great seascape composition or kneel a little too close to the lakeside for the sake of a better shot.

Should you be in any doubt, the B25L also comes with a black plastic rain cover (in a handy little pouch) that covers the entire bag if it really starts hammering it down with rain and you want to be sure your gear isn’t getting drowned.

The texture of the outer material is pleasing to the touch and feels slightly rubberized with a matte finish. This is a reassuringly well-made backpack, as I’ve come to expect from Vanguard, with sturdy straps, well-designed zipped sections. I'm a fan of the navy blue colour and sleek design that, as Vanguard says, “Has been created to disguise the fact that you are carrying valuable camera kit as you travel.”

The subtle blue backpack has just a hint of colour that says ‘hey, I’m cool’ but not too much colour to attract unwanted attention in cities with a backpack that says ‘hey, I’m a bag full of kit, come and steal me!’

While the cream option doesn’t obviously look like a camera bag, either, it’s a color that’s an acquired taste, and I fear that it certainly wouldn’t stay cream after a few photo trips with me to my local woods.

In the top ‘daypack’ section, I was able to fit my substantial lunch and snacks, with room to spare. If I weren’t carrying food, I’d be inclined to use the space for a flashgun or easy-to-grab lenses, depending on what I was shooting that day.

There’s a sturdy top strap (with extra poppers) for carrying the bag vertically in one hand. In addition, two rather unnecessary poppers fasten down the top zipped daypack section; as far as I can tell, these only serve to give you a little better access to the top section (and marginally more space) when both poppers are unfastened. I never needed to use them.

To access the main ‘camera compartment’ section, you need to lay the backpack down on its front and open the two chunky rubber zippers around the top and sides. You then have full access to all your camera gear.

I found these large rubber zippers were great when trying to unzip the bag with gloves on or with cold hands when quickly trying to grab a different lens mid-shoot.

As it’s waterproof and wipeproof on the front and sides, I wasn’t overly worried or as cautious laying down the Vanguard Veo Lite B25L as I am with my usual Lowepro backpacks – which are traditional top-access backpacks, so I often have to lie them down on their backs, which can mean wet and muddy backstraps picking them back up off damp ground in fields or woodlands.

In the Vanguard Veo Lite B25L’s main camera compartment, I could fit a Canon EOS R5 Mark II full-frame mirrorless with large Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM super-telephoto zoom, although understandably this left less space for other lenses, so I could only squeeze in a Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM and Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM on one side, but could fit a Canon 600EX-RT Speedlite flashgun in the space on the other side of the camera and telephoto lens.

I tried out some alternative kit combinations, and found I could also fit a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV full-frame DSLR with Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM telephoto zoom attached, plus four Canon pro lenses; a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, and a tightly fitted Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM wide-angle zoom!

It was snug with a full-frame and five lenses, and this mid-sized backpack felt noticeably heavier as the weight is concentrated into a small area. I feel that if I were to carry one body with an attached lens plus four lenses for a day-long shoot, I’d prefer to use my larger pro backpack to spread the weight and fit the kit more evenly spaced inside.

Great side access means, if you choose, you can sling the bag around off one shoulder and quickly zip open this side pocket to grab your camera and lens (or another lens if you’ve left it in the space you’d normally stow your camera).

The two internal zipped mesh sections that form the inside of the back flap were a good size; the top one ideal for 2-3 spare batteries and a cleaning cloth, while in the second section I could comfortably fit four lens filters (I usually carry a polarizer and two NDs, so this was more than enough space).

The unzipped mesh pocket above the camera compartment (that’s the rear of the top ‘daypack’) wasn’t so useful; it was fine for loosely stashing some food, and if I wanted to access it from the top, I could just partially undo the main zippers to reach it. However, when laying the backpack on its front to access the main section, anything in the unzipped section slipped out as it’s fastened with a very weak magnet.

Conversely, the mesh sections on the other side of this space, inside the top daypack section, were good. The magnetic fastening here was better (but still not that strong), plus there’s a zipped section the width of this internal day pack, which I’d use for things like memory cards, a card reader and cable, and/or portable SSD and cable.

A stretchy mesh material is used for the various internal zipped sections, enabling you to see what gear is inside, and, as it stretches, you can pack in more stuff than you might think you can, if necessary. Whether this material is made to last remains to be seen.

Vanguard Veo Lite: Performance

For my weatherproof testing of the Vanguard Veo Lite B25L out in the field, I used a water spray bottle, and the outer shell handled repeated sprayings, with the water beading on the surface before simply running off. I could also wipe off excess water drops from the smooth blue surface of the bag. However, on closer inspection, a small amount of water had seeped through to the interior.

So I probably wouldn’t recommend relying on the waterproof outer of the bag in heavy downpours or sustained rain to keep your camera gear perfectly dry, but I would recommend getting the supplied rain cover on just to be sure.

There is one side pocket on the right, which I found is best suited to carrying my water bottle (such as a standard 750ml plastic bottle), rather than squeezing in a travel tripod and strapping it to the side of the backpack.

Now I should confess; I don’t use travel tripods as such; I prefer to use a full-size sturdy tripod and carry it in my hand when walking to a location with my backpack on. I find it comfortable to carry this way, plus it's quicker to set up when a photo op presents itself.

I could just about squish the compacted end of a lightweight Manfrotto BeFree aluminium travel tripod and ball head in the side pocket of the bag, and it wasn’t too tall, and I could strap the top securely to the bag.

But I found it annoying strapped to the side, and found the extra weight on a fully loaded backpack wasn’t comfortable to carry. Perhaps you prefer to strap your little tripod to your bag and carry it that way; I just carry my tripod in my hand. Horses for courses.

A small note about the small side strap; it’s cleverly hooked in design, so it’s easy to unhook to access your tripod rather than having to loosen the strap itself and slide the tripod through the strap.

The little zipped smartphone pocket built into the front of the left-hand shoulder strap is… interesting. A nice idea, although trying to use it was nasty. I could squeeze my iPhone Pro Max (which measures 158x78x8mm) into this pocket if I removed my phone’s rubber case. But when walking around with the backpack, my phone was basically tucked under my chin.

This also meant it was very tricky to get my phone back out of the pocket with the bag on my back, as I had to undo the zipper (which is only half the width of the phone pocket, as the zipper is the width of the strap), then try to pull my phone out. Like most people, I stash my phone in my jeans pocket anyway, so after initially trying it, I didn’t bother with this little pouch.

On the rear of the Vanguard Veo Lite B25L is a separate zipped laptop compartment (that measures 250mm wide by 360mm tall) that can hold up to a 16-inch laptop, making it an option as an everyday commuter bag. You can also rearrange the internal inserts to organize your laptop accessories (power charger, mouse, and so on), or remove the dividers altogether to maximize space for your everyday stuff.

There’s a bit of a knack to sliding your laptop into the slim pocket inside the back, when you have camera gear in the main section, as it snags on stuff, but a little jiggle and my 16-inch Apple MacBook Pro slotted inside just fine.

The slim outside pocket on the front of the backpack (under the Vanguard logo) is perfect for your tablet, and fits an Apple iPad (with protective case), no worries.

Designed for use around town, the Vanguard Veo Lite B25L backpack allows you to keep your gear charged on the go, whether keeping your camera battery topped up, or mobile phone powered up – as at the side is a subtle slot for cables to slip inside and connect to your portable power bank, which remain dry and hidden inside the bag while you charge kit. There’s also a tiny secret Velcro pocket tucked away in the daypack to put an Apple AirTag / smart tracker.

If you find the 25-liter backpack isn’t quite big enough, you can attach the Veo Lite S2L Compact Shoulder Bag (available separately) to the front of a Veo Lite backpack.

With the Vanguard Veo Lite B25L backpack loaded up, with both sections full, and a water bottle in the side pocket, I found it comfortable to carry. The shoulder straps are slim yet padded, plus there’s a chest strap for added stability if you’re trekking longer distances.

The chest strap was easy to click in place with one hand and pull tight for comfort, plus it was pretty easy to adjust the shoulder straps, depending on whether I was just wearing a jumper or a thick padded jacket.

It doesn’t have a waist strap, which isn’t unusual for a medium-sized backpack like this. I find waist straps quite annoying anyway, and often just tuck them out of the way.

When I added my 16-inch Apple MacBook Pro laptop and iPad, the backpack was understandably very heavy. But I would very rarely carry my laptop, iPad and camera kit all together, unless taking a flight for an overseas photo trip.

Hidden under a black strap across the width of the rear of the backpack (to slide it onto a trolley handle) is a flat, secret zipped section; this is ideal for stashing valuables like a passport or cash, to keep them secure and inaccessible in busy touristy areas.

The top daypack zipped compartment is ideal for packing the personal kit you need for a day out, such as lunch and snacks, or carrying even more camera kit.

Vanguard Veo Lite: Verdict

At 25 liters, the sophisticated Vanguard Veo Lite B25L is a compact-sized backpack but a good size for everyday use, and large enough inside to fit your camera with lens, plus more than enough extra lenses for most photographers' needs. Plus, it has plenty of features and additional internal pockets to stash all your camera kit, personal stuff, water bottle/tripod, and more.

Although it’s described as "waterproof", I'd say "water-repellent" would be more accurate, fending off light moisture, so it offers protection against drizzle and splashes, rather than heavy rain. The cool design means it’s equally suited to landscape hikes or city trips, as well as travel, and it can double as a personal backpack for the days you're leaving the camera at home.

Alternatives

I’m a bit of a camera bag aficionado, so when Wandrd updated my go-to backpack, I knew I had to try it out. The Wandrd Prvke V4 is a rolltop backpack designed to mix easy access to creative gear with comfortable straps and durable materials.

I loaded the Wandrd Prvke V4 21L up with gear (and non-photo gear) and boarded a plane to Los Angeles. The photo backpack is even more comfortable than the earlier version, while making a few small yet significant tweaks.

The Wandrd Prvke V4 is my new favorite camera backpack – this is why.

Wandrd Prvke V4: Sizes

The Wandrd Prvke comes in four sizes: 15L, 21L, 31L, and 41L. For this review, I tested the 21L variant, which is about enough for 1 mirrorless and around five lenses using the small camera cube. I only tested the 231L of the V4, though I’ve used multiple sizes of the previous version.

The other sizes will have similar pockets and comfort, but varying amounts of space for gear. The smallest 15L uses a built-in camera cube rather than a removable one. The 21L and 31L are for mid-sized kits with more lenses and flashes, while the 41L is deeper for cameras with built-in vertical grips, or big telephotos with built-in tripod collars.

Except for the 15L, photographers and videographers will need to choose the bundle that comes with a camera cube in order to carry gear. The Essential Camera Cube will take up the bottom section of the bag but leave the rolltop clear for non-photo items, while the Pro Camera Cube juts into the top compartment a bit to accommodate longer telephotos (or more lenses).

Wandrd Prvke V4 review: Price

In the US, the Wandrd V4 21L costs about $234 for the bag, but $318 once you add the Essential Camera Cube, or $354 with the larger Pro cube. In the UK, it’s about £234 for the bag only, £319 with the small camera cube. In Australia, the 21L with a camera cube retails for about AU$579.

One of my biggest complaints is that accessories are all add-ons. This makes the bag customizable, yes, but it can really add to the cost. You can pick up a waist belt for the bag, along with a rainfly, accessory straps, or even an extra cube. The photography bundle includes the bag, a camera cube, and accessory straps, but does not include the waist belt or rain fly.

Wandrd Prvke V4 21L Specs

Wandrd Prvke V4 review: Design

The Wandrd Prvke is a backpack with a main compartment that can be divided into two with a gear compartment and a separate roll-top, which is expandable depending on how tight you roll the closure. The rolltop closes with both velcro and a metal clasp.

The divider, however, tucks away for photographers who need the entire space for gear, or conversely, users who want to use the bag more as a standard backpack with a large main compartment.

The main access is through a fully unzipping back panel. Resting the zipper against your back can ease some of the concern over pick-pocketing, but it also opens completely for full access to gear. I also like this design, because if I need to sit the bag down in the dirt, I’m not mucking up the part of the bag that’s about to sit against my back.

For photographers and videographers, the Prvke’s main compartment needs to be paired with a camera cube. The small cube takes up the lower portion of the pack, while the large cube fills nearly the entire main compartment. The camera cube has a zippered cover that tucks away inside the bag, but keeps gear protected if you pull the cube out to use as a regular pack.

Above where the small camera cube sits, there’s a divider that slices the main compartment into two – this divider folds away when using the larger cube. That top section can be accessed from the rear zipper, the roll-top, or a zipper at the top. There’s also a zipper here for a roomy pocket large enough for my portable photo printer. This pocket doubles as a cover over the top compartment when using the rear access point, and it can be velcroed right to that divider.

The bag also has a side access point (with a matching zipper on the camera cube) where a camera body would sit in the main compartment. A small zippered pouch is tucked into this access door as well.

A padded laptop sleeve rests on the inside of the back panel; there are two slots here if you want to carry both a laptop and a tablet. In front of that, there are three additional pockets, which I use to store memory cards, quick-release plates, and spare batteries. One of the smaller pockets here also has a spot for an AirTag.

Outside of the main gear compartment and rolltop, there are a few more pockets to stash smaller items. A large zipper sits at the front, big enough to stash a notebook. There’s a small pocket on the side that’s the ideal size for business cards or a set of keys. And there’s also a hidden pocket so discrete I forgot it was even there – move aside the luggage trolley strap and there’s a hidden pocket meant for valuables like a passport.

Another zip that’s easy to forget exists? A small compartment on the bottom made for a rain fly (which is not included).

The side water bottle pocket has a zipper to expand, plus a strap at the top to use the same pocket for a tripod instead. Alternatively, you can also get accessory straps to latch gear to the front of the bag.

There are a few different ways to carry the bag. There are the shoulder straps that make it a backpack, which are also paired with a chest strap. Then there are the magnetic grab handles at the top, or the loop to rest the bag on the handle of a rolling suitcase.

Wandrd Prvke V4 review: Performance

I packed the Wandrd Prvke V4 on a trip to Los Angeles – and the camera backpack proved quite comfortable to wear on my trek to the city.

The straps are one of the key changes from the V3. On the V4, the straps are a little narrower, but the edge is every bit as padded as the center. The straps didn’t dig into my skin, though as with any bag, I find it a bit chaffe-y if I wear a tank top and have the straps against skin instead of clothing. The straps are well-padded, and I found the bag quite comfortable for the amount of gear that I packed inside.

The straps are nicely padded and curve to hug the torso. My only complaint on the straps is that the removable chest strap is quite difficult to get back on the bag. I overtightened mine, and one side popped off, and I couldn’t get the strap to slide back on easily. (I gave up, it’s still off.)

I tend to prefer backpacks that place the laptop in the front rather than against my back, as that makes the back panel a little too rigid. But, I didn’t find carrying a MacBook Air in the back panel to be uncomfortable. The back panel is well-padded and goes a long way in keeping the bag comfortable.

One of the reasons that the Prvke series has remained a favorite of mine are the materials that are durable and easy to wipe, yet feel a bit more upscale than a bag that’s 100 percent nylon. The Prvke is made with a mix of materials, including tarpaulin on the front and slides and ballistic nylon on the back and straps. This creates a weather-resistant but not waterproof exterior on the exposed portions of the backpack.

I was initially concerned because the V4 doesn’t have the shiny zippers that are on the V3, but Wandrd said they moved to coated DWR YKK zippers that are still weather-resistant, but easier to zip.

I emptied the bag, tucked some tissue inside, and poured a cup of water over the back. The water rolled off the back material (even though it doesn’t look like it would be water resistant), but a small amount of moisture did seep in at the zipper. When I repeated the test with the older V3, if anything, more water seeped in at the zip. I’d feel comfortable wearing the Prvke V4 in light to moderate rain, but would use an additional rain cover in heavy rain.

Wandrd Prvke V4 review: Verdict

I haven’t found a backpack to unseat the Wandrd Prvke V3 from being my go-to backpack – until the V4, that is. The straps are a bit more comfortable, the rolltop access easier, and there are simply a few design details that feel even more refined. The Wandrd Prvke V4 is my new favorite for carrying my photo gear.

My list of complaints is small. I had a hard time getting the chest strap to clip back on when I overtightened, and it popped off. The bag is weather-resistant, but needs a rain fly in heavy rain. There’s also no waist strap or rain fly included, and while the number of accessories helps the bag to feel highly customizable, it also drives up the price.

While the V4 feels more refined, there’s nothing wrong with my existing V3. One of the reasons I like the Prvke series is that it’s durable, and my V3 still looks new. Considering the expense, creatives currently using the V3 don’t really need to upgrade. Likewise, the V3 is now easier to find on sale, and if the refined straps, zippers, and subtle tweaks throughout don’t speak to you, the V3 is a bit more affordable.

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The new Capsule 1 from Billingham has arrived at a moment when photographers and tech-savvy everyday users alike are increasingly seeking gear that blends elegance, compactness and practical protection. Having spent years evaluating camera bags for my editorial work, I recognise the appeal of something that does more than simply “fit kit” - it needs to perform in the field and reflect a refined aesthetic. Billingham’s Capsule 1 certainly ticks those boxes.

Available for pre-order now with dispatch expected for the week commencing 24 November 2025, the Capsule 1 positions itself as a versatile pouch with a wide doctor-bag style opening, ideal for slipping into a larger everyday carry bag or standing alone for compact gear use.

What truly sets the Capsule 1 apart is the thoughtful design details. Billingham notes that this piece features 5 mm foam padding and internal mesh pockets to help organise memory cards, cables, and other small essentials. The versatility claim is strong too - they suggest it can function as a camera bag, wash bag, or everyday pouch. The external dimensions are 290mm x 160mm, with an internal space of roughly 200mm x 85mm x 100mm and a capacity of approximately 1 litre - yes just 1 L — and a weight of 0.3kg. That tells me that Billingham is targeting the user who values minimalism and agility over bulk, someone who perhaps carries a compact mirrorless setup (or even a high-end point-and-shoot like a Leica) and wants an elegant “case inside a case”.

From my perspective, coming from the world of professional photography gear where we test bodies, lenses, weather sealing, and ergonomics, the Capsule 1’s simplicity is refreshing. There’s no over-engineered harness system, no giant padded compartments meant for multiple pro-zoom lenses. Instead, this is clearly meant as a companion item - either as a quick-grab bag for light travel or a smart insert into your main camera bag. Billingham’s heritage (manufactured in England since 1973) further supports the impression of durability and craft.

Color-wise the Capsule 1 offers several options: for example, Burgundy Canvas with Chocolate Leather, Khaki FibreNyte with Chocolate Leather, Sage FibreNyte with Chocolate Leather, and Black FibreNyte with Black Leather.

For someone who appreciates the style of your Leica gear and the kind of equipment you carry for luxury or lifestyle editorial work, these finishes will feel appropriately premium rather than sporty or tactical. In my role as ecommerce editor on camera and tech gear, I often see bags with impressive specs but lacking in finish; here, the aesthetic is clearly part of the assignment.

In short, the Capsule 1 is not aimed at the location photographer hauling bodies and 600mm lenses across the field (that remains with Billingham’s Pro or larger models). Instead, it addresses a growing demand for stylish, well-constructed solutions for light-kit travel and everyday carry.

The Capsule 1 will sell for $143 / £125.

Roller bags simplify hauling camera gear through the airport – the problem is, once you arrive, you’ll need a different bag if you need to walk through sand, grass or rock. That’s why when Tenba looked at updating its popular Roadie collection of roller bags, it created the world's first two-in-one with removable backpack straps.

The Tenba Roadie V2 is a series of rolling camera cases that mix the look of a carry-on with rigid sides, padded dividers, a laptop compartment and optional backpack straps.

Roller-backpack hybrids are a growing category catering to the creators who need a roller for the airport but a backpack on site. A number of these hybrids exist, but they usually have built-in straps that take up an entire pocket when not in use or employ a backpack interior that pulls out of the roller.

Tenba says the Roadie V2 is the first backpack-roller hybrid to use fully removable straps, preventing those straps from taking up extra space when unneeded.

While the removable backpack straps may be the biggest new feature, Tenba says it has spent years redesigning the Roadie collection for V2 to create a stronger and smarter bag. The bag uses custom-designed wide wheels for a smoother, more stable pull.

