Thank you Fadi for taking the time to do such a detailed comparison. I am drawn to Explore colors more than anything, especially the gorgeous teal. Not a photographer myself, but wanted a waterproof bag that wasn't your typical black/blue/olive or screaming colors. A practical question: would you recommend to check in Explore 60 with a separate cover to protect the fabric? I am concerned about all the rubbing and not so gentle handling of the bags at the airport.
Excellent demonstration of these Shimoda bags Fadi, do you think the new X series could have rain water pool on the top when hiking where that top rolls down and connects, have you had any concerns with any rain penetration when out hiking at all with these, looks like the X-series is a definite step up?
Thank you Carlos, I was hiking one time when rain started and had no issue with water accumulating there and my stuff inside was dry. It does ship with rain cover too I believe as well for those rainy days. I didn't find that to be an issue. It is a great bag if you are looking to upgrade :)
Excellent comparison. The X50 seems like a solid upgrade from the already solid E40. Something to think about for those of us pushing the limits on the 40.
Nice comparison Fadi. I'm glad I waited and didn't get a Explore 40. Definitely getting an X50! I also recently received my Atlas Athlete 40L which is an amazing bag and will serve me well for hiking so it will be interesting comparing them. I expect the 57L of the Action X50 will be best for multi-day (more than 1 night) backpacking. But the Atlas should work for 1-2 nights as well.
Thanks glad you found it useful, you are gonna enjoy using the x50, if you plan on doing multi-day camping, maybe consider looking at the x70. Things can quickly add up and take up space when going on multi day backpacking trip
@@FadiHage good point, but I think the capacity of 57L is a good limit. I have a 70L Osprey pack and I find its just too big for 1-2 night trips. More of a 5+ day pack size I think. With small ultralight camping gear I think 50-60L is perfect! Forces you to pack a bit less also
Hi Fadi On the Action X 50, when the rolltop lid is full to capacity and not rolled down, does it remain waterproof or does it need to be rolled down all the time. If so, it would appear to defeat the object of having it?
Hey Simon, I haven’t had it full to max and In rain but if you have it rolled at least once and clipped it will retain its water resistance same as multiple rolls. If you are out in heavy rain, they do sell a rain cover to cover all the bag including the top part, that would be best to add on incase for added security. Hope that helps
Thanks :) the water tripod holder it tucks into a separate side pocket, I don’t have that camera bag with me at the moment to verify 100 percent. But I do remember that it doesn’t intrude into the Main camera compartment, it has its own place to settle Into.
Amazing review! Really thanks! I am thinking to get it for multipurpose bag (traveling / camera bag). How do you find the fabric? Does it keep a dirt easily?
Thanks :) glad you found it useful. It is great as a multipurpose travel/camera bag and the fabric is easy to clean dirt off if it did get dirty, I never had issue with getting dirt off the bag when getting in contact with the ground. Depends on where you taking it, because of the material choice on the bag it is easy to clean it off, and the material is tough and made for the outdoors.
Thanks, it does drop down if your not using an ICU so you get more storage, but not all the way to the bottom I believe, I currently don't have the bag with me at the moment, I will double check it and if it is different than what I said I will comment again :)
Nice comparison. I think I am going for the Explore 60. It is lighter (you didn't mention that) and, at least in Europe, you can find sono nice bargains on that. You didn't not also mention that with the Explore unzipping the rear camera compartment door is more cumbersome because of the waist belt in the way which, once open, sits on the ground. Yes, it is detachable but with this kind of bags I don't see the purpose of it. On the Explore 60 the top pocket is of so much help to access on the fly small objects like your wallet or anything like that. I will miss the two side pockets since I am not a water bladder guy and the larger zipped pockets on the straps.
I’m really trying to debate between the X 50 and the X 70. Have there been any times where you have needed the extra space? What sort of gear do you bring along with you? I’m concerned that once I add everything together such as a drone or lighting fixtures the 50 will be too small
With the action x 50 never had a day where i needed extra space, and if you are doing same day hikes with camera gear the 50 is plenty. But if you plan on backpacking and camping than I would get the 70. It really depends on how much stuff you have. I did do a video of how I setup my gear in action x 50 with the large core unit, might give you an idea. Hope that helps
No I don’t have a gimbal, I used to, you can probably place it inside the camera compartment if you have the large DSLR core unit, I am sure with that setup there is room for a gimbal or you can place it in top part inside or use one of the tripod pockets to place the gimbal on the outside on the side of bag and secure it with the straps. Hope that helps.
I want to get Shimoda X50 with small and medium core units. But kickstarter page only offers medium core units, where can I get small one as in your video? Would medium DSLR and small core units fit together in X50?
Yes they would both fit and That’s what I have in my Shimoda X50. Since the small core unit is from the previous Explore bag, you can either buy it from their website directly at www.shimodadesigns.com or Amazon or any photography retailer that carries Shimoda gear, I think B&H sells Shimoda stuff.
