Vanguard VEO City S30 review: perfect for city slickers or should you give it the cold shoulder?

Vanguard's VEO City range has been specifically designed specifically to cater to the needs of photographers who love to shoot cities and architecture in urban environments. 

In this review, we take a closer look at Vanguard's diminutive 7L S30 VEO City shoulder bag, though it also comes in a larger 10L S36 variant which shares much of the same build material and quality in a bigger package. There's also the VEO City range of backpacks, we recently tested the Vanguard VEO City B37 so be sure to check out that review if you think a backpack might be better for your city photography needs.

For this review, it was the smaller VEO City S30 shoulder bag that we got our hands on and took it to the picturesque city of Cambridge in England to give it a thorough test in the demanding urban conditions.

The S30 costs $169.99 / £149.99 while the larger S36 costs $189.99 / £169.99. There's not a huge amount of direct competition for Vanguard's VEO City S30 which has been specifically designed for street shooting, though the closest we found was the Lowepro StreetLine SH180 which is closely priced too. There's also the smaller four-litre Billingham S3 which is also more expensive by around $/£100. 

There are also more generic shoulder bags that don't have a specific city aesthetic but could be worth considering, such as the Think Tank Press Pass 20 and Manfrotto Advanced Shoulder Bag L III, which at over half the price is definitely worth a look-in. There's also Manfrotto's smaller Street Waist bag which sells for $42 / £35.

Read on to see how we got on with the Vanguard VEO City S30, what we liked about it, what we thought could be improved and our overall thoughts on whether you should pick one up for your next big day out in a sprawling metropolis.

Specifications

External dimensions (WxDxH): 335x220x220mm
Internal dimensions (WxHxD): 300x100x210mm
Size options in range: S30 (7L), S36 (10L)
Bag type: Shoulder bag
Camera access: Top
Laptop compartment: 11” tablet
Tripod fastener: Yes
Rain-proof cover: Yes
Weight: 1.3Kg

Build & Handling

Vanguard’s VEO City shoulder bags come in two sizes, the S30 with a 7L capacity or the bigger S36 with its increased 10L capacity. The S30 which we got hold of has external dimensions of 335x220x220mm, internal dimensions of 300x100x210mm, and can hold a small mirrorless or DSLR camera with up to two lenses and an 11” inch tablet.

Its bigger brother has external dimensions of 380x230x255mm, and internal dimensions of 360x110x240mm, and can hold a DSLR or mirrorless camera, plus up to four lenses and a 13” laptop.

Both the VEO City S30 and S36 have the ability for a tripod to be lashed to the underside of the sling bag via two included straps, they also feature two water bottle pockets on either side which are expanded by zips and also elasticated to keep your water bottle snug and secure. If you're using one pocket for a water bottle, the other one is handy for stashing snacks or accessories.

The top flap opens from the front, revealing space for a business card holder as well as a decently sized RFID-protected pocket - handy for protecting valuables such as credit cards, car keys, and passports from being cloned in busy city centers.

Whether you buy the VEO City S30 or S36 the bags come with an additional accessories pouch that can be clipped onto the bags for an additional 1L of storage space, and offers heaps of cable management, so that cables, hard drives, chargers, drone accessories and so on can all be stored separately to your core camera kit.

The accessories pouch is also what gives the S30 its 3-in1 capability, as the accessories pouch can be clipped and zipped onto the main bag for extra storage, can be used independently, or can become a sling in its own right with a detachable cross-body strap and worn across the shoulder when you wish to travel lighter.

To get into the main compartment the bag actually unzips from the back which is a little bit awkward as it’s the opposite way that many shoulder bags work. Once inside, you’ll find the padded interior and a good number of internal dividers, plus a pocket for an 11” tablet, two stretchy pockets on either side of the camera compartment perfect for small accessories like spare batteries or a lens pen, then there’s a large pocket adjacent to the camera section which can also be accessed through the zip on the front once the flap is opened. There’s also a substantial pocket on the inside of the lid with dedicated green and red velcro pockets to show you which memory cards and batteries are ready to go and which ones are spent.

Performance

We loaded up our VEO City S30 with a Canon EOS R5, wide-angle zoom, and telephoto lens for our day out shooting cities and filled the internal space nicely, though you could definitely squeeze more in with a smaller system and more portable prime lenses too, like a 'nifty-fifty' or pancake lens.

