Shimoda just lately unveiled their Facet collection of digicam luggage, which incorporates the Shimoda Facet Avenue 22L digicam backpack.
I’ve been utilizing it as a every day commuter and weekend adventurer backpack over the previous couple of weeks.
Geared up with an expandable roll high and a detachable medium-sized digicam case (Prime Loader), will this mix knock my present favorite off its podium? Solely time will inform.
Editor’s Alternative
Shimoda Facet Avenue 22
Versatile roll-top backpack providing sturdiness, fast gear entry, and luxury for lengthy put on.
So, till then, permit me to introduce you to one of many latest entries in Shimoda’s expansive line-up of light-weight, sturdy, and travel-friendly backpacks designed for creators and adventurers alike.
Let’s have a look.
What’s the Shimoda Facet Avenue?
Professionals
Light-weight and sturdy
Versatile performance
Expandable roll high
Detachable digicam case and carry pouch
Thick and comfy padding
Cons
Lack of inside zipper pockets in high compartment
Shimoda Facet Avenue 22L Specs
Exterior Dimensions (W x H x D): 27 x 43.5 x 17cm (10.6 x 17.1 x 6.7″)Inside Dimensions (W x H x D): 26 x 42.5 x 16cm (10.2 x 16.7 x 6.3″)Weight: 1.77kg (3.9lbs)Guarantee: 5 Years
Shimoda Prime Loader (Medium) Specs
Exterior Dimensions (W x H x D): 26.5 x 26 x 15cm (10.4 x 10.2 x 5.9″)Inside Dimensions (W x H x D): 24.5 x 21 x 12cm (9.6 x 8.3 x 4.7″)Weight: 0.6kg (1.3lbs)Guarantee: 5 Years
The Facet Avenue joins Shimoda’s latest line-up of adventure-ready digicam backpacks, the Facet collection—a brand new vary of digicam luggage designed for creators who wish to journey gentle and maintain it easy.
These are digicam luggage that don’t seem like typical digicam luggage; discreet, but trendy and extremely useful.
Every bag within the collection is supplied with facet entry to your gear, enabling you to simply swing the bag round your physique to seize or stow your digicam with out setting it down. This lets you proceed transferring and preserving the remainder of your gear out of view from prying eyes.
Along with the brand new lineup of facet entry digicam luggage comes the Shimoda Prime Loader, a self-sufficient, expandable digicam case that integrates fantastically inside the Facet collection and can also be able to standing out by itself. Extra on that later.
Design and Construct High quality
The Facet Avenue follows a minimalistic strategy, whereas preserving it useful, trendy, and discreet for road photographers and vacationers.
The Shimoda Facet Avenue 22L backpack is a extremely useful but minimalistic digicam backpack that’s simply as appropriate on the streets of a bustling metropolitan metropolis as it’s on an journey within the wilds.
Accessible in two distinct color methods, Boa (as reviewed) and Antracite (black), the Facet Avenue is undeniably trendy, but discreet sufficient to not draw consideration to the tools chances are you’ll be carrying. It’s perfect for exploring these crowded metropolis streets, native and overseas.
Constructed from Cordura® re/core™ recycled textiles and stuffed with loads of padding, the backpack is a light-weight and sturdy resolution for adventures on and off the crushed path.
Large opening roll-top, adjustable shoulder straps, simply accessible zipper pulls, and a choice of useful pockets are discovered on the Facet Avenue.
Geared up with a couple of pockets, pouches, and extra exterior cargo straps, the Facet Avenue is impressively outfitted for a digicam bag designed with minimalist ideas in thoughts.
It’s properly suited to each every day commutes and weekend adventures, but feels powerful sufficient to take an actual beating and deal with rougher stuff ought to that be your factor.
It definitely feels at dwelling and completely succesful, wherever chances are you’ll be. The expandable roll high supplies clear entry to the inner goodies held within the higher compartment, and the detachable Prime Loader digicam case is wrapped in thick padding… secured inside the bottom of the backpack, which can also be teeming with padding!
The detachable Prime Loader digicam case can be utilized individually from the backpack, supplying you with additional house for added gadgets.
Must you require the complete capability of the backpack to your gadgets and/or clothes, you’ll be able to take away the digicam case (Prime Loader) and put on it externally.
Introducing the Shimoda Prime Loader
The included Medium sized Shimoda Prime Loader is a useful digicam case that can be utilized individually to the Facet Avenue backpack.
