We know this is another camera bag review, but let’s face it: camera bags are like Pokemon for photographers: you have to catch them all. There is no such thing as the perfect camera bag, as no camera bag can truly adapt to every situation a photographer faces, but I think the Incase DSLR Pro Pack comes closest to being versatile.
Don’t get me wrong, I like to travel light. I like to challenge myself and push myself to create more with less. It was really exciting and refreshing to go out on the streets with just my Leica rangefinder and a 35mm lens. I don’t even need a camera case. I just sling it over my shoulder and the camera and subject become one. Heck, there’s nothing wrong with taking pictures with your phone when you go out! You know what they say about the best cameras…
But I am a full-time professional photographer. I primarily shoot weddings and concerts; in both cases, you don’t know what gear will work best until you’re there. My life revolved around escorting a bride and groom to a place I hadn’t been in most of my life. Even if I had been there before, the weather often dictates the day’s shooting plans. There’s really no point in planning anything. You just have to master your craft, believe in yourself, and adapt to the situation. Concert photography is a little more predictable, especially if you’re shooting the same place over and over again, but I’ve experienced countless awkward moments when performers changed locations at the last minute. There’s nothing more annoying than getting ready to shoot a performance in the orchestra pit only to find that you’re shooting from a console 125 feet away and you didn’t bring a telephoto lens. In fact, there’s something even more frustrating: you plan to shoot on a wooden board and they tell you to shoot from a pit. It’s hard to use a 400mm lens when the guitarist is so close to you that he’s sweating. And when you’re traveling, it’s even more difficult. You don’t want to risk something being thousands of miles away. Any place that rents equipment is probably closed. Trust me, they are closed. And they’re always closed when you need them.
So sometimes you really do need to carry a lot of stuff. I call these bags and cases my “war chests,” and my favorite for the last five years has been the absolutely fantastic, amazing Think Tank Airport International V2.0 Camera Bag. This is, without a doubt, one of the best large camera bags ever made. It has spinner wheels, a built-in TSA lock and lanyard, can carry a lot of stuff, has strong, impact-resistant walls, and is sized to meet international carry-on standards. With few exceptions, you won’t have to check your camera gear, but even if you do, you can rest assured that it will arrive safely. But as I said, there is no perfect bag. The Think Tank Camera Bag is rigid, bulky, expensive, and has no shoulder straps, making it difficult to carry on challenging hikes and up stairs. I’ve always had the “War Chest” concept in mind. Since 2010, I’ve been carrying a Think Tank on almost every commercial and wedding shoot, along with a crossbody bag (usually an Incase Ari) that I use as a transition bag when I need to travel light. This method has worked well over the years, but I’ve always wanted an alternative.
I love Incase. The Ari is my favorite shoulder bag. It’s beautifully designed and well-made. So you can imagine how excited I was to get the Incase bag, as it seemed like it would solve my problem. The Incase DSLR Pro is a camera bag-cum-backpack. It’s quite large and functional, almost like a suitcase, but with the convenience and practicality of what I would call a backpack. If it had hard, impact-resistant walls, I could use it as a backpack. And here’s the amazing thing: the DSLR Pro is smaller than the Think Tank in every way, weighing only one-sixth as much (2.5 pounds versus 14 pounds), yet it has shoulder straps and can carry just as much gear! In fact, the DSLR Pro easily fits a 15-inch Macbook Pro without having to buy an extra divider like the Think Tank, and even if you put a laptop in it, it only adds a few pounds without reducing the capacity.
Now let me be clear that when I compare these two backpacks, I see that they have some unique design choices. While they are all designed to carry a lot of stuff, one of them is made for travel. You don’t want to carry your Think Tank with you. It’s designed to be relatively fixed, so you can use it for exercise. It can also be carried in your carry-on on a plane and in the overhead compartment. While their end uses are different, the DSLR Pro backpack allows me to narrow the Think Tank’s use down to commercial shoots. I left everything at home and have attended eight weddings in the last two months.
And the best part is that this bag can hold most of the camera gear and lenses that the average photographer would need. It can fit two professional DSLRs with handheld grips, as well as multiple lenses and flashes. It’s tall enough to fit a DSLR on top, a 70-200 lens in the middle, and another DSLR on the bottom. In fact, there’s a zippered opening at the top so you can take out your DSLR and lenses and start shooting without having to open the main compartment all the way. It’s a battle chest that can be used at any time, which is something I’ve never thought about before. It has a wide range of uses. It has multiple velcro dividers, and you can rearrange the internal compartments to accommodate just about any gear you need for your shoot, and you can make those changes very quickly.
