The quest for the holy grail (the perfect backpack)

After years and years of searching for the perfect camera bag, I had to acknowledge it probably doesn't exist.

What follows is the evolution of my camera bags.

My very first camera bag was a small Tenba shoulder/belt bag.  I got it for Christmas when I was 17 and had just gotten serious about photography.  It is just big enough for a film SLR and one small zoom or 2 small primes, and a few rolls of film.  It's over 30 years old now and works just as well now as it did when I got it.  I stays mostly in the closet holding odds and ends.  I could use it inside another pack when hiking, if the kit were really really tiny.

small Tenba shoulder bag

My second camera bag was a Techniche shoulder bag.  My dad has one and liked it so I saved up and got one for myself.  And quickly overloaded it, discovered it hurt my shoulders to carry it full, and promptly relegated it to storing extra items in the closet.  I still have it, and it still lives in the closet.  That was the point where I realized that I really needed a backpack.

large Techniche shoulder bag

My first camera backpack was a LowePro Phototrekker (now called classic).  It was thin, good for a small SLR and a few lenses.  It was tall enough to fit a 400mm f/5.6, 100-300 f/4, or lenses of similar size.  It lacked a good hipbelt and water bottle pockets.  It had an outer pocket in which I could fit a few extras like snacks, small bottle, etc.  At the point I owned it, my film kit was small and carrying a few of the lenses was no problem for it.  I didn't hike that far and only sort of wished it had a water bottle pocket, etc.

Original, very thin Phototrekker backpack

At the same time I owned the Phototrekker, I had a LowePro Sideline Shooter (which I reviewed).  I still have the Sideline.  I used it for my "holy trinity" of landscape lenses... a 24, 50, and 100mm, some film and a couple of filters.  Later I used it to hold my 100-400 mounted.  It was a tight fit but it worked.

Sideline shooter

When I went digital, I found the original Phototrekker was too shallow for the DSLR kit.  I had fewer lenses, but they were bigger.  I sold the thinner bag and got one that was 2 inches deeper... but otherwise the same model.  It was at this point that I realized I was again carrying too much kit and I was hurting my shoulders by using it.

Both Lowepro Phototrekkers

Quick, easy access has always been a concern, and I tried the Kata 3N1-30.  I liked the concept.  You could wear it as a sling or a backpack and it had a separate top compartment for non-photo items or anything I wanted.  I quickly found that in practice, the side opening was horrible, slow, and unreliable.  I couldn't close the zipper while in sling mode and ended up setting the pack down to close it, so it defeated the purpose and I sold it.

Kata 3N1-30

My first decent backpack was the F-stop Loka 37L (also reviewed).  I liked the hipbelts.  While they aren't anything great by my current view, they were an amazing revelation to me vs no hipbelts at the time!  I liked the versatility of the ICUs... just pick the size you need for your gear and the leftover space can be used for anything else.  I got this in response to my back going bad as well as having kids and suddenly needing to carry a lot more gear... like diapers!  Once the kids could walk with me, I used it for water and snacks for them.  I still like the concept and the versatility.  It was my first rear opening pack and that feature is a miracle. See the review for more details.

F-stop Loka 37L

I had some credits at B&H so I also picked up the Mindshift (now merged back with Thinktank) Backlight 26L (my review is here).  Like the Loka, it is also a rear opening pack with decent hipbelts.  It lacks some of the versatility of the Loka but I feel it is better made and more comfortable, though it isn't great for long hikes.  It isn't meant to hold much beyond camera gear.  I use it for urban outings and times when I am close to the car.  It is easy to use, has nice water bottle pockets, and is spacious for my gear.

Backlight 26L

In response to wanting more space for survival gear in the mountains and a desire to hike much further, I found and bought the Seek Outside Exposure 5000 (reviewed!).  This one has a much better fully adjustable harness vs nearly any other pack I've tried or owned.  However, it is big (80 L!) and awkward to use.  When I set a bag down to get images, I tend to move around just far enough that I won't leave my gear "over there", so I have to pack up and move it with me.  It is a panel loader, but not a dedicated photo pack so you have to open the pack and open the camera compartment, and it is big.  I just found it to be too many steps.  It takes up way more space on the ground than my other packs and is hard to use in a crowded area.  It is a great pack, it just didn't work for my preferred shooting style.