The exterior is designed to look like a typical carry-on so that it doesn’t advertise that pricey gear is tucked inside. But to protect that gear on the inside, the bag has rigid sides that are rated to 240kg / 500lb of pressure. A hidden AirTag pocket also enables photographers to track their bag.

Roller bags tend to be heavier than traditional backpacks when converted, considering the rigid sides, wheels and trolley system. But the added versatility may help in scenarios that require both a roller and a more mobile backpack.

The Tenba Roadie V2 comes in four different sizes. Three of those – the Spinner 21 International, Spinner 21 Air Case and Spinner 22 – meet international carry-on dimensions. The fourth, the Roadie Roller 24, is larger than carry-on and is designed to hold oversized gear, such as studio lighting equipment.

The bag series starts at $490 / £445 (about AU$755 / CA$690). The removable backpack straps are optional and sold separately for $40 / £52 (about AU$62 / CA$56).

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Cameras are getting smaller and lighter – and now accessory brand Moment wants to give the same treatment to camera bags. The Moment Fast & Light bag series is a new collection of camera bags inspired by running apparel and shrinking camera design.

The new Fast & Light collection includes four bags – one backpack, three slings, and a photo vest – designed to accommodate gear from full-size mirrorless cameras in the biggest bags to compact cameras in the smallest bag.

Moment says that traditional photo bags haven’t shrunken down with cameras, so they started from scratch, designing the new series. A key to the series’ lightweight design is a new reinforced nylon fabric used across the entire series. Dubbed LiteWeave Ripstop, Moment says the material is lightweight but still weather-resistant.

The other key feature that continues across the series is that Moment took inspiration from running gear in the design. The company says the bags are designed to hug the body in order to keep gear close and comfortable to wear.

Each of the bags comes in multiple color options, but uses a bright salmon-colored interior, a decision that Moment says helps to spot gear in the dark.

Pre-orders for all four bags open today at Moment’s online store.

Moment Light & Fast Sequence Camera Backpack

The largest bag in the series is the Sequence, a 23L backpack that the company says is 30 percent lighter than the average pack. The main compartment uses Pop-Up Padded Panels (PUP) to easily convert between gear carry and a more traditional backpack design, including separating the main body of the bag from the top compartment. Main gear access is through a clamshell front zipper as well as a more traditional zip at the top of the bag.

Along with the main compartment, the bag uses two side mesh pouches for carrying items like water bottles and tripods, with an additional small pocket at the front.

The bag’s inspiration from running apparel led the designers to use a six-point adjustment strap system, with adjustment points at the waist belt, chest strap, and trapezoid ridge to customize the fit to different body types. That strap design also includes a zippered tech pocket and a mesh pocket on the shoulder straps for front access to a smartphone or other small accessories.

The bag’s exterior is made with the ripstop nylon used throughout the series with Urbangrid fabric and includes a PFAS-free coating for added weather-resistance.

The Sequence retails for $230 / £199 / AU$395 / CA$326.

Moment Light & Fast Balance 7L Sling

The largest of the three slings in the new series, the Balance 7L is still large enough to fit a full-size mirrorless with a zoom lens in the main compartment. The zippered sling uses the fold-down dividers to swap between carrying camera gear and everyday items. Another zippered compartment can accommodate up to a 9-inch iPad, and there’s also a hidden passport pocket.

A pocket built into the strap stashes a phone, keys, or other small items. The strap can also be removed from the bag and doubles as a camera strap.

The sling is designed to be worn crossbody with gear at the back for carrying, then swings around to the front for fast access.

The Balance 7L is expected to retail for $120 / £104 / CA$170 / AU$206.

Moment Light & Fast Slate 4L Sling

The series’ mid-sized sling can accommodate a full-size mirrorless body and up to a 50mm lens. Like the 7L sling, this smaller 4L sling can be worn front or back, but the smaller compartment also means it can be worn as a waist pack. Like the other bags in the series, gear can be organized with fold-down dividers, which can be tucked away for stashing other items.

The bag is designed with wings around the strap to hug the body, while the main strap adjusts length with one hand also includes a three-point stability strap. Lash cables allow a tripod, hiking poles, water bottle, or jacket to be attached to the bottom.

The 4L sling retails for $99 / £104 / AU$170 / CA$141.

Moment Fast & Light Take 1.5L Sling

The smallest bag in the series has just a 1.5L capacity for a minimalist carry, accommodating a compact camera or smartphone photography setup. A second zippered pocket stashes a wallet, passport, and other small items. Mesh pockets on the front accommodate smaller items like film or a phone.

Like the other slings, the Take can be worn crossbody along the back or front, and it also accommodates a waist-belt style carry. Moment says this smaller bag can be used for a waist belt carry over or under clothing.

The smallest sling retails for $55 / £48 / AU$95 / CA$78.

All four of the bags are available for pre-order from Moment;

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Photographers often have to be quick on their feet to get the shot, but carrying around bulky packs doesn’t exactly make creatives light on their feet. But accessory maker Moment has redesigned the photo vest by taking inspiration from runners’ vests. The Moment Light & Fast Exposure 10L Vest is a hybrid camera vest that uses materials and a design inspired by running vests.

The Exposure vest uses the same new lightweight nylon material found in Moment’s new backpack and slings, also announced today. The vest itself weighs .8kg, but the fabric still has a double layer of PFAS-free NWR coatings for rain resistance.

While the vest looks like a running vest, it’s packed with pockets for carrying photo and video gear. That includes pockets on the lower back designed to be accessed without looking or removing the vest, stretchy side pockets, and zippered front pockets.

Those pockets include a main compartment that can accommodate a 14-inch laptop – or a hydration bladder. The vest has a channel to allow cords to loop through for front access, running from a dedicated battery pack to the front, which also supports MagSafe cables.

While many photo vests use a zipper to close, the Exposure uses two adjustable bungee straps at the front to close. That mixed with the stretchy mesh at the vest’s sides helps the vest fit adjust for more like a snug athletic vest, then adapt to a looser fit when warranted. The vest will be available in S-M and L-XL sizes.

The Moment Exposure photo vest is available for pre-order directly from Moment, retailing for $120 / £104 / AU$206 / CA$170.

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Shimoda has launched three new lightweight camera backpacks. The lightest in the trio is the Side Lite bag. Weighing just 1.1kg, it's over 0.9kg lighter than Shimoda's equivalent Explore/Action X bags and is the lightest backpack the brand has ever produced. Designed primarily for sports or expedition photographers who want maximum mobility without compromising on gear protection, Side Lite features side camera access, a roll-top expandable upper opening, along with tripod, phone and water bottle pockets.

The exterior is woven from a recycled durable nylon material, and a separate rain cover is included to protect against heavier downpours. The bag's shoulder straps are compatible with camera clips, while a detachable waist strap adds comfort when carrying heavier loads.

However, all Side series bags are just empty backpacks as standard: they must be paired with one of Shimoda's camera inserts - branded Top Loader - before they can be used for transporting camera gear. Small or Medium Top Loader inserts can fit inside the Side Lite, with the latter available as a bundle deal which brings the total combined bag+insert weight to 1.61kg.

Side Street

Side Street is intended for urban photography, where keeping a low profile is paramount. It sports discreet styling to avoid attracting unwanted attention - choose from anthracite or tan colorways. Like the Side Lite backpack, you get roll-top upper bag access that can be expanded or cinched down depending on how much you're carrying, and there are opening side panels for on-the-go camera access. Two bag sizes are available: 22L and 28L. The 22L is compatible with Shimoda's Small and Medium Top Loader camera inserts, while the 28L can also house the Large insert.

Sidecountry

Lastly, there's the Sidecountry backpack. Though still constructed with an emphasis on lightness, Sidecountry is built to survive extreme hikes and climbs. 28L and 32L sizes are available, with both being compatible with all three sizes of Shimoda's Top Loader camera inserts.

The Side Lite and Sidecountry bags are also available with female-specific shoulder straps, ensuring optimal comfort and load distribution.

All Side series bags are available to buy now. The Side Lite starts at $240/£209, the Side Street is priced from $270/£269 including a Top Loader camera insert, while the Sidecountry starts at $300/£289.

I once attempted to pull a wagon full of props to an outdoor photo shoot – but I’ve since learned the error of my ways and prioritized keeping my kit portable. Minimalist camera bags prioritize staying both simple and mobile. The PolarPro RoadRunner 6L certainly fits in that description.

As the name hints, the RoadRunner 6L is a compact bag with just 6L of interior space. That’s enough, however, for me to pack both my DJI Mini series drone with a controller as well as a compact mirrorless camera and a small lens. There’s even enough space for an iPad and a tripod.

The question with any minimalist gear, however, is whether or not it strikes the right balance between simplicity and functionality. I used the PolarPro RoadRunner 6L as my mobile drone command center. This is how it fared.

PolarPro RoadRunner 6L: Specifications

PolarPro RoadRunner 6L: Price

The PolarPro RoadRunner retails for $99.99 / £99 / AU$159. PolarPro also has a larger 12L version of this bag, which sells for $119.99 / £139 /AU$189.

For more bags in this series, read the PolarPro RoadRunner backpack review or the RoadRunner 1L compact camera bag review.

PolarPro RoadRunner 6L: Design and Handling

The PolarPro RoadRunner 6L shoulder bag is a minimalist gear bag designed for smaller kits. I used the bag to stash a DJI Mini drone, a controller, and a compact mirrorless OM System OM-1 with a small lens. While small, the bag has enough room for a smaller mirrorless camera with an attached lens and an extra lens or two.

The interior of the bag is split into up to three sections with the included dividers. I did wish for one more divider so I could stash my GoPro and mounts along with my drone, but the room left after the drone and controller was still enough for a compact mirrorless and lens.

Underneath the clamshell-style zipper for the main compartment, there are three mesh dividers that can be used to stash smaller accessories like filters, memory cards, cords, and extra props.

On the front of the bag is a smaller front zippered pouch, inside that are five more mesh pockets and a key leash. A smaller pocket sits outside that front pocket and there are two lines of loops for attachments.

The back of the bag has a slim, open pocket without a zipper or clasp that’s good for stashing frequently-grabbed items like a smartphone.

Underneath the bag, two attachment points allow for adding a small tripod.

The bag’s exterior is a mix of textured nylon and a smoother, shinier material that gives the bag a bit more interest for a black camera bag. The zippers are all paired with gold-toned pulls that match the logo and attachment loops on the front.

The compact bag has a quick grab handle at the top and an adjustable nylon shoulder strap that has an adjustable strip of mesh-lined padding.

There’s really not much to the RoadRunner 6L – but that’s actually why I liked it. This shoulder bag is a minimalist design for sure, but that makes it comfortable and quick for accessing compact gear. There are enough pockets for stashing the basic accessories, but not so many pockets that you forget which pocket you actually stashed everything in.

PolarPro RoadRunner 6L: Performance

There’s a key advantage to smaller camera bags: fitting less gear inside makes them far lighter. That, in turn, makes the bag far more comfortable.

The PolarPro RoadRunner 6L may be fairly minimalist, but that creates a rather lightweight bag. The bag itself weighs 575g / 20 oz, and since the bag is meant for minimalist kits, it’s easy to keep the weight light even after filling with gear.

That, mixed with the simple padded shoulder strap, makes the bag fairly comfortable to wear around.

The other key feature that I liked about the PolarPro RoadRunner 6L is that the bag makes it quick to access gear. Just a quick unzip and gear is at your fingertips. Unlike a backpack, you don’t need to pull the bag off to access that gear.

The bag also has two built-in lens cloths, which I appreciated since they are nearly impossible to lose.

The shape of the RoadRunner 6L is certainly boxy, though. I typically prefer messengers that will shape more to my body, but the 6L is so small that its stiffness isn’t an issue. In fact, my 6-year-old thought it looked like a good improvised stepstool, much to my horror, and those stiff sides are probably what saved my drone from being totally crushed.

The bag is also missing a rain cover (not really an issue if you’re using it to stash a drone), and there’s no space for a laptop. That back open pocket can accommodate a tablet, but I had to take the case off my iPad to get it to fit (see above paragraph for the reason why I don’t like to keep any tech unprotected).

PolarPro RoadRunner 6L: Verdict

The PolarPro RoadRunner 6L is probably the simplest camera bag that I’ve ever tested – but it just works. The simple, minimalist design keeps gear quick and easy to access. The limited space means it's hard to overload the bag to the point of shoulder aches. Most importantly, the rigid sides did a fantastic job of keeping the gear inside protected.

I can nitpick a bit and say I wish for a rain cover or a slightly roomier tablet pocket. But the beauty is in the simplicity here, so it’s hard to complain about a lack of features when that’s sort of the point of a minimalist bag.

For creating a lightweight mobile workstation, the PolarPro RoadRunner 6L is a simple bag – but it works well.

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The camera bag maker known for its tough, colorful fabrics is back – this time, with an update to its Rogue sling line. The Wandrd Rogue V2 is an updated reversible sling bag designed to keep cameras and accessories within easy reach while packing light.

The Wandrd Rogue V2 builds on the brand’s previous sling bag, keeping the rugged weather-resistant materials and upgrading the strap, refining the look, and reimagining the external attachment system.

All three sizes – 4L, 6L and 9L – use an updated strap design that Wandrd says is designed for all-day comfort. The strap has more of an adjustment range than the original, plus contoured EVA padding with softer edges.

The sling’s exterior look has also been refined. While the outside of the bags look a bit different than the original, the bag is still built with weather-resistant fabric. Wandrd has also updated the zippers for a stronger, smoother pull.

The Rogu V2 also has two mesh pockets on the outside that, together with the bottom straps, allow users to carry a water bottle and a tripod at the same time, unlike the original.

The smallest bag in the series is getting a space upgrade from 3L to 4L. The 4L bag is designed for compact cameras or small mirrorless cameras with a pancake lens.

The 6L and 9L versions of the sling are the sizes meant for carrying more serious camera gear – and the bag’s laptop pocket even expands enough to accommodate a MacBook Pro 16” in a separate protective sleeve.

Part of the bag’s new exterior look is that the accessory straps can now accommodate things like a tripod from the front or the bottom of the bag. Those accessory attachments also use upgraded metal hardware.

Like the recently revamped Wandrd Prvke backpack, the new line of slings is launching on Kickstarter. The lineup starts with the 4L at $97 on Kickstarter, expected to increase to $129 at MSRP. The 6L Rogue V2 is available for $119 Kickstarter pledges ($159 MSRP) and the 9L for $134 ($179 retail).

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Camera accessory maker Peak Design just gave its best-selling bags and straps a colorful makeover. Peak Design has just launched four new colors, a move that translates into 75 new product options across the brand’s bags, straps, and pouches.

The move adds four new nature-inspired colors across several Peak Design product categories. Kelp is a deep green inspired by natural green tones. Ibis is an accent color inspired by the brightly hued bird of the same name. Ocean is a dark water-inspired blue. Eclipse – which was previously available in Peak Design’s newest products, including the Peak Design Roller and Outdoor backpacks – is a deep, nearly black purple.

According to UK distributor Transcontinenta, the move is Peak Design’s largest color refresh to date and creates 75 new product variants across different series from backpacks to straps. The new colors are available across several different models and sizes in the Everyday Bags series, the Travel Bags series, and packing cubes. The new colorways are also available in Peak Design’s Capture Clip V3, as well as the company’s straps, including the Slide, Slide Lite, Leash, and Cuff.

Transcontinenta notes that the color refresh is the first major update to those popular product lines in more than six years. The colors are designed to help the bags and straps feel more distinctive, the company notes.

Peak Design says the new colors arrive on the same existing lineup, allowing for more personalized color choices with the same features and functions. The newly launched colors also sit at the same retail price as the existing colors in the Peak Design lineup.

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I recently returned from a few days in Gothenburg, Sweden, where I spent time exploring the city and testing out the OPPO Find X8 Ultra – a camera phone so good that it has dethroned my trusty Fujifilm X100F as my everyday carry. That in itself was surprising, but the real MVP of the trip wasn’t a camera at all, but a bag.

The Peak Design Outdoor Sling (7L) barely left my side. As someone who’s never been a fan of sling-style camera bags, I wasn’t expecting much. However, by the end of the trip, I had been fully converted. It was light, compact, and just big enough to store everything I needed for day trips, from my camera kit and microphone to water and snacks.

What makes the Outdoor Sling so good is how effortlessly it combines function and style. Peak Design is known for this; their bags always strike that sweet spot between practicality and aesthetics. It’s not even strictly a camera bag until you add the X-Small Camera Cube, which I did, and suddenly my gear was perfectly cushioned, neatly organized, and easy to grab when I needed it.

There’s a pocket or compartment for everything. Memory cards, SSDs, a phone, a wallet, a passport, batteries, and even snacks for long walks along the coast. And yet, despite all this storage, it never felt bulky or in the way. The sling strap adjusts quickly and comfortably, and I found myself forgetting I was even carrying it, until I needed something, and then it was easy to access.

One moment that sold me on it came during a sudden Nordic downpour. The ultralight Terra Shell 210D ripstop exterior (made from 100% recycled, Bluesign-approved nylon) shrugged off the rain. Not a drop got through, and the PU coating and weatherproof zippers gave me total peace of mind about my gear inside.

The Outdoor Sling is also built for movement. Whether walking the cobbled streets of Gothenburg or the boardwalks of Fjällbacka, it never swung around or felt awkward. The Cord Hook Stabilizer Cord, designed for cycling and active use, kept everything snug against my body. It’s a detail you don’t think about until you realize how much easier it makes your day.

It’s more than a camera bag, and that’s what I love about it. One day, I packed it with an OPPO Find X8 Ultra, a small tripod, a compact camera, and a few personal essentials. The next day, I used it as a minimal day bag for exploring the city, carrying just my passport, notebook, wallet, and phone. It always looked good, never felt heavy, and never let me down.

For someone who’s always been a camera backpack person, this little camera sling bag was a revelation. It’s made me rethink how I carry my gear, and honestly, I don’t see myself traveling anywhere without it now.

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There’s one question that I always ask before buying a camera backpack: Can I access my gear without sitting my bag down in the dirt? With the new PolarPro RoadRunner 16L camera backpack, the answer isn’t just yes, it’s yes, from both sides.

The RoadRunnner 16L is part of PolarPro’s first camera bag line – and it’s an impressively designed bag for the company’s first foray into backpacks. Photographers and content creators have access to gear from either side by simply removing one strap and slinging the bag around towards the front.

The lightweight bag weighs just 2.93 pounds, yet uses a variety of different materials to look a bit more than a basic black bag. The lightweight build and well-padded straps also helps make the bag comfortable for longer treks.

While I loved the dual access and comfortable design, it brings with it an unusual interior organization. This is how the new PolarPro RoadRunner 16L backpack stacks up.

PolarPro RoadRunner 16L: Specifications

PolarPro RoadRunner 16L: Price

The PolarPro RoadRunner 16L retails for $179.99 / £179 / AU$289

If you don’t need 16L of space, PolarPro also has an 8L version of the RoadRunner, which retails for $139.99 / £139 / AU$219.

PolarPro RoadRunner 16L: Design & Handling

One of the first things that I noticed when pulling the PolarPro RoadRunner 16L out of the box is how lightweight it is. Granted, a lot of the weight from a camera bag comes from the gear itself, but high-end materials can quickly make a camera bag feel heavy even empty. The RoadRunner 16L weighs 2.93 lbs / 1337g unpacked.

One of the reasons that the bag is so lightweight is that the RoadRunner is also a narrower bag. But besides keeping the weight low, this allows for gear access from either side of the camera bag. (Lefties, rejoice!)

Both side panels unzip fully, clamshell style, to reveal what’s inside. Depending on the size of the gear, this means that some lenses and cameras can be grabbed from either side. The bag does include two middle dividers that will protect a shorter lens or smaller camera body, but with this in place, the gear needs to be accessed from the side that which it’s stored on.

The gear compartment is built-in (rather than the camera bags that have a separate camera cube for an additional cost), but the dividers are adjustable to the size of your kit. The main gear compartment is split into three main sections with adjustable dividers that essentially stack gear vertically inside the backpack. Two additional dividers included with the bag can be used to split two of those three compartments if needed.

While I like that the RoadRunner backpack can be accessed from either side, the horizontal division of the main gear compartment limits what fits more than the traditional backpack dividers.

