Shimoda « 360Photography

RSS

Posts Tagged ‘Shimoda’

Shimoda Designs launches its new ‘ultra-aggressive’ Action X Series camera bags

16 Oct

Camera bag manufacturer Shimoda has launched its Kickstarter campaign for the Action X Camera Bags, its latest camera bag series that builds upon Shimoda’s Adventure Series. The Action X series includes three backpacks, two updated roller bags and a number of add-on accessories.

Pitched as an ‘ultra-aggressive line of camera bags and accessories,’ the Action X Series is made to withstand nearly any environment you throw at them while offering plenty of flexibility to fit your needs thanks to the internal Core Units and modular accessories.

Action X Backpacks

The X50 backpack is the mid-sized model that offers 50 liters of internal capacity at its smallest and up to 58 liters when the roll-top section is completely filled.

Starting with the backpacks, Shimoda is offering three sizes: the X30, X50 and X70. These bags offer roughly the internal volume, in liters, of their respective names and offer a roll-top design that can be used to shrink or expand the internal volume as needed.

Rolling the top closed is a fairly straightforward process, but in the event you forget, don’t worry—Shimoda included instructions right on the bag.

Like their Adventure Series counterparts, the bags offer a number of features, including height-adjustable and swappable shoulder straps, a 15-inch laptop sleeve on the back panel, dual carrying handles, weatherproof designs and countless straps and attachment points for attaching almost anything to the bag, be it a water bottle, tripod, helmet, skis or even a sleeping bag.

Tucked inside the bag is a 50ºF down-alternative sleeping bag, a single-person hammock and an insulated sleeping pad with a windbreaker jacket underneath it all.

The most noticeable difference between the Adventure Series and Action X Series is the new roll-top design that compresses and expands to your needs. However, there’s also a new removable belt and a number of new shoulder strap options, including a trio of female-specific shoulder straps, to ensure the most comfortable fit possible.

This is what the bag looks like folded up with the gear from the previous picture inside.

We were sent a pre-production X50 review unit (with a DSLR Medium Core Unit) to take original photos with for this article and test out before launch. Having spent time with Shimoda’s Adventure Series bags in the past, it’s clear from our time with the X50 backpack that Shimoda has been hard at work fixing a number of sore spots within its inaugural camera bag lineup.

The Core Unit’s side flap now folds neatly into a little slot on the backpack’s side access point, which makes it much easier to access a camera kit quickly without removing the bag from your back.

The most notable improvement from our experience with the bag was the updated side access pockets. On the original Adventure Series camera bags, side access was possible, but it seemed like a bit of an afterthought. The Action X Series dramatically improves side access with the V2 Core Units and a clever little slot in the side access panel that now allows the Core Unit to open with the side access panel on the backpack, making it exponentially easier to access a camera or drone without the need to entirely remove the backpack.

The side access is nice, but when you need access to all of your gear, this is how you’ll get it.

The roll-top design of the Action X Series also proved to be a nice change of pace from the Adventure Series. Not only does it clear up clutter on the top of the bag compared to the Adventure Series, it was also beneficial when we needed to shrink or expand the internal storage depending on what gear we were carrying with us on a given day.

The shoulder straps attached to our X50 pre-production model were the standard straps. Also available is a padded strap and three different female-specific straps with thoughtful contours and padding location.

We didn’t get to test out any of the new female-specific shoulder strap designs or the padded ‘Plus’ shoulder straps, but just having the option to swap out shoulder straps is a welcomed feature that very few other camera backpacks offer.

Updated Roller Bags

In addition to new backpacks, Shimoda has also launched updated roller bags: the Carry On and a new DV (Digital Video) version. The Carry On is essentially the same as the previous roller Shimoda offered, but improves durability and adds new 100mm wheels, which provide more clearance from the ground and are both smoother and quieter than the first-generation roller bags. The new DV version is identical to its Carry On counterpart, but larger in each dimension to offer more real estate when carrying larger video equipment and/or super telephoto lenses.

Core Units

As with Shimoda’s adventure series, the new Action X Camera Bags work alongside Shimoda’s Core Units to protect camera gear inside the bag and make it easy to transfer gear from one bag to another or from a backpack to a roller bag. The updated Core Units come in five sizes: Mirrorless Medium, DSLR Medium, DSLR Large, DV Large and DV Extra Large. Shimoda has provided the below graphic to show what bags are compatible with the different Core Unit sizes.

Aside from the new side-access functionality, the V2 Core Units are essentially identical to the first generation units, aside from the addition of two larger sizes.

Accessories

The Top Loader accessory is large enough to carry a camera body and lens or a small drone kit.

In addition to new bags and updated Core Units, Shimoda has also added a few new accessories, including a new Top Loader bag for smaller kits, a 4 Panel Wrap for organizing cables and a Stuff Sack Kit for compressing clothes and other gear.