Seek Outside Exposure 5000

While thinking about shorter outings, shooting from a stream, or laying a larger pack in mud or snow and pulling out a padded bag to use in a smaller radius, I got a Mountainsmith Descent sling (yet another review).  It is very well made, well padded, perhaps slightly too stiff.  It is large enough to handle a 100-400 or 70-200 mounted and a couple of other fat lenses, which means in general, it is slightly too big for most people.  Mountainsmith made a smaller model which I felt was too small, not much bigger than my first bag, the Tenba.  I like the access, but in the end I prefer a backpack with a rear opening.

I tried on several ski packs with rear openings, usually in the 40-50L range.  The ski packs generally lack water bottle pockets (if you crash while skiing, you lose the bottles), but I wish they at least provided side zip pockets so nothing could fall out.  I tried models from Deuter, Osprey, Gregory, and Mammut.  All are well made.  The Gregory Targhee 45 was my favorite; it fit me the best by far of all the ski packs I tried... literally like a glove where I barely noticed it on my back... but it lacks water bottle pockets and finding a good fitting insert for the camera proved a challenge, so I reluctantly gave up on it.   Mammut's new Trion 50 has side stretch pockets and holds my f-stop ICUs very well, but it didn't quite fit my back, and the harness was a bit on the thin side for carrying heavy stuff.  But all of these brands are worth a look, particularly if you are into water bladders.  All are well-made and the main question is how they fit.

I also tried some more panel loaders in the store for fit.  The Gregory Zulu lineup seems to fit me very nicely, as does the Mountainsmith Apex 60, but decided to hold off on them until I'd exhausted all my other options.  I figured that after my experience with the Exposure 5000, these would be similar if not more difficult to work with for camera gear.

After all these experiences, I've come to realize a few things.   Fit is paramount.  Water bottle pockets are a must for me.  Having a taller, thinner pack is very important.  The height allows load lifters to do their job.  Being thin means the weight stays closer to your center of gravity. The shape of the back panel is very important; you need lumbar support that fits your back.  Good hipbelts are a must:  Good padding with enough support to keep the weight of the pack mostly on your hips is critical.  The best hipbelts that fit me well are of the floating type... not sewn onto the sides of the pack, but the entire belt needs to wrap around the back and hips and hold the pack in place, yet still allow some natural movement.  And there are no camera packs that can fit like that... or are there?

After searching online forums again, I stumbled onto mention of the Atlas camera backpacks.  I looked at many images, read every review I could find, and really liked the design. And I read raves about the customer support, which is very, very rare lately.  So I started a conversation with Allan Henry, Atlas' general manager.  He replied quickly each time, and then told me he'd be coming to a nearby city and I could try the packs on in person and to bring my gear to check for fit. Seeing the shape of the pack as well as reading so many raves, I had a strong feeling one of their packs would end up in my possession.  I was right.  Allan gave me about 2 hours of his time showing me the fit and features.  We loaded my gear into each of the two packs and both felt amazing.  The hipbelts beat everything else I've tried, and the torso fit is good.  Loaded up with my gear, I barely noticed the weight, and I didn't feel like my movement was restricted at all.  Not since trying the Gregory Targhee 45 have I found such a good fit.  I ordered the smaller of the Atlas packs (the Athlete) that evening and had it in two days. It is a wonderful design.  A full review will be coming later, but after one long walk and a decent hike with the pack, I think this is finally the pack for me.

harness of the Atlas Athlete pack

Review of the Seek Outside Exposure 5000 Backpack

Hiking in the mountains requires more attention to preparedness.  The weather can change rapidly.  My existing packs didn't have room for all the layers and gear I might need.  I also wanted a better fit/comfort than my existing packs.  I wanted a rear-opening pack that would, ideally, fit my existing F-stop ICUs.  I tried several snowpacks (rear-opening to keep snow off the back and straps) but none quite worked out.  I then started looking for regular front panel-loading hiking packs.  After some research, I stumbled onto a review of the Seek Outside Exposure 5000.  I liked what I saw, looked closer, then bought one.