Hi Fadi: Shimoda mentions that the side-way placement of the camera makes it easier to be grabbed rather than its bottom touching the bag -straight up. It’s true but my Nikon with the L-Bracket which needs to be quite away (not flushed) to let the Microphone cable being hooked, would be sticking out and pressed against the back flap. So I am not able to place it sideways. I tried this with the Explore 60 while waiting for the Action X50 to be available. Since the new Cores would have the same depth, have you experience the same difficulty placing the camera sideways? Also how do you deal with the Waist strap getting in the way of openning the back access every time, compared to the old Explore which was out of the way for someone who doesn't want to remove the strap?
I place my video camera which is the canon eos r without a grip with the Ef 17-40 canon f4 lens and the canon lens adapter, and that fits fine. the way I place it is the top of the camera where the flash hot shoe is would be touching the lid that opens for side access and I can still reach my camera just fine and it doesn’t stick out at the either end and I can close both the back access and the side access. Hope that helps, if you want send an email to fadi@thefoxphoto.com and I can send you a picture back of how I place it in the bag. if that helps.
In the video I show the Sony a7r3 with the 3 legend thing bracket and it also placed the same way as the canon eos r and it doesn’t stick out even with the bracket. It all depends on how far your bracket is sticking out too.
As for the waist strap there is still plenty of space to pass your hand through to unzip all the way, just have to unclip the magnetic clip which is easy too to unclip to fully open the lid, you can still partially open It with the magnetic lip attached enough to remove a camera and reach in unless you need a full opening than you just unclip it.
Thank you Fadi for taking the time to do such a detailed comparison. I am drawn to Explore colors more than anything, especially the gorgeous teal. Not a photographer myself, but wanted a waterproof bag that wasn't your typical black/blue/olive or screaming colors.
A practical question: would you recommend to check in Explore 60 with a separate cover to protect the fabric? I am concerned about all the rubbing and not so gentle handling of the bags at the airport.
Cheers Fadi for taking the time to be thorough, all three bags are great and soon I'll have two of them myself. Good video!
Thanks Stephen, congrats on your upcoming 2 bags :)
Ive just backed the X50 on the Kickstarter, really looking forward to using it.
Thanks for the in depth comparison Fadi.
Thanks and congrats on your new bag you are gonna love it :)
I accidently pressed the button on a couple of other bags but only completed the order on only one gag, the explorer V2 large core in green.
Congrats Michael, I think you will really enjoy the bag, did you get the 35L
Excellent demonstration of these Shimoda bags Fadi, do you think the new X series could have rain water pool on the top when hiking where that top rolls down and connects, have you had any concerns with any rain penetration when out hiking at all with these, looks like the X-series is a definite step up?
Thank you Carlos, I was hiking one time when rain started and had no issue with water accumulating there and my stuff inside was dry. It does ship with rain cover too I believe as well for those rainy days. I didn't find that to be an issue. It is a great bag if you are looking to upgrade :)
Excellent comparison. The X50 seems like a solid upgrade from the already solid E40. Something to think about for those of us pushing the limits on the 40.
Thanks Luke, it is a nice upgrade and worth it if your considering it, especially the action x50 is very versatile.
Excellent Review! Bought the 50!
Thanks 😊 congrats on your Action X 50
Nice comparison Fadi. I'm glad I waited and didn't get a Explore 40. Definitely getting an X50! I also recently received my Atlas Athlete 40L which is an amazing bag and will serve me well for hiking so it will be interesting comparing them. I expect the 57L of the Action X50 will be best for multi-day (more than 1 night) backpacking. But the Atlas should work for 1-2 nights as well.
Thanks glad you found it useful, you are gonna enjoy using the x50, if you plan on doing multi-day camping, maybe consider looking at the x70. Things can quickly add up and take up space when going on multi day backpacking trip
@@FadiHage good point, but I think the capacity of 57L is a good limit. I have a 70L Osprey pack and I find its just too big for 1-2 night trips. More of a 5+ day pack size I think. With small ultralight camping gear I think 50-60L is perfect! Forces you to pack a bit less also
Hi Fadi
On the Action X 50, when the rolltop lid is full to capacity and not rolled down, does it remain waterproof or does it need to be rolled down all the time. If so, it would appear to defeat the object of having it?
Hey Simon, I haven’t had it full to max and In rain but if you have it rolled at least once and clipped it will retain its water resistance same as multiple rolls. If you are out in heavy rain, they do sell a rain cover to cover all the bag including the top part, that would be best to add on incase for added security. Hope that helps
Great video! On the Explore 40, does the water bottle/tripod holder tuck into the main camera compartment or a separate side pocket?
Thanks :) the water tripod holder it tucks into a separate side pocket, I don’t have that camera bag with me at the moment to verify 100 percent. But I do remember that it doesn’t intrude into the Main camera compartment, it has its own place to settle Into.
Thanks so much! I really enjoy your videos.