While this bag can accommodate a DSLR with a handle, it is a bit cramped in terms of depth. When zipped up, the hot shoe can feel a bit prickly, as the hot shoe cover is sandwiched between it and the back of the bag. This can be solved by removing the handle before storing the camera. In most cases, there is enough room to fit both shoes in one compartment, even when using a tripod or a strap mount (like the MoneyMaker or Black Rapid). Even the 70-200 lens with its tripod ring and mount is deep enough to not cause discomfort.
A neat feature of the design of this bag is that the main compartment is located at the back of the bag, i.e. the side that is closest to your back when you are wearing it. So when you need to get your gear, just take the pack off your shoulders and place the front part on the ground. This design has many advantages. The part that you carry on your back will not directly touch the ground, so your back will not get dirty; and since the “cover” fits tightly to your back while you are carrying it, it can prevent your gear from falling out if the zipper is not fully closed in some situations. In fact, they designed the main compartment with one zipper instead of the standard two-zip design. I was a little disappointed at first, thinking that this would slow me down for a second or two, but I quickly realized that the bottom would easily come undone if I only zipped it halfway. This design has undoubtedly saved me from damaging my camera. However, the most important advantage of this design is the weight distribution. This design allows you to place all the heaviest gear as close to your back as possible, keeping the center of gravity in the middle. Even with fully loaded backpacks, my wife and I never felt constrained.
Other nice design details include a variety of functional pockets, some with zippers, some without. The top front pocket is the perfect size for carrying a laptop charger and CF card reader with cable. The laptop compartment can accommodate not only a computer, but also an iPad, notebooks, light meters, pens, and other interesting items. There is a very sturdy tripod carrying system on the side. While the tripod is quite sturdy, I would have liked to see clips to make attaching and removing the tripod easier. The straps have adjustable side support clips, just like a typical backpack. I can’t help but comment on the quality of the clips and straps. I have never seen them break, wear out, or come loose. In fact, the quality of the materials throughout is very good. Everything is covered in tough 480D ballistic nylon, the straps are thick but not bulky, and there are interior pockets and a padded main compartment. The back panel is also made of breathable mesh, and the interior features large mesh pockets with zippers and Velcro for carrying additional items.
One of the design elements that throws me off (though that might just be me) is the slightly trapezoid shape of the bag. It’s slightly wider at the top than the bottom. Every time I flip the back up and put it on my back, I want to wear it upside down because my brain thinks the wide part is at the bottom. And since it’s at the back, there are no markers to immediately tell me which way. The entire bag is black, so it’s hard to see which way the straps are going. I actually asked another photographer friend who has the bag if she did the same thing, and she just told me I was crazy. Oh well. It’s silly and not a big deal to me, but I would have loved to see an embroidered logo on the top of the back panel to clear up any doubt.
To see this bag in action in the real world, check out this video from a photographer shooting the race:
I was touched. I was really touched. This is now my favorite bag. I also don’t have to fill it all the way up every time. For example, when doing a family photo shoot, I can fill half the bag. Sure, a shoulder bag might be less bulky, but I don’t feel overloaded if I’m already packed and I’m too lazy to change things out to save space. I finally have a bag that I can take to weddings, out on city walks, and outdoors with the bride and groom, and still have all the creative tools I need at my fingertips. I finally have a bag that I can take to a concert without feeling silly. Is this the perfect bag? It doesn’t exist. I’ll continue to collect all the bags, but this will always be my favorite.
Sean Morin is an award-winning Indianapolis-based photographer specializing in weddings, portraits, travel, and music photography. His work has been featured in galleries and magazines such as Popular Photography and Rolling Stone.
I’m thinking about buying a new camera bag. My LowePro Magnum 35 camera bag has served me well for years and holds a Canon A-1 motorized camera, lenses, filters, an external flash, and a Sunpak 522 potato masher. I bought a used F-1N motorized camera, but the F-1N motorized camera is a bit larger than the A-1 and won’t take up as much space as the A-1. Once I add lenses, flashes, and other accessories to my 5D III, I’ll need a bag that will fit it all.
This has been my go-to camera bag for backpacking for the past few years and I am very happy with it. As you mentioned, my biggest complaint is that it is not deep enough for a DSLR with a handle. Otherwise, it is a great bag and I am always surprised at how much stuff it can hold. The only improvement I would like to see is a more sturdy support system, like a backpack or hiking backpack. These camera bags have very poor support and are way too heavy!
I’ve had this bag for a few years now and I’m amazed at how much stuff I can fit in it (I shoot photos and video so I have to carry all sorts of stuff), but I’m also amazed at how durable it is. I didn’t think the zipper or lining would be that strong, but considering how much abuse it’s taken, it’s holding up pretty well so far. It’s a perfect fit for an A7 series camera, but I think there would be more room on top for a full-size DSLR with a battery grip.
Otherwise I would do serious research on this company and keep a close eye on them. Fully modular, weatherproof industrial zippers for the same price (sometimes cheaper).