First test
PRICE: £169
THINKTANKPHOTO.COM
MindShift Gear Photocross 15
This all-weather backpack is aimed at photographers who want quick access to gear and are out come rain or shine
SPECS
› Material Water-repellant, polyurethane-backed abrasion resistant 420D nylon; nylon tarpaulin base; 210D polyurethane-backed inner liner. › Tripod holder Yes › Sternum strap Yes › Laptop pocket Yes, 15in › Waist belt Yes › Zips YKK, weather resistant › Raincover Yes › Dimensions (wxhxd) 33x50x19cm (exterior) 27x44x14cm (interior) › Weight 1.4kg (with all accessories) › Contact snapperstuff.com
TheMindShift Gear Photocross 15 is the latest in a line of hard-wearing backpacks that ThinkTank reckons is perfect for adventurous photographers. If that sounds like you then read on, because it’s certainly a neat little backpack with plenty of appealing features and great build quality. Actually, it’s not fair to call it ‘little’ – it just looks smaller than its 20-litre capacity, thanks to a slightly angular shape (15 or 20? Confused?Well, rather than stating the model’s capacity in litres, as many do, the ‘15’ relates to it fitting a 15-inch laptop).
The main camera compartment is accessed from the side of the bag, and this means it can be used without taking the bag off your shoulder, a bit like a sling. Out of the box, the Photocross 15 comes with three large dividers in its main compartment, separating the space into four, and there are two smaller dividers at each end. The bag specifies it’ll fit a 70-200mm f/2.8 attached to large DSLR body, and that was borne out in testing. I fitted in a 70-200mm f/2.8E FL lens mounted on a D850, a Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 Art, as well as a 300mm f/4 PF with
1.4x teleconverter attached – plus the MB-D18 battery grip, disconnected at the end of the bag. It will swallow plenty of kit, but wasn’t deep enough to fit the grip when attached to the camera; it was just a bit toomuch of a squeeze. The dividers can be moved about as required, though the Velcro will only attach to the inner of the face and back panels, not the sides, top or bottomof the bag, and not to themselves, either. This inevitably limits customisation, but the bag works well in its regular layout. The laptop bay is at the back- side of the main compartment, against the padded panel. It fittedmy 15in Macbook Pro with ease and there’s a Velcro tab to seal it. Accessing gear from the side opening without taking it off is pretty easy, though I found it took some getting used to. You take the left shoulder strap off and then swing it around your body from the right strap with the handle; you then need to either reach under your right arm to get to the zip, or use your right hand to do it. Either way, I found it a bit of a stretch. The compartment flap is long, though, so access isn’t restricted, and it has two mesh pockets on the inside, handy for batteries or other small accessories. Its hammerhead YKK zipmoves smoothly, too, though it did catch at the corners when I ran it too fast or didn’t hold the flap near the base. Also accessible in this way is a generous slip pocket on the face, with a velcro inner pocket including a clip to hold a card wallet or similar. The former widens towards the bottom, which is really useful for holding thicker accessories such as filter holders. When you take the bag off, it feels most natural to access gear with it laying on its side, back panel towards
you and side opening facing upwards. This is fine in principle, but means the opposite side of the bag is in contact with the ground, which is a problem if you’ve slung a tripod or fitted a water bottle in that area. The bag also tended to tilt away fromme in position. Turn it through 180º and the flap is in the way of loading or unloading. The bag’s outdoor credentials are excellent, and it proved very water resistant. I took it on a two-hour hike through driving rain and nothing got in. And that was without the included raincover. The latter stretches over easily, but isn’t large enough to cover a tripod of reasonable size when you have one stowed. On the base is a heavy-duty tarpaulin mat, which is great if you want to put it down on wet ground – but pretty useless when it’s on its side for loading, as it won’t then come into contact with the ground at all. That said, the outer is so water-repellent it should be quite safe, and it cleans easily with a damp cloth. The bag comes with two accessory straps, and there are loops to add this to either the face or the opposite side of the camera compartment door, from which you can hang a tripod. I found it easier to fit a large tripod to the face, as there are two loops there. Smaller tripods will fit fine in either position. There’s additional webbing on the shoulder straps. The Photocross 15 was comfortable in the carry thanks to broad and well padded shoulder straps and a contoured back panel. The straps are very adjustable, too, so the bag should be comfortable for a range of heights. There’s also a removable belt, which is very broad and comfortable, but which, like the straps, lacks any pockets. KS
Verdict This is a great bag for outdoor photographers. It’s tough, highly weather resistant, and little details like the hammerhead zip pulls mean you can use them easily with gloves. The side opening design is handy, but it won’t suit everyone; it makes the Photocross 15 feel more like a sling with two straps than a traditional backpack – you get faster access to kit, but lose the ability to jigsaw gear into little nooks as in a traditional design. At £169 it’s not a small investment, but the build means it’ll last a lifetime. PROS Low weight, great build, weather resistance, decent capacity and a 15in laptop bay CONS Some small handling gripes, side- access won’t be for all
IMAGES Its ‘easy access’ approach may not be to everybody’s liking, but the MindShift Gear Photocross 15 is certainly capacious, fitting all the gear that we could throw into it
Issue 72 | Photography News 79
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