I've been a photographer for 10 years, and for 9 I was never happy with a bag for more than a month or so. Sure, they did the job, but never quite ticked all the boxes. Last year I bought this bag (35L) and still love it. While I don't believe there is a perfect bag, this has come extremely close to being it for my needs and haven't even felt the need to shop around for another.
I need a bag that has features for both hiking and a camera backpack. While this looks extremely well made and I like the features. I think for my taste I'll be looking at a brand like Atlas for Hiking/Photography.
Thanks for this excellent review of the Shimoda Explore V2, TK! I'm considering the 30L, and was wondering if you tried it with the Large Camera Cube? Reason I ask is that I have a rather long (12.5") NIkkor Z 180-600 f/5.6-6.3) lens, which I think would be too long for the medium cube included with the backpack. Would you know how the large cube would fit into this 30L size? Thank you!
The bag is 4.5lbs which is very heavy for travel and walk around all day. How does it feel for all day walk with full camera gear compared to say Peak Design 20L 2.5lbs everyday backpack?
Totally get that, does need to be one you're using pretty frequently to be worth it! Can I ask what you were listening to the video on? I always find it interesting to hear peoples thoughts on this. It's always so varied!
I've had the 25L bag since they went on sale, it's not the only Shimoda bag I have but it's by far the most used, it's really an EDC (every day carry) bag, sooooo useful. I've seen all the videos of course, and didn't need to see this one really, BUT, you've done one of the smoothest most comprehensive covers of this bag yet, for me anyway. Very nice review.
How much smaller would you say is the 35L is compared to the v1 explorer 40L? I currently use the 40L but love these new features but don't want to lose main compartment space
thanks for the most complete and comprehensive video about shimoda Explorer V2. I was in doubt between this and the Prvke but with the Prvke I would have to go with the 41l to have the same space as the Shimoda 31l. Now I can go without a doubt, anyway thanks a lot for sharing. 👍🏻🇧🇷
An excellent review sir! As a landscape and product photographer, I've used dozens of brands over the years, my current favorites being from ThinkTANKPhoto and MindShift Gear. However, you've given such a strong positive review of this Shimoda bag, that it has my interest for my Nikon Z System kit. I love the many storage options and pockets, as well as the removable waist strap. I just need to decide between the 26L and 30L size. Thank you!
Love from Ontario, Canada! Informative and well presented video. My (husband part of the duo) problem is that it has camera access on the wrong side. I have used Lowepro bags for the last 12 years and I am used to accessing camera from the right side. Trying to access from the other side would be a steep learning exercise for me. Besides, it is, as you mentioned, quite expensive.
hmm. i still have my Lowepro ProTactic BP 450 AE ii and Peak Design Everday Sling V2 10L I still did not used. I did get a new backpack for my Thailand trip recently, and it felt like in needed room. I saw this bag at one of the Thailand Camera store. I'm glad to see someone i follow on UA-cam review the bag. I might consider it.
Hi Philip. I'm considering either this Shimoda 30L or the LowePro ProTactic BP 450 AWll, and wanted to know if the LowePro can hold more camera bodies and lenses than this Shimoda Explorer 30L with Meduim insert? Thank you.
The bag looks really nice but for travel..any bag that has a side access although great. I think it is only good travelling in “safe countries” but if you go to South America where i lived for years. You would not even notice all your things missing until you sat down. Any access to my camera gear apart from the back is no good in my opinion. But i would get one for travel around here in North America because it looks nice.
Totally get that! I really should have mentioned this in the video but to get the side access you first have to unzip the core unit from the inside and then slot it into the side door, otherwise access is actually blocked by the core unit. So when you don't want side access (especially when worried about someone opening it up) you can simply block it off using the core unit / cube. I think it would be almost impossible for someone to reach in and unzip the core unit from the side when you're wearing it, you almost need to open up the back of the bag and almost pull out the unit to do this. So that's actually quite a nice feature too. Although side camera access can be useful in certain situations I actually mostly have it blocked off, personal preference I guess.
Any tips on getting this bag to be more comfortable? I own the 35l version of this as well as the Shimoda x30 action and I've had issues with shoulder strap comfort on both of them. To be fair I have issues with comfort with most bags and do tend to overpack. But I see tons of people loading these (Shimoda) bags up and raving about the comfort. I know the hip belt is critical but even with that tight I'm still getting sore trap muscles where the shoulder straps rest at the top. I pull the load lifter tight, keep the sternum strap fairly tight, and pull the main "strap straps" to get the bag tight against my back. I'm ~5'9" 155lbs and have been using the M setting. I'm going to play around with the S and L to see how it sits differently. I noticed you have yours on L. What is your height and/or torso length?
