First test
PRICE: £125 & £162
SNAPPERSTUFF.COM
Designed for the outdoorsy photographer, these MindShift bags offer high protection levels, great usability and comfort on long days with the camera MindShift PhotoCross 10 sling & 13 backpack
SPECS PhotoCross 10 › Price £125, available in carbon grey or orange ember › Volume 7.5l › Internal dimensions (wxhxd) 18x31.8x12.2cm › External dimensions (wxhxd) 28x40.5x16cm › Laptop compartment (wxhxd) 20.8x27.9x1.5cm › Weight 1kg PhotoCross 13 backpack › Price £162, available in carbon grey or orange ember › Volume 20l › Internal dimensions (wxhxd) 24x40x12.2cm › External dimensions (wxhxd) 29x46x16cm › Laptop compartment (wxhxd) 23x33x2cm › Weight 1.2kg Both bags › Exterior All fabric exterior is treated with a durable, water- resistant coating, while the fabric underside is coated with polyurethane for superior water resistance, YKK weather-resistant zips, 420D high-density nylon, heavy-duty nylon Tarpaulin, 350g air mesh, nylon webbing, 3-ply bonded nylon thread › Interior Removable closed- cell foam dividers, P210D liner, polyurethane-backed velex liner, nylon binding tape, 3-ply bonded nylon thread › Rain cover Yes, 2x polyurethane coated 210T seam-sealed taffeta cover › Contact snapperstuff.com
WATCH THE VIDEO on the Snapperstuff website promoting these bags, and you’ll see that the PhotoCross 10 sling and 13 backpack have the adventure photographer in mind, someone who’s out on skis or a bike. And yes, I think both hit the mark there, but they have a much broader appeal. Street, urban and landscapers will appreciate the delights of both. The PhotoCross 10 sling bag is worn across the body with its single broad strap. The 13 is a backpack with sling functionality and side access. The two are available with different colour trim, carbon grey or orange ember. The Photo 10 has a 7.5l capacity, which might not sound much, but I got in a three-lens Canon EOS R5 outfit, featuring the f/4 zooms, 14- 35mm, 24-105mm and 70-200mm. True, it was snug, but each item was kept separate. The storage compartment is fully lined to accept dividers. I had the camera with lens in the centre and one lens stored either side. Trying my Fujifilm X-S10, I fitted the body with a standard zoom, the 55-200mm telezoom, and two more lenses stacked together. Out shooting, it was easy just to slide the bag round to the front and
get at the kit by unzipping the side cover.
It is worth saying that the YKK zips run smoothly, while the T-profile rubber toggles make them simple to grip between fingers. Built into the lid is a pair of zipped organiser mesh pouches for accessories, and there’s a tablet sleeve with retaining flap. There’s another large zipped pocket for filters and accessories, too. The Photo 13 took the same outfit with room to spare, so the interior will swallow f/2.8 versions of the three zooms. Or you could remove the dividers and have something like the EOS R5, with either the RF 100-400mm or 100-500mm zoom fitted on the camera. This is a backpack, but it is possible to use as a sling by slipping it off your left shoulder and bringing the bag’s body round to the front, so
you can get at your kit through the side flap. Using the bag in this manner, though, I would prefer the
how I like to work. Having a ‘platform’ to swap lenses on was terrific. I did find that the bag’s strap on my left shoulder only was fatiguing, but that is the nature of sling bags and I did spend all day out. In that respect, the 13 backpack would probably be more ideal if I had to pick one for a full-frame outfit. Getting kit out is not quite as slick, but it’s more than good enough – and its slim profile is ideal for public transport. The bigger size provides greater flexibility if I wanted to take a more extensive kit. WC
cover zip to run from right to left, or have two zips to allow the choice. The other access options are sitting the bag on its waterproof base and opening the flap carefully to get at the kit, or sitting it on its side and accessing content from the top. On dry ground, the latter method worked very well. Being a backpack, the 13 also has a broad, padded hip strap and this is removable, if preferred. The shoulder straps have load fastenings at the top, to keep the backpack close to the body. Both bags have carrying handles, on the top and the lid, and straps for attaching a travel pod. Bags with bells and whistles may promise much and sound great when you’re in the shop, but fundamentally all you want is a comfortable carry, good gear protection and fuss- free access to the contents. These two MindShift products delivered on all fronts. I used them on long photo walks in the city with the aforementioned three-lens camera outfit, and was really happy with their impeccable behaviour. I liked the speed of the 10 sling; it suited
TOP QUALITY YKK zips are used on the PhotoCross bags with a garage to park them in and there’s a T-shaped toggle for a positive grip
Verdict I really enjoyed using these two MindShift bags, and although they share many characteristics, they behave differently. The PhotoCross 10 makes getting at the kit quick, while keeping the bag off the ground. You can enjoy this with the PhotoCross 13 too, but it’s less convenient. The win there is that the carrying stress is spread across both shoulders, so which one you go for depends on how you prefer to transport and work with your kit. Either way, you can’t lose and both are highly recommended. PROS Great to use, comfortable on the back, excellent protection CONS Nothing
BIGGER AND DEEPER The larger, broader camera section of the PhotoCross 13 pack means it suits full-frame cameras – and you can have a long lens attached
OUT & ABOUT The PhotoCross 13 backpack shares a similar design to the 10 sling, so you get side access and two carrying options for the tripod, but with the benefit of two straps for comfort
Issue 100 | Photography News 69
photographynews.co.uk
Powered by FlippingBook