I liked this set-up for stashing cameras with attached lenses, but it doesn’t really work for storing small, unattached primes. I couldn’t find a spot for my smaller prime lenses. There’s a divider to split those three stacked compartments, but it was still too roomy and would have left a lot of room for the smaller lens to bounce around. A prime lens should fill out most of the bag’s six-inch depth to fit snugly with the extra divider. Yes, the 8L version of this bag will probably fit primes a little better, but my go-to bag will fit both large and tiny prime lenses inside the custom dividers.

The RoadRunner 16L comfortably fits mid-sized lenses. I was also able to stack my DJI Mini drone and controller in one compartment (though I suspect the 8L version of this bag would be a better fit for the Mini series and the 16L for Air and larger drones).

The interior of the bag makes the three slots only about 10 inches long, so the bag also isn’t made for the largest telephotos. It’s a great bag for fitting cameras with attached lenses, mid-sized lenses, and drones, but it’s not an ideal pick for photographers with either tiny prime lenses or beefy telephotos.

Inside the side openings, the bag has sleeves sized for filters and other small accessories, with three of these pockets on each side for a total of six. I was hoping that one of the first bags from PolarPro, a company that’s known for its lens filters, would have plenty of filter storage, and I wasn’t disappointed here. I also loved that there are two lens cloths attached to each of the main openings (because the only thing I lose almost as often as lens caps is lens cloths).

Besides the filter pockets on the inside of the main compartment, there’s a slim zippered compartment on the front, which opens up to reveal three more mesh pockets. A smaller zip at the top front has a key leash, and a discrete zipper in the back panel opens to accommodate an 11-inch tablet. A rain cover is tucked into a zippered compartment at the top of the straps.

Both side openings have large mesh pockets that can hold a water bottle, or with the help of the top strap, a tripod or gimbal. Having one of these pockets on both sides means I could carry both a water bottle and a tripod at the same time, because it’s never fun to choose between hydration or stabilization.

The backpack’s straps are well-padded and use mesh for ventilation. Like all mesh straps, I think they do chafe a bit against bare skin, but that’s not an issue unless you’re wearing a tank top and exposing bare skin to the straps.

The bag also has two latch points at the straps, as well as a series of loops on the front pocket for attachments. The buckle on the chest strap even has an emergency whistle.

While the RoadRunner is a black camera bag, the use of a range of different textures and materials makes the bag feel a little less boring than a straightforward nylon bag. The bag is made with a mix of nylon and a smoother material that almost looks like leather from a distance (it’s not). The mesh on the side pockets even has a subtle bit of gold-colored sheen if you look closely enough.

Despite being a compact bag, I didn’t find too many features missing. There’s no waist strap, but this is less of a necessity on smaller bags that aren’t designed to carry the largest, heaviest lenses. There’s no luggage pass through to situate the backpack on top of a roller bag either.

PolarPro RoadRunner 16L: Performance

I have a tendency to overpack, which is what first grabbed my attention about the RoadRunner series – it’s made for minimal gear carry, but still fairly roomy for bringing more than just one camera and a lens along.

I packed the RoadRunner full with a DSLR and 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, a mirrorless camera and 50mm lens, a DJI Mini drone and controller, an iPad, and the Peak Design Travel Tripod. Despite having all that gear packed inside, when I first slung it on my back, it still felt quite lightweight, in part because of the bag’s lighter weight and the minimalist design that’s not meant to carry loads of gear.

Then, I hiked with the RoadRunner for more than a mile and didn’t experience anything more than the minor soreness that comes with wearing gear on your back (rather than hiking bag-free). I’m a petite person, and I liked how the narrower backpack fit my frame.

The straps on the RoadRunner are well-padded, and the adjustable chest strap helps keep them in place. There’s also enough padding in the back panel that I barely noticed that an iPad was tucked just on the other side of the back padding.

I suspect the bag will become even more comfortable with time, as the straps wear in and become a bit less stiff, but even as a new, unworn bag, it’s a pretty comfortable backpack. The only thing I found a bit uncomfortable is that the mesh on the straps can chafe against bare skin, but to be fair, I have yet to find a camera backpack that’s still comfortable on bare skin when wearing a tank top in the summer heat.

I love camera backpacks that allow me to access my gear without placing the bag in the dirt, and the RoadRunner definitely delivers. I could remove one strap, sling the bag around to the front, unzip the side panel, and quickly pull out gear. That maneuver is slightly more awkward when a tripod is slotted in the side pocket, but still easily doable.

One of the RoadRunner’s top pockets has a weather-sealed zipper, but most zippers have a traditional feel. That’s in part because the built-in rainfly is what’s meant to keep gear out of the rain. This cover stretches over everything except for the back panel and straps, which means gear is kept dry, but you’ll have to move it aside to access the main gear compartment or any pockets.

The materials are easy to brush dirt off of. The zippers mostly pull smoothly, although the lining inside the tablet pocket is sometimes loose enough that it can catch inside the zipper and get stuck.

PolarPro RoadRunner 16L: Verdict

The PolarPro RoadRunner 16L is a lightweight, well-made bag that offers quick access to gear from both sides. The camera backpack is a streamlined bag made for minimalists and quick, ambidextrous access to gear. I love being able to remove one strap, swing the bag around, and easily access gear for either side.

The bag is made from durable ripstop nylon, plus there’s a built-in rain cover if rain is in the forecast. The straps are comfortable and the bag’s lighter weight makes it comfortable to hike with.

The interior organization limits what fits inside the bag well, but it’s an excellent bag to carry around a drone and a camera with an attached lens and another mid-sized lens, along with accessories like a tripod and filters. Skip this bag for packing small primes or the biggest telephotos, as the interior organization is a bit limited. But, if you’re looking for a minimalist, lightweight bag that fits a camera with a mid-sized lens attached, an extra mid-sized lens, a drone, and a tripod, then the RoadRunner is worth a look as a well-made, lightweight bag at a reasonable price point.

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Think Tank has launched a new addition to its BackLight series of camera bags aimed squarely at sports and wildlife photographers. The BackLight Long Lens, as the name suggests, is designed to carry a super-telephoto lens such as a 600mm f/4 or 800mm f/5.6 with a hood up to 8 inches in diameter, attached either to a gripped body, or a teleconverter. In the case of the latter, a special pouch is provided so the body can be stored safely alongside the lens. For occasions when other lenses are required, pads and dividers are included to convert the interior to house multiple gripped bodies with 5 to 6 lenses. A separate 7-liter front pocket adds space for daily essentials like food or a light jacket, while a dedicated padded sleeve can store a tablet up to the size of a 13-inch iPad Pro. Outside there are front and side mounting points for a tripod or monopod, plus a side pocket for a water bottle.

Given that the BackLight Long Lens is likely to be carried for extended periods, Think Thank has designed the bag to be as comfortable as possible. A nine-point adjustable harness system includes load lifters, sternum strap, and quick-fit waist belt, plus there's a breathable air mesh back panel with air channel and lumbar support to keep your back cool and dry. Additional comfort is provided by a padded waist belt, and this also features a webbing rail for attachment of Think Tank Modular accessories.

Access to the bag's main compartment is through a back-panel opening. This allows the bag to be entered while its standing upright or lying flat, without getting the harness dirty. Other nice touches include ergonomic zipper pulls designed to be used while wearing gloves, plus there are side compression straps with locking buckles for additional lashing points. An aluminium secure hook closure on the main compartment prevents accidental panel opening when picking up heavy loads using the top grab handle.

If the weather takes a turn for the worse while you're on the trail, the BackLight Long Lens' durable 420D Dynatec nylon outer is treated with a water-resistant coating, and for heavier downpours there's an included seamless Realtree APX Camo rain cover. The bag is also said to be carry-on compatible, with external dimensions of 9.5” W x 24.75” H x 8.5” D (24.1 x 62.9 x 21.6 cm).

The Think Tank BackLight Long Lens camera backpack is available to pre-order now from B&H, priced at $275.75

Following a Kickstarter campaign, which received pledges totalling €11.5 million (around $13.2m / £9.8m / AU$20.4m), high-end camera bag maker Peak Design has released the Peak Design Roller Pro, an airline-compliant roller bag that has a generous 34-liter capacity (expandable to 39 liters) yet fits in most international overhead bins.

To stash your camera gear, you'll also need an XL Camera Cube, which fits snugly inside the Roller Pro and has customizable compartments to hold a 400mm prime lens, two camera bodies, and an array of additional smaller lenses and accessories. If you don't already have an XL Camera Cube set, the Peak Design Pro Creator Bundle comprises both products.

The Roller Pro case offers front-hinged access to maximize space efficiency, while Peak Design's SlimDrive carbon fibre trolley system provides increased internal volume by eliminating the bulk of traditional roller tubes. The exterior is enveloped in Peak Design’s signature weatherproof Versa Shell fabric, which offers a hybrid hard-soft shell design that strikes a balance between rugged durability and style.

There's a built-in SnapTent laptop sleeve, along with integrated organization features to ensure that your essentials are secure and accessible. The case is closed with reinforced Ultra Zips, and external gear loops secure tripods, jackets, or extra bags using Cord Hook compatibility. It is backed by Peak Design’s sustainability and lifetime guarantee standards.

The Peak Design Roller Pro costs $599.99 / £499.99 / AU$1,099.99, which certainly puts it among the more expensive options that you'll find in our roller bags buying guide – and that's without any internals to hold your camera gear. The Pro Creator Bundle, which also includes an XL Camera Cube set, is $649.99 / £549.99 / AU$1,149.99.

I'm picky enough camera bags, but the Wandrd Prvke has long been a favorite of mine for the comfortable designs, durable materials, and expandable roll-top. Now, the company is launching a refresh: The Wandrd Prvke V4 maintains the same rolltop design but enhances comfort, adds faster rolltop access, and revamps the camera cube.

Wandrd says the new V4 is a redesigned Prvke from the inside out. The back panel, shoulder straps, and sternum straps have been enhanced for comfort. Wandrd says the update is designed to hug closer to your back, adding both comfort and security.

The roll-top access remains intact on the fourth iteration of the camera backpack, but this time also has zippered access for quickly accessing the top compartment. All the zippers on the bag are also upgraded over earlier versions, with YKK DWR-coated zips for better weather-sealing and smoother operation.

Like earlier versions, the camera cube is a separate component that slots inside the main compartment of the bag’s rear-entry zipper. (Photographers need to make sure to grab the bundle with both the bag and the camera cube). The updated camera cube uses a lighter color, a change made to add visibility, as well as what the company describes as a smarter layout. The Pro Camera Cube, which is a large cube that takes up some of that top rolltop space as well as the main compartment, has also been redesigned for faster access from both the rolltop and the main compartment.

Beyond the bag's main gear compartment, a quick access door offers quick access from the side, like earlier versions, while the opposite side has a now deeper tripod or water bottle pocket. The bag’s list of changes also includes a new hidden AirTag pocket.

Along with the new V4 bags in multiple sizes, Wandrd is also launching a budget version of the bag called the Prvke EDC. The company says the EDC maintains the same durability, but in a more compact size. Despite being more compact, it still has a tablet sleeve, AirTag pocket, and pockets for small accessories.

The Wandrd Prvke V4 is launching initially on Kickstarter, but the brand says the bag is out of production with a short shipping time to early backers.

The PRVKE EDC will list for $189, with a $50 Kickstarter discount. The full Prvke V4 range starts at $279 for the 15 L ($209 on Kickstarter), the 21L for $234 ($174 on Kickstarter), 31L $254 ($189 on Kickstarter), and the 41L for $274 ($204 on Kickstarter). International pricing has not yet been announced, but that converts to roughly £150 / AUD$290 for the EDC up to £203 / AUD$ 420 for the 41L at list price.

The Kickstarter lists an estimated ship date for July 2025.

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The world's first zipper-free magnetic camera sling bag is here, the MagGo X. It's the latest innovation from Ultix Outdoors, featuring one-handed gear access without compromising on security.

As creators we're often drawn to the latest shiny gear, but when it comes to camera bags the enthusiasm tends to fade. They’re essential, yes, but rarely exciting.

Saying this, we all know the frustration of fumbling with zippers when all we want is to quickly swap lenses or grab a filter without missing the moment, especially in genres like wedding, event, or travel photography.

Often, camera bags on the market force us into a tradeoff: secure but slow access, or quick access that compromises on security. The zipper – ironically designed for ease – can become the very thing slowing us down.

The MagGo X reimagines how we carry and access our equipment on the go. It is built for speed, convenience, and durability.

Ultix Outdoors' latest release ditches zippers entirely in favor of a magnetic lid, delivering buttery-smooth, one-handed access through a system of 106 precision magnets.

The MagGo X has already nearly tripled its funding goal on Kickstarter and is planned to head to the world in October 2025.

Why the MagGo X stands out 

With the MagGo X, you can access your gear in seconds – silently. That's a huge plus for professionals working in sensitive environments like weddings, events or wildlife photography, where quiet shooting makes the difference.

For outdoor creators, the MagGo X doesn't just offer speed – it also offers protection. The bag is built with 900D water-resistant nylon, has an IPX3 weather rating, and features an EVA-modeled hardshell top to shield your gear from drops, bumps, and the elements.

Inside, custom-fit dividers cradle your camera and lenses with care, and even a grab-and-go mini pouch.

But you might be wondering: with such easy access, isn't it also easier for someone else to grab your gear? The MagGo X has a quick-lock buckle sitting hidden against your body, and opens only from the inside, providing subtle yet effective anti-theft protection.

ABOVE: Watch the MagGo X trailer

As mentioned, camera bags don't usually spark the same excitement as shiny new gear – but the MagGo X is bringing something fresh to the table and might change the game for gear-loving creatives who care about speed, security and style.

The sling is available to pre-order on Kickstarter with prices starting at £99 (approximately $134 / AU$207) and savings of up to £65 ($88 / AU$136) on the retail price.

Editor's note: As with all crowdfunding projects, there is no guarantee that the final product will match the early depictions in the campaign – or that the final product will be completed or delivered at all. DCW does not endorse this or any other crowdfunding campaign.

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Peak Design has launched a pair of new bags, and accessories to boot, as part of its Outdoor Collection. The Outdoor Backpack 18L and Outdoor Sling 4L slot into existing product lines with the existing 25L and 45L Outdoor Backpack and 2L and 7L Outdoor Sling. The Outdoor Backpack 18L is a frameless daypack, which the accessories outlet rates for “light adventures, day hikes, commuting, and camera carry.” It’s compatible with Peak Design’s Packing Tools and Camera Cubes, and comprises rugged, eco-friendly materials, said to provide “long-lasting durability and weather resistance”.

The backpack features vest-style shoulder straps designed to distribute the load across the wearer’s torso, and alleviate pressure from the arms and shoulders. And as you’d expect, there’s ample room for the Capture Camera Clip. The bag itself is built around a large rear access panel, which can house a Smedium Camera Cube. On the subject of accessories, the Outdoor Backpack 18L can also accommodate the Peak Design Outdoor Hip Belt, and Peak Design Outdoor Rain Fly.

Stretch pockets designed to accommodate water bottles and tripods are located on each side of the backpack, with Cord Hook carry cords, elastic gear loops, and Cord Rails present to attach external accessories and gear.

The Outdoor Sling 4L features the existing 7L variant’s pocket layout but in a more compact design. It features a padded “drop pocket” with a magnetic closure that can accommodate a phone, an external zip pocket with a key tether, and a trio of internal mesh pockets. Peak Design says the bag’s padded shoulder strap is quick to adjust, easy to remove, reverse, or clip onto something else, and can be used to sling around the shoulder or fit around the waist. Both bags feature Peak Design’s 100% recycled Terra Shell material, which is Bluesign approved and PFAS-free.

As mentioned, Peak Design has also launched a pair of new accessories: the Outdoor Rain Fly and Helmet Carrier. These accessories are designed for use with any Peak Design backpack in its Outdoor, Travel, or Everyday ranges. The former is waterproof and made using 50D recycled ripstop nylon with a 2,000mm hydrostatic coating and taped seams. It packs down into a mesh pouch, which can be externally attached to a backpack for drying and comes in three sizes.

The Helmet Carrier is a “lightweight, durable harness” used to strap a bike, ski or climbing helmet to a Peak Design backpack. It’s made from recycled nylon stretch mesh and elastic cord reinforced with UHMWPE thread, and is said to be “strong and abrasion resistant.” It packs down small to be stowed when not in use and has a bike-light attachment point and reflective safety graphic.

The Outdoor Backpack 18L and Outdoor Sling 4L are both available in black and Eclipse (burgundy) colors, and retail for $189.95 / £169.99 / AU$369.95 and $74.95 / £69.99 / AU$139.95, respectively. The Outdoor Rain Fly retails for $29.95 / £29.99 / AU$64.95 and the Helmet Carrier for $34.95 / £34.99 / AU$79.95.

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Camera bag giant Think Tank has unveiled two new bags – and they both have unusual features. The new Think Tank Walker Pro Rolling is both a backpack and rolling bag in one, while the BackLight Long Lens is made specifically for wildlife and sports photographers hauling big glass.

Designed for urban photographers, the Walker Pro Rolling functions as a trolley luggage on smooth ground and converts to a backpack when rolling isn’t an option. While the Walker Pro Rolling isn’t the company’s first roller-and backpack in one, the Walker Pro Rolling takes the slim, streamlined look of the brand’s Walker Pro backpack line and adds rolling versatility.

Think Tank says the new Walker Pro Rolling has been redesigned with both more room and tougher materials, aiming for a “sleek, urban tech look.” The slim design is also geared for mobility and navigating through tight spaces on wheels or when worn. The bag also fits most carry on dimension requirements (though some airlines may differ).

The bag is designed to fit one gripped camera body plus a smaller second body and 4-6 lenses. The bag can accommodate a larger 400mm f/2.8 lens and still have room for a new smaller lenses as well, Think Tank says.

Along with the main gear compartment, the Walker Pro Rolling also has a 16-inch laptop sleeve, along with quick-access pockets for small accessories and a water bottle.

The Think Tank BackLight Long Lens

Announced alongside the Walker Pro Rolling, the Think Tank BackLight Long Lens is designed for an entirely different type of photography. Where the Rolling is made for urban treks, the BackLight is designed for wildlife photographers trekking through nature with large lenses.

The BackLight Long Lens, as the name hints, is designed around a space that’s large enough to hold a 600mm f/4 or an 800mm f/5.6. Access to that roomy gear compartment is through the back panel, which also helps keep the backpack’s straps out of the dirt when placing the bag on the ground the retrieve gear.

Along with the room for a large lens and camera, the bag also has a seven liter compartment for personal items, like a jacket or snacks. Tripods can latch onto the front or sides of the bag, while the laptop sleeve is large enough for a 13-inch device.

To hike with such large glass, the bag uses a nine-point harness system and breathable lubar support, Think Tank says. The BackLight is made with 420D Dynatech nylon, lockable YKK zippers and it includes a camouflage rain cover.

Both camera bags are expected to be available at the end of June. The Walker Pro Rolling  will retail for $399.75, and the Backlight Long Lens will be $275.75.

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As photographers, we all love the thrill of getting new gear, so it's easy to forget how important it is to protect that equipment with a good camera backpack (I'm definitely guilty of this).

I mean, let's be honest, a shiny new lens can be way more tempting than a piece of fabric, even though it keeps our gear safe.

However, a bag that not only keeps your gear secure but also cares for your health has just been recognized with a TIPA Award as the best photo backpack.

The Technical Image Press Association, whose membership includes worldwide media covering the imaging industry (including Digital Camera World), celebrated the PGYTech OnePro Flex for being a bag that literally takes the weight off your shoulders.

"The OnePro Flex brings together organizational and protective elements, along with common sense features, that make it an excellent traveling companion," said TIPA.

ABOVE: Take a look at the PGYTech OnePro Flex's features

"Designed with a mountaineering harness and 3D aluminum arch frame that conforms to the user’s back for a stable carry, with back panel chair mesh and breathable, wide straps, it provides multi-layer padding throughout."

For photographers who are always on the go, having a backpack is a must. But some photography genres require a great backpack more than others. For landscape photography, where you might be hiking for a while, a well-designed camera backpack makes a world of difference.