Very well done comparison, thanks Fadi 👍
Thanks Phillip :)
Amazing review! Really thanks! I am thinking to get it for multipurpose bag (traveling / camera bag). How do you find the fabric? Does it keep a dirt easily?
Thanks :) glad you found it useful. It is great as a multipurpose travel/camera bag and the fabric is easy to clean dirt off if it did get dirty, I never had issue with getting dirt off the bag when getting in contact with the ground. Depends on where you taking it, because of the material choice on the bag it is easy to clean it off, and the material is tough and made for the outdoors.
Thanks Fadi, I was hoping for that kind of deeper detailed demonstration. You did great without a second pair of hands. ;-)
Thanks glad you found it helpful, a second pair of hands sounds nice :)
@@FadiHage Does the inner pocket can go to the very bottom of the pack (x50) if you are not carrying an ICU? Thanks ;)
(Nice wapiti btw!)
Thanks, it does drop down if your not using an ICU so you get more storage, but not all the way to the bottom I believe, I currently don't have the bag with me at the moment, I will double check it and if it is different than what I said I will comment again :)
Is there much difference in weight between the three bags?
Yes but not by much, here is the weight of each one:
explore 40: 1.3 kg
explore 60: 1.5 kg
Action x50: 1.9 kg
Nice comparison. I think I am going for the Explore 60. It is lighter (you didn't mention that) and, at least in Europe, you can find sono nice bargains on that. You didn't not also mention that with the Explore unzipping the rear camera compartment door is more cumbersome because of the waist belt in the way which, once open, sits on the ground. Yes, it is detachable but with this kind of bags I don't see the purpose of it. On the Explore 60 the top pocket is of so much help to access on the fly small objects like your wallet or anything like that. I will miss the two side pockets since I am not a water bladder guy and the larger zipped pockets on the straps.
I’m really trying to debate between the X 50 and the X 70. Have there been any times where you have needed the extra space? What sort of gear do you bring along with you? I’m concerned that once I add everything together such as a drone or lighting fixtures the 50 will be too small
With the action x 50 never had a day where i needed extra space, and if you are doing same day hikes with camera gear the 50 is plenty. But if you plan on backpacking and camping than I would get the 70. It really depends on how much stuff you have. I did do a video of how I setup my gear in action x 50 with the large core unit, might give you an idea. Hope that helps
Do you have gimbal, and do you think a gimbal can be fitted inside the x50 bag?
No I don’t have a gimbal, I used to, you can probably place it inside the camera compartment if you have the large DSLR core unit, I am sure with that setup there is room for a gimbal or you can place it in top part inside or use one of the tripod pockets to place the gimbal on the outside on the side of bag and secure it with the straps. Hope that helps.
I want to get Shimoda X50 with small and medium core units. But kickstarter page only offers medium core units, where can I get small one as in your video? Would medium DSLR and small core units fit together in X50?
Yes they would both fit and That’s what I have in my Shimoda X50. Since the small core unit is from the previous Explore bag, you can either buy it from their website directly at www.shimodadesigns.com or Amazon or any photography retailer that carries Shimoda gear, I think B&H sells Shimoda stuff.
How did you get the new model? The website says they won’t ship until May 2020?
They sent it to me before Kickstarter launch, to make a review video about it and try it out.
Nice.
Hi Fadi: Shimoda mentions that the side-way placement of the camera makes it easier to be grabbed rather than its bottom touching the bag -straight up. It’s true but my Nikon with the L-Bracket which needs to be quite away (not flushed) to let the Microphone cable being hooked, would be sticking out and pressed against the back flap. So I am not able to place it sideways. I tried this with the Explore 60 while waiting for the Action X50 to be available. Since the new Cores would have the same depth, have you experience the same difficulty placing the camera sideways?
Also how do you deal with the Waist strap getting in the way of openning the back access every time, compared to the old Explore which was out of the way for someone who doesn't want to remove the strap?
I place my video camera which is the canon eos r without a grip with the Ef 17-40 canon f4 lens and the canon lens adapter, and that fits fine. the way I place it is the top of the camera where the flash hot shoe is would be touching the lid that opens for side access and I can still reach my camera just fine and it doesn’t stick out at the either end and I can close both the back access and the side access. Hope that helps, if you want send an email to fadi@thefoxphoto.com and I can send you a picture back of how I place it in the bag. if that helps.
In the video I show the Sony a7r3 with the 3 legend thing bracket and it also placed the same way as the canon eos r and it doesn’t stick out even with the bracket. It all depends on how far your bracket is sticking out too.
As for the waist strap there is still plenty of space to pass your hand through to unzip all the way, just have to unclip the magnetic clip which is easy too to unclip to fully open the lid, you can still partially open It with the magnetic lip attached enough to remove a camera and reach in unless you need a full opening than you just unclip it.
I see you put straps at XL..how tall are you? I'm trying to find reccomendations what size to use regarding height, I don't find it anywhere..
Hi I’m 5’11, you can adjust the straps to your choice. All bag sizes Have adjustable straps. Hope that helps
@@FadiHage It does, thanks!