Included with the Shimoda Facet Avenue is the Medium Prime Loader (additionally out there in Small and Giant sizes), an expandable digicam case that integrates with the Facet Avenue, and which may also be used externally. It comes with two padded dividers for customized configuration.
With a number of carry kinds, it may be used as a shoulder bag, sling bag, or waist pack. The shoulder strap is included and the waist strap is taken from the Facet Avenue Backpack.
The shoulder strap tucks neatly into the house across the Prime Loader when it’s within the backpack, prepared for later use.
Sized ideally for mirrorless and DSLR cameras (with out a grip) and 1-2 lenses or a drone package (such because the DJI Mavic Professional or DJI Mini 3 Professional, and many others), the Medium Prime Loader might be the grab-and-go bag you employ if the backpack appears too cumbersome to your meant journey of the day.
Wrapped with padding and an Airmesh floor on the physique facet, it’s designed for each inside and exterior use and supplies you with a number of choices on how you progress and entry your gear.
It additionally has a entrance zipper pocket, expandable base, carry deal with, AirTag pocket, and padded inside dividers.
The Shimoda Prime Loader is expandable, so it may be configured to go well with longer lenses or maintain extra gear.
I personally haven’t discovered motive to make use of the Prime Loader individually but, however ought to a extra strenuous or demanding journey await (ie, I want to hold numerous stuff for my child, or looking for my spouse), a minimum of it’s an choice out there to me.
Bonus reality: The expandable Prime Loader permits stowage of a mounted 70-200mm/100-400 mm-sized skilled lens.
Storage Capability, Compartments and Group
The Facet Avenue 22L Backpack’s roll high affords expandable carry capability. Pictured right here with a padded jacket, it will probably match extra and nonetheless roll and clasp shut.
The 22L Shimoda Facet Avenue has nice every day capability, particularly for the present winter local weather right here in Sydney. It supplies sufficient capability to hold my Sony a7IV to the workplace, together with lunch containers and extra bits and items.
Moreover, the expandable roll-top permits me to pack my thick padded jacket when the hotter noon solar is at its peak, making certain I don’t depart it behind someplace!
The padded laptop computer pocket might be accessed by means of each the highest roll and the entrance of the backpack. Ought to your laptop computer be bigger than the pictured 16″ MacBook, chances are you’ll discover the roll high entry simpler.
With the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 lens connected to the Sony a7 IV physique, I might simply match a further lens inside the Medium Prime Loader.
For the Sydney Vivid competition, I carried a small exterior flash and spare battery pouch, and nonetheless had additional house out there.
The facet pockets are massive sufficient to carry a tripod, which might be secured in place by the included cargo straps out there on each side of the backpack.
Digicam dimension examples inside the medium-sized Shimoda Prime Loader.
The Medium Prime Loader is nice for mirrorless customers, however can nonetheless help a full-frame Canon 5D Mark III with a 24-70mm connected.
Moreover, it’s very appropriate for foldable drone customers, as pictured right here with a DJI Mini 3 Professional package. Talking of, in case you are a Sony a7 III consumer, you’ll be able to load it in with the DJI Mini 3 Professional, too.
Facet entry is simply out there on one facet, with the opposite facet panel pocket for equipment. The entrance pocket is slim however wider than anticipated on the within.
The detachable “Onsen Bag” that comes secured inside the Facet Avenue might be helpful for journey, workplace, or different private functions.
Inside storage choices on the Facet Avenue backpack itself embrace a detachable higher inside compartment (additionally referred to as the Onsen Bag) and two small pockets on the high. These two little inside facet pockets don’t zip or seal, so if the bag ideas, gadgets fall out.
Having zippers, velcro, or stretch mesh pockets can be good inside the high compartment to maintain these little gadgets in place.
The Onsen Bag is secured into the Facet Avenue by two buttons and velcro, and it may be carried individually to the backpack (sealed by the identical Velcro).
Must you take away the Prime Loader from the backpack, it features barely extra capability whereas nonetheless preserving the principle compartment and high space separate.
Take away each the Onsen Bag and Prime Loader for a full cavernous backpack expertise!
Accessibility, Safety and Ease of Use
Designed to be accessed whereas on the go, the Shimoda Facet Avenue is light-weight and might simply be shifted round your physique to entry your gear by means of the facet panel. Or take away the Prime Loader to have a further bag!
