My obsession with camera bags continues but do I really need another camera bag?
People who know me will know I have an unhealthy number of bags for my camera equipment. A year or so ago, I came across what I considered to be the closest to the perfect camera bag for me, the Shimoda Action X50. You can read my initial thoughts on that bag in my article from July 2020 titled my quest for the perfect camera bag. So why did I decide to get another camera bag? Has my opinion of the Shimoda Action X changed? Did I find something better?
TL;DR – I still love my Shimoda Action-X bag, so much so, I bought another one.
So why would I buy another Shimoda bag?
The Action-X 50 is great. When you need to carry a lot of camera gear and still have room for other essentials, it’s my go-to bag. It’s also the bag I reach for when I’m travelling for a couple of days and want to pack my kit in one place.
For scouting trips or day trips where I’m not sure there is going to be much to photograph, it’s on the large side. I also have a bad habit of filling whatever bag I choose to take, and the Action-X50 holds a lot of kit.
Sometimes, if I know I’m going to be walking further, or I’m not sure if there will be that many photo opportunities, I take less gear and don’t need a bag the size of the Action X-50. I still need space for additional clothing, food and hydration, however. None of my other camera packs is particularly suited to this. They’re focused on carrying camera gear.
As the name suggests, the Action-X series is suited to outdoor and action activities. As I said in my initial review, this is also the most comfortable camera backpack I’ve owned. I can put a small or medium mirrorless core unit in it and still have room for food water and additional clothing. It’s smaller in size and doesn’t get in my way.
I got this one in the same army green colour I chose for the X-50. It looks more like a regular outdoor backpack than a camera bag. Although I’m thinking a different colour may have helped me identify them more easily.
One bonus I’ve noticed with the medium mirrorless core unit is that it will accommodate my D850 DSLR. I was concerned it wouldn’t fit, but the name for the core unit is misleading. For the D850 and a couple of lenses, it’s ideal. I’m also considering getting a small mirrorless core unit to switch out when needed.
I’ll let you know if I come up with any more combinations.