Seek Outside uses a single external frame and harness for all of their packs (you can swap out the packs and reuse the frame).  It is highly adjustable, more than any other pack I've used. Frame height, torso height, hipbelt location (relative to the frame), plus shoulder straps and load lifters are all adjustable.  There is an optional lumbar pad if you need it. Ironically perhaps, it fit me very well straight out of the box.

It is well-made, with a mix of drab green and tan.  The material is strong, light, and waterproof (sailcloth).  It has dual side water bottle pockets, a large external pocket (2 wide water bottles can fit), a mesh pocket, plus 2 internal pockets inside the zippered flap.  The main panel opens about two-thirds of the way down from the top.  A clasp is available to keep the panel from unzipping at the top.

The shoulder straps are well-padded with mesh backing, and are just the right width for me... not too thin, but not too wide.  The padding is thick and has a good mix of stiffness for support and softness for comfort.

The 5000 in the name means 5000 cubic inches, which is about 80L.  It is huge.  But it fits my survival gear as well as my F-stop ICUs.  It is great as an all day or multi-day hiking pack.  My large (14" tall) pro f-stop ICU takes up about half of the bag space.  It has much more space than I need for a day hike.

It came with 6 gatekeeper straps, which I've used for compression and holding my tripod on one side.

Seek Outside says their packs are heavy-haulers.  They claim they can handle ~100 lbs comfortably. I am not likely to ever carry that much... closer to 25 lbs on most hikes... but between the good fit and the capacity, I barely notice it on my back.  I have deliberately carried more weight than I would with my other packs, and it is totally fine.  My legs tire before I get discomfort from the pack itself.

A note on fit.  If you find you are between the hipbelt sizes as I am, go for the larger size.  I first tried the medium and found it didn't quite wrap around enough to really take the weight off my shoulders, so I swapped it for the large (Seek Outside was super nice about swapping with me, free, sans shipping).  The large supports the weight much better for me (though they did point out that longer hikes would cause me to lose weight so the medium could end up fitting during summer).  One thing I like about the large is the straps are much longer, which gives enough room to convert from the standard clasp to an inward pull setup.

Caveats: With a pack this size, it isn't meant for frequent stops, and it is too big to remove in a crowded space.  I prefer to use this pack when I'm hiking a ways, usually a single destination.  As a hiking pack, it is great.  As a photo pack, there are too many steps to get at the gear, so moving around an area isn't as practical as with a camera bag.  I am still looking for a pack that can mix both functions well.

Seek Outside has instructions on how to fit their packs.  And more.

Fuji 80mm macro review

I've being shooting closeups since high school.  I've used all kinds of techniques to get closer to my subjects but in the end, a dedicated macro lens is the best way to go for most subjects.  I've owned a few macro lenses now, most in the 100mm range, but one thing I insist on for serious work is that it must go to 1:1, or life size.  That is, the image captured on the film or sensor is the same size in real life as it would appear on the film or sensor.

Since I switched to Fuji, I decided that the Fuji 80mm macro would have advantages over adapting an older manual lens or another brand AF lens.

The lens in question is officially designated the Fujinon XF 80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro.  That's quite a mouthful.  XF is the mount type; it mounts on Fuji X-mount bodies.  Obviously the lens is a fixed-focal length 80mm.  The aperture opens up to f/2.8.  R indicates it has an aperture ring. LM means "Linear Motor".  OIS stands for Optical Image Stabilizer, WR means "Weather Resistant", and of course Macro indicates it focuses closely.


Build Quality and Features
The first thing you notice when you pick up the lens is the clunking noise it makes when you move it.  This is a floating element and the manual says this is normal and expected.  The sales guy also warned me to expect it.  I've never had a lens do that so obviously so in spite of knowing it is normal, I am not used to it.  I admit, it makes me want to be more gentle with it than any other lens I've held.