There are professionals and cons to each kind of substances entry course of, and as such, customers will probably have totally different preferences surrounding each use case.
Facet entry digicam luggage should not, by any means, a brand new growth or the “good” resolution. Nonetheless, it does assist immensely when it’s essential entry tools rapidly whereas on the transfer or want to preserve a stage of discretion about what else you’re carrying.
It’s helpful not having to cease, take away your backpack, and open up all the again panel so as to entry your digicam. However, it will probably additionally pose a limitation on the way you organize your gear inside the digicam case. So, once more, totally different preferences encompass each use case.
The Shimoda Facet Avenue is light-weight, and as such, fairly comfy and straightforward to swing round for entry to your tools.
You simply have to recollect which facet supplies entry to the digicam case! The backpack straps don’t simply fall off your shoulder both, so I didn’t have any moments the place the bag dropped from my grasp.
Roll high entry is comparatively simple and didn’t pose any quick frustration aside from getting the strategy of releasing the clasp or lengthening the strap.
The zippers adorning each the Prime Loader and Facet Avenue backpack itself slid easily each single time—no snags or discomfort from the zipper pulls.
Putting and eradicating the Prime Loader from the backpack is an easy course of. It doesn’t safe in place, so there aren’t any tight areas the place it’s essential entry clips or hidden velcro. Integrating the lid with the facet panel is fairly simple too, because it’s not tremendous tight nor fiddly.
A magnetic sealed roll high can be a pleasant bonus! Undoubtedly not a deal breaker by any means, only a good addition.
Consolation and Portability
The Facet Avenue has loads of methods so as to add ranges of consolation throughout utilization, from further help straps to thick padding.
Vacationers and all-day wearers will likely be happy to know that the exterior padding of the Shimoda Facet Avenue supplies a substantial amount of consolation alongside the again panel.
Along with that, the shoulder straps are additionally properly padded, as is the vast, detachable waist belt.
A sternum strap has additionally been included to assist help heavier hundreds or present stability do you have to be traversing uneven terrain.
The backpack’s light-weight design provides to its general consolation. Digicam gear isn’t precisely gentle, so if it’s essential issue the pack’s weight into your carrying capability, the Shimoda Facet Avenue 22L gained’t add a lot to your load.
Shimoda ensured the Facet Avenue additionally has a powerful stage of rigidity in its design, serving to to maintain issues in place and making them simple to maneuver about. It stands up in place and doesn’t flex beneath load.
There’s nothing worse than lifting or transferring a backpack just for it to sag or tumble, spilling and shifting your gadgets round. Fortunately, this doesn’t occur with the Facet Avenue.
Nonetheless, with nothing securing gadgets in place (i.e., zippers or stretch pockets) within the high compartment, these gadgets could transfer inside ought to the bag tumble.
There are two seize handles on the exterior physique of the backpack to assist with portability (high and backside). It’s simple to seize and swing up onto your physique and get transferring.
Versatility and Journey-Friendliness
The Facet Avenue might be customised to suit your journey wants, that includes expandable and detachable storage equipment that double as standalone luggage, together with choices to safe gear externally.
The expandable roll high of the Facet Avenue supplies versatility by means of its functionality of being adaptable to alter on a moment-to-moment foundation. Along with that, the detachable Prime Loader supplies additional carry capability do you have to require the backpack house. Simply you’ll want to pack the shoulder and/or waist strap!
The detachable waist strap additionally turns out to be useful for distributing and supporting a heavy load for longer durations of time, and the included sternum strap helps maintain it safe to your physique.
Seize Clip customers will profit from a clip-compatible strap alongside the left facet with further padding behind it, stopping it from digging into your chest whereas secured in place.
It’s a comparatively lengthy suitable strap permitting for peak adjustment ought to that be wanted.
While the Shimoda Facet Avenue 22L backpack is airline-friendly, becoming beneath the seat, chances are you’ll discover the detachable higher inside compartment, or “Onsen bag”, might come in useful ought to it’s essential place the backpack elsewhere.
For instance, stowing the backpack within the overhead compartment on an airline whereas preserving necessities with you (whats up, leg room!), or if it has the necessities you want to your location whereas leaving the backpack secured elsewhere (akin to an workplace locker or automotive).
Options to the Shimoda Facet Avenue
Does the Facet Avenue suit your wants? Or do you have to contemplate an alternative choice from Shimoda?