The OnePro Flex isn't 'just' about keeping your gear safe. It's also built for easy access to your essentials while being ergonomically designed for your comfort.

The backpack features a 3D arch frame, made from 7000 series aviation aluminum that fits your body shape perfectly and evenly distributes weight across multiple points. And with its FreeFit system, you can easily adjust the back length in four stages to get that perfect fit.

If you're looking for a new bag that looks after your body as well as your kit, the OnePro Flex might be worth considering!

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At 18L in capacity, the Stratus Photo Backpack from Utah-based company Wandrd is a medium-sized camera backpack when it comes to storage space. For a round-up on a wide range of backpack styles and sizes, check out our best camera backpacks buying guide.

I enjoy testing backpacks for Digital Camera World because I can use them to carry other gadgets that I need to review, such as gimbals and wireless microphone kits. The Stratus Photo Backpack is the 13th camera bag that I’ve reviewed for this site since April 2022. This includes a wide range of camera bag types, from small capacity sling bags like the 12L Gomatic LUMA Camera Sling to massive camera backpacks such as the 35L Lowepro PhotoSport X.

As I’m primarily a smartphone photographer these days, you’d assume I’d only need a small sling bag to transport my iPhone and accessories. However, I often need to transport additional kit such as the Hohem iSteady M7 so that it can follow my every move as I present to camera for my video reviews. I sometimes also take along a drone - the DJI Flip – as this enables me to capture aerial shots of me carrying a backpack through scenic locations. Viewing HDR footage on my iPhone during a shoot drains the batteries, so I also need to take a hefty SmallRig power bank with me. When carrying the fully packed Stratus Photo 18L Backpack out for my test shoot, the bag and its accessories weighed in at 10 lbs. This meant I was carrying the weight of a rather large baby on my back for a day, but fortunately, the design of the Stratus Photo Backpack made this a pleasantly comfortable and effortless experience.

Wandrd Stratus Photo 18L: Specifications

Wandrd Stratus Photo 18L: Price

At $229 / £200, the 18L Stratus Photo Backpack is reasonably priced compared to similarly sized (and similarly priced) backpacks such as the Tenba DNA 16 DSLR Backpack.

The 18L Stratus Photo Backpack also costs around the same price as the similarly specced 18L Brevitē Jumper, but the Stratus Photo model has thicker, more comfortable shoulder straps than the Brevitē and the Stratus also boasts a breathable mesh to help keep sweat off your back (which is something the Brevitē lacks). However, the Brevitē Jumper does have a nice, large luggage pass-through strap, whereas the Stratus’s strap is a bit too tight to easily fit over a luggage trolley’s handle. All in all, though, the 18L Stratus Photo Backpack is worth its asking price. You can purchase it in three colours - Black, Wasatch Green, and Uyuni Purple.

Wandrd Stratus Photo 18L: Design & Handling

The Stratus Photo Backpack offers three points of access to its 18L interior. When it’s in a vertical position, resting on its durable water-resistant base, you can unzip the front pocket to access the bag’s contents from the top. Place it on either side, and you can also access content from the lower left or right sections of the backpack. I missed the option to place the bag on its front so that I could access its entire contents from the back, like you can do with the Gomatic McKinnon Camera Backpack (25L). With the Stratus Photo Backpack’s three points of access, you need to know what you’ve packed and where so that you can find a particular accessory (rather than seeing the entire contents of the bag in one go).

Talking of packing the Stratus Photo ships with a collection of hook-and-loop dividers so that you can configure the interior to store camera bodies and lenses safely and securely. These nicely padded and thick dividers have hook-and-loop attachments, which are so strong that you need a lot of strength to separate and rearrange them. This isn’t a bad thing, as you know your gear won’t shift during transit.

There are other zips and pockets to utilise too, including a rear sleeve pocket that will accommodate a 16” laptop. On the very back is a small zipped pocket designed to store a passport. The pocket is quite tight to access, but there’s little chance of your passport slipping out if you forget to zip it up. Also on the back is a passthrough strap designed to hold the backpack on a wheeled luggage trolley’s handle as you traverse through an airport. However, this strap seems far too tight to easily accommodate a trolley handle.

I loved the ‘grab and go’ nature of the backpack’s design. As well as the usual shoulder straps for comfortable long-duration wear, there are three sturdy straps on the top and sides. These straps make it easy for you to quickly grab and relocate the backpack, whatever orientation it is in, which is useful during a busy shoot where you may only want to relocate it by a few feet when choosing a new camera angle for your subject. The whole bag feels well-built and durable. It also has pouches on opposite sides so that you can carry a tripod and a water bottle (or two tripods).

Wandrd Stratus Photo 18L: Performance

To test the 18L Stratus Photo Backpack, I took it to London to film and photograph a model (Insta @Ocado_yoo) walking on the shores of the South Bank of the River Thames. I timed the shoot so that the tide would be out (with help from the handy Tides app on my Apple Watch). The shoot also coincided with the golden hour, which meant that the location’s natural lighting would look nice and warm with dramatic long shadows against the backdrop of the famous Tower Bridge (see supporting video).

When preparing the Stratus Photo backpack for the test shoot, I removed the smaller hook-and-loop lens divider section to make more space. I used a single divider to split the main body in two, enabling me to store the Apexel 10-in-1 lens kit and a SmallRig power bank in one half of the backpack, while storing my DJI Flip and its remote control unit in the other. In the top section of the backpack (which was also separated by a hook-and-loop divider), I placed the Ulanzi fog machine.

At the base of the backpack, I used the hook-and-loop dividers to create a longer compartment in which I stored my Hohem iSteady M7 gimbal. This device was very useful for getting my iPhone 16 Pro to tilt and pan to follow me as I recorded my supporting video review. To capture my voice for the video, I used the Boya Mini, which I stored in one of the Stratus Photo’s webbed pockets. I also packed a spare mic kit just in case - the Hollyland Lark M2S.

The Stratus Photo Backpack ships with a chest strap that joins the two shoulder straps together. I found that the chest strap was too thin, so it offered little support. It also made it harder to slip on the backpack’s shoulder straps as I had to push my head through the gap between the thin chest strap and the backpack. You can use slide rails to push the chest strap down lower so that it doesn’t feel too tight on your upper chest. You can also completely detach the chest strap, which I found to be the best solution to stop it getting in the way while offering negligible support.

The South Bank of the Thames was flooded with tourists. By going onto the beach, I was able to take my model and the Stratus Photo backpack to a quieter location. However, as the tide had only recently gone out, the rocky terrain was covered in a slimy green algae, which meant that it was tricky to walk over. I placed the backpack on the wet and slimy rocks on various occasions so that I could film the model with my iPhone 16 Pro mounted on the Hohem iSteady M7 gimbal. I noticed that the backpack’s black material was getting covered in mud and moss. Fortunately, the Stratus Photo’s water-resistant material kept the kit inside nice and dry, and it was easy to wipe clean with a cloth after returning from the shoot. There was no staining on the backpack, which was a relief as it took me 6 days to get around to cleaning it!

Wandrd Stratus Photo 18L: Verdict

On my first encounter with the Stratus Photo, I had to do a little work to get it to suit my needs, starting with removing the thin chest strap that I found more of a hindrance than a help. I then wrestled with the firmly attached hook-and-loop foam dividers, removing the lens holder section so that I could accommodate larger items such as drones and smoke machines in the backpack’s interior.

Once I’d spent a little time reconfiguring the backpack, I found its 18L volume was perfect for my needs as a smartphone/drone videographer, and the extra space for my MacBook Air should prove useful on future shoots. Mirrorless camera users will also find the backpack capacious and customisable, though owners of larger DSLRs and long lenses might need to consider a larger backpack.

The Stratus Photo is well built, so will prove a useful and long-term investment while it keeps your kit safe from the elements. I was also impressed at how it resisted any staining or damage when I used its three grab handles to relocate it on various jagged and slimy rocks by the shore of the Thames during my shoot.

Alternatives

Brevitē produce a range of camera backpacks including the smaller and cheaper Runner and the larger and more expensive Jumper. As the names suggest these are lightweight camera backpacks but each model is available in a range of sizes (and there are tweaked versions available to suit the male and female frame). I tested the Large male version of the Brevitē Jumper.

Many of the products that I’ve reviewed for Digital Camera World are designed and built in China, so it was refreshing to encounter the Brevitē Jumper - a product designed by three brothers who are based in New York City, USA. What’s impressive about Brevitē as a company is their commitment to creating a quality backpack that is environmentally sustainable. For example the Brevitē Jumper is constructed from recycled 640D Polyester. The process involved in producing the Brevitē Jumper is BlueSign certified, which indicates that the materials used are sustainable and the manufacturing process is more ethical in relation to the treatment of factory workers involved in the bag’s production.

Many of camera backpacks that I’ve tested for Digital Camera World are either green or black as you’ll see in our Best Camera Backpack Buying Guide: https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/buying-guides/best-camera-backpacks. The Brevitē Jumper on the other hand is available in 11 colours including Poppy Red and Lemon Yellow. When given a choice of colour for my Brevitē Jumper test unit I was tempted to go for the usual Black but I decided to choose a Moonlit Blue model instead. I tend to wear blue jeans so this colour turned out to suit me (and it also meant that the Jumper stands out more from the blander green and black backpack crowd!).

Brevite The Jumper: Specifications

Brevite The Jumper: Price

Although I’d been given a 22L version of the Brevitē Jumper to test, I could only find the 18L model available to purchase on Amazon in the UK, US and Australia. On contacting Brevitē I was informed that they plan to sell the larger 22L version but they don’t have a timeline for that as yet. At around $130 / £110 the large Brevitē Jumper is excellent value for money and you get the benefit of knowing that you are buying a long-lasting product that has been made from recycled materials. Let’s hope more models, colors and sizes appear on Amazon soon.

Brevite The Jumper: Design & Handling

On unboxing the 22L Large Brevitē Jumper, I was instantly impressed with its vibrant Moonlit Blue colour, which was a refreshing change to the usual black and green backpacks that I’ve tested. The main body of the backpack has three unzippable points of access - one at the top, another on the lower front (for when the backpack is lying on its back), and a smaller unzippable side pocket for quick access to smaller items such as lenses. The main compartment can be split into two sections thanks to a padded internal divider that has a hook-and-loop edge. This is very useful if you want to store smaller items (such as a drone) in the top section of the Jumper while placing other items such as a camera body and lens in the lower section of the backpack. The internal divider can be folded back on its hinge to open up the interior to store longer items.

The main body of the Brevitē Jumper is constructed from Recycled 640D Polyester. A 210D Nylon Oxford Weave creates a water-resistant surface that will keep your kit dry in a drizzle (though for extra protection you may want to consider the additional purchase of a rain cover). Access to the backpack’s compartments is achieved via sturdy YKK zippers. The zipper at the top of the laptop compartment also has a waterproof seam to keep water out of the interior, which is an essential feature I’ve encountered on many camera backpacks. I was easily able to slide my 15” MacBook Air into this super water resistant compartment so that I could enjoy processing photos and clips while travelling back from a shoot via train.

Brevite The Jumper: Performance

I tested the Brevitē Jumper backpack on several shoots. My first shoot involved a trip to London to test a Colbor CF5 smoke machine and a collection of Apexel 10-in-1 lenses. The Brevitē backpack ships with 4 hook-and-loop padded dividers of varying sizes, so you can create a collection of compartments in the main body of the backpack for lenses, etc. For my city shoot, I packed a Hohem iSteady M7 gimbal in its carry case inside the Jumper, plus a couple of Harlowe LED wands and a Colbor fog machine. As these items were quite long and bulky, I removed all of the Brevitē Jumper’s hook-and-loop dividers and folded the main divider back so I could use the entirety of the backpack.

There’s a handy padded pocket on the lower front of the backpack, which has a collection of webbed pockets. This was very useful to store smaller items such as charging cables, a power bank, and a wireless mic kit. Despite being packed full of gear, the Jumper was comfortable to carry and small enough to fit onto the overhead luggage rack on the train as I travelled into the city.

When shooting in the corridors of the Barbican Centre, I was keen not to cause any obstructions to members of the public, and the Jumper was small and compact enough to be safely stored in a corner (without tripping up passersby). The backpack’s three zippable points of access enabled me to grab gadgets as and when I needed them (and then store them away). The straps on the Brevitē Jumper are narrower than I’ve encountered on other backpacks, but they are padded, so my kit was comfortable to carry. This is just as well, as I walked 17,000 steps that day. Due to its relatively small size, I was able to pop the Brevitē under various tables on the pub crawl that followed my city shoot. Unlike on a previous occasion, I didn’t leave the backpack in a pub!

For my second shoot, I took the Brevitē Jumper to the English Peak District. On the first day, there was a bit of drizzle, but the backpack’s water-resistant Oxford Weave kept my kit dry. As a smartphone photographer, I was travelling relatively light so the backpack wasn’t too heavy. I was glad of this portability as I had very steep hills to negotiate while exploring the valley at Monsal Head.

On day two of my countryside test, I used the four hook-and-loop dividers to rig the backpack for a drone shoot. I popped my DJI Flip and controller into suitable compartments as well as the usual wireless mic kit, gimbal, and even my MacBook Air! I also popped my passport into the supplied concealed pocket so that I could demonstrate this useful feature in the accompanying video review. Thanks to the presence of my laptop, the Jumper was a bit heavier than on my previous shoots, but I was still able to jump from one rock to another while safely transporting my gear up the famous Stanage Edge rock formation in the Peak District National Park. I’m not an experienced Drone pilot, but I was delighted with the view and the various clips that I was able to capture after transporting the drone safely and comfortably up (and then down) the hills in the Brevitē Jumper.

Brevite The Jumper: Verdict

The Brevitē Jumper is a stylish and minimalist camera backpack, and I thoroughly enjoyed using the eye-catching Moonlit Blue version in my various test shoots (though that colour is so new that it’s not filtered through to Amazon at the time of writing). Its hook-and-loop dividers can be configured to suit a range of kit requirements (or removed entirely if you want to repurpose the Jumper from a camera backpack to a generic one). Features such as the hidden passport pocket and the luggage pass-through handle make it especially attractive to flyers. Indeed, its dimensions of 44 x 30 x 15 cm should make it acceptable as hand luggage on various airlines (such as EasyJet), but do check those requirements as they vary between airlines.

The 22L storage space in the Jumper should make it suitable for DSLR and mirrorless camera users, though I found the configurable layout and multiple access points particularly attractive as a smartphone photographer/videographer. There are lots of spaces and compartments to store small accessories.

The bottle pocket on the side was particularly welcome when on a thirst-inducing climb in the Peak District, and the tripod hooks on the bottom of the pack will be useful for traditional photographers (though I used the Hohem iSteady gimbal as a tripod, as it will also perform as an AI-assisted camera operator).

If sustainability is important to you, then the Brevitē Jumper should appeal as it ticks lots of eco-friendly and socially conscious boxes thanks to its BlueSign certification.

Alternatives

Proving that even hard cases can have a soft side – figuratively, not literally – the Peli / Pelican 1510 Protector Case is available at the time of writing in bright yellow and shocking pink, alongside tan, orange and regular black. When my review sample landed, I found I’d been sent the pink option, which is very pink. We’re talking Legally Blonde or Barbie levels of pink. Safe to say there will be no danger of misplacing this rolling case among all the boring black and grey options at the airport!

Beauty is more than skin deep however, and, as well as a rugged hard plastic exterior designed to withstand the hard knocks that life throws at us, dimensions here are tailored so that the Peli case can circumnavigate most airline carry-on luggage restrictions. The inside of my sample featured a foam lid interior and soft, padded and adjustable Velcro-like dividers. These can be shaped to suit differing configurations of photo kit, with further interior options available for if I want even more of a snug fit, tightly tailored to existing gear.

Wacky colour schemes aside, so far, so much what we’d expect to find from and within a rolling camera case. So, what else helps the Peli / Pelican 1510 Protector Case stand out in a crowded marketplace and provide a decent return for our investment? Read on to find out…

Peli / Pelican 1510: Specifications

Peli / Pelican 1510: Price

With Peli being the Rolls Royce of protective camera cases, we’d expect to pay a premium for ownership of the Peli / Pelican 1510 Protector Case. The price can vary substantially, however, with the least expensive option being the case with no foam interior, the next least expensive being the case with a foam interior, then the alternative of a padded interior – which is the version we had – followed by the priciest option of having a TrekPak plus foam combination, the latter option featuring a cutting tool for trimming the plastic and foam layered material to precisely protect kit. Bear in mind too that going for the TrekPak option not only pushes up the price but the overall weight too, which increases from 5.4Kg when empty to 6.Kg.

Peli / Pelican 1510: Design & Handling

While the construction here, on the face of it, features a similar hard plastic exterior, snap shut latches and reinforced metal holes for threading through additional padlocks as on competing examples from Think Tank and Vanguard, the Peli 1510 is heavier than those already heavy examples at 6.2Kg, as opposed to 4-5Kg.

Its weight when empty is something to bear in mind, because if that already feels heavy to lift – which it does – imagine how much heavier it’s going to get when I start loading camera bodies and lenses.

However, what we are getting in return is peace of mind. The Peli 1510 Protector Case attempts to live up to its name by claiming to be watertight to IP67 level thanks to an O-ring seal, crushproof and dustproof.

In terms of portability, comfort and convenience, an extendable carry handle is provided at the back, while there is a pair of polyurethane wheels with stainless steel bearings at the base. Everything here feels well made, chunky and durable, just as we’d want when transporting gear that involves glass and cutting edge electronics, neither of which normally respond well to be bumped, dunked or generally chucked around.

Peli / Pelican 1510: Performance

The shocking pink exterior of my review sample injects something that would otherwise be simply performative with a little more personality. But, as ever, it’s the balance between the level of protection the hard case offers and the weight we must shift every time we take it out, that informs our purchase decision.

The soft, padded, endlessly reconfigurable interior of our review sample provides snug accommodation for more kit than its exterior might suggest. I found sufficient space for at least two or three mirrorless camera / consumer SLR-type bodies and a gaggle of lenses and accessories with space for more if truth be told.

I also found that the canary yellow dividers, as opposed to the more regular grey and black of rival hard cases, ensured that my kit stood out more at first glance, making it harder for me to misplace a lens cap or memory card. Practical as well as pretty; and yes, I’m still talking about the case.

Peli / Pelican 1510: Verdict

With a range of external colour and interior options available to potential purchasers the toughened Peli 1510 Protector Case adds a little flair to what would otherwise be a boringly practical and heavy case. At 6.2 kg before any kit has been placed into it, I’m thankful that it does provide wheels and a retractable trolley handle to make transportation a tad more practical and comfortable.

Further peace of mind is provided by its crushproof construction, meaning if we are instructed at the last minute to place what we’d intended as hand luggage in an airline hold, then we can enjoy the flight in the knowledge that our gear won’t be trashed when we collect it on the carousel.

The deep pink exterior of this particular review sample – which we believe to be a limited edition – will also mean that both ourselves and small children will be quick to point it out among all the other boring cases when it appears on the conveyor belt.

Alternatives

When it comes to rolling hard cases with wheels and handles, the most obvious alternative to the Peli / Pelican 1510 Protector Case here is Peli’s own identical-sized 1535 Air Case. The latter has the distinct advantage of weighing a lighter 3.95 kg, albeit that’s when empty. Still, while it’s not quite as outwardly tough, many might feel that’s better than weighing 6.2 kg, as this 1510 does. When it comes to Peli’s 1535, there are again various options available as regards the interior, plus whether we choose foam or adjustable padding.

If traveling light is indeed your bag and you’re after a comparable bargain with it, then the Vanguard Supreme 40F is a squarish alternative. This weighs 4.4 kg with its foam interior, but it’s a practical size for smaller camera kit configurations. It gets minus points from us, however, in that it doesn’t feature wheels, which could be a possible deal breaker, particularly if the gear you have is heavy. Still, it is sufficiently watertight to withstand being dunked to depths of five metres.

If we do want wheels and have a shedload of camera equipment, then a larger alternative to the above can be found in the bulky shape of the Vanguard Supreme 53D. The only issue is that because it is bigger, it is also heavier, at a back-breaking 11.2 kg with a padded divider insert. There’s also a 53F model that alternatively features a foam interior.

For more options, do visit our buyers’ guides to the best roller bags.

