Nomatic Camera Bags Review

User Report

The two camera bags from Nomatic / Peter McKinnon bring new and interesting element to the table.

Both bags are made of quality materials and are robust enough to protect photo equipment. The Nylon fabric is durable but quickly gets surface scuffs under use, which show as paler patches. This is not detrimental to the look, quite the contrary, but anyone who likes their bags to look pristine even after heavy use will be disappointed.

The design language, including the tongue-in-cheek pirate logos found on the back of both bags and on the internal dividers add a bit of flair.

Comfort in both cases is excellent, thanks to well-designed straps and padding. The fit will vary greatly depending on the wearer's body shape. It is hard to comment on this in general terms. Ideally, one should always try a bag before deciding on a purchase. For our tests, the backpack and sling were worn by a 182 cm (6 feet) tall male and a 160 cm (5 feet 3 inches) tall female. In both cases the level of comfort was good, even for long periods of time.

In the case of the sling, its small size is well suited for younger photographers, like our 11 years old test subject who found the sling very comfortable even after several hours.

Giving access to the camera equipment is probably the biggest challenge bag designers face. It is surprising, in a way, that both bags tackle this so differently.

With the sling, internal access is easy thanks to a huge opening, and the tab-and-hook quick attachment scheme makes it astoundingly easy to open and close the sling. Truly one of the best iterations we have seen.

With the backpack, openings are wide and easy to reach in, but two elements complicate things. The first is that the zippers from the top and back openings tend to get mixed together. The second is that there is no way to get inside the bag when it is worn. There is no side access, and no included hip strap to suspend the bag. The only way to get in is to remove the backpack, put it down, and open the back panel.

Because of this, the Camera Pack 25L appears to be best suited to bring photo equipment to a location, instead of being worn when shooting.

The versatility of the backpack’s interior is impressive. The ladder system makes it easy to adapt volume distribution between the top and bottom, in true everyday bag fashion. The two ways to divide space for cameras and lenses add to this flexibility.

Verdict

Both bags ooze quality and are well suited to carry photo gear. The sling is best suited to be used on location, despite the fact that it cannot carry a lot of items. The backpack is best suited to carry photo equipment to a location, along with a laptop, maybe some clothes or a tech pouch, books or anything else that might be needed for a day away from home.


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