Best outdoor camera bag 2020 - Shimoda Action X70 review with large DV core unit.

[@stevelink3]

Thank you for your excellent review of this Shimoda backpack, Jonny! I went with the Shimoda Explore V2 30L Starter Kit. It came with the Medium Mirrorless core unit which is a bit small, but I ordered the large mirrorless core unit, which I think will fit my 12.5” long Nikkor Z 180-600 f/5.6-6.3 zoom. And BTW, it’s the most comfortable camera backpack I’ve ever used, due to the wide design of the shoulder straps!

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

I’m glad you like it, I have 4 total since making this video. I love them.

[@mtbboy1993]

4:33 Does the padding in the core protect against impacts? I'm looking forr something to fit into my Evoc Explorer 30L mountain biking backpack. Which I want to keep using due to the features, including cooled back, plate separating the content from my back. But I need something to keep my camera and future lenses safe from crashes.

[@Levi_Allen]

Great walk through Johny! The x70 is a favourite of mine for sure

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

Thanks very much mate! It was actually your video that made me take the leap!

[@Levi_Allen]

It's Jonny Keeley relieved to hear I didn’t lead you astray. Excited to hear where you take it and how you abuse it in years to come

[@teddygotsch5832]

​@@ItsJonnyKeeley Nice review! This video made me pull the trigger on this bag. It arrives sometime today. I like the idea of a large camera bag that holds everything and more. However, I am worried this one will not be allowed on a carry-on for travel. Let's say that I could use any compatible size core unit, would you recommend the X50 or Explorer V2 35 as a travel/carry-on bag?

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

@@teddygotsch5832 I'm not sure the X50 can be used as carry on, but I imagine the 35 can. (but definitely check the website for accurate info) BTW you won't be disapointed they are great bags, I have 4 now.

[@GreasyFox]

Been juggling between this and the x50. Wonder which one would suites the need of a 5 foot 3 dude (me) to store a DSLR, 2 camera lenses - wide angle and telephoto, drone kit, extra batteries and memory cards, sleeping bed, tent, some clothes, water bottle for outdoor photoshoot. Any suggestions? 🤔

[@LifeOfMikey1]

how much more do you think you could fit in the the x70 than the x50

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

A lot, because it’s deeper. You can stack it longways, but it’s not so good for dividing things up since there is so much space.

[@flexflex5853]

Can we put the tripod in the bag & not outside? It works? I prefer to avoid steals

[@scsparcrow]

Liked this video Jonny, as I am interested in the X70 with the DV core. Similar in concept of carry everything - 1 body, 3 additional lenses, gopro, filters, all the supplies, a Mavic drone / batteries, and perhaps a star tracker... You had mentioned you would change up how you would setup your gear in this ICU and I would be interested in how it looked after you had time to adjust to your needs. I think you thought of doing a video later but don't see one. Trying to convince myself to fess up the $500 usd +++ for a number of the accessories. Will be 900-$1000 Canadian by the time I am done which is steep.

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

Since making the video I have the Explore 30 & 25 and the Action X50 and 70 (two of these were gifted by Shimoda) I would say that out of all of the the Action X50 is the most appropriate for me right now. It has plenty of space.

[@SamLucas26]

Oh, and the rest of this review is great as well haha. Great, unbiased review. I have the explore40 and it made me a true believer of Shimoda. Love their stuff 👌🏼

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

Yeah it was really hard not to come across as a major fanboy!

[@SamLucas26]

I know! I can never be unbiased on a piece of gear I love lol. I’m the biggest evangelist for brands I trust lol

[@robertegedi2687]

I just ordered mine last week, unfortunately it's out of stock in Australia. Hopefully coming soon. Great video as always. Thanks

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

Ah great, I think you’ll really enjoy it!

[@BrandonTalbot]

LOVE my X70

[@tommyliu1210]

I want to get the X70 but could fit in the carryon because I don't want to leave my gear in my checked luggage? I am going to put Sony 16-35, Sigma 24-70, Sony 70-200 F2.8 and Sony 200-600 with a A7 and A7iii body with battery grip?