Peak Design's latest Kickstarter ends at midnight tonight (US time), concluding an astonishing campaign that has accrued over $12.3 million (around £9.3 million / AU$19.3 million) from over 22,000 backers.

It's all in aid of the revolutionary Peak Design Roller Pro Carry-On Luggage, a hybrid camera / travel roller case that's the company's most ambitious product to date.

I've actually been using this case and, as someone who exclusively travels with carry-on luggage, it's an absolute breath of fresh air compared to even the premium roller cases I've owned.

The first, and arguably most important, thing to note about the Roller Pro is the handle. Unlike the flimsy telescoping handles of other bags, which invariably develop so much play that the steering goes all to hell, Peak Design's handles are made of a single piece of carbon fiber.

Obviously this solves the problem of looseness that develops in telescoping handles. But it also means that a valuable amount of space is saved, by replacing them with single thin strips of carbon fiber. So you get a roller with nice sturdy handles that also has extra space inside.

ABOVE: Watch the crowdfunding video

That space is also endlessly more practical, because unlike traditional carry-on rollers – which open look a book, and thus double their surface area, so are impractical for small spaces or most on-location work – the Roller Pro has a vertical drawbridge opening, giving you easier access to the items and space inside.

That space has been designed with Peak Design's Camera Cubes in mind – including the new XL Cube, designed explicitly for the Roller Pro. This means that the case is uniquely appealing to travelers with camera kit, or just camera users who want a roller case for their gear.

And in fact, this has proved to be one of my favorite uses for the Roller Pro –because, between the Camera Cube design and the vertical opening, it basically gives you a portable workstation that's ideal for taking everything you need on a shoot.

The Peak Design Roller Pro will carry a retail price of $599 (around £450 / AU$940) when it goes on sale in July, but can be ordered with an earlybird discount for $425 / £320 / AU$660 – or, if you're happy to wait until fall for delivery, for just $415 / £315 / AU$650.

Make sure to hurry, though, as the campaign ends tonight! Head over to the Roller Pro Kickstarter for more info.

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Check out the best camera bags and cases available right now, along with the best camera backpacks.

If you own a premium compact camera such as the Fujifilm X100VI, or one of its coveted predecessors, or other fixed lens compacts like the Leica D-Lux 8 or Sony RX1R II, you may have struggled to find the perfect camera bag to pair with them. Many of the best camera backpacks and best messenger bags are too big, which is great for carry extra accessories and items like a small laptop or tablet, but they’re not the most portable solution. In fact, if you’re looking for portability many photographers simply ditch the case altogether and prefer to use their premium compact handheld, or with a neck or wrist strap and stashed in a coat pocket when not in use.

PolarPro has, it seems, come up with a more elegant solution and is targeting users specifically with premium compacts to carry their cameras with style, keep them protected, out of sight, have accessory storage and a safe place to stash your camera at home so it doesn’t collect dust.

Californian photo accessory company PolarPro was established in 2011 and since then has made a name for themselves as innovators in the photography space with inventive designs made to be used outdoors with premium materials and environmentally responsible.

I got hold of the PolarPro 1L Roadrunner, which at the time of this review was brand-new out, and put it to the test to find out if you should buy one.

PolarPro 1L Roadrunner Sling: Specifications

PolarPro 1L Roadrunner Sling: Price

The PolarPro 1L RoadRunner at first seems quite steep costing $49.99 for such a small camera bag, especially when you consider you could a much more expansive shoulder bag for a similar spend – for example the Ruggard Commando Pro 45 DSLR Shoulder Bag costs $49.95 and has space for a DSLR, multiple lenses and even a 10” tablet.

However, that’s not the point. PolarPro is known for making high quality accessories and the 1L RoadRunner is no different, it’s designed to be a lightweight and compact storage space for premium compacts. Rather than compare it to larger shoulder bags, I think it makes more sense to compare the 1L RoadRunner to a sling camera strap like the Black Rapid Sport Breathe which allows you to wear your camera over the shoulder and costs $99.95. The 1L RoadRunner is similar, in that it allows your premium compact camera to be worn over the shoulder so you always have it ready to hand to get shooting, but also has the added benefit of providing protective padding, accessory pockets and also hides your camera from prying eyes when it’s not in use.

PolarPro 1L Roadrunner Sling: Design & Handling

As you might expect from a one-litre bag the PolarPro 1L RoadRunner is very small with external dimensions of 5x4x7” so it’s portable and doesn’t get in the way, though its interior dimensions are roomier than you might expect at 4x3x6”. It’s designed to accommodate a Fujifilm X100VI, Leica D-lux 8 or Sony RX1R II – if you’ve got a premium compact with a fixed lens or smaller, you should be good to go. I was even able to squeeze in an APS-C mirrorless Fujifilm X-Pro1, though this was due to the very slender 18mm f/2 pancake lens attached to it which meant the fit was very snug, but it did fit all the way in with a bit of persuasion.

The bag is a sling type and comes with a 1cm wide strap that can be clipped onto the bag and worn over the shoulder and this works very well. It’s also adjustable so you can fine-tune how high or low you want to wear it and swing it around on to your back so that it’s not in the way. The strap also has a small neoprene shoulder pad that adds a little extra comfort and also has grippy strips on its inside to help make sure it stays in place on your shoulder – though the padding can also be removed if you prefer.

In terms of materials the 1L RoadRunner is made from 600D RipStop Nylon and is only available in black with a light khaki trim – the inside of the case is this cream khaki color too and is microfibre material – so it’s tough on the outside to keep your camera protected and soft on the inside to make sure it’s not scratched.

For such a small bag it fits in a lot of neat little features and storage spaces. There’s a stretchy pocket on its back large enough to fit your phone or a big lens cap, on the front there’s a small zippered pocket large enough for some cash or small accessories like a UV filter or memory cards. On the inside of the top lid there’s also a netted pocket which again could store a filter or cards. It also has a small grab handle and plastic D-rings to attach the provided strap which allows the 1L bag to be worn over the shoulder or across the body, sling fashion. One notable omission I did think would have been a nice touch is any sort of belt loop as I think this would have been great to be able to buckle this to a belt and would just provide a different wearing option than just the shoulder.

The zipper on the front ‘cash’ pocket is YKK and Water Resistant with additional waterproof material on this zipper section, though the top main zippered entrance to the camera compartment is just YKK and doesn’t have this extra weather protection.

The zip pulls are made from paracord and have heat shrink tubing around their knotted ends which feels nice to the touch and operate.

PolarPro 1L Roadrunner Sling: Performance

Though small the PolarPro 1L RoadRunner is mighty and impressed on test with its build quality, materials and design. Small premium compact cameras like the Fujifilm X100-series have grown in popularity over the years and users haven’t had a great deal of choice when it comes to storing them – sure you can bring an overly large shoulder bag with, which has the benefit of being able to bring everything you need including extra lenses, but I can see the benefit of this 1L case for the times when you don’t need it and you’re looking to travel with the bare essentials.

For use with premium compacts it allows you to wear your camera bag as a sling so that it’s always to hand, but unlike a cross-body sling strap, your camera is hidden away from potential thieves. The bag's minimalist and simple black design isn’t flashy and allows you to keep a low profile.

I was a little concerned as the shoulder strap is very small, thin and you also don’t get a lot of padding for your money either. However, these concerns were quickly put to bed as even with the heaviest lens I could pack into the case for some of my test walks I hardly noticed it was there.

It’s also worth noting that the case will be too small for DSLRs or larger mirrorless setups, but it could still be useful for carrying a spare lens as well as accessories like SD cards and filters. It also comes with a microfibre cloth which has a rivet and is secured by a piece of string so that you always have a cleaning cloth to hand.

The padding is very decent around the bag and I liked the amount of storage options, from the netted back pocket for your phone, front pocket for cash or other small accessories and the internal pocket on the inside of the lid – though depending on how tight a fit your camera is inside of the bag, you might not be able to put anything too bulky in that lid pocket as it could stop it from closing.

I gave the PolarPro 1L RoadRunner a shower to test its weather resistance. The top and bottom of the RoadRunner or 600D RipStop nylon which the water beaded off, though the YKK zipper around the top flap isn’t sealed so water can get in and feels like a bit of a weak point. The front pocket for small accessories does have an extra layer of weather resistance, so I’d have liked to seen this on the camera compartment zip to make it better protected as it doesn’t come with any sort of rain cover.

PolarPro 1L Roadrunner Sling: Verdict

The PolarPro 1L RoadRunner is a well-built, compact sling bag designed for premium compact cameras, though it can accommodate a slim APS-C mirrorless setup. Its quality materials and thoughtful design, including various storage pockets and an adjustable strap, are commendable.

While the $49.99 price tag might seem steep initially, its unique functionality as a discreet, over-the-shoulder carry solution with added protection justifies the cost. However, the lack of weather sealing on the main camera compartment zipper is a notable drawback. Despite this, the RoadRunner excels in its intended role, offering a lightweight, portable, and low-profile way to carry essential camera gear. It's ideal for those seeking a minimalist solution rather than a bulky, multi-lens bag.

For owners of premium compacts such as the Leica D-Lux 8 or Fujifilm X100VI, both of which retail for around $1600, spending a further $50 on a quality case like this 1L RoadRunner could be a no-brainer.

If you prefer to not use a case so that you always have your camera directly to hand, or if you need a bigger shoulder bag to carry extra lenses or a tablet/laptop then the 1L RoadRunner won’t be for you, however if you like the idea of wearing your camera case over the shoulder for better comfort, having a bit more padding and protection, accessory stash spots and having the ability to quickly put your camera away from prying eyes, the PolarPro 1L RoadRunner ticks a lot of boxes.

Alternatives

Rugged camera bags tend to be heavy, but PolarPro’s newest backpack weighs less than three pounds. On Tuesday, April 8, PolarPro unveiled the RoadRunner, a collection of two backpacks, two shoulder bags, and a compact camera bag designed to minimize weight while keeping gear quick to access.

The PolarPro RoadRunner Backpack comes in two sizes – an 8L capable of fitting one body, three lenses, and a gimbal, or a 16L that can fit two bodies, multiple lenses, a tripod, and a gimbal. The 8L backpack weighs under two pounds (878g), while the 16L weighs under three pounds (1337g). That, the company says, makes the backpacks one of the lightest options on the market.

The backpacks give photographers access to gear from both sides, allowing access to both sides of the stackable inserts. Two front pockets organize smaller accessories, while a tablet/laptop compartment rests hidden in the back panel. Side pockets can store water bottles or a tripod, while a rain cover also has its own dedicated pocket. The padded mesh backpack straps also include an adjustable sternum strap.

PolarPro calls the RoadRunner Shoulder Bags “wearable workstations” because the crossbody bag style offers quick access to gear. Like the backpacks, the shoulder bags come in two sizes, a compact 6L that can fit a camera and lenses or drone and remote, or the 12L that’s large enough for a mirrorless camera with a 24-70mm or 70-200mm, a 15-35mm, and a drone.

The shoulder bags unzip to a main compartment with padded dividers and smaller accessory pockets under the lid. A small front pocket also houses more accessories or personal items, while two straps on the bottom can strap on a tripod.

The smallest bag in the collection is the RoadRunner Sling, a 1L bag designed for compact cameras like the Fujifilm X100VI, along with small pockets for accessories.

All five of the bags use a ripstop nylon collection, built-in lens cloth wipes, and MOLLE webbing to snap on external accessories. PolarPro – a brand largely known for its filters – also incorporated several filter pockets into the bags.

I received an early sample of the 16L backpack and 6L shoulder bag, and while I haven’t yet loaded the bags up with gear for full testing, my initial impression favors the lightweight design and accessory pockets. My second impression? Every camera bag should include a built-in lens cloth leashed to the bag like the RoadRunner has.

The small RoadRunner 1L Sling retails for $49.99 / £39.20 / AU$83.93, while the shoulder bags list for $99.99 / £78.58 / AU$167.88 for the 6L and $119.99 / £94.30 /AU$201.46 for the 12L. The backpacks list for $139.99 / £110.02 / AU$235.04 for the 8L and $179.99 / £141.46 / AU$302.20 for the 16L.

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There are various ways in which we can choose to transport our camera gear. In one of the best camera backpacks, via a crush-proof hard case, or perhaps we want to take the load off and opt for a roller bag with wheels at the base and a trolley-style handle at the top?

At first glance, cleverly, the Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II appears to be offering most of these options in one product. Though the result is that it’s big and bulky when lifted out of its delivery box, its manufacturer insists it’s been sized to squeeze within airline carry-on restrictions.

If you are a photographer who travels a lot, the versatility here should appeal, at least on paper. But in practice, how does one camera pack that can be handled in a lot of different ways pan out? Read on to find out.

Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II: Specifications

Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II: Price

Available since June 2024, and costing $469.95 / £319 at the time of writing, the high-ish asking price of the Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II reflects its versatility, features, and overall ruggedness of build. Alternatively, there are cheaper versions in its manufacturer’s own range if you don’t quite need all the bells and whistles here. A slightly more compact and less expensive wheeled competitor can be found in the Vanguard VEO Select 55BT, which likewise features harness-like straps at the rear so it can be converted into a backpack. Overall, the Lowepro feels fair for what we get, given the quality and flexibility of the product in terms of not only what can be put in it, but also how we handle and carry it.

Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II: Design & Handling

With 68% of its construction claimed to be from recycled fabrics, the design here is very outdoors-y, the rugged-looking black and grey polyester and nylon exterior more seemingly suited to yomping and trekking in the wild, as suggested by the product name, than the inside of airports and train stations.

However, handling wise, should I get weary of carrying the Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II on my back, the big plus is that I can plonk it on the ground, unzip and extend its trolley style handle, and wheel it around instead. Provided I’m not on uneven terrain of course.

As the pack weighs just over 4Kg when empty and has a 28-litre total volume, the option to transport it in a variety of ways adds comfort and practicality. While the trolley handle is a little narrow in width than those of competitors and the wheels at the base are hard plastic rather than rubber, I can live with that.

Capacity-wise, we have room here for the usual pair of mirrorless or smaller DSLR bodies and up to five or six lenses. Alternatively, there would be space for a pro-level DSLR such as the Canon 5D Mark IV or similar, with up to a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. One caveat is that the extendable travel handle of the pack itself takes up some of the interior depth, so those with cameras with bigger bodies and chunkier lenses may find it all a bit of a squeeze. Its maker does, however suggest that it would accommodate a foldable camera drone.

Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II: Performance

Does the Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II succumb to the cliché of being a jack of all trades, yet master of none?

Thankfully, no. In addition to back harness, trolley handle and wheels to aid transport, there are carry handles at the top, side and base for when we want to heft the bag into the boot of a taxi, or into an overhead cabin locker. With the ‘AW’ in the model name indicating an All Weather product, a tightly packed rain cover can be found secreted among the inner compartments.

One disappointment is that if you do want to quickly swap how the bag is being used, be aware the bottom of the backpack harness hangs level with the wheels at the back. The positioning means that, if slightly leaning the Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II to pull it along easier, the base of the harness will drag/scrape along the ground.

To avoid this if the user is in less of a rush, padded flaps at the back that aid comfort when worn can be popped open, wrapped around the straps, and pressed back into place to keep them off the floor and out of harm’s way. It all feels very practical and well considered, as I’d hoped at this high-ish asking price.

Round at the front of the bag we also find two slim, removable accessory straps. These, when combined with a provided tripod pouch, enable a regular sized tripod to be worn at the front, or to one side, if desired. Additionally at one side of the pack is a soft, flexible pocket for handily stowing a one litre water bottle, with plenty of other compartments for storing travel documents and the like.

As the Lowepro weighs over 4 kg when empty, when worn as a pack, even with a modest amount of photo gear and a small tablet inserted, it was already feeling heavy and rigid on my back. I could not imagine sightseeing all day with this one without taking regular breaks. That said, at least the straps are comfortably padded. Most importantly, my camera gear was held in place firmly enough that I felt reassured in the knowledge it would not be rattling around loose inside.

Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II: Verdict

If you’re a photographer / videographer who regularly travels a lot and wants one kit bag that offers a variety of different transportation options, when either your arm or back gets tired from wheeling it around or wearing it, the Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II will seem an attractive proposition.

Not everything is perfect – I’d have preferred rubber rather than plastic wheels for example – and the price is rather high at the time of writing, even if that’s partly justified because nearly everything about its build is premium quality. Sometimes flexibility is worth paying for if you’re a creative.

Alternatives

The closest rolling bag come backpack to this example that I’ve tested is the Vanguard VEO Select 55BT. At 3.9 kg, it’s of a similar weight, though feels more compact as the harness-like straps can be tucked away when you don’t want to wear it as a backpack. An alternative can be found in the Manfrotto Manhatan Runner 50, which while not outwardly resembling a backpack, does allow for the inner camera compartment with dividers to be removed from within the rolling case and that particular element to be worn as a pack, complete with padded shoulder straps.

A further flexible alternative is the Tenba Roadie Air Case Roller 21, though its rock-solid exterior padding does mean it weighs a hefty 4.7 kg before any camera gear has been loaded into it. As ever, increased layers of protection make for a heavier bag/case/pack.

For more options, including the extra degree of protection afforded by a hard plastic wheeling case, do visit our buyer’s guide to camera roller bags for photographers.

Family-owned camera accessory manufacturer OpTech has been creating American made camera accessories since its inception in 1982.

Quality, comfortability and functionality are OpTech’s key brand values and I’m hoping its binocular harness ticks all three boxes as I got hold of one for review. It’s worth noting that the harness, although predominantly designed for binoculars, will still work and can be useful for small camera setups. It also comes in a more affordable rigid webbing, or a slightly more expensive elasticated version which adds a little more comfort and helps suspend your binoculars and camera better. It was the elastic model I got hold of to review here. So without further ado let’s get to it!

OpTech BINO-CAM harness: Specifications

OpTech BINO-CAM harness: Price

The OpTech Bino-Cam harness is only available in black but comes in two different materials: standard nylon webbing or a more stretchy elastic for better comfort. At the time of writing, the basic nylon model retails for $17.99, whilst the elastic version is $28.49, and on Amazon UK, the price is £17.99 or £21.99 respectively, which, for just a few pounds more, makes the elastic version a bit of a bargain in the UK.

In terms of competitors, it’s quite similar to the Zeiss Comfort Carry harness, which retails for $72 in the US or £45 in the UK.

OpTech BINO-CAM harness: Design & Handling

The OpTech Bino-Cam harness is designed to fit most binoculars and comes with its QD (Quick Disconnect) tabs which can be unbuckled from the harness and then threaded through the strap lugs on binoculars or even DSLRs and mirrorless cameras with lugs on either side – though devices with very small strap lugs will require a split ring.

It’s a fully adjustable harness available in just the one size and claims to ‘fit most’ people, however the elasticated version I got hold of is a little more stretchy and comfortable than the standard webbing version which doesn’t have any play in it.

The two plastic buckles on either strap can be glided up and down which makes it easy to bring the binoculars up to eye level and use. The strap length can also be easily adjusted for either side, though is quite tricky to do whilst wearing it and better to do when you’ve taken the harness off. Each of the left and right shoulder straps can be extended to a maximum length of up to 58cm and its self-adjusting design stabilizes gear against body.

Binoculars hang in a natural and comfortable position, and whilst it’s not designed for use with a camera it can be used for this purpose. The binoculars I tested the harness with were 800g and my lightest mirrorless full-frame camera setup wasn’t much more at around 950g with a simple 35mm f/1.8 prime lens attached. Though note here that the camera needs to have strap lugs on both sides to work well with the harness and also depending on the weight and balance of your camera it is likely to tip upwards with the lens pointing forwards rather than down, this doesn’t pose any issues other than you need to be careful of the rear LCD rubbing up against any metal zips you might be wearing.

The low profile design of the harness makes it easy to also wear with a backpack or camera bag, or even combined with a camera strap such as the OpTech Pro Loop to hang a camera off your shoulder. It can also be worn over or under a jacket for a more low profile and discreet look, or worn over the top of a fleece or jacket which provides a little more padding and comfort.

OpTech BINO-CAM harness: Performance

The materials used in the OpTech Bino-Cam harness are very no-frills, mostly consisting of plastic hardware, the leather backplate and either nylon or elastic webbing depending on the model you go for. This all makes it feel fairly budget, there’s no metal hardware which would make it feel more durable, but in its favor this does help keep weight down and also means there’s no metal components that could clatter around and cause noise, potentially scaring away a skittish subject.

