First test
PRICE: £275
COUNTRYINNOVATION.COM
Country Innovation Aperture jacket
Photographers’ clothing needs to be practical but it also needs to look the part, and not in a ‘hi, I’m a photographer’ kind of way. The Aperture jacket from outdoor clothing specialists Country Innovation is a great illustration of how it should be done
Like many keen photographers, I have several camera bags to suit different outfits and situations. You know, a sling bag for urban walks with a mirrorless camera, a shoulder bag when I need a laptop as well as a camera kit, a rucksack for a landscape shoot with a full-frame kit, and so on. In the same manner, I have several jackets but not one designed with photographers inmind but the Country Innovation Aperture could change that with its multitude of pockets, quality build and high protection levels. The cotton outer is combined with a waterproof, breathable layer giving the combination of ruggedness and weatherproofing but it also feels nice to the touch and comfortable to wear. If you’re a fidget like me, the good news is that the material is quite quiet so you shouldn’t scare off your quarry when you’re in a hide. A full range of sizes is available. I’m average height (5ft 9in) and average build and large was a perfect
fit for me. There is a price premium for sizes from 2XL. Onme, the jacket is a comfortable fit, but it is also roomy, which gives plenty of options in different situations. I have been testing the Aperture over an extended period since last autumn. Onmore temperate days I wore it over a shirt and zipped it up if the wind got up or the temperatures dropped, and let it hang open if I got warm. When the temperatures dropped the Aperture enabled a full range of options. My default arrangement is a base layer, long-sleeved cotton shirt and a fleece and this was absolutely perfect under the jacket. The jacket’s key reason for existing is usable practicality rather than out- and-out warmth, but that doesn’t mean the Aperture is poor in this respect. On the contrary, it is very good with its weight and wind-proof qualities combining well with my cold weather set-up to keeping me nice and warm. When it got really chilly or when I knew
ABOVE A trip to the English seaside on a changeable, wintry day was a good way to test the jacket’s waterproof and wind-proof qualities
Verdict Look at the price of top outdoor jackets and you’ll appreciate that the £275 asking price of Country Innovation’s Aperture jacket is competitive. It’s an impressive garment, offers plenty of carrying capacity, gives plenty of personal protection and is well worth considering. I enjoyed using theAperture and it has proved very useful for the season’s shooting, helpingme stay dry, warmand photographically ready, too. PROS Build quality, lots of good-size pockets, roomy, high protection levels
Not only does it offer a way of carting your kit around but it can also speed up the way you work to have your kit readily to hand – assuming you remember where everything is! The two main vertical side pockets are deep, wide and broad enough for a typical 70-200mm f/2.8 telezoom (with the hood reverse fitted) to be accommodated and the pocket flap secured with one or both popper studs. It’s big enough for a 10in tablet, a fully loaded Lee Filters field pack or a camera body. When I went for a walk with my medium format Fujifilm, I had the body in one pocket and the 32-64mm standard zoom in the other. Indeed, it is big enough for a mirrorless camera with lens – I tried a Sony A7R III with lens and that fitted fine – or a pair of 10x50 binoculars. In short, these two main pockets have considerable carrying capacity and inside each there’s a zip secured, good sized, side pocket big enough for a passport or 77mm screw filters. The two chest pockets are useful sizes too. Usually I had my filter holder and mobile phone in one and spare batteries and cleaning clothes in the other. Finally, zipped pockets on the coat interior were ideal for stashing valuables like keys and wallet. WC
I was going have to stand around in the cold, I added a North Face padded gilet or a thicker fleece. I could still comfortably zip up the jacket without feeling uncomfortably cocooned or have movement too restricted, and I was warm enough. I didn’t get to try the jacket in seriously low temperatures but it doesn’t to purport to be an extreme jacket; I was happy – once layered up – on cold nights around 0°C. Drawcords around the base of the jacket and around the waist, can help keep warmth in as can the two- position, press-studded cuffs. Hook- and-loop fastenings would have been nice here just for more adjustability. There’s a detachable hood with a drawcord and a wired peak, and this is secured in place by five press studs around the collar and by three more around the front if you want to do it up completely. With the hood fully done up, this left just my nose and eyes showing; so great protection in driving rain or perhaps even in blizzards. I did experience the former during my test period, but not the latter. So, the Aperture does a very fine job of keeping me warm and dry, but how does it perform as a photographer’s jacket? In short, I thought did really well, with ample storage and great accessibility to kit, which brings me to another positive for a jacket like this.
CONS It weighs 1500g unladen
ABOVE The Aperture jacket has plenty of storage, with pockets both inside and out. The wired peak of the hood also helps protect against wind and rain
Issue 74 | Photography News 49
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