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

You can take the core unit out to carry on (I'm told) I have travelled with the pack yet due to pandemic.

[@AdrenalinePitStop]

Looks a great heavy duty camera bag that, great review. I agree with you about paying all that money for a lens and leaving it at home. I always take mine. Thanks Jonny

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

Thanks mate, yeah it’s a beast!

[@zuzel76]

It could use a movie that you throw into the rest of the backpack. I am very interested in shimoda akcion 70 or 50. I am currently using a ski backpack with a PD insert. Unfortunately, it is a bit too small for longer trips and I am looking for something bigger. The film is great and I missed something like that in other shimoda backpacks.

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

That's pretty much the exact reason I got the X70, X50 looks good too though.

[@AMGOSUK]

I agree and bought mine a few weeks ago - I "have to carry" a 600mm f/4.0 lens, 2 Z9s and other lenses and bodies + gear and so "had to" buy the Extra Large DV Core Unit and like you as a result I also had to by the X70. I bought the optional rain cover as well. It fits my OLD round sho9rt shape wonderfully and weighs ONLY ~3kg when empty. I found that my Iphone 13 Pro EXtra with its Joy Factory case just fits in the strap pocket. Like others I unzipped and removed the internal sack. I doubt I can carry it onto my flights to africa (possibly ok for London to Nairobi or JoBerg) but not on publicly accessible internal flights and so will continue to use the far less comfortable Gura Gear Barflae I bought a long time ago for that or check the X70 in located inside a hard shell suitcase ( a choice I have made many times - with good travel/camera insurance). My summary is that the X70 is wonderful -- but there is not much space for other gear inside it while flying. Yes later you can add lots to the top and outside. It also lacks a really secure point to fit a lock or chain that can be used to make it harder for the bag to be stolen. Some ThinkTank bags include this as standard.

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

Those are all fair points, I’ve since got the explore 30 and 25 and Action X50, all incredible in their lane. I can see what you mean about securing the X70 for air travel.

[@richardturner81]

Nice B-roll Jonny 👍🏻

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

Thanks very much Richard, it was really fun to shoot.

[@L.Nyquist]

Great video!! I Been trying to get my hands on this bag, I also will use it for mirrorless. I have my 200-600 so I Hope There is a XL core unit.

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

Thank you. There is the XL DV unit which looks huge.

[@geraintlyons]

I've just bought the x70. I've got R5 with l bracket, 70-200, 28-70 & 14-35 and drone that will mostly always be in the bag. Are you happy with the DV core unit? I'm trying to figure out which one I should get.

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

It’s great, but I use the smaller core units day to day since making this video.

[@StudioLD]

Oh ye i was tryna get a capture clip too

[@ShimodaDesigns]

Well done - Thank you Jonny.

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

My pleasure! Thanks for putting the time into designing this bag. Been looking for the perfect bag for ages, found it!

[@steffen1776]

How do you carry all that stuff without using the hip straps :-D? You must have Hulks shoulders ;-)

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

I actually do have a disproportionately strong back. But in a video coming really soon I carry about 18kg and put the hip straps on, way more comfortable. When I first got the bag I was just excited to be able to hike without the flappy hip straps :)

[@seabreezeof]

@@ItsJonnyKeeley Exactly, that's the point of hip straps to take the load off your shoulders . How does the outer shell clean up?

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

​@@seabreezeof Cleans up perfectly, good as new. I can imagine harsh scuffs being permanent since it's placed down on the front of the bag to access, but mud cleans off fine.