Beyond that, it is big for a macro lens of this focal length.  I imagine that is mostly due to the OIS system.

The focusing ring is wide, ribbed, easy to grip, and like all the other Fuji lenses I've handled so far, turns very smoothly in manual mode.  (So far the smoothness all of the Fuji lenses I've handled remind me of Zeiss build quality.  That's saying a lot.)  It feels like a precision device.

The aperture ring is tight and and not likely to change settings accidentally.  It has a nice feel to it and is marked from f/2.8 to f/22, plus A for auto-aperture (camera selected, as used by program or shutter priority exposure modes).  It has click-stops every 1/3 stop.  Being an old-school manual mechanical film camera user, I love the aperture rings on found on most Fuji lenses (such lenses have the "R" designation in their name).

The buttons are generally easy to use but hard to change accidentally.  The buttons can turn on/off the OIS system, and limit the focus range to limit focus hunting.  They can be hard to use with gloves on.

Weather resistance is a welcome feature, as I find myself in rain and snow every so often.  I don't typically stand outside in downpours, but it does give me peace of mind when I encounter some weather (rain and snow on flowers and leaves is a great subject!)

The front filter accepts 62mm filters. This is my first lens to use that filter size. I have a couple other lenses that use 58mm filters, so I tried a 62-58 step-down ring and found no hard vignette with the 58mm filter.

It is fairly heavy at 750g, and bigger than most other Fuji primes.  Weight is up there with the all metal Voigtlander 110mm APO FE mount macro.

It comes with a very long/deep plastic lens hood.  It is well-made and easy to install or remove.  Flare isn't going to be problem from the sides as long as you use the hood, but polarizers will be impossible to adjust while it is on.  In general, for how I use macros, I don't need such a deep hood.  The hood might get in the way of a light source when shooting near life-size.  I will probably get a folding rubber lens hood to use instead.

The lens cap is thick and easy to grip while wearing gloves.

The OIS is a very useful feature.  I've never had a macro lens with any kind of stabilization before and I really like it.  It opens up a new set of possibilities for me; such as shooting flowers where tripods are not allowed.  I've used it along the sidewalk on my way to work in the morning, capturing flowers in urban areas where a tripod would get in the way of other pedestrians.

I wish it had a distance and magnification scale.

Like all Fujinon lenses, the 80mm macro focuses by wire.  When using AF, you won't notice.  If you want to focus the lens manually, as I sometimes do with closeups, then I suggest a setting in the camera menu:  Setup > Button/Dial setting > Focus Ring Operation.  Nonlinear mode focuses according to how quickly you turn the focus ring.  Linear focuses a fixed amount regardless of how fast you turn the ring.  Try them and pick the one you like better.


Autofocus
Generally fast and generally accurate.  It slows down when focusing close. If you have the focus limiter set outside of your subject distance, it will hunt and then give up with a red flash around your AF indicator, so make sure the focus limiter is set appropriately.

The AF is fast enough that, in combination with the OIS, I can use this lens hand-held in many situations where it was simply impossible before.  My older Canon 100mm USM macro had fantastic image quality but slow AF and no image stabilizer, so a tripod was essential for me.  It doesn't replace a tripod by any means; it just means I have more flexibility before I break out the tripod.


Image quality
It's sharp with great contrast, right from f/2.8. It has more "bite" than most lenses. I think it is the sharpest lens I have ever owned. I'm totally unafraid of any aperture with this lens, but I always avoid very small apertures due to diffraction. Diffraction is a natural physical phenomenon and not a flaw unique to any lens; the lenses are simply following the rules of physics.  Generally, I avoid f/16 and smaller apertures with any lens.  f/22 is an outright bad thing.  Friends don't let friends use f/22!

Very fine detail

Vignetting
I haven't noticed any vignetting in my images.


Bokeh
For how I use macro lenses, bokeh is generally excellent.

