This is in addition to all the built-in strap options that are present throughout the exterior. The backpack does come with a nifty bike helmet strap. There are a number of attachment points on the outside to provide flexibility in adding more straps and whatnot.When not in use or with smaller items, these same pockets can be zippered shut for a clean look. Both side pockets are very large and surprisingly capable of accepting two tandem legs of my video tripod.The buckle clips are also buttery smooth and I’ve never felt like my fingers were in constant danger of pinching like some other backpacks I’ve used.I didn’t have to be so drastic in this case. On some other bags with just the metal pulls, they tend to jangle while walking so I usually cut off with wire cutters and replace them with silent cord pulls. The zippers are very smooth everywhere on the backpack and fitted with generously-sized pull tabs that also act as a silencer.The Shimoda has a nicer tactile experience, which to me matters since it’s a very hands-on product using it day in and day out. I like that it’s not the typical nylon woven feeling material that most every other backpack uses.

The Action X backpack’s exterior material is water resistant and durable.The biggest of the big lenses, like Nikon’s 600mm f/4, measures in at 18 inches long while the XL DV Core Unit measures 18.1 inches long on the interior. For wildlife photographers, the compartment is deep enough at 7.9 inches for most supertelephoto lens hoods and should fit many models of these long lenses with a gripped camera body attached if you wish.

The XL DV Core Unit fits a small cinema camera and long lens with some room to spare in the main compartment.

For wildlife photographers and video shooters, the XL DV Core Unit will likely be the way to go as it will be able to have the length and depth needed to house supertelephoto lenses and cinema cameras.īelow is a rundown of the things I liked and things which I thought could be improved.

The XL DV Core Unit will take up all the available space in the main compartment, but there would be nothing stopping me from switching it out with smaller Core Unit pieces if I wanted to carry less camera gear and more hiking or camping gear in the open space. In the case of this review, I’ve bundled the Action X70 backpack with their Extra Large DV Core Unit, both of which are the biggest available styles. The Core Units come in a variety of different size options which opens up possibilities in being able to stack multiple in a backpack and interchange or remove certain ones based on what’s on the day’s shooting agenda. Like the previously available Explore series of backpacks from Shimoda, the Action X uses removable Core Units in order to house the camera gear in the main compartment.

Camerabag cinema