Best Camera Backpack for Adventure/Hiking - Shimoda Action X vs. f-stop DuraDiamond

Today, I'm comparing two of the best adventure/hiking camera backpacks on the market today. F-stop has long been an leader in the camera backpack market, and they have brought their DuraDiamond line of backpacks to the market in the last few years. Since then, Shimoda has also released their Action X series of backpacks.
Both backpacks are designed to help you and your camera equipment go further and they are designed to withstand some of the harshest elements in the great outdoors.
Links to purchase these packs:
f-stop DuraDiamond Backpacks - bit.ly/3LcpcBz
Shimoda Action X Backpacks- shimoda-design...

[@sashinger5230]

I have the X30 and the X50 and they are by far the best backpacks I've ever owned or used. Worth every darn cent. I guess it won't get much better than that. Ian is a genius. 💪

[@AustinJamesJackson]

For sure! Glad to hear that you love the bags!

[@MRQirex]

I always thought that F-stop design their backpacks more with the cool look in mind than the comfortable, btw Shimoda founder was a F-stop designer.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Totally agree!

[@thinair97008]

Great review Austin. I agree that on the F-Stop I don’t like how when you put stuff on the top of the ICU there is nothing to isolate that area. As you show when you put your hand through it. But worse, if you put any small loose items in the top they soon go missing. They always work their way to the back side of the pack, then slide down behind the icu. I attach some things with a carabiner and a length of cord so I can retrieve it. Using stuff sacks is an option also. Thanks for a great review.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Thanks for checking it out! Still a solid bag, but there are a couple spots for improvements.

[@pangolinphotohosts818]

Was really looking for this exact video... thanks

[@pangolinphotohosts818]

At the end... the comfort is the most important for me. I shoot a 400 fix, and carry two bodies and if my back and especially shoulders hurt after 30min I am in trouble...

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Glad it was helpful!

[@MrKevreg]

Great back packs Austin....you sold me on the shimoda being light weight and the ability to add more space as well as compartment spots

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Glad I could help!

[@gastongeneral6861]

An interesting review and super clear. I haven't seen a review of camera bags before and it's good to know what's on the market. I put everything in a regular back pack and it doesn't really work very well! Thanks for the video Austin.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you for checking it out.

[@susanrainey9694]

Excellent, thorough, concise, and clear. Thank you-so much better than other reviews and I love the apples vs. apples!!!

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Thanks for watching and for the kind words!

[@n3orun]

best review in a long time - thanks!

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Glad it was helpful!

[@L.Nyquist]

Great comparison! Thank you. But the clip on Shimoda is made of plastic so this will easy break... mine did. the side pockets on shimoda are always a little bit open on the side, this collects dirt and water. But the rolltop is a winner, this is what I miss most on F Stop

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Thanks for your feedback! Always curious what others think about their packs.

[@MartinFransson]

Really great review! Very helpful for me. I fully agree with all of your complaints and I can see that both bags would be good but not perfect for me. Right now I am using the Mindshift Gear Backlight 36L but I want something that is better for packing more than just camera gear. Might try to get a proper hiking backpack plus a camera insert. Seems more affordable and probably better for carrying...

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Awesome! Glad it helped you. I’d personally go with the Shimoda, that’s what I’m using now and it’s worked really well!

[@paulmatthews4293]

The F-Stop belt clip reminds me of scuba weight belt buckles from about 45 years ago.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Hahaha!

[@gordonneedham7014]

I too was looking at F-Stop bag ... but after this video, I think I'll go with the shamoda bag. I too am a small man and so after hearing about the problem for short, skinny guys, and retirement doesn't pay that well, I can't afford to buy the wrong bag. If it's not comfortable I'll never wear it for long. Now I see why I can't mail-order a bag ... so now I'll try find a brick and mortar store where I can try on the different bags. One thing that caught my eye ref the roll top bag is that you open it to show all the room, then roll it back down before you clipped the bag shut ... can you close the bag after it's full? 😊 Thanks

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Yes, you can close it when it has more items in it! You just wouldn’t be able to roll it as many times, which should be fine.

[@TheCrooksandCastle]

great review, i think it be a nice addition if you gave a post hike/photo bag review to see if the bag works as efficient as one would hope or turns out its annoying due to zipper/compartment placements.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

I’ve used the bag even more since making this video and still agree with everything I said in this video here! I’d used it a few times before making this video so I had a good idea already!

[@Captyvate]

Great comparison, thanks!

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Thanks for watching!

[@ChoaYeon]

I always told myself I would never spend $200 for a bag cause when I went to rent or use my friends more expensive bags it all felt the same. The most I spent on a camera bag was around $140. But when I tried a shimoda bag it felt amazing it was so customizable you can get everything right. Now I owe a explorer v2 and it’s worth the $400+ I spent on it.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Yeah, I certainly think they are the most comfortable!

[@horstschoninger1265]

You missed a lot important future. ... The shoulder straps are in high ajustable. The water bottle and side pockets are on both sides. The waist belt is removeable. You can put a drinking system in. On the bottom is a small whole when it would leak for the drain out. For the tripod there is a lower rubber strap. I put 2 tripod legs in the mash pocket which you can tighten up with a cord. The other leg I let it outside from the mash pocket and put the lower rubber strap exactly over the rubber turn nob from the tripod. It gives a much better hold to the tripod about the friction rubber to rubber. On top I put a Velcron band on the left and one on the right to the sleeve and rub around each leg. It will hold the tripod perfect and will not move. Velcron is rated 50 lb strength. You can buy for $40-50.-- a more cushion shoulder strap when you carry more weight. What I did. The bag come with more straps on the back and a helmet holder unit, which you can use for something else. The side load is handy. You can move the ICU opening flip in the sleeve from the bag. So there is nothing in the way, The back bag is 2 lb less weight. I paid with a discount 3 weeks ago 295.-- with the bigger ICU.... the F= stop cost $ 500.-- may without ICU. You have to check it out.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Awesome! Thanks for the great info!

