Amateur Photographer - UK (2020-05-16)

58 16 May 2020I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113

Testbench ACCESSORIES

Ataglance

●Volume: 12 litres

●Camerainsertdimensions:

25x10x21cm

●Externalbackpack

dimensions:33x19x44cm

● Weight: 1.6kg

OVERthepastfewyearswe’veseena pushfrombag

manufacturerstomaketheirbackpacksmorefunctional

andversatile.Onewayin whichthey’vedonethisis to

implementa so-calledinternalcameraunit(ICU),which

canbestrippedoutin a matterof secondstoturna

camerabackpackintoa moregeneralpurposeone,

savingtheneedof havingtoown,orbuy,twoseparate

bags.ThelatestbackpacktojoinManfrotto’srange

conformstothisidea,withtheaddedbenefit thatthe

internalcameraunitcanberemovedandusedasa

shoulderbagwiththesuppliedstrap.

Whenusedasa photographybackpack,accesstokit

is viathesides.TheICUoffersadequatespacetohouse

a full-framemirrorlesscamerawithstandardzoom

attached,withroomtosparefortwotothreeadditional

lenses,ora largelenssuchasa 70-200mmf/2.8.The

twomaininternaldividerscanberearrangedasdesired

andyoualsogeta pairof redslimlinedividerstoprotect

lensesandpreventthemrattlingaround.TheICUfits

snuglyandyouhavetounfastenclipsoneitherside

beforeit canbepulledoutandusedasa shoulder

bag.Ontheinsideof thesideopeningsof the

backpackthere’sa dedicatedgimbalpocketthat

easilyfits a DJIOSMOPocketandoppositethisis

a zippedpocketwithcompartmentsforsmall

itemssuchasbatteries,chargers,cablesand

memorycards.Underthetopflapthere’sanarea

topackwaterproofs,food,headphonesora few

otherlargeritems.Double-sidedexternalstretch

pocketsarealsoprovidedonbothsidesandarea good

placeforstoringwaterbottles,mapsorotheressentialbut

non-valuableitems.A tripodcanbeattachedin upto

threeconfigurations,andaswellasthetreatedwater-

repellentexternalfabric,thebackpackis suppliedwitha

raincovertoprotectyourkitduringheavydownpours.

Loadingthebagandgivingit a testona longwalk

revealedit offersgoodpaddingagainstyourback,

withthethickstrapsdistributingweightwell

acrosstheshoulders.Thesewerepulled

togetherusingtheelasticatedandheight-

adjustablesternumstrap.Myonlycriticismis

thattheshoulderstrapfortheICUisn’tsupplied

withananti-slipshoulderpadandthebackpack

lacksa waiststraptopreventit swaying when

runningormoving quickly.

Verdict
TheChicagoBackpackis a welldesignedthree-in-one
bag.Youcanadaptit tomeetyourrequirementswhen
travellingandthenstripit outcompletelytoturnit intoa
general-purposebackpackwhenyou’renotheadingout
withyourcamera.There’slittletofault,however it is a
ALL PRICES ARE APPROXIMATE STREET PRICEStouch on the expensive side for its size.

If youlikethesoundof theChicagoBackpack

Small,butfeelit mightnotbelargeenough

foryourkit,Manfrottoalsomakesit in

mediumsize.Withinsertdimensionsof

28x11x21cmandexternaldimensions

of 35x20x49cm,this18-litrebackpack

hasenoughspaceto swallowa

full-frameDSLRor mirrorlesscamera

withstandardzoomattached,plusupto

threeor fourlensesanda 15inlaptop.

Otherthanitssizeandprice(£209),it’s

identical to the Chicago Small.

ALSO IN THE RANGE

Manfrotto Chicago

Backpack Small

MichaelTophamtestsabagdesigned

foron-the-gomirrorless users

● £179● http://www.manfrotto.co.uk

Pockets

Thebagfeatures

pocketsforaccessorieson

theinnerfaceoftheside

accessopenings.

Functional

design

Thebagcanbeusedasa

camerabackpackor,with

theinternalcameraunit

removed,asa general

backpackor

shoulderbag.

Carry-on

compatible

Thedimensionsof thebag

fitmostairlines’carry-on

luggagerestrictionsbut

alwayscheckbefore

travelling.

Laptop

compartment

Thelaptopcompartmentis

separatefromthemain

compartmentandstoresa

14inlaptop.

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