The two Quick Disconnect buckles can also be carefully pressed to remove your binoculars without causing any sound if you need to be particularly stealthy. One nitpick is I would rather both of the QD buckles on the harness were the same and the two that go on the binoculars are also the same, because on more than one occasion I accidentally installed them on my camera and binoculars the wrong way around – they’re not the fastest to attach and detach so this can be a little frustrating when it happens.

The tab on the back which connects all of the straps together is made of a leather square measuring 2.5x2.5” and has a thickness of 3mm. There’s quite a big difference in this design compared to the Zeiss Comfort Carry which admittedly is more expensive at $70, but had a larger 4x4.3” footprint to spread the load and also also attached to the straps at four points rather than just three, so it felt more comfortable.

OpTech BINO-CAM harness: Verdict

In my testing I found the Zeiss Comfort Carry to be the better product, but it does cost more than twice that of the OpTech Bino-Cam harness on test here – it doesn’t feel like you’re getting twice the quality. But the extra comfort could be worth the extra spend for some people, especially if you plan to use them a lot and for extended periods.

However for more casual birders and those with stricter budgets the OpTech Bino-Cam is good basic option with no frills but it won’t break the bank.

Cotton Carrier began life when Andy Cotton, a special effects supervisor of over 26 years transitioned to life as a professional landscapes photographer and realised he couldn’t find a product that met his camera carrying needs in a comfortable, safe and accessible way. Working previously in special effects he followed the KISS principle – Keep it simple, stupid! With people’s lives at stake, there’s no room for error and he wanted to bring this simple and effective approach to his new ideas for camera carrying equipment. Cotton Carrier is also a member of 1% For The Planet, pledging to donate 1% of annual sales to support nonprofit organizations focused on the environment, so by purchasing from the company you know you’re supporting a good cause.

The Cotton Carrier SlingBelt which I’ll be looking at in closer detail in this review is largely different to other carrying systems on the market, many of which I’ve also reviewed recently and you can find them in our best camera straps buying guide. The SlingBelt is different because it takes the weight away from your neck or even shoulders as a conventional camera strap or sling would, and instead puts it firmly around your waist via the belt system, with Cotton Carrier saying “This ergonomically designed belt sits comfortably and distributes the weight of your gear across your hips. Say goodbye to upper body fatigue and eliminate neck and shoulder pain.” It can also be used with optional accessories such as a second camera mount holster or lens bucket which I also managed to get hold of for this review.

The Cotton Carrier SlingBelt started life on Kickstarter in October 2019 and in just 40 days smashed its funding goal by 1200% and raised over $150,000(CAD) from over 1000 backers. Since then it’s quickly gone on to become one of Cotton Carrier’s flagship products – I got hold of one and put it to the test to find out how it performs…

Cotton Carrier SlingBelt & Bucket: Specifications

Cotton Carrier SlingBelt & Bucket: Price

The Cotton Carrier SlingBelt started life on Kickstarter in 2019 where early backers could invest $113(CAD) for one SlingBelt and Bucket system – the price now is much more steep, but that’s the deal with Kickstarter, you can grab a bargain by getting in early.

At the time of my review I found the Cotton Carrier SlingBelt retailing for $99(US) or £85(UK) while the Lens Bucket and Dry Bag costs $55(US) or £42(UK). There's also the Wanderer Side Holster available in grey or camo for $65 / £51 and Everything Bracket to lash a tripod or binoculars to one of the attachment points and this costs $30 / £26.

It's also worth noting that spare 'hubs', the metal quick release connection that affixes to your camera, are quite steep at $29 / £20 for a replacement.

Whilst I’ll cover all of the features that the SlingBelt has to offer in more detail in the next section, in a nutshell it comes with the large waist belt and a CCS metal mounting plate to dock your camera and wear it on your waist, it also comes with a shoulder strap to secure your camera to your shoulder. The Lens Bucket and Dry Bag, plus other accessories like the Side Holster are optional modular add-ons that you can purchase if you need them.

Cotton Carrier SlingBelt & Bucket: Design & Handling

The Cotton Carrier SlingBelt has a nylon exterior, polyester trim and polyethylene foam for padding on the inside. It’s made in Vietnam and all seems to be built to a high standard with no shortage of heavy duty stitching around the key areas to support heavy camera setups, though buckles and hardware are plastic as opposed to metal which keeps the weight down but makes it feel less premium.

The large padded camera dock on the belt boasts Cotton Carrier’s Patented Twist & Lock design. This works by attaching the provided CCS ‘Flat Hub’ to the base of your camera with the supplied hex key – this is an anodized aluminum hub with a rubber washer and a bolt that is tightened to the tripod mount socket on the bottom of your camera. I’m generally not a fan of this design as it stops other accessories from being mounted and also the aluminum hub, rubber washer and bolt aren’t glued or tethered in any way, so it’s really easy to lose a piece and then have to fork out for another. However, once attached it means you can insert it into the holster and undock it with a simple 90º twist.

Attached to the main camera pad is a raincover which collapses down into a small pouch and clips onto the fabric loop on the harness. Whilst collapsing down to a very neat size that doesn’t get in the way, when opened up it’s large enough to fit over a camera body with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens attached and has a toggle to cinch it in place and keep it snug to your camera. However, I don’t think you’d be able to fit any bigger lenses in, such as a 150-600mm as the rain cover isn’t big enough.

The SlingBelt comes with a Sling Tether which at first I thought would take the weight of the belt and transfer it to your shoulder to stop the belt falling down – a bit like with the Think Tank Racing Pro Harness I reviewed recently. However, this is not how it works. Instead, it’s a shoulder strap with the only function of attaching to your camera so that you can wear your camera over the shoulder and also acts as an emergency safety device to make it more secure, should you accidentally drop it.

The SlingBelt is said to be one size fits all, with a diameter ranging from 66cm to 137cm. Cotton Carrier doesn’t state a maximum capacity for the SlingBelt, though it’s made from a heavy duty 37mm strap and in my tests loading it up with my DSLR and 70-200mm f/2.8 lens weighing 2.4kg it felt very secure. It’s likely the case that your hips will give in before the strap does under very heavy loads.

The SlingBelt weighs 220g on its own and the shoulder strap adds an extra 91g. The Lens Bucket is a further 180g and the drybag if you need it is 92g which tucks away inside the bucket and can even be clipped in. The anodized metal CCS quick release plate for your camera weighs 19g, so fully loaded up you could be looking at around 600g plus whatever your camera and lens weighs attached. If you use the side holster for a second camera body it will tip the scales even further.

One of the standout features of the SingBelt system is that you can pair it with other accessories which attach to it. The belt itself has two Velcro landing pads for modular accessories to be bolted on, such as the CCS G3 Wanderer Side Holster or Lens Bucket and Dry Bag.

Cotton Carrier SlingBelt & Bucket: Performance

The Cotton Carrier SlingBelt system is modular a bit like the Think Tank Pixel Racing Harness V3.0 I reviewed recently, however where I found there to be a bit too much choice with the Think Tank system (with over 10 different pouches) Cotton Carrier’s system is less overwhelming. Cotton Carrier has gone for a more minimalist system with just a few add-ons: the Side holster and Lens Bucket. Whilst it’s not as customisable as the Think Tank system, it’s a much simpler design and easier to get your head around.

Cotton Carrier claims its SlingBelt system is the world’s most comfortable and versatile support for cameras, lenses, binoculars (using the Everything Bracket) and additional equipment and if you’re not a fan of having the weight of your camera kit on your neck or shoulders then this would certainly be a system to consider as it transfers the weight to your waist and can still be used in addition to a camera backpack if you wish.

Walking around with with a DSLR and 70-200mm f/2.8 lens attached was a little on the heavy side and did tend to mean the harness would tip forward, though for lighter setups it works much better. I found the weight distribution around the hips to be good, though the supporting material around the camera dock is quite stiff and I suppose this is good for confidence as you know your camera is connecting to something substantial, though I found it needed to be carefully moved into a comfortable position that didn’t get in the way when walking.

Whilst the SlingBelt does come with a shoulder strap, this is for tethering your camera to and using it as a security device when not docked to the belt. This works quite differently from the Think Tank Pixel Racing Harness V3.0 I recently reviewed as the Think Tank model has a shoulder harness to keep its belt in place and stop it from slipping down – the Cotton Carrier model has no such accessory, so you do feel a little vulnerable that the belt could fall when bearing very heavy kit.

Let’s move on to the Bucket & Drybag which is a useful optional extra for keeping an additional lens or accessory like a flash inside. Unlike the Think Tank V3.0 system which has over 10 different types and sizes of pouches to fit to its belt, Cotton Carrier simply offers a single one-size-fits-all lens ‘bucket’. This bucket measures around 15cm in diameter and 18cm tall, though it has a trick up its sleeve as a zip around the bottom can be used to expand the bucket to around 34cm – large enough to easily take my 70-200mm f/2.8 lens.

While the top section of the bucket has a little padding, when expanded, the bottom part has no padding which makes it a little vulnerable. Expanding the bucket also reveals a drain hole on the bottom so water can escape. Speaking of rain, the bucket comes with a dry bag that is a little taller than the expanded length of the bucket, allowing you to get a few wraps in the rolltop to seal it up whilst making full use of the total space inside the bucket. It can also be clipped into the bucket using two clips. The drybag is made from 600Dx600D waterproof polyester with sealed seams and does a good job of keeping the elements away from your expensive lenses.

The G3 Wanderer Side Holster would also be a good choice for this system as it attaches to one of the two Velcro landing pads on the waist harness and allows a second camera body to be attached, or if you get one of Cotton Carrier’s Everything Brackets you could use this wrap around and attach a pair of binoculars or even a tripod. It’s worth noting that while the side holster is available in both grey and camo colorways, the SlingBelt is only available in grey.

The SlingBelt comes shipped with Cotton Carrier’s proprietary CCS Flat Hub – a piece of hardware that needs to be bolted onto your camera to be used with the quick release system on the waist belt. I’ve come across this hub system before when I reviewed the Cotton Carrier Skout G2 and Cotton Carrier G3 Harness so I know it well and I have to say it’s not my favorite design and would benefit from some refinement. The hub itself is comprised of an anodized aluminum hub, a rubber washer and stainless steel bolt – I have no problems with the quality of any three of the components, but they’re so easy to fall apart and lose a piece – you’re then looking at spending $30/£20 on a new one, or forking out for new washers. When I look at the design of Black Rapid’s quick release system used in products like the Blackline or Sport Breathe, Black Rapid has integrated the bolt part into its main ‘hub’ and its rubber washer also sits much more tightly against the threads of its bolt to make it harder to come loose – so it’s much easier to keep everything together. If you drop the Cotton Carrier CCS hub on the floor, its three components separate and go flying in different directions, if you drop the BlackRapid one – it all stays together.

Unfortunately this isn’t my only complaint with the CCS hub. Unlike the BlackRapid design which uses the metal hub itself to turn to tighten it to your camera, the CCS hub requires a hex wrench, so you’ll need to remember to take this with you in your kit bag if you need to remove it, or if it comes loose and needs to be tightened up. The CCS hub really is a blemish on an otherwise very good product. The SlingBelt also doesn’t come with a spare, so you’ll need to make sure you look after yours to avoid forking out. I would recommend using a dab of super glue to fix the rubber washer to the metal hub so that at least these two parts stay together more easily.

Once the CCS hub is secured in place to the base of your camera with a hex wrench, it uses Cotton Carrier’s patented Twist & Lock mount, which means when mounted, your camera and lens point towards the ground. To either mount it or release, you need to twist the camera 90º before you can unlock it. This works absolutely fine with small and light setups, though it becomes increasingly more difficult to twist and turn heavier kit and longer lenses.

Cotton Carrier SlingBelt & Bucket: Verdict

My verdict for the Cotton Carrier SlingBelt & Bucket system is a little tricky as there are big parts of it that I love, but others that I’m really not a big fan of. If you find neck and shoulder straps uncomfortable then this product is definitely one to consider as it puts the weight firmly around the hips. Though it would also be worth checking out the Think Tank Pixel Racing Harness V3.0 – which although a more complex system, does offer a greater range of options if you really want to get into the weeds and customize your setup to the nth degree. But I appreciated that Cotton Carrier kept its product range minimal and simple so that it’s easy to understand.

Potential customers should however be aware that the CCS ‘hub’ attached to your camera and used to dock it into Cotton Carrier’s patented Twist & Lock system is a weak point, with fiddly parts that are easily lost (and expensive to replace) and also requires a hex key to attach, remove, or simply tighten up – so make sure you don’t leave yours at home on a shoot!

The SlingBelt has two Velcro mounting points for accessories and to get the most out of it I recommend the Bucket & Drybag to store an extra lens and a Side Holster for an additional camera with lens attached, or a pair of binoculars using Cotton Carrier’s Everything Bracket.

Camera straps are the unsung heroes of photographic accessories, but pick the right one and they can make all the difference in comfort when wearing your camera on long shoots, especially if using heavy set ups with bulkier DSLR bodies and big telephoto lenses.

The OpTech Pro Loop is a budget-friendly model costing roughly between $15 and $30, and aims to give photographers a much more comfortable shooting experience as by all means it’s a generic camera strap but with one big difference – a large foam pad to spread out and distribute heavy loads much more evenly to prevent neck and shoulder pain. OpTech has a longstanding history of making camera accessories dating back to 1982 and claims its Pro Loop strap is designed to make heavy loads feel 50% lighter and 100% more comfortable – big claims that I put to the test in this review. So read on and find out if the OpTech Pro Loop Strap is worth your money.

OpTech Pro Loop Strap: Specifications

OpTech Pro Loop Strap: Price

There are eight different color varieties of the OpTech Pro Loop strap and pricing seems to change a little depending on which color you go for, this was certainly the case when looking on Amazon. With prices for the Forest, Nature and Navy models all around $15-20, but the black costs closer to $20, and the Red and Royal versions are close to $30 so there’s potentially less stock of these. Proudly Made in the USA it’s fairly easy to get hold of the full spectrum of colors, though here in the UK where I’m writing from I could only find the standard black and royal blue models on Amazon which both retail for around £20. So there are some decent savings to be had if you’re not too fussed on the color.

Regardless, $15-30 for a camera strap is on the more affordable side and makes it very budget-friendly. I’ve also recently reviewed the Peak Design Slide Lite and Urth Core Camera Strap which both retail for around $70. And whilst both of these straps could very well be worth the extra spend, it’s definitely good to have a product like the OpTech to cater for photographers with smaller budgets.

OpTech Pro Loop Strap: Design & Handling

The OpTech Pro Loop Strap is proudly Made in the USA so it’s impressive the company has managed to keep the price very attractive at around the $20-30 mark.

It’s similar to the camera straps which come stock with your camera in that that it’s a large piece of fabric with adjustments for length, however where it differs and is an improvement is that theres a large padded piece of foam around the neck area to cushion this part of your body and provide additional comfort. The foam padding measures 34cm across and at its widest it’s 6cm and also 6mm deep so there’s so decent thick padding and is particularly useful for heavier setups and DSLRs which could cause the weight hanging to really dig the strap into your neck. It can also be worn over the shoulder instead of a neck strap.

The two fabric straps coming off each side of the foam pad are made of nylon, though the there’s some stretchy elastic material running along the back of the foam to add rigidity and support and to stop the foam from tearing under heavy loads.

Both straps have a quick release plastic buckle to remove them fast and is also used to thread them through the eyelets of your camera. Whilst this was fine on the chunky eyelets of my Canon EOS R6 Mark II, some cameras may have smaller eyelets and require a split ring to be used to attach them – unfortunately none come included with the strap.

Whilst I got hold of the OpTech Pro Loop for this review which has larger 2cm width, there is also the slightly more affordable Pro Strap which has thinner left and right quick release straps and is just 6mm wide. This means the straps will undoubtedly get in the way a little less but be better suited to lighter setups.

In terms of hardware the strap uses two leather tabs and also plastic buckles and adjustment rings. Given the price point I can see why there’s no metal hardware found here, and whilst this does mean it might not last as long after heavy use, it does help to keep the weight down.

OpTech Pro Loop Strap: Performance

The OpTech Pro Loop is available to fit a wide range of builds and is fully adjustable from 61cm to 129.5cm. I got hold of the Pro Loop version with its wider 3/8” straps which can take heavier setups compared to the thinner 1/4” version.

OpTech claims the Pro Loop can take up to 66Kg, though suggests loading up no more than 7Kg for a comfortable experience. OpTech proudly says its large neoprene pad should make it feel like you’re carrying half that weight of what you’re carrying, compared to a conventional neck strap. In my experience the curved neoprene pad evenly distributed the weight and did add comfort when shooting.

I loaded the strap up with my old DSLR and 70-200mm f/2.8 lens which tipped the scales at 2.4Kg – one third of the recommended maximum weight. With this in mind the strap would be suitable for heavier optics such as a 400mm f/2.8 or f/4. The key question I asked myself was could I rely on a $15 strap to keep my expensive telephoto lenses safe and secure. The short answer is yes, though if you want extra security you might be better off with a product such as the Black Rapid Sport Breathe which is a cross-body design with an addition safety tether and more substantial metal hardware compared to the plastic buckles found on the OpTech – though it is much more expensive at $100.

On the inside of the neoprene pad you’ll find strips of grippy material, possibly rubber or silicone, and these add a little more grip compared to the soft and smooth feel of the neoprene. I thought this would be uncomfortable on my neck but it actually wasn’t and it did help keep the strap in place and stop the camera swinging around too much. It also works well over a coat, or shoulder, and again here it keeps the strap in place nicely.

A small issue I had with the OpTech Pro Loop, although it’s also a point I’ve raised when reviewing other camera straps is that the left strap lug is female, while the right side is male, and if you’re not paying attention it’s quite easy to accidentally mix these up. Considering they’re not the fastest attachments to put on your camera or binoculars it can be a little annoying when this happenes.

One thing worth noting is the nylon straps absorb water so you have to be a little careful when shooting out in a downpour and you’ll need to wring your strap out and hang it up to dry thoroughly afterwards. The neoprene pad was a little more water resistant with water drops beading off it, but would absorb moisture when pushing the water drops into it, so it will likely absorb sweat over time and need cleaning.

OpTech Pro Loop Strap: Verdict

The OpTech Pro Loop is a strap that doesn’t break the bank and is a clear upgrade from the stock strap usually included in the box with a new camera. The substantial neoprene padding helps with comfort no end and the fact that it’s available in not one, but eight different colors helps add some unique character to your camera setup and makes it handy to identify which camera is yours when put down on amongst a group of photographers – such as at a sporting event.

The OpTech Pro Loop is a strap is 100% an improvement on the stock strap and it aides comfort so it’s a definite win if you’re on a strict budget. Though for sports photographers looking for a more comfortable way to lug their heavy and expensive telephoto lenses, I think I’d be more inclined to go with a strap such as the Black Rapid Sport Breathe which uses more reliable metal hardware and has a security tether should the main one come unstuck – but at $99 it’s considerably more money.

Think Tank Photo is a Californian-based company best known for its high quality camera accessories and peripherals, spearheaded by its founder Doug Murdoch since 2005 and has gone on to shake up the camera accessory world and win prestigious accolades such as the RedDot design for its Rotation180 backpack. Prior to starting Think Tank, Doug worked in the industry as a design consultant and was tired of the pressure to lower costs and reduce features, and wanted to create his own feature-rich accessories that would stand out from the crowd.

Perhaps the Pixel Racing Harness V3.0 is the best example of the company's motto, as its unique set of features, modification and flexibility are unlike anything else on the market.

Think Tank currently makes two hip belts that fit the Pixel Racing Harness: the Pro Speed (available in S-M, M-L or L-XL) and the Thin Skin (available in one size fits all). The idea behind the belt is you can use it as a modular system and add other pouches and accessories to it, and whilst the belts can be used on their own – if you’re carrying particularly heavy lenses the Pixel Racing Harness V3.0 can be used almost like a pair of braces to stop your belt falling down and divert some of the weight to your shoulders.