Sharp wide open with pleasing bokeh

I've shot ice crystals on evergreens in the sunlight and that has revealed onion rings in the bokeh balls, which is a big turn off for some.  It is caused by the aspherical element(s) in the lens.  Some companies have found a way to polish their aspherical elements to the point where the onion rings aren't such a problem, but Fuji didn't apply that technique in this case.  This doesn't bother me much; so far they have been small and unnoticed until I looked closely on my computer.

A crop showing the onion ring effect in the out of focus highlights.

Bokeh balls also tend to show the cat's eye shape toward the corners.  This happens with many lenses and bothers me.  Fortunately, given how I use the lens, it doesn't show up very often in my images.  If you want to shoot portraits often, I would opt for the Fuji 90mm f/2 instead, which doesn't seem to show the cat's eye problem.

Cat's eye bokeh

Aberrations
Color is outstanding.  This lens is nearly APO.  I subjected it to a torture test... a closeup of metallic keys.  I had to zoom in to 100% on the image and then look very closely to spot any fringing.

Even in a 100% crop, the fringing is hard to spot.

Longitudinal Chromatic Aberration (LoCA) is nearly non-existent.  Fuji is very good in this regard for many of their lenses.  Most lens makers ignore this flaw.  Shooting a printed page at an angle also shows almost no color shift.

A common LoCA test is plain text on paper at an angle.  Wide open there is only a slight hint of purple in front of the zone of focus.

I haven't noticed any Lateral Chromatic Aberration (LaCA) yet.


Other uses
It works well for landscapes too.

You can get nice head shots from the 80mm, however given the possibility of cat's eye bokeh in the background and modest f/2.8 aperture, I suggest you are better off with the 90mm f/2 for portraits with the Fuji system.  The 90mm focuses closely enough to get nice flower images, but isn't a true macro.  The macro is, as expected, optimized for closeups.  If you can only afford one, get the one that better supports what you want to do most often.

Summary
When used as a macro lens, the Fuji 80mm is fantastic.

Pros
Very sharp even wide open to the corners
Flat field
Fast AF (for a macro)
Accurate AF (generally true with all mirrorless systems)
Generally nice rendering
Excellent OIS system
Nearly APO
Vignetting goes unnoticed
Great build quality
Lens hood is well made, easy to take on and off the lens.

Cons
Clunking sounds when you move it
Cat's eye bokeh with some backgrounds
Onion rings in bokeh balls
Big and heavy for an APS-C mirrorless lens
Expensive


Other macro lens options for Fuji:
Fujinon XF 60mm f/2.8 R Macro (1:2)
Zeiss Touit 50mm f/2.8 Macro  (1:1)

Samyang 100mm f/2.8 ED UMC Macro (1:1)

Adapt a manual focus lens from another system


More images:

Review of the Mindshift Gear Backlight 26L backpack

I wanted a smaller backpack that is big enough to hold my 100-400 mounted, but not be too large for urban use.  I've tried slings and beltpacks, but I always want to hold a few extras like water bottles and snacks.  My F-stop Loka can do the job, but feels a bit big in an urban setting (I get quite a few stares if I use the Loka at the zoo).  I considered the F-stop Lotus, but found the large shallow ICU, the ideal size for this job, had been discontinued.  I stumbled onto reviews of the Mindshift Gear Backlight 26L, and decided to try it.

The features that attracted me to the bag:  

• It's a bit smaller than my Loka.  
• It looks like a fairly ordinary pack, albeit stiff from padding.  
• It has back panel access.  
• The camera compartment is more than long enough for the 100-400 mounted.  In fact, I can store it with my hood in the ready position and still have the 1.4x mounted as well. 
• It can hold two water bottles, one on either side.

Other features:

• Tripod carry system on the front of the pack
• Can use the side compression straps to carry a tripod on the side
• Rain cover included
• Front pocket is big enough for a thin layer and snacks
• Lightly padded laptop sleeve

The Backlight 26L comes in green and black.  I choose green.


Fit and Quality
It is nicely made, with thick padding that is both soft and firm enough.  The belt wings are stiff enough to let the weight sit on my hips.  I find the pack comfortable enough if I don't overload it; If I completely fill the camera section with lenses, it feels heavy.   It does not have an internal frame, but is stiff enough that I don't think that matters for how I use it.  It holds its shape whether fully loaded or empty.