Wrapping up

Shimoda has already surpassed its $ 30K goal on Kickstarter. There are countless kit variations available through Kickstarter, but the basic X30 Starter Kit — which includes the backpack, a Medium Mirrorless Core Unit and a Rain Cover — starts at $ 250. Prices go up from there depending on the size of bag you want and the Core Units and accessories you want alongside the bags.

The first backpacks are expected to ship December 2019 to ‘Anywhere in the world.’

Disclaimer: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project. DPReview does its best to share only the projects that look legitimate and come from reliable creators, but as with any crowdfunded campaign, there’s always the risk of the product or service never coming to fruition.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Shimoda unveils Explore 30 multi-use backpack for DSLR and mirrorless cameras

06 Nov

Shimoda has launched its new Explore 30 Daypack, a multi-use backpack for photographers, filmmakers, and others. The bag features the same gear carrying capacity as the original Explore 40 pack despite a shorter profile, according to the company. As well, the Explore 30 backpack has a new removable belt system and the ability to use Shimoda’s lineup of Core Units, the modular storage compartments that house camera gear.

The Shimoda Explore 30 features a main compartment that is accessible while carrying the bag, as well as a wrap-around zippered opening for access while the bag is positioned facing the wearer. The backpack has a dedicated zippered smartphone pocket, stretchable side pocket, padded shoulder straps, a removable waist belt, and a top carrying handle.

The Explore 30 is weather-resistant and can be used with a separate rain cover for additional protection. Photographers can utilize the Mirrorless Medium Core unit for transporting mirrorless and rangefinder cameras and lenses, or the Large DSLR Core Unit for transporting longer telephoto lenses and DSLRs.

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_7804111294″,”galleryId”:”7804111294″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

Accessory webbing straps enable users to attach accessories to the bag’s front and side panels; there’s also a multi-use accessory pouch that can be used with the webbing straps to transport larger items, such as a tripod. Shimoda is also offering a multi-section SD card wallet, a divider kit for the DSLR Core Unit, a Belt Booster that transfers some pack weight to the wearer’s waist, three mesh Stuff Sacks, and extra webbing straps with gate hooks.

The Shimoda Explore 30 backpack is available to preorder from B&H Photo and Adorama for $ 259.95 USD.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Review – Shimoda Explore 40 Camera Adventure Bag

10 Jan

I love to hike. I love to head out into the backcountry, and I regularly take my camera gear with me. Funnily enough, my first article here on dPS discussed just this fact. So it seems rather fitting that I got to review the Shimoda Explore 40 Camera Adventure Bag.

The opportunity to review the bag was also timely because I’m currently in the market for a new backpack and had been looking at several brands before the arrival of this Shimoda pack.

Review - Shimoda Explore 40 Camera Adventure Bag

The view from my hike. I love this area of Ontario, Canada.

The Shimoda Explore 40 pack is designed to be used as a daypack. It’s not meant to be used for weeklong treks into the wilderness with your camera gear.

If you’re looking for a pack to suit those needs, Shimoda makes the Explore 60 which more resembles a trekking bag. It’s similar to my 55 L Vaude Bag but it’s designed to hold camera gear whereas my Vaude bag was designed solely to carry backpacking gear. That doesn’t mean I haven’t adapted the bag to carry my camera gear, but it’s nice to have something designed specifically for photographers.

Here’s the complete Shimoda Explore 40 kit.

The Material

Here’s a close up of the material. It’s smooth, not rough like my other bags.

The first thing I noticed about the pack was the material. It is distinctly different from the material of my other bags. I took the Shimoda Explore 40 out of the packaging and was surprised by the feel and texture. It’s a smoother surface that is deceptive at first.

I am used to a bag that has a sort of canvas type material that feels rough like an old tent. At first touch, I was a bit sceptical about the durability of this material. I needed time to get used to the differences. The material is, in fact, double-resin coated nylon. It does not feel like the material of my Vaude hiking pack or my Lowepro Backpack.

I tested it in my kitchen sink. The water easily beaded on the material and rolled off without soaking through. The zippers are also water-resistant. The Explore 40 does not come with a rain cover, though. Most of the time you won’t need one but to be on the safe side, there’s plenty of room to pack a generic rain cover, just in case.

Here’s a close-up of the zippers with leather pulls. You’ll notice they are heavy-duty, not likely to break.

The Structure

The Shimoda Explore 40 is very well constructed of a heavy-duty material and also comes with a reinforced frame. Shimoda has inserted aluminum rods into the frame of the pack to help it maintain its shape and durability. I like the structure of the bag and how truly sturdy it feels.

The Core Units

I packed the core unit just to see how everything fit. Later, I changed the configuration for my hike as I didn’t take my extension tubes or the flash components.