Aww sorry to hear that! It's definitely one of the most comfortable I've ever used for carrying a heavier pack, I've tried both peak design, tenba and a few others over the years. Everyone is so different though, have you tried some bags and found them more comfortable? Waist strap is definitely super important like you mentioned, so my only real advice is to make sure this is properly sitting on your hips (have a bit of a google search if unsure where it should sit) and yeh have quite tight. It should really be taking a lot of the load off the shoulders for you if positioned well. Once that is positioned well I usually gently tighten the shoulder straps accordingly from there. I'm about 6'2" and quite a similar weight to you. You could definitely try play around with that, but ultimately for me it just needs to allow the waist strap to sit in the right position so it can then offload some of the weight! Sounds like you've tried a few things so not sure if any of that is helpful but good luck with it! Hope you can sort it out :)
@@TKNORTH pretty much every camera backpack I own is uncomfortable so I think it has to do with my build (low body fat) and probably over packing my bags. The most comfortable I've used are the Think Tank Urban Access 15 and F-stop Shinn 80l. Both have very thick padded shoulder straps, much thicker than the Shimoda bags. But I even tried swapping the shoulder straps on the Action x30 with a thicker version they offer and still found it uncomfortable so I think it may have to do with the S M L setting or how I'm adjusting it. With so many people raving over the Shimoda bags comfort I feel like it has to be something I'm doing wrong. Thanks for the tips. I'll continue to play around with the adjustments.
There are Plus Straps from Action x70 that are more padded and are available separately so give them a try. There is currently a pair of black ones on eBay.
i have the 25l. its extremely well made. my only gripe is that the shoulder straps are too short as they have come off the larger bags so dont compensate for the shorter frame of the smaller bag. this means that the waist belt ends up being a rib cage belt, or the front pockets on the shoulder straps ride far too high.
Can you please explain why the shoulder straps are shorter with the 25L? If they do come off the larger 30 and 35L bags, wouldn't they actually be too long?
@@victoriahamilton1158 it’s not a massive issue but the frame of the larger bag is longer which means the straps can be shorter, so when they use the same straps on a shorter bag frame the effective combined length is less. If you are less than 5’10 it might not bother you.
I have a 16" MSI creator Z16P and it fits about half way in the sleeve. I think all brands say fit 16" because they test with Mac Book Pro's. However I use the 35L and its still a cracking bag
Yeh that can be very true, but agree this can happen with any bag I think. I believe even the new thicker Macbook pro 16" are a pretty tight squeeze in this bag, but just fit. I guess laptops vary so much in size, it's always going to happen a bit.
Mine is just a touch smaller than my old asus 15.6" and that wouldnt fit either. Lucky for me it's my everyday and travelling camera bag so I only take a 13.3" laptop maximum with me
The perfect bag doesn't exi...
Haha an almost title
It's not, but damn close :D
My favourite backpack for sure
I've been a photographer for 10 years, and for 9 I was never happy with a bag for more than a month or so. Sure, they did the job, but never quite ticked all the boxes. Last year I bought this bag (35L) and still love it. While I don't believe there is a perfect bag, this has come extremely close to being it for my needs and haven't even felt the need to shop around for another.
I have the 25L, and my 14” MacBook Pro fits inside
Thanks for doing this. Appreciate a solid and complete review. Ian
For the price that it costs not only it has to be the perfect camera bag but it has to have plane thrusters!
Thanks for such an awesome review based on real world use- super helpful to hear about all the little details/uses.
Thanks for checking it out Tom! Love your videos 🙌
I need a bag that has features for both hiking and a camera backpack. While this looks extremely well made and I like the features. I think for my taste I'll be looking at a brand like Atlas for Hiking/Photography.
Thanks for this excellent review of the Shimoda Explore V2, TK! I'm considering the 30L, and was wondering if you tried it with the Large Camera Cube? Reason I ask is that I have a rather long (12.5") NIkkor Z 180-600 f/5.6-6.3) lens, which I think would be too long for the medium cube included with the backpack. Would you know how the large cube would fit into this 30L size? Thank you!
I've had this bag for 8 months or so and I really like it so far! (35l black)
The bag is 4.5lbs which is very heavy for travel and walk around all day. How does it feel for all day walk with full camera gear compared to say Peak Design 20L 2.5lbs everyday backpack?
Great bag, Way too expensive for me. That background music AAaaargh so distracting. Having said that thanks for posting.
Totally get that, does need to be one you're using pretty frequently to be worth it!