It’s an interesting camera carrying system for sure, so I was keen to get hold of one, plus belt, pouches and accessories to get the full experience and give it a proper test. Here’s how I got on…

ThinkTank Pixel Racing Harness V3.0: Specifications

ThinkTank Pixel Racing Harness V3.0: Price

The Think Tank Pixel Racing Harness v3.0 costs $49 / £49, though as a modular system, that’s not how much you’re likely to spend. The harness requires one of Think Tank’s belts such as the Pro Speed Belt ($49/£46) or Thin Skin Belt ($39/£35) and you can also get Think Tank Lens Changer modular units which clip onto the belt and hold additional lenses or accessories such and in the V3.0 range there are numerous sizes from 15, 25, 35, 50, 70 or 150-600 ranging in price from £32-54 in the UK or $33-60 US. There is also the Think Tank Little Stuff It! Pouch for accessories which retails at $37 US or £25 UK.

So while the Pixel Racing Harness on test here costs just $49, I also got hold of the Pro Speed Belt V3.0 M-L ($48.75), Lens changer 75 pop down V3.0 ($49.75), Lens changer 15 V3.0 ($32.75) and Digital Holster 5 V3 ($34.75) which took the total to well over $200 so you'll likely need to spend upwards of two hundred bucks to get the best out of the system.

ThinkTank Pixel Racing Harness V3.0: Design & Handling

As mentioned in the previous section, the ThinkTank Pixel Racing Harness V3.0 is modular and requires one of Think Tank’s optional belts that don’t come with it and attaches to them at three points and it can then be loaded up with a variety of Think Tank V3.0 lens changer units and accessories, so it’s a little difficult to review the Pixel Racing Harness V3.0 without taking a look at it in the context of Think Tank’s wider V3.0 range.

As part of Think Tank’s V3.0 series, the Pixel Racing Harness is in keeping with the design and materials used in the other accessories in the range with its black polyster look and feel.

The harness is adjustable and has size adjustment buckles on all three of its straps. With a maximum length from the top of shoulder to the belt attachment of 73cm – Think Tank says it will be suitable for anyone between five foot to 6' 5" tall.

The Pixel Racing Harness V3.0 uses Think Tank’s 3D air mesh material – designed to keep the harness cool and breathable on hot days. It also has a layer of padding running through the shoulder and neck pad though this is very thin – which sort of makes sense when the harness is designed to support the belt which is doing the heavy lifting, and not take on the weight itself.

On each of the three straps is a connection buckle to tether it to your Think Tank belt and has a locking metal clip to keep it firmly in place.

The top part of the harness is a shoulder pad that is all one piece extending around the neck and down on to your chest. There’s also a sternum strap to join both breastplates together for added security and stability, this is also elasticated so it moves a little more comfortably with your movements.

The right breastplate has a stretchy pocket for a phone – my phone measured 3”in width and just about fits in very snuggly – you might struggle with thicker folding phones though. The left breastplate doesn’t have a pocket but does have a fabric loop for accessories to be connected.

On both shoulder pads you’ll find more looped webbing and plastic D-rings to attach more accessories to. This is particularly handy when using an accessory like the Think Tank Camera Support Straps which can be tethered to the Pixel Racing Harness and can then connect to a camera strap – though it looks like it’s made particularly for use with Think Tank’s proprietary Camera Strap V2.0 as it connects to its large metal buckles – it’s a bit of a shame Think Tank couldn’t find a more universal solution to use a strap you might already own.

Other harnesses I’ve reviewed recently include Black Rapid’s Double Breathe and the Coiro Dual Harness, both of which allow two camera bodies with different lenses attached to be tethered to each side of your body for quick switching between two of your favorite setups. The ThinkTank Pixel Racing Harness V3.0 is a different system altogether as it’s designed to be used with just a single camera but with various pouches on your attached belt to swap between your favorite lenses easily, so this could be a better proposition for you depending on your needs.

The Think Tank Pixel Racing Harness V3.0 feels more similar to the Cotton Carrier SlingBelt and Bucket system which I’ve also looked at recently. Though the Cotton Carrier’s belt allows a camera to be docked directly to it and also allows camera/lens pouches and buckets to be attached to it – it doesn’t have any sort of braces to keep it from falling down where the Think Tank model does. However the Think Tank system doesn’t have any native way for you to dock your camera to the belt or harness, so you’ll need to purchase strap attachments or a big enough pouch to put your camera in when you’re not using it.

ThinkTank Pixel Racing Harness V3.0: Performance

The Pixel Racing Harness V3.0 has been made in Vietnam and is rugged with high quality stitching. It’s also worth noting that all of the other Think Tank V3.0 accessories are also made in Vietnam at the same factory so will have consistent quality.

The Pixel Racing Harness V3.0 doesn’t exactly take the weight off your hips, though it does support the belt you’ve connected it to and prevents it from falling down. I used it in conjunction with the Pro Speed Belt V3.0 M-L, Lens changer 75 pop down V3.0, Lens changer 15 V3.0 and Digital Holster 5 V3.0.

The padding on the shoulder pads and neck is very thin, but it’s not being used to take much of the weight from your kit, it’s in a supporting role and gives you as a sports photographer the confidence to move around much more freely without the worry of your belt and loaded up lens pouches, falling down to your ankles – which could be both disastrous and humiliating. The shoulder and neck pad is however very lightweight, malleable and breathable with ventilation holes and contours to the body nicely giving you freedom to move around.

It’s also quite easy to get in and out of with the single buckle release on the front chest plates, though you will also need to unbuckle the belt you’re wearing too – still, easily done and straightforward to offload all of your kit when needed with just two belt clips.

One thing worth noting is that the Think Tank Pro Speed and Thin Skin belts can be worn on their own, though the Pixel Racing Harness can be useful when supporting heavier loads. That said, attaching the Pixel Racing Harness to one of the belts reduces the amount of space where you could attach your accessory pouches and restricts where you can attach them – so you might need to position them slightly further forward, or back, from where would naturally be a good place for you.

The shoulder pads of the harness are held securely in place with a Rock Lockster buckle – a special type of buckle known for their durability and provides great slip resistance. This is the only buckle on the Pixel Racing Harness V3.0 and it clicks into place very firmly and satisfyingly – the webbing attached to it, which joins the left and right breastplates together is also elasticated making it more comfortable to wear as it contours to your body when you move.

Putting this buckle to one side, there are three connection points on the long adjustable straps of the harness and these use a double gatekeeper system with a very stiff metal loop to lock the plastic buckles in place and keep the hip belt connected. I found the best technique for attaching the harness to the belt was to thread its fabric loop under the belt to fully support it and then join the webbing back on itself with the double gatekeeper and threading it through one of the fabric loops on my Pro Speed Belt helped keep it in place too.

One of the most contentious issues with Think Tank’s Pixel Racing Harness V3.0 is the confusion around the belts being sold separately. I think this could be addressed by clearer marketing – the box packaging says ‘Modular belt system’ yet there’s no belt actually in the box, so I can see why several people left negative reviews online saying it was misleading. While Think Tank and some retailers do a good job of pointing out the Pixel Racing Harness does not come with the belt, other retailers such as Amazon aren’t as clear, and some pictures show the belt being 'greyed-out' to demonstrate it's not included, while other retailers use a fully non greyed-out product picture so it’s easy to see where the confusion creeps in. I must admit, I myself didn’t realise the belt came separately to the harness until my review sample turned up!

ThinkTank Pixel Racing Harness V3.0: Verdict

The Think Tank Pixel Racing Harness V3.0 does what it sets out to do and is a high quality product, though the biggest issue with it is that it doesn’t come with a belt and the marketing isn’t always super clear about this. Because the V3.0 system is modular and can be customized to your needs it feels like one of those products that would be brilliant when demo’d to you at a show or in a store, but you might miss some of its intricacies when buying online. My advice if you're interested in the system is to either try it in a store, or buy more accessories than you think you'll need, such as the belt in a couple of different fits, and then once you've got everything setup perfectly return the items you don't need.

Think Tank does have a video running through the modular belt system on its website, but for such a complicated product with loads of accessories and add-ons it doesn’t go far enough as the range gets confusing quickly. I’ve been impressed by Peak Design’s marketing materials that seem to spare no expense, even a product like its simple Slide camera strap has three videos for Features Overview, Setup & Tips, and products that work in collaboration with it – so Think Tank should really take a leaf out of Peak Design’s book here and put more videos out on how to use its system which is much more complicated and would benefit greatly.

Putting this issue to one side, once you have finally got your system and all of the components setup correctly it’s a decent harness to use. The showstopper is the Pro Speed Belt V3.0 I got hold of which is really nicely padded and comfortable to use and takes the majority of the weight – the Pixel Racing Harness V3.0 is a good addition and adds more support, though it doesn’t transfer the weight to your shoulders like other harnesses from Coiro or Black Rapid would (perhaps this is what you're after), the harness is there in a supporting role to prevent the waist belt from falling down in exchange for taking up some space on the belt itself.

Think Tank’s modular V3.0 system won’t be for everyone, but I can see it being a very useful tool particularly for sports and events photographers as you can decant key items from your camera bag and place them within easy reach around your waist, so you don’t waste anytime searching for them by rooting around in your backpack.

As a modular system you can start with one of the belts and pouches you think you’ll need first, and if you find that you feel the belt is slipping or not 100% secure on your hips you could always purchase the Pixel Racing Harness at a later date. Though I would have liked to seen more bundle options for the belts, racing harness and some basic pouches to get you started and also offer customers a bit of a discount for buying in bulk.

Peak Design is arguably best known for its line of camera bags, but the accessory brand will soon launch a new wallet. The Peak Design Passport Wallet is a slim wallet that can fit 2-3 passports yet still has a pocketable design.

Peak Design says that the upcoming wallet can fit 2-3 passports, eight cards, and 15 unfolded cash bills, all in a pocketable design that doesn’t necessarily need to pair with one of its bags.

The Passport Wallet isn’t the company’s first wallet, but it aims to build on the success of its mobile phone wallet launched in 2020.

Peak Design says the wallet is constructed with TerraShell Ultra, which is an abrasion-resistant material. A magnetic closure keeps the contents in place, while an RFID-blacking shell is also incorporated into the design.

The wallet is also designed to fit inside the front pockets on the Peak Design Roller Pro carry-on luggage as well as the brand’s Travel Bags. The wallet will launch in three different colors: black sage, and eclipse.

Peak Design plans to launch the Passport Walley individually in September, but the brand is giving those who backed the company’s Roller Pro Kickstarter first dibs. The wallet is launching as part of an add-on for Kickstarter backers for the campaign that ends on April 17. The crowdfunding for the brand’s first rolling luggage reached over $1 million in its first hour and more than $4 million on the first day, now totalling more than $9.8 million, or about £9,833,585 / AU$15,698,316.

In September, Peak Design says the wallet will be available outside of Kickstarter for a $99.95 list price, which is roughly £78 / AU$160.

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Over the years I’ve reviewed no end of camera backpacks, shoulder bags, slings and messenger bags. And despite the huge diversity in size, weight, design and configuration, they almost all share the same flaw – they’re designed for chunky zoom lenses. Which is fine if that’s what you travel with, but frustrating if you prefer smaller zooms and primes. Which, a lot of the time, I do.

Now, the best camera backpacks are terrific for full-size mirrorless or DSLR bodies and all types of zoom lenses. No problem there. But if I want to carry smaller lenses, then the padded compartments are just too big, no matter how you stick and unstick the velcro partitions.

I’ll give you an example. I have a Vanguard R48 backpack, which is really very good indeed. I can pack my entire EOS R system and still get my Peak Design Travel Tripod stowed inside the bag. My problem is that I have a bunch of RF primes, including the RF 16mm f/2.8, RF 24mm f/1.8, RF 35mm f/1.8 and RF 50mm f/1.8, which will always rattle around however I pack them and rearrange the dividers.

I say ‘rattle around’, but they are of course safe inside their individual padded compartments. I would still prefer them not to flop around in a space that’s too big for them, though. It would be better if my backpack, and the many others I have and use, was shorter in height. I don’t need the internal space to be that deep. I need more dividers, too.

It’s not just backpacks. Even the best shoulder bags and messenger bags seem to be set up for larger kit than I like to use. I have an Olympus PEN-F that I like to carry around with a set of compact primes, from the Olympus 12mm f/2 to the Olympus 45mm f/1.8. These are small lenses. That’s why I like them. But they are, alas, too small to be housed snugly in any of my shoulder bags or slings.

It’s not just an Olympus / OM System problem. I’ve had the same issue with my Fujifilm system and its own compact prime lenses. It makes me wonder: how do Leica M users cope?

The best solution I’ve found so far is smaller Billingham shoulder bags, which have nice squishy dividers that you can arrange reasonably well around smaller lenses like these. I do like Peak Design bags, but these are no good for my primes because the spaces created by the clever but too-rigid FlexFold dividers are far too large.

So here’s my message for camera bag makers: please catch up. Please take a proper look at the kind of compact prime lenses being made and bought today, and see if you can arrange a better system of internal dividers for small lenses like these, not just whopping great zooms.

Thank you.

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Founded in 2010 in San Francisco by Peter Dering after a four-month road trip left him demanding more from his camera accessories, Peak Design has been disrupting the camera accessory market with its new, innovative, and environmentally responsible products, which often begin life on Kickstarter.

One such product to make it into production and has become one of the company’s core products is its Slide and Slide Lite camera straps. A Peak Design spokesperson said “We never intended to be a camera strap company, but we saw there was an opportunity to improve on the straps out there – Slide and Slide Lite are our answer to that”.

Peak Design claims the Slide and Slide Lite straps to be “the most versatile pro camera strap in the world”, big claims that I’ll be thoroughly putting to the test in this review. Whilst the Slide is bigger and more suitable for heavier setups and DSLRs, it’s the smaller Slide Lite designed for lighter gear and mirrorless camera systems that I got hold of for this review.

Peak Design Slide Lite: Specifications

Peak Design Slide Lite: Price

At the time of writing the Slide Lite costs between $69.95 / £54.99 for its standard black, coyote, midnight, sage and ash colorways. Using online price trackers this appears to be as low as the price goes even when on sale. There’s also a special Carryology edition of the strap which costs $69.95 (US) or £65.68 (UK). By comparison the full-fat Peak Design Slide costs $10/£10 more than the slimmer Slide Lite.

In the US the pricing appears to be the same both on Amazon and Peak Design’s own website, though in the UK it looks like it's a little more affordable to buy through the Peak Design website.

It’s worth comparing the Peak Design Slide and Slide Lite models to Black Rapid’s popular Sport Breathe which costs a little more at $100/£99 but also has a handy sliding mechanism and also has a beefier shoulder pad for potentially better comfort when wearing heavy kit for extended periods, though it’s only available in a minimalist black color option.

I think the Slide Lite’s pricing is pretty fair and within gift buying territory if you really wanted to treat the photography lover in your life. Peak Design’s marketing claiming it offers three straps in one (sling, neck and shoulder) also help make it feel like you’re getting a lot of strap for your money, and it’s made from premium and eco-friendly materials too.

Peak Design Slide Lite: Design & Handling

Compared to Peak Design’s larger Slide, which has strap width of 4.5cm, the Slide Lite is more demure and contours to the body better with its width of just 3.2cm – a reduction of 29%. Otherwise, the two straps both top out at a maximum length of 145cm and can be shortened to as little as 99cm. The Slide Lite is also 30% lighter, tipping the scales at 104g.

The normal Slide with its wider strap design is aimed at DSLR shooters or those using big heavy telephoto lenses for long periods of time, whereas the Slide Lite is designed for lighter lenses and mirrorless setups. Both the big and small versions are comparable to my Canon straps, which have a 4cm for DSLRs and 3cm for mirrorless. However, I prefer that the Peak Design ones have a more subtle black finish with some premium feeling metal hardware and quick release tabs too – it also doesn’t scream photographer as the stock Canon straps do.

One thing I’ve always liked about Peak Design is how they go above and beyond with their marketing materials and there’s no shortage of videos on the official Peak Design website to help you get set up and get the most out of your Slide Lite. One such video demos how the Slide Lite can be used three different ways, either as a sling, shoulder or neck strap.

In the box you’ll find the Slide Lite in your preferred color, four of the latest 3rd-generation anchors with each supporting over 90kg. Though it’s worth noting the Slide and Slide Lite are also backwards compatible with the older style Peak Design anchors too. You also receive an anchor mount, 4mm hex wrench and a microfibre pouch to keep it all safe and secure when not in use.

As the name implies, the Slide and Slide Lite have been made to slide effortlessly over your clothing so you can bring your camera up to eye-level with as little friction as possible. You can also adjust the metal hardware to lock the strap in place to stop your camera from falling back down to waist level when the action is happening.

But there will be times when you want a bit more friction on the strap to stop it sloshing around too much and that’s where turning the strap over reveals its new grippy silicone pads which keep the Slide and Slide Lite in place when worn over the shoulder.

Peak Design also says it’s using a new softer material drawn through nylon yarn to improve comfort, and is also more water resistant. The Slide Lite also sports tubular webbing and an internal EVA pad, which is more resilient whilst reducing bulk. The quick adjusters are also now molded into the webbing to help reduce bulk and create a slimmer profile.

Also in the packaging with the Slide and Slide Lite, you’ll find two pairs of quick release anchors – handy if you lose one, or would like to put a set on your backup camera. There’s also an anchor mount which is screwed into the tripod connection of your camera with the provided 4mm hex wrench and allows one, or two, of the PD anchors to be attached to move the strap out of the way of the LCD screen or viewfinder, and there’s also a microfiber pouch to keep it and the accessories in when not in use.

Peak Design Slide Lite: Performance

As a reviewer of camera accessories and technology of many years, it takes something special to stand out and impress me, but the Slide Lite really blew me away. Its two large metal buckles are really high quality and click into place really satisfyingly, but they have a functional use that makes it a joy to shoot with. These buckles are easily unlocked with one hand – a nice touch is that they can be locked either facing upwards or down, depending on your preference, and these allow the strap to be shortened or extended with rapid speed.

This is particularly handy if you’re wearing the strap cross-body over the shoulder, as when you bring the camera up to your eye, you can quickly shorten the strap to stop it falling down to waist level, so it’s much closer to your face where you need it to be. This system works tremendously well, my only gripe is that the buckles only face the correct way up when using the smooth side against your neck by default, and they’re the wrong way up when using the grippy rubber side. The buckles can be flipped over but require a special star-shaped Torx head that isn’t included.

Another downside of the strap using metal hardware is that you need to be careful of it scratching your camera or, more importantly, the LCD screen. This isn’t too much of an issue however, as the quick release components directly next to the camera screen are plastic and rounded over so unlikely to cause any damage, but you do need to pack it away carefully to make sure the metal isn’t close to your camera’s screen when inside a camera bag to prevent it rubbing against it.

Peak Design claims its Slide and Slide Lite provide “Unrivalled versatility stability and comfort” and for the most part, I agree. While the Slide and Slide Lite don’t offer any additional padding, like the OpTech Pro Loop does with its large neoprene pad, the Slide and Slide Lite due to their design are much more easily worn across the body which I find more comfortable as it puts the weight onto your shoulder rather than your neck, though it’s versatile and can be worn in both positions with ease.

For a long time I’ve been a fan of Peak Design’s quick release system with plastic button toggles that connect to a camera’s strap lugs and allow the main strap part to be removed or attached quickly. With the Slide and Slide Lite it’s much the same story, though I have to say it’s a little trickier to use than other Peak Design straps (though not by much) simply the button toggle runs into the strap and buckle a little so I found I usually needed to use two hands to carefully guide it past this obstacle. This issue to one side, as with other Peak Design straps I’ve tested the button toggles clip into the harness with a reassuring click and feel rock solid – the strap is rated to carry an impressive 90kg! I tested the Urth Core Camera Strap recently too, and found its quick release system to not be very ‘quick’ as it was very stiff and a little difficult to undo, but the system found on the Peak Design strap here was much faster and easier by comparison.

The Slide and Slide Lite are also compatible with a host of other Peak Design products including their pouches such as the Tech and Field Pouch V2 (plus who knew Peak Design made Shoe and Wash pouches!), and a Peak Design Capture clip can also be tethered onto the strap allowing a second camera body to be attached, or even binocular or a POV action camera with the right adapter.