[@SamLucas26]

I’m start stealing that line when I talk about products on my channel, “this is a not sponsored look at...” Succinct, to the point... I like it lol

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

Ha, thanks Sam. Yeah as you can imagine, I tried all sorts of waffling, stuck with this in the end :)

[@SamLucas26]

It was definitely the right choice 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼

[@wesbaynham1634]

Great in depth review Jonny. How do you you think the X70 would fair for wild camping on a multiday hike? So for me that would be 3-4kg of camera gear plus tent, food, water, sleeping bag and all the rest, probably totalling 18-22kg. Is the Shimoda up to it comfort wise, or do you think a large Osprey pack with inserts is a better option? Regards Wes

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

Hi Wes, that's the exact reason I bought mine. I haven't used it that way yet, but having used it for hiking with camera stuff I'm confident. I have a recent video where I vlog a trip to Snowdonia, it's not about the bag but it might give you a bit more of an idea of it. Thanks for watching mate.

[@wesbaynham1634]

@@ItsJonnyKeeley Great thanks Jonny. I'll have a look at the Snowdonia video you mentioned. I'm waiting for Osprey to make a big 70 litre camera backpack ! Now that would be perfect for wild camping I'm sure!

[@rns2222]

Very well done, thank you

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

My pleasure!

[@correctaperture]

ATTENTION: DAMAGE IS VERY LIKELY TO YOUR ACTION X50 IT HAS ISSUES WITH DESIGN OF BASE FABRIC MATERIAL. Please read below including response from Shimoda design team.... Your marketing seemed pretty clear to me that this new extra tough model from the Shimoda range has an extra tough base material built in. But what I've actually found after just a few outings and three weeks ownership is that the base is actually made from a less abrasion resistant material than the coated nylon you have put on the rest of the product, and in fact all your ranges prior. You seem to be in the defence already here on expected life span of surface materials. I can assure you 100% my action X50 has been handled with care when laying it's back on the ground, and I am horrified by how fast the base has surcumed to damage compared to the rest of the packs surface this is surely a design flaws as it does not hold the same tough nylon laminated properties as the main bags surface area. I promise you all surface areas of the product have been exposed to an equal abrasion situation on my photography trips as the pack has to lie backside down during access to the rear door panel as you are aware. I never sit it on the base, and it's a true error in the manufacturing choice of material as if you would have continued to keep to your original series formula of ripstop reinforced coated nylon the base material would not in my opinion have suffered this same damage in a short space of time, as is proven by the material exposed to the same rigur above this area on my bag. I am a very careful owner of all my outdoor gear and look after everything I use, as I expect many months and years of use. This is not acceptable I am sure you will agree, here In my assessment stated. RESPONSE BELOW FROM SHIMODA... hi Chris, Our bags are designed for outdoor environments, regardless of how many days they have been in the field - abrasion can cause damage to the pack. They are not indestructible and I do not think our marketing has ever claimed them to be. Ian Millar, Shimoda.

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

I will let you know if my pack suffers similar damage. Currently not. Thanks for watching mate.

[@correctaperture]

@@ItsJonnyKeeley thanks John for responding to my shocking experience on Shimoda's newest range of action bags, I can assure you my X50 has not lasted well on my first few seascape photography outings and it's a shame Shimoda chose to use a poorer material on the base of the bag the actual area where most abrasion occurs. If they had continued with the coated ripstop reinforced nylon as used over their ranges to date this weakness would probably never has come to light. They claim the base is newly reinforced, but this is with an inferior finish to the bags main material. It won't last like the rest of the bag and damage has occurred very quickly on mine. I am upset as this bag was at the top end of my budget, and I haven't yet been able to afford the additional cost of the insert. I don't get given free products unfortunately to write glittering reviews so I can boost sales.

[@29chhangte]

It almost all about core unit and your camera gears,, the bag itself is what i would want to hear about. Is it all waterproof, how many pockets, clothing capacity with demonstrations, hidden pockets, waist straps which you said you remove it without the review of it, and all the other stuffs. That's what i would like to know. Bad review.

[@ItsJonnyKeeley]

Sounds like you need to head over to the shimoda videos for the in depth review. They did make the bag after all. This video is as you say more about how I plan on using the bag. (The videos you are looking for already exist and are easy to find). I could answer some of your questions in this comment but I really want to, based on your tone.