Can I ask what you were listening to the video on? I always find it interesting to hear peoples thoughts on this. It's always so varied!
I've had the 25L bag since they went on sale, it's not the only Shimoda bag I have but it's by far the most used, it's really an EDC (every day carry) bag, sooooo useful. I've seen all the videos of course, and didn't need to see this one really, BUT, you've done one of the smoothest most comprehensive covers of this bag yet, for me anyway. Very nice review.
definitely not the perfect bag. too expensive and so many great bags at this price point.
I got two of them 35&25 definitely the best on the market ATM buy far
That's awesome! Definitely have to agree with you there!
Struggled to find space for my filters until i saw your video and remembered there are sidepockets 🤦🏼♂️😂
😂😂 when I first got this back I literally forgot to use them as well!!
I've never had a dedicated camera bag but I just bought my first one & now I get it hahaha
hahaha! Dude I saw you got the urth one! I like that, unfortunately my kit is usually too large and heavy for it.
@@TKNORTH Yeah I bet
Having a drone would be nice though :o
400 bucks ? 😕
Any women reading this? Is this ergonomically well-fitting for a woman's body? Thank you!
so many pockets haha i would lose stuff in them
overprice bag !
Succinct and well detailed review thanks 😊
Now bought!!
apparently, there's a new "best backpack yet" coming on monday from Shimoda
Really great review. I'm concerned about fitting a 15.6" computer into these as I've read it's questionable.
How much smaller would you say is the 35L is compared to the v1 explorer 40L? I currently use the 40L but love these new features but don't want to lose main compartment space
Amazing detailed video ! All my questions about the bag were answered ! Thanks
Any long torso folks have this bag? Is the harness strap adjustment on large go big enough for 6'3 male?
Well done!
I have 50L and 35L. 55L its way too big form me. 35L is just great! I love Shimoda
thanks for the most complete and comprehensive video about shimoda Explorer V2. I was in doubt between this and the Prvke but with the Prvke I would have to go with the 41l to have the same space as the Shimoda 31l. Now I can go without a doubt, anyway thanks a lot for sharing. 👍🏻🇧🇷
An excellent review sir! As a landscape and product photographer, I've used dozens of brands over the years, my current favorites being from ThinkTANKPhoto and MindShift Gear. However, you've given such a strong positive review of this Shimoda bag, that it has my interest for my Nikon Z System kit. I love the many storage options and pockets, as well as the removable waist strap. I just need to decide between the 26L and 30L size. Thank you!
I Still feel Tenba Axis v2 is better than this bag but is not modular.
Can i ask what the white camera backpack is during the intro of the video?
It's the best backpack for a landscape photographer that I've ever used.
I just wish the V2 had the old navy colour available :(
As an R5 owner, really loved this! Thanks!!!
SO welcome! Glad it was useful :)
@@TKNORTH yes! Another question, do you use this bag for everyday? Or have another one?
Ayyy epic review mate. Glad it lived up to the hype
You still stoked on 30L? No need for a 35L?
You can use it as a table for laptop when backing up sd cards.
What a brilliant review! So well explained and demonstrated. I'll be buying one now.
Excellent video. Thank you.
Love from Ontario, Canada! Informative and well presented video. My (husband part of the duo) problem is that it has camera access on the wrong side. I have used Lowepro bags for the last 12 years and I am used to accessing camera from the right side. Trying to access from the other side would be a steep learning exercise for me. Besides, it is, as you mentioned, quite expensive.
8:01 that pocket is perfect for the Ricoh gr3. I keep it in there
Hi mate. What tripod did you use for this setup?
I have the 50 and the 25. Amazing bags
The perfect bag would not cost $400.00.
do you know if this fits under the sat in a plane
hmm. i still have my Lowepro ProTactic BP 450 AE ii and Peak Design Everday Sling V2 10L I still did not used. I did get a new backpack for my Thailand trip recently, and it felt like in needed room. I saw this bag at one of the Thailand Camera store. I'm glad to see someone i follow on UA-cam review the bag. I might consider it.
Hi Philip. I'm considering either this Shimoda 30L or the LowePro ProTactic BP 450 AWll, and wanted to know if the LowePro can hold more camera bodies and lenses than this Shimoda Explorer 30L with Meduim insert? Thank you.
Will the 30l fit under an airline seat?
Good video, Thanks 👍
Sales after this video 📈
where do you put your food?
Simply say, I LOVE it💗
The bag looks really nice but for travel..any bag that has a side access although great. I think it is only good travelling in “safe countries” but if you go to South America where i lived for years. You would not even notice all your things missing until you sat down. Any access to my camera gear apart from the back is no good in my opinion. But i would get one for travel around here in North America because it looks nice.