The Shimoda Explore 40 is designed for lighter travel. It comes with two small core units as well as a medium sized one. The units are strong and durable. The dividers are easy to use and configure to the needs of your camera gear. I was able to remove pieces and reposition them quickly and easily without the Velcro becoming stuck to the sides and annoying me.

The camera gear is quite safe within the core units. They are designed to protect the gear and cushion items from the bumps and bangs that often occur when out on the trail. On my hike, I slipped down a rocky section of the trail and landed at the bottom of a steep hill. My gear was safe and secure within the core unit.

This is the interior of the small core unit.

The two smaller core units come with a very basic strap that allows you to turn the unit into a shoulder bag for carrying around one or two lenses and a camera body. But the strap isn’t designed for all day walking through a city.

I could see the bag possibly digging into my shoulder if I were to use it to peruse a city with my camera for 8 hours. The unit is designed more for quick jaunts around the campsite or for short walks.

The inserts are very sturdy and I found the tapered edges made it easier to configure the unit for my camera gear.

Storage within the Bag

Here’s a shot of the front compartment. I stuffed a trail guide in here.

The Shimoda Explore 40 is designed to hold more than just camera gear. I was able to pack food items as well as a water bottle. If need be the Explore 40 is equipped to carry a water bladder and hose. For this trip, I chose to take a small mug and water purifying drops, so I didn’t test out the water bladder compartment.

The bag comes equipped with tons of pockets. I was able to store my lunch, extra socks, my phone, a map, a rain cover, mug, and extra mittens within the pack. There was certainly room for more gear inside the pack.

The outer straps allow you to attach items to the exterior of the pack. You could choose to carry a small tent at the bottom of the bag.

The bag is pretty spacious when opened.

The bag also comes equipped with a sleeve in which you can fit a 13” laptop. The padding of the back panel would protect the laptop from any bumps or bangs that might cause possible damage to the gear.

The Shoulder Straps

The pack comes with several different adjustable should heights. I put the bag on the smallest setting. To give you an idea I am 165cm (5’5″) tall.

The pack fit nicely on my torso at the smallest setting. The hip belt rested just above my hip bones, and the adjustable straps allowed me to set the shoulders comfortably so that I felt no strain and carried the majority of the weight on my waist.

The last thing you want is a bag that places most of the stress on your shoulders, and by the end of the day, you’re regretting your decision to take your gear.

There are four different settings for the height of the torso.

My one complaint about the strap configuration has to do with the chest strap. It comes across the front and helps to keep the shoulder straps in place. This takes some strain off the top of the shoulders.

The issue is pretty much based on anatomy. The bag is designed as a unisex item. It does not take into consideration the female chest. Many women’s bags are designed so that this strap sits above the bust. I was able to slide the strap up somewhat but not enough to keep it from resting on the bust.

It’s a minor complaint that only female photographers will struggle to overcome. Believe me, we are used to this. It would be nice one day for someone to take the risk and design a camera bag specifically for the shape of a woman (hint, hint, Shimoda).

The bag sits comfortably on the body, even when you’re wearing a thick sweater.

Accessing Camera Gear

The Explore 40 comes equipped with both side and rear access to your camera gear. For my test hike, I used the medium core unit and tested out the rear access. It was easy to get to my camera and to switch lenses when needed.

The core unit easily held my 5D Mark III, a 70-200mm, a 16- 35mm and a 50mm prime lens. The side access works quite well also. At home, I inserted the small core unit and stuffed the bag with towels to hold it in place. It was easy to sling the bag sideways and remove my 70-200mm while it was attached to my camera body.

In Conclusion

Overall the bag is beautifully designed. I tested it on the Bruce Trail. It was a cold and rainy day. I completed a 15km hike over rough terrain. The design of the bag ensured it fit snuggly to my body. I didn’t ever feel burdened by the gear I was carrying.

The hard frame of the core unit did slightly dig into my lower back, but I was able to make a few adjustments to the straps and solved the issue. Over time I can see myself breaking some of the plastic clips, but this is pretty common in most bags. I have replaced the clips on my Vaude trekking bag on several occasions.

At the start of the trail with the Shimoda Explore 40 pack.

I wouldn’t use the Shimoda Explore 40 for long overnight hikes. The shoulder straps are not designed to carry the weight of camera gear plus all of the items necessary for a backcountry trip. Shimoda recommends their Explore 60 for those types of activities.

After looking on their website I discovered that they also offer a carry-on unit for planes as well as several accessory packs that can help make packing your gear easier to manage. I’ll be honest, I’m considering the carry-on the unit. The core units fit into this bag, so it’s easy to transfer items from carry-on to your pack once you arrive at your destination. I like this feature an awful lot. It would have helped me out a great deal last year during my trips.