The S30 weighs a little over 1Kg but with the accessories pouch, this extends to about 1.3Kg. Our full-frame camera and lens combo also added an extra 2.5 kg, bringing the total weight on our day trip to about 4 kg. You probably wouldn’t want to load it up with much more than this as the bag did become a little uncomfortable on the hips where the padding on the back of the bag is very thin and would benefit from being more substantial. 

The S30 is also made from a stiff 1050D nylon shell which has very little give and adds to the discomfort. I did some 15-odd miles walking around Cambridge on test and the thin padding let the bag down as it's otherwise built to a very high standard. I've also recently reviewed Vanguard's VEO City B37 backpack which was very comfortable to wear all day, so perhaps that's the better option for people who want to be out shooting for extended periods.

That said, the shoulder strap was comfortable to wear for long periods and the bag comes with an optional cross-body strap which can be added for extra stability. The main shoulder strap is also fixed in place which I prefer to those which can be adjusted as I find they always slide into the wrong position and you’re constantly readjusting it. It also has a non-slip neoprene underside so it stays nicely in place on your shoulder too and doesn't move about which is great.

One issue we took umbrage with was the rain cover. It’s not built-in so you have to find space inside the S30 for it. It’s also fiddly to attach, restricts access, and is too snug of a fit to use when the accessories pouch is also mounted to the front.

The saving grace here is that the VEO City S30 is made from high-quality air-textured yarn with a durable water-repellent coating, two layers of water-resistant polyurethane, and waterproof zips. The bag is so resistant to the elements without the rain cover that you'll rarely need it, so we tended to leave ours at home rather than dedicate valuable interior space to it.

Vanguard’s VEO City shoulder bags are quite pricey but they are made from premium materials which help justify its high cost. The outer shell is made from high-density, shock-absorbent cross-linked polyethylene (XPE) foam under armor that keeps your kit safe from the knocks and bumps of everyday life. We got the impression that it's built to last and will hold up over time, so while pricey it could be a good investment in the long run.

While the accessories pouch is a good idea on paper and will no doubt appeal to a small group of photographers who require extra space for cables and accessories, for me it ended up getting in the way, added more bulk to the bag, and didn’t really solve a problem for my street photography needs personally, though I appreciate it might be of more use to other people's setups.

Even without the accessories pouch, the S30 has a really good number of pockets and spots to stash essential items from water bottles to memory cards and everything in between. The internal dividers are a new slimline version that does a decent job at protecting your kit but also helps maximize the limited space available.

One of my biggest bugbears with the S30 is the way that the main compartment opens to get to your camera kit. Instinctively, I wanted to reach for the front flap to access it, but this is a decoy as it only flips up to reveal the RFID pocket and business card holder. This is likely for security purposes and to help the main compartment be more resistant to the elements.

Instead, the main compartment is accessed from the back by two zippers and these can be a bit fiddly to operate when you’re wearing the bag on your shoulder as the zip becomes pressed up against your body. The zippers are also quite stiff due to the weather-resistant zippers and can't really be operated with one hand as they don't glide smoothly. It is however fine to open and close these zips when you've taken the bag off and sat it down on a bench or table and have both hands free.

I can see why Vanguard has gone down this route but it means the speed of accessing your camera is traded for improved security and weather resistance and because it opens the opposite way to most other shoulder bags on the market it took some time to get used to.

Verdict

While expensive, Vanguard's VEO City range of shoulder bags integrates premium build materials, class-leading weather sealing, and a host of other desirable features. 

The accessories pouch was for me a bit too niche, and will likely only cater to a small number of people, with most opting instead for the slimmer profile of the S30 without the pouch attached. It would have been nice to have the option to not have the accessories pouch to lower the price point as its RRP of $169.99 / £149.99 will likely put it out of reach for many.

Putting the price to one side, my main issue with the S30 was the thin padding on the back which caused discomfort over long periods of use, the top access also was a bit fiddly and slowed down the time taken to get to our camera.

If comfortability is your main concern then Vanguard's VEO City B37 backpack could be a better option as it was comfortable to wear all day in the busy city center of London when we reviewed it recently. However, if it's a shoulder bag you're after the S30 is one to consider if you love taking photos in city centres and need premium build quality and weather resistance.

Alternatives

If you’re an avid camper and your main camera rucksack has a GearUp insert, the LowePro RunAbout is a no-brainer. It’s a well-designed folding daypack that’s easy to stow and should appeal to photographers and dedicated hikers alike.