Totally get that! I really should have mentioned this in the video but to get the side access you first have to unzip the core unit from the inside and then slot it into the side door, otherwise access is actually blocked by the core unit. So when you don't want side access (especially when worried about someone opening it up) you can simply block it off using the core unit / cube. I think it would be almost impossible for someone to reach in and unzip the core unit from the side when you're wearing it, you almost need to open up the back of the bag and almost pull out the unit to do this. So that's actually quite a nice feature too.
Although side camera access can be useful in certain situations I actually mostly have it blocked off, personal preference I guess.
In those risk countries, I would keep the side access locked with a small lock and just use the back access
You definitely DIDN'T mention the exorbitant price in the so called "pricing" section....... $385......no thanx
No, it's not!!
Any tips on getting this bag to be more comfortable? I own the 35l version of this as well as the Shimoda x30 action and I've had issues with shoulder strap comfort on both of them. To be fair I have issues with comfort with most bags and do tend to overpack. But I see tons of people loading these (Shimoda) bags up and raving about the comfort. I know the hip belt is critical but even with that tight I'm still getting sore trap muscles where the shoulder straps rest at the top. I pull the load lifter tight, keep the sternum strap fairly tight, and pull the main "strap straps" to get the bag tight against my back. I'm ~5'9" 155lbs and have been using the M setting. I'm going to play around with the S and L to see how it sits differently. I noticed you have yours on L. What is your height and/or torso length?
Aww sorry to hear that! It's definitely one of the most comfortable I've ever used for carrying a heavier pack, I've tried both peak design, tenba and a few others over the years. Everyone is so different though, have you tried some bags and found them more comfortable?
Waist strap is definitely super important like you mentioned, so my only real advice is to make sure this is properly sitting on your hips (have a bit of a google search if unsure where it should sit) and yeh have quite tight. It should really be taking a lot of the load off the shoulders for you if positioned well. Once that is positioned well I usually gently tighten the shoulder straps accordingly from there. I'm about 6'2" and quite a similar weight to you. You could definitely try play around with that, but ultimately for me it just needs to allow the waist strap to sit in the right position so it can then offload some of the weight!
Sounds like you've tried a few things so not sure if any of that is helpful but good luck with it! Hope you can sort it out :)
@@TKNORTH pretty much every camera backpack I own is uncomfortable so I think it has to do with my build (low body fat) and probably over packing my bags. The most comfortable I've used are the Think Tank Urban Access 15 and F-stop Shinn 80l. Both have very thick padded shoulder straps, much thicker than the Shimoda bags. But I even tried swapping the shoulder straps on the Action x30 with a thicker version they offer and still found it uncomfortable so I think it may have to do with the S M L setting or how I'm adjusting it. With so many people raving over the Shimoda bags comfort I feel like it has to be something I'm doing wrong.
Thanks for the tips. I'll continue to play around with the adjustments.
There are Plus Straps from Action x70 that are more padded and are available separately so give them a try. There is currently a pair of black ones on eBay.
@@TKNORTH how is the comfort compared to an actual backpacking bag like the Deuter Futura Air Trek?
i have the 25l. its extremely well made. my only gripe is that the shoulder straps are too short as they have come off the larger bags so dont compensate for the shorter frame of the smaller bag. this means that the waist belt ends up being a rib cage belt, or the front pockets on the shoulder straps ride far too high.
Can you please explain why the shoulder straps are shorter with the 25L? If they do come off the larger 30 and 35L bags, wouldn't they actually be too long?
@@victoriahamilton1158 it’s not a massive issue but the frame of the larger bag is longer which means the straps can be shorter, so when they use the same straps on a shorter bag frame the effective combined length is less.
If you are less than 5’10 it might not bother you.
What's the second white bag?
it can be nomatic, but not 100% sure
Just purchased!
Nice one! Hope you enjoy it 😀
@@TKNORTH little tricky getting the main compartment set up just how I need it but so far it's definitely an awesome bag!
I have a 16" MSI creator Z16P and it fits about half way in the sleeve. I think all brands say fit 16" because they test with Mac Book Pro's.
However I use the 35L and its still a cracking bag
Yeh that can be very true, but agree this can happen with any bag I think.
I believe even the new thicker Macbook pro 16" are a pretty tight squeeze in this bag, but just fit. I guess laptops vary so much in size, it's always going to happen a bit.
Mine is just a touch smaller than my old asus 15.6" and that wouldnt fit either. Lucky for me it's my everyday and travelling camera bag so I only take a 13.3" laptop maximum with me