The padding on the shoulder straps and back is thick and well-cushioned, with nice mesh to let some air flow and wick moisture.  It doesn't breathe quite as well as a good hiking pack, but it isn't bad.

The zippers are high quality and easy to use.  The big zipper pulls make opening and closing while wearing gloves easy.  Access to the camera compartment is as quick as it gets and you can see everything at once when open.

Being a smaller pack, it does not fit my back perfectly, nor does it have load lifters, and so it can't replace a serious hiking backpack.  For reference, I have an 18" torso.  I believe the Backlight fits a 16" torso. 


Space
I measured the Backlight at about 18" tall, 10.5" wide, and 5.5" deep (interior dimensions). This is usually more space than I need. However, it is nice to be able to hold my 100-400 mounted with 1.4x and lens hood in the ready position (then again, to be ready you really need the camera in your hand), and still have room along the sides for extra lenses and filters.

It has a lightly padded laptop sleeve inside the front pocket, away from your body. I like this light padding because it doesn't add much thickness to the pack when it isn't used.  It also has an un-padded sleeve just outside the laptop sleeve that will fit a large tablet, and a couple of shallow organizer pockets.   Overall the front pocket is large, deep and expandable.  I can fit thin layers in it like a rain shell, but at the expense of other items. It works well as a travel bag.

The two side stretch pockets are very deep and completely swallow my 18 oz water bottles.  This actually makes it hard to pull the bottles out while the pack is on my back, but the bottles have never fallen out. 

Cons
While the camera compartment layout is great if you have a longer lens or two, that means the accessories pocket is on the front.  You have to change the bag orientation to get to it.  It is deep and shallow and you can't see everything, so you have to feel around for items.  Also, if the items you put in there are small and all fall to the bottom, you can't lay the camera completely flat when you get into the camera compartment.  It also means that soft items like a sandwich will get squished when you access the camera compartment.  This is the result of the design choice.  Everything is a trade-off in design.

The organizer pockets are too shallow for a mini-maglight, which I always carry.

The camera compartment opening has a loop inside which is meant to go around your neck and hold the camera compartment open when the backpack is on your waist, slung in front of you to change lenses.  Neat idea.  I expected it would have a hook to stow it when not needed.  No such luck.  It just floats around loose and gets in the way.  Every time I zipped the bag closed, I had to push the loop out of the way.  I ended up removing the loop.

The top pocket is too thin for all but the smallest items.  I've stuffed small tools like my hex and star wrenches, and AAA batteries in it.  Not much else will fit.   If I were to design a mark II version, I would move/remove the tripod carrier and make this pocket more like a "brain" used on hiking packs, with a rear opening and more space.  I asked Mindshift for this feature in the next iteration.

It is a good thing that I rarely use my backpack to carry my tripod.  The built in tripod carry system puts the tripod on the front of the pack, away from your body, making the bag hard to set down when you need to access your camera gear.  I prefer side carry... but honestly I usually just carry my tripod in my hands.  

$250 is pricey for a pack this size.


Summary
If you need a backpack this size with the features it has, it is a great pack.  

I've started using it on my commutes since I sometimes need to carry my laptop to and from work, and I like photographing flowers and sunrises on my way in.  With the stiff hipbelt, it carries the laptop and camera much better than my old student pack (shoulder straps only).

I use it for travel, short walks around small lakes, and urban trips such as zoo visits.

I am still searching for a great hiking pack that can carry my camera gear comfortably and has easy access.  Finding the balance between all the things I need has proven difficult.

Since buying this pack, Mindshift has released two other sizes of this pack, an 18L and 36L.  For simple zoo outings, the 18L would work just fine, though I'm not sure about the fit and comfort vs my 26L.  The 36L is meant for pro DSLRs and I don't need that much depth.

Update:  Mindshift and Thinktank have remerged (Thinktank is the parent company), and came out with a 45L Backlight.  I like the feature set but have to try it on for size.