Peak Design Slide Lite: Verdict

The Peak Design Slide Lite impresses with its versatility and thoughtful design. Ideal for lighter mirrorless setups, it offers multiple carrying options: sling, shoulder, or neck. Its quick-adjusting metal hardware allows for rapid length changes, proving particularly useful when worn cross-body. The strap's slim profile and high-quality, eco-friendly materials also help enhance its appeal.

Some care needs to be taken in order to avoid damage to your kit from the metal hardware, but this issue to one side I’m glad the metal hardware is there – it feels high end and premium and is really practical and a joy to use, too.

It can reassuringly handle up to 90kg and Peak Design's quick release anchors are some of the best in the business for speed and reliability. It is a bit of a shame that a specialist tool has to be used to flip the metal hardware around if you want it to face the correct way when using the rubber side of the neck strap, but this is a blemish on an otherwise very impressive accessory. It offers a significant upgrade over standard camera straps, providing both functionality and a premium feel.

Doug Murdoch started Think Tank Photo in 2005 as a way of bringing feature-rich camera accessories to the market to stand out against the sea of cheaper and stripped-back accessories flooding the market. Since then the company has gone from strength-to-strength and brought out award-winning products that shake up the camera peripherals space including the Rotation180 backpack which won the coveted RedDot award.

The Camera Strap V2.0 seems to follow Think Tank’s methodology, offering features and build quality that are a cut above the standard strap you’d find inside a typical camera box. It’s a little bit smaller than your standard camera strap and has some nice touches including metal and leather hardware, as well as a few different color options to help you put your own stamp on your camera kit.

You’ll find my full review and thoughts of the Think Tank Camera Strap V2.0 below, though you’ll find many of my other reviews of the straps to suit a wider range of budgets in the best camera straps buying guide.

Think Tank Camera Strap V2.0: Specifications

Think Tank Camera Strap V2.0: Price

The Think Tank Camera Strap V2.0 comes in two different colors black and blue, or black and grey and both cost around $30 US or £18.50 UK at the time of writing.

The straps are a simple upgrade on the camera strap and offer some nice updates to a stock camera strap, including better hardware, a thinner design, an anti-slip grippy texture and color variations to make your setup more unique and identifiable. So I think it’s fair to say that the simple but effective Think Tank Camera Strap V2.0 is competing more with the stock camera straps that come included with your camera, rather than camera straps that are offering something completely different such as the OpTech Pro Loop Strap ($15/£16) with its much larger foam neck pad, or the Black Rapid Sport Breathe and Blackline I straps which are designed to be worn over the shoulder.

Think Tank Camera Strap V2.0: Design & Handling

The Think Tank Camera Strap V2.0 has a very simple and effective construction and all feels quite premium. Made in Vietnam, the stitching looked strong and professional under inspection and the strap features two metal attachment rings and leather trim which gives it a high quality feel, too.

It’s available in two colorways both of which are predominantly black but with either blue or grey trim on the neck section – Think Tank suggests you set up two camera bodies with the different colored straps so you can identify them quickly from your kit bag to differentiate between them.

The strap is made from materials including nylon, plastic, metal and leather which gives it a more premium feel (though not suitable for vegetarians or vegans). The main neck section of the strap measures 45cm in length though the whole strap extends to a maximum of 135cm – on myself this meant the lowest I could hang my camera was about 70cm from the back of my neck, taking it down to my stomach, though I could obviously hang it higher up in a more comfortable position.

The neck strap width is one inch (2.5cm) and has a grippy material on both sides which keeps it firmly on your neck or jacket and prevent it slipping. The strap then reduces down to just 9mm wide, which can be threaded through some camera eyelets but on cameras with very small lug straps you’ll likely need to use a split ring to tether it.

Unfortunately, the Think Tank Camera Strap V2.0 doesn’t feature a quick release system as we’ve seen on straps like the Peak Design Slide and Slide Lite, or Urth Core Camera straps, however these do cost notably more. That being said, you could still attach your Think Tank strap to your camera using a product like the Peak Design AL-4 Anchor Links ($30/£25) which would then allow you to remove and reattach it much faster, though it basically doubles your spend.

Think Tank Camera Strap V2.0: Performance

Every camera manufacturer has their own style of making straps but I’m a Canon man so I can only go from my experience here. The neck section of the Think Tank Camera Strap V2.0 is 2.5cm wide, which is certainly a lot smaller than the 4cm of old straps for heavier Canon DSLRs, though it’s not too dissimilar to the newer 3cm wide straps that come with Canon’s mirrorless cameras like the EOS R6 Mark II.

My Canon R6 Mark II strap has a rubberized grippy surface on one side and is fabric on the other, while the Think Tank strap is grippy on both sides and can be used either way around without fussing over which side needs to be the correct way up – I thought this design choice was very clever and worked well.

One thing that has always bothered me with Canon straps is that they are potentially quite eye-catching to thieves with their bright red trim, Canon logo, and some even say the model of camera you’re using. I don’t personally like to advertise this information so I did prefer the Think Tank strap here which is more subtle with no writing, and if you go for the less colorful grey version, it’s also less likely to stand out.

I used a camera setup weighing about 2.5 kg, and although the strap is quite thin at just 2.5cm wide at the thickest neck section, I found it to be quite comfortable as the fabric is very supple and contours to your neck. With larger straps I find there is more surface area for them to dig in against your neck and become uncomfortable and at just 50g you hardly notice you’re wearing it.

As mentioned in the previous section, the V2.0 strap doesn’t have quick release mechanisms, so it is quite slow to attach and remove it from your camera body when needed. You could attach quick release anchors, but these can be a similar price to the strap itself!

Whilst its nice that the Camera Strap V2.0 uses premium materials like metal loops and leather hardware for a luxurious feel, you do need to be careful with the two large metal rings which connect the wider neck strap to the thinner camera strap and these are hard and could potentially ding or scratch your camera, LCD screen or even a front lens element or filter, so you just have to be a little careful to take precautions when packing your kit away that they won’t be rubbing up against anything. Overall, I think the metal gives it a nicer feel than the plastic on most basic straps, but this is the downside of using it.

Think Tank Camera Strap V2.0: Verdict

To call the Think Tank Camera Strap V2.0 a basic neck strap would be a little unfair, it’s definitely not got all of the features and gizmo’s of some of the more expensive straps I’ve looked at recently costing anywhere between fifty and one hundred dollars, but for its pricepoint of just $30 it offers good value for money and packs in some decent upgrades from the strap likely to have come bundled with your camera box.

The strap is low profile, literally with its small width of 2.5cm which improves comfort over old larger DSLR straps, but is also less flashy and doesn’t scream photographer – particularly the grey version, I preferred this to my Canon strap which has an eye catching red trim and tells potential thieves the camera model I’m using which I’ve never been a fan of. It’s also coated with a grippy material on both sides of the neck strap, I thought this might be uncomfortable but it wasn’t and it did help keep the camera in place and stop it slipping off my jacket when worn over the shoulder.

The big drawbacks are that it doesn’t feature a quick release system, though for its budget price, I didn’t expect that. You can buy a quick release system to be used with it, such as the Peak Design AL-4 but these cost about as much as the strap does, so you’re doubling your spend, and for $60, you could be considering the Peak Design Slide Lite or Urth Camera Core.

I really liked the materials and high build quality of the Think Tank Camera Strap V2.0 – using leather and metal hardware really helps make it feel premium, which is impressive given that it’s a fairly budget-friendly model. However, you do have to be a little careful with the metal loops around your camera, lens, and LCD screen as this could potentially scratch it, so you just need to take the time to pack it away safely when loading up your camera bag.

Carl Zeiss started his photographic company back in 1846 which has since gone on to become a giant in the imaging world producing some of the best lenses money can buy.

I got hold of the Zeiss Comfort Carry Harness for this review, and whilst perhaps not as exciting as a razor sharp optic from the same manufacturer, I was looking forward to expecting the same high quality we’ve come to expect from the now household name.

With over 175 years of experience to draw from, Zeiss is a well known and trusted name amongst birders, with the company creating some of the best spotting scopes and binoculars on the market. The Zeiss Comfort Carry Harness is designed to be a comfortable and lightweight harness for carrying your binoculars spreading the weight across your shoulders to avoid neck pain whilst also minimizing movement to make it less likely to scare a skittish subject when bringing your binos up to eye-level.

As somewhat of a wildlife enthusiast myself I strapped in and headed out to put them to the test and find out if you should buy one.

Zeiss Comfort Carry Harness: Specifications

Zeiss Comfort Carry Harness: Price

The Zeiss Comfort Carry harness is quite expensive costing $72 in the US and £45 in the UK at the time of writing, its closest competition is the OpTech Bino-Cam harness which retails for $17.99 for the nylon version or $28.49 for the elasticated model which is more similar to the Zeiss sample on test here, in the UK the OpTech Bino-Cam retails for £18 or £22 depending on whether you want the nylon or elastic version.

The quality is definitely a step up from the much cheaper OpTech model and in my testing I found it to be much more comfortable thanks to its larger backplate which is also breathable, so it might be worth the extra money if you plan to use yours with heavier setups or for extended periods.

Zeiss Comfort Carry Harness: Design & Handling

The Zeiss Comfort Carry Harness is predominantly made for binoculars, though we think with some basic modification it’s also a good fit for using very small cameras too.

The harness is designed with an arm loop on each side, these are made from a stretchy elastic material which helps with comfort as the weight of your binoculars or camera are somewhat cushioned while suspended. These are connected to a central backplate at four points with some plastic hardware.

The backplate is quite small and only measures roughly 10x11cm the padding is also very thin, but this doesn’t make it uncomfortable when paired with a small pair of binoculars. If you’re also wearing the harness over a jacket, fleece or coat then you’ll have some extra padding already. But the Zeiss Comfort Carry is very light as a result. The backplate is however ventilated with small holes to add to its breathability.

Adding to its lightweight design is the use of plastic hardware rather than metal. The Comfort Carry Harness uses plastic quick release buckles which slide up and down each strap loop so you can bring your binoculars up to eye level with ease. The box comes with a spare set of these quick release buckles so you can put them on two of your most used binoculars / compact cameras, or used as a backup should one pair become lost or misplaced.

Zeiss Comfort Carry Harness: Performance

As the name implies, the Zeiss Comfort Carry harness is very comfortable and whilst on long nature walks with a pair of binoculars or a lightweight camera setup attached I barely realised it was there.

Stretchy elastic shoulder straps help add a little cushioning suspension for whatever you tether to it and by attaching to both the left and right strap lugs of your bins or camera it gives you two points of security – should one fail. Though I never felt like that would be the case during testing. Despite having all plastic hardware it all feels pretty rock solid. Metal components probably would help with the longevity of its lifespan, but the plastic parts used help keep weight down, they’re also not shiny and don’t clatter around as metal does, both of which could be an issue when trying to be stealthy around wildlife.

The back plate is roughly 2.5x larger than the one found on the OpTech Bino-Cam harness, it’s also more supple, breathable and has four points of contact to the shoulder straps rather than the OpTech’s three, so it spreads the load much more evenly. The result is a much more comfortable experience.

I didn’t experience any neck strain and it also helped minimize movement so my binoculars didn’t swing around.

It can be used with a camera, though many models may require a keychain ring to be attached as the quick release tabs could be too chunky for them to pass through, luckily on my Canon EOS R5 and R6 Mark II these lugs are quite forgiving so they fit without any modification. The Zeiss Comfort Carry Harness isn’t designed to be used with cameras, therefore it’s best paired with lighter setups.

My Canon EOS R6 Mark II and RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro STM was the lightest setup I had to hand, tipping the scales at just shy of a kilogram at 983g, and even still it was very comfortable with no neck pain at all and the weight distributed perfectly over the shoulder blades. I did find the weight and balance of the camera tended to tilt the lens upwards rather than hanging down, this wasn’t necessarily a problem, though it did mean the LCD screen was rubbing up against my stomach and you’d need to be careful when wearing any clothing with a front zip to avoid it scratching. It was also a little awkward to bring the camera up above head height to get some of the shots I needed, though the stretchy elastic just about allowed me enough play to get the shot. Speaking of the elasticity, this made wearing the strap and camera very comfy as it acts like a sort of suspension system for your camera or binoculars when you're on the move.

Zeiss Comfort Carry Harness: Verdict

My conclusion for the Zeiss Comfort Carry Harness is rather easy. If you use binoculars or a small camera setup frequently and you’re looking for a more comfortable way to carry them on long trails and nature walks and you can stump up the $70 asking price then the Zeiss Comfort Carry Harness is a no brainer. It’s biggest drawback is that it’s quite expensive, but it’s a well-made and comfortable strap that makes it a joy to get out in to nature and use your binoculars or camera.

Urth, formerly known as Gobe, started life in 2014 when its founders, Christian, Chris, and Minnie, embarked on a transformative road trip from California to Patagonia. On this trip, they were inspired to deepen their connection with nature and address human impact on the environment. Today, the company has four key values: innovation, design excellence, inspiration and responsibility. The latter refers to the companies’ carbon offsetting and plants over 100,000 trees per month, and with the Urth Core Camera Strap I got hold of for this review, Urth is very transparent and claims the strap has created 3.16kg of CO2 but the company has sequestered 1537kg of CO2 for a net positive impact of 486x. I can’t think of any camera accessory maker in recent times being as open about its carbon footprint.

The camera accessories market is full of cheap plastic, disposables and peripherals that don’t stand the test of time and end up in the trash shortly after purchase. So is Urth’s Core Camera strap one you can buy guilt-free? I got hold of one to put it to the test. Here are my findings…

Urth Core Camera Strap: Specifications

Urth Core Camera Strap: Price

The Urth Core Camera Strap comes in its standard size, measuring 40mm in width, or in a Slim fit, measuring 20mm across. At the time of writing, the standard Core comes in at $69 US or £59 UK, while the Slim is a little more affordable at $59 US or £49 UK. That being said, it was on sale at the time of review and market down to £42 or £35 for the Slim here in the UK, so there are savings to be had if you’re prepared to wait for a sale.

The Urth Core and Core Slim are both widely sold in all four colors and are easy to buy from the Urth store or Amazon, both in the US and UK. Though I did notice that in the UK only the Moss and Sand versions were available on retailer Wex.

Given its high-quality materials and premium finish on some of the metal parts, its overall look and product packaging, I think its pricing is pretty on the money. It has a quick release system, making it a good step up from budget-level straps like the Think Tank Camera Strap V2.0, for example, and looks a bit more stylish and professional too. Its pricing puts it firmly up against the Peak Design Slide and Slide Lite, which fall into the same sort of price territory. So without further ado, let’s take a closer look and find out if it’s worth the money.

Urth Core Camera Strap: Design & Handling

First things first, the Urth Core Camera Strap feels like a high-end premium product, and that’s clear from the box and packaging, which has been carefully thought out and looks very professional.

The strap itself is made from 100% recycled nylon and has a similar webbing structure to a car seatbelt, though the Slim version goes without saying is much narrower, in fact it’s half the width at 20mm – this means it does put a little more pressure onto a smaller section of your neck, but as long as you’re not loading it up with really heavy camera kit I usually find thinner straps to be more comfortable as there’s less area to rub up against your neck.

An interesting feature of the Urth Core straps is that one side of the strap, which comes into contact with the neck, has little silicone strips spaced 5mm apart to add extra grip and prevent slippage from your neck, or when worn over your shoulder. I did find these silicone studs to be a little uncomfortable and dig against my neck, though it’s worth noting that the strap has been designed so you can flip it over and use the smooth side if you prefer, and this suited me better personally.

Three parts of the strap are made from anodised aluminium, which really helps the Urth feel like a solid and durable piece of kit, and despite just weighing 120g itself, I have no problems believing its claims of being able to support up to a whopping 80kg of gear. Two of these aluminum pieces are the buckles which the pebble fasteners connect to – more on those in a bit, and the third metal piece is the buckle used to adjust the overall length of the strap, which can be set between 70-120cm. The metal adjustment buckle has the Urth logo engraved, and all three bits of metal hardware are anodized, which feels really luxurious and premium. The downside of metal hardware is that you do have to be careful that it doesn’t rub up against your camera body, LCD screen or lens, as it has the potential to scratch if you’re not careful.

It all feels really high-end end and Urth is clearly very confident in the build quality as they offer a lifetime warranty, which is always nice to have.

The Urth Core Camera Strap uses ‘pebble’ fasteners to attach to the strap buckles. These pebble fasteners are made from ABS plastic with nylon cord and a Dyneema core – also known as the world’s strongest fibre and an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.

The strap comes with two pairs of these pebble fasteners, great in case you lose one, or would like to attach them to your second camera body. The cord used on the pebble fasteners is very thin so should fit through most camera strap lugs without the need for an extra split ring which is nice.

Also in the box is a tripod anchor mount which allows one or two of the pebbles to be threaded through and attached to the underside of your camera – this is handy if you prefer your camera and lens to point down when you wear it, or would like to shift the location of the buckles so they don’t get in the way of your camera’s LCD display or viewfinder.

Urth Core Camera Strap: Performance

Urth claims its products are minimal yet functional. The Core Camera Strap and Core Camera Strap Slim models are certainly minimalist, they’re a thing of beauty and with their high-end look, anodized aluminum parts and choice of colors, they really hold up against a premium camera such as a Leica or Hasselblad and feel right at home on such cameras and complete the look nicely.

There is a little element of style over substance with these Urth straps though – the pebble fasteners are really very tight against the metal buckles, and I much preferred the push button design Peak Design has been using in their most recent straps and can be released with just one hand by pushing a button – though I understand they look a little less elegant from a design perspective.

It surprised me that the plastic pebble connectors fit against the metal buckle – this is an extremely stiff connection that requires two hands to firmly separate them, I also wonder if the plastic rubbing against metal might wear down which would certainly make it more easier to glide the pebble in and out of the metal clip. Replacement pebbles can be purchased from Urth, currently only in black but costing $25 for a pack of two pairs if you do need replacements.

One issue I have with the large metal buckles is that they get in the way of the screen, viewfinder, and buttons on the back of the camera, though this might be mitigated somewhat with the Slim version, which uses a narrower strap and therefore smaller buckles. The buckles on the larger strap I had hold of for review do have the potential to knock against your screen, so you have to be careful of this and I would recommend using an LCD screen protector to avoid scuffs and scratches.

Personally I found the larger 40mm strap to be a little uncomfortable on the neck, and the silicone pads were a tiny bit sharp which rubbed up against my neck, though it’s much more comfortable worn over a jacket to add a little more cushioning as unlike straps such as the OpTech Pro Loop Strap is doesn’t feature any sort of padding to aid comfort. It’s also worth noting that if you find the silicone pads uncomfortable, it’s designed to be flipped over so you have the smooth side of the strap against your neck instead and this is a good option to have.

I think it’s also just my personal preference that I prefer thinner straps too, so the Slim version would most likely be a better fit for me personally, especially when using lighter mirrorless gear that doesn’t need such a big beefy strap.

Urth Core Camera Strap: Verdict

The Urth Core Camera Strap and Core Camera Strap Slim are very well made, stylish and extremely durable. Urth is aiming this strap towards the higher end of the market, potentially targeting those with premium cameras like the Leicas and Hasselblad’s where its anodized metal hardware and four color choices can really help complete the premium look and of course that’s why it is quite expensive for what is essentially quite a minimalist neck strap.

It features a quick release system, which I would fully expect from a neck strap at this pricepoint, though it’s not as quick or functional as something like Peak Design’s AL-4 anchor system which can be operated with one hand by pushing a button – the quick release of the Urth system is really very tight, great at inspiring confidence that your camera is tethered securely, but not brilliant for uncoupling it in a hurry as it’s definitely a two-handed job to separate the plastic ‘pebble’ from the metal buckle.

The metal hardware really sets the strap off nicely and again gives the idea of high-quality precision parts using the latest machining techniques and anodizing. However, due to the metal buckles being quite close to your LCD screen, you do need to be careful to avoid scratches, but this isn’t a problem if you’re careful.

I also scoured the 46 reviews left for the Core Camera Strap on Urth’s official website, which has an impressive five-star rating from customers. The vast majority of reviews were either five or four stars, with some of the negative aspects echoing my findings about the stiff quick release mechanism and metal potentially scuffing up your screen, but overall, customers were very impressed and also happy to be supporting a company that takes its carbon footprint seriously.