[@chirantha]

Yeah, those are the best two. I got both and I agree.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@billz4795]

I question the need for the size of either pack and ICU. based on your gear and how you're loading the ICU's seems much larger than needed. I have a f stop lotus 32l with a medium sized ICU, DSLR with l bracket, 16-35, 24-70, 70-200, Nisi filter pouch, and room for blower/cleaning ++. All but the 70-200 can store upright thus saving space. Actually I'm looking for a smaller bag.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

If I store the camera upright, I can't store it with a lens on. I like to leave a lens on my camera when I pack it away, it's super annoying if I always have to put a new lens on every time I want to stop and shot something quickly.

[@Bringisen]

Great review🙏

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Glad you liked it!

[@ThePinoyAggie]

Nya Evo makes very good camera backpacks as well. Fjord 60C and 36 L versions.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

I’ll have to check them out!

[@louisburley1597]

Have you fit a large mirrorless insert into your Shimoda? Thinking about it but a medium is tight.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

I use the large DSLR unit in mine! I don’t like the mirrorless ones because they are shorter, which doesn’t really help with anything inside the bag, other than your stuff moving around when you hike with it in my personal experience.

[@mivantos]

Nice job on this review. How about de Shimoda action X40 V2?

[@AustinJamesJackson]

I haven’t personally tried it, but none of the changes on the V2 bag really got my excited or moved the needle for me personally.

[@MichaelWahlgren85]

Was thinking switching my Tilopa to the X50 v2, but that clip on that hipbelt is a dealbreaker. So I will switch to the new duradiamond instead :)

[@AustinJamesJackson]

I like the clip so much better than the weird connection on the DuraDiamond. What’s not to love about the clip?

[@lisha1535]

The Shimoda has straps for women too. They are very comfortable. I have the one smaller than the one shown.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

I saw that! I was wondering if they were any good. Glad to hear that you like them!

[@HH60gPaveHawk]

Just had my Shimoda shoulder strap completely disintegrate after 3 hikes only six months from purchase with almost no weight (MFT or lightweight FF) in ideal conditions. Shimoda might be lightweight, but they’ve lost my confidence for carrying thousands in gear.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Weird! I’ve been carrying 30+ pounds in mine for a couple years now. I’d recommend reaching out to their customer service.

[@HH60gPaveHawk]

@@AustinJamesJackson I just shot them a note. I agree it shouldn’t happen and is likely a manufacturing defect, but inspecting the installation technique on both sides more closely didn’t inspire confidence. I’d assumed that the webbing passed through the entire shoulder strap to ensure strength, but it’s only tacked onto the bottom of the pocket/strap area with a couple of lines of stitching. Even my lightweight GoRuck isn’t that poorly constructed. Either way, it’ll be hard to trust the pack again; it’s my first pack failure in backpacking, military use, or camera use in twenty years, and trust in the pack is part of the process for carrying our photo gear.

[@ildiopantofola]

Hi, is there any way that a Pro small or Slope medium ICU form Fstop to fit inside a Shimoda Action X30 v1? even squeezing them quite a bit....Thank you so much!

[@AustinJamesJackson]

I’m not quite sure about that, sorry I can’t be of more help.

[@ildiopantofola]

@@AustinJamesJackson thanks anyway! :)

[@krimke881]

The shimoda is lacking an expandable pocket on the front. The short zipper is pointless and annoying. It's like the whole idea was all pockets should work like your stuffsack for your sleeping bag. just stuff it in. It would be a homerun if the front pocket was on the whole front, and also it wouldn't be a pocket that stole space from other pockets. it would be a proper xtra space on the outside. 10L more would be amaziiiing!

[@AustinJamesJackson]

I was wondering about that! I don’t mind it too much but definitely see that it could be nice to have a larger zipper, especially since the pocket is deep.

[@raylui6998]

Shimoda Action X 👍👍👍

[@AustinJamesJackson]

👍🏼

[@Patto2276]

Shimoda fabric is water resistent, NOT waterproof. The magnetic clip doesn't need to be used and I put that strap inside the small pocket on the hip belt.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Great idea! It feels nice on longer hiking trips but on shorter trips it doesn’t really make a difference for me.

[@805gregg]

You can just add a camera insert to any backpack a lot cheaper, then you get a lighter better backpack cheaper

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Yeah, I used to do that! I hated having to dig everything out of my backpack to pull out the camera insert, especially as I got more gear and a larger insert. It’s nice to be able to access your camera separately from your other gear.

[@jamesgrove]

The DuraDiamond fabric is no where near as water resistant as the original FStop fabric, given i have used FStop gear for years and have nearly all the ICUs if i was starting again i woul dget the Shimoda, if you work in bad weather dont rely on the Duradiamond! without a proper rain cover, NOT the one they supply.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@evilwoodchuck]

Do you have kids man? No one is buying their 15 year old a $500 camera bag let alone equipment to fill it with lol. Sounds like a horrible $10k or so investment

[@AustinJamesJackson]

I don't, but I don't understand the context to this comment.