Mindshift Gear Photocross Sling Review

External design

At first glance, the Photocross 13 bag looks like a merge between a sling bag and a small backpack.

Our test sample is the Orange Ember version. The other color is “Carbon Gray”. Differences between the two are minimal, but the orange accents really do stand out. The general impression is that of a rugged product, which does not look a lot like a camera bag.

The external fabric has a smooth, almost oiled texture. This gives a pleasant reassurance regarding weather resistance.

The bottom is even more rugged, using a more robust polyurethane coating instead of the “regular” water-repellent coating used on the rest of the bag. Even the zippers are water-resistant and a tab near the bottom protects them from dirt.

For even more resistance, the bag ships with a rain cover. Photo equipment should be perfectly safe inside the bag.

The general shape is more or less a trapezoid, with the bottom being significantly larger than the top.

The front of the bag is mostly plain, with no extra pockets or sleeves. One nice inclusion is the presence or four small hooks meant for removable straps. Reminiscent of what is found on many Think Tank products, these straps are intended to hold a monopod or small tripod. They can also be used for larger objects, as long as the shape is adequate. The straps can be removed easily when not in use. This is a nifty feature, in line with the company’s focus on adaptability.

The top straps can also be attached to the left side, where a mesh pocket is found. This pocket is visibly meant to carry a water bottle.

By using the straps, it can turn into another option to carry a tripod. This works particularly well for small travel tripods. Larger tripods won’t fit there and will have to be attached to the front. However, carrying a large and heavy accessory defeats the purpose of a compact bag.

The top bears a large handle, easy to manipulate even with gloves on.

The right side includes another handle, letting the user carry the bag sideways. This is a more natural orientation in many cases. The handle is fixed over the main compartment’s flap. This flap closes with a wide zipper, orange on our version.

This brings us to one of the many well-implemented elements of this bag. It is a small thing, but which significantly improves usability: the shape of the zipper tabs. Instead of the usual short metal tab and string combo, the Photocross uses a large, T-shaped pull tab at the end of a string. In all cases this tab is easier to manipulate than other approaches, but the difference is particularly obvious when wearing gloves. This is a case of understanding perfectly the intended application and making sure to adapt to it.

Accessed from the right side, but covering the front of the bag, is a wide and thin compartment.

Inside are two smaller pockets closed via a short Velcro pad. Thicker objects won't fit inside this compartment, but snacks, filter cases and other accessories will be easily stored thanks to the wide opening.

The back of the Photocross is thickly padded with “air mesh”, a perforated fabric offering decent but not outstanding breathability. This will not be a problem for winter sports, and improves comfort.

The single shoulder strap is surprising, mainly because of its width. At the top, it is as wide as the bag itself, tapering to a more conventional width as it gets lower. This wide surface provides good support on the shoulder and significantly improves comfort. The top section is well padded and also breathable.

Over this padding, a nylon band is sewn at regular interval to provide attachment points for carabiners and the like. Since they are positioned above the shoulder (instead of near the chest), these attachment points are of limited use.

The nylon band also makes up the bottom part of the strap, where it attaches to the bag via another padded section hugging the hip. A tension adjustment there can be used to improve comfort and fit even better.

The strap joins the bottom, padded section via a pivoting joint, a nice touch.

Adjusting the strap’s length is done via the ubiquitous plastic tab. It works well enough but is not as fluid as other systems we have tested. Easy adjustment of the strap’s length is important on a sling, because it is desirable to have the bag close to the wearer’s back when moving, and to loosen the strap to dig inside the bag. Mindshift Gear did provide a solution to manage the dangling length of strap, via a kind of hook sliding on the nylon section.

The Photocross includes a stabilizing hip strap, something of a rarity on sling bags.

The hip strap is useful to remove some of the weight from the shoulders, and improves stability. It can be hidden when not in use, thanks to thin compartment at the bottom. This compartment is large enough to hold the removable tripod straps as well.

Verdict

The Mindshift Gear Photocross 13 is a fine example of understanding exactly the needs of your target audience, then catering to them. Adequately sized, rugged, with a well-dosed number of features, the bag feels particularly well adapted to winter sports. It will, however, be useful for any active photographer.

The strap is wide and comfortable, the material is sturdy and weather resistant, the removable tripod straps can be placed in two positions; in short, the bag is very well designed.

There is little to criticize when looking at the bag’s external elements. The only thing we feel might be improved would be to make the strap even simpler to adjust. The current system isn’t bad by any means, but if there was room for improvement, this is the only element which comes to mind.


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