Along with the Facet Avenue, Shimoda additionally unveiled a number of different backpacks of their Facet collection; the Facet Lite and Sidecountry.
The Facet Lite is a lighter, mountain/back-country oriented model of the Facet Avenue. It shares lots of the similar options however with the advantage of an extra-lightweight development (1.6kg / 3.5lbs with Medium Prime Loader).
It’s additionally out there in a girls’s configuration, providing shoulder straps which might be designed and fitted for a girl’s physique.
The Sidecountry, in the meantime, is the flagship of the Facet Collection provided by Shimoda. Bigger and extra outfitted with options, however nonetheless stripped-down in comparison with others in Shimoda’s lineup, it’s out there in 28L and 32L, together with a girls’s choice.
The Prime Loader just isn’t included with the Sidecountry (until you’re buying a “Starter Package”), so when you require digicam carry, you’ll want to take notice.
Outdoors of the Facet Collection, Shimoda affords backpacks geared toward adventurous creators who could require a bit extra with reference to compartmentalisation of their gear and equipment. They share the identical stage of sturdiness and workmanship however supply totally different capabilities.
Closest to the Facet Avenue is the City Discover, which differs with a zippered high compartment (as a substitute of an expandable roll-top), added rear entry whereas retaining facet entry, a detachable digicam Core Unit, and extra inside storage and compartmentalisation choices.*
*The Core Unit is a traditional-style digicam dice with dividers, in contrast to the Prime Loader, which can be utilized contained in the pack or by itself as a standalone bag.
Value and Worth for Cash
Is the Facet Avenue three luggage in a single? With two that additionally increase? Properly, that’s a fairly versatile when you ask me.
Shimoda’s pricing appears to be comparatively on par with many different premium-level adventure-ready digicam backpack manufacturers, together with Peak Design, WANDRD, and others. So it’s not shocking to see the Facet Avenue 22L backpack coming in at round US$270.
Particularly because you’re basically receiving two luggage for the cash… A backpack AND a messenger/sling/waist bag. Each of that are additionally expandable in dimension, constructed powerful, comfy to put on, and have been designed for the weather.
Oh, they usually include a 5-year guarantee, and the packable rain fly can also be included.
FAQs
The Shimoda Facet Avenue comes with a small packable rain fly that tucks away into any small pocket.
How can the Prime Loader be used externally?
The Prime Loader is well eliminated and might be utilised as a further bag—whether or not carried by the seize deal with, outfitted with the included shoulder strap, or secured with the Facet Avenue waist belt (or another waist belt from one other Shimoda bag). Utilizing the Facet Avenue waist belt, it may be worn as a hip bag or as a sling bag.
Can I entry my gear from another level than the one facet?
No, the Prime Loader is simply accessible from a single facet of the backpack, and it isn’t reversible do you have to want the opposite facet. The opposite facet is a storage pocket. As a result of single opening of the Prime Loader, it’s also not accessible by means of the roll-top both.
Can the Facet Avenue deal with rain?
Sure, it’ll deal with gentle rain. For heavier downpours or strolling near waterfalls, a packable rainfly has been provided.
Shimoda Facet Avenue 22L Backpack Assessment | Conclusion
Designed for the road however succesful nearly anyplace, the Facet Avenue 22L Backpack is well-sized and, to date, caters to just about all of my digicam carry wants.
The Shimoda Facet Avenue 22L backpack has been a welcome addition to my digicam bag assortment and is my first Shimoda backpack usually.
Utilising it every day for my commute to the workplace and becoming a member of my household on weekend adventures, it has not failed us but. The light-weight nature is a large profit, particularly with how a lot strolling I do.
Roll-tops aren’t typically what I search for—typically I goal for a extra conventional zip-sealed backpack—however the expandable roll high is plain in its usefulness. It has come in useful for packing bulkier (Sydney winter stage) clothes for us, together with offering capability for unplanned purchases or pick-ups alongside the best way.
I drastically admire with the ability to shrink all of it again down in dimension when the majority is not vital. I like backpacks that scale in dimension to go well with what I’m carrying, reasonably than stay tall, small, or cumbersome. Nevertheless it actually may gain advantage from a couple of additional small zipper compartments inside it!
Editor’s Alternative
Shimoda Facet Avenue 22
Versatile roll-top backpack providing sturdiness, fast gear entry, and luxury for lengthy put on.