Fujifilm X-Photographer Bryan Minear took our waxed canvas Camps Bay backpack on a recent trip to the California coast. Here’s how he packs his mirrorless kits—and a look into how he captures the surreal landscapes that first caught our eye:
At the beginning of December I had to travel to California for a part-work, part-fun gig in Southern California. Of the many camera bags that I own, I decided to give the Camps Bay backpack a shot. Having just received it a few days prior to leaving, I wasn’t sure it would be able to hold all that I needed it to for a big trip. I was blown away by its classy “non-camera bag” look as well as the leather detailing.
After opening it up and messing around with the configuration of the high quality padded dividers, I just dove in. As a landscape photographer, I have an “everything and the kitchen sink” mentality. And to my pleasant surprise, all that I wanted to bring fit perfectly in the bag in a nice, neat fashion.
Being that this was only my 2nd trip to California and my first to the coast, I didn’t want to have to hold anything back just because I was strapped for room. One of the perks of the FUJIFILM X System is that I am able to bring a lot of gear without having to worry about my bag being too heavy, on account of everything being so small and light compared to a DSLR system.
In my bag:
- FUJIFILM X-T2
- FUJIFILM X-Pro2
- FUJIFILM XF10-24mmF4 R OIS
- FUJIFILM XF16mmF1.4 R WR
- FUJIFILM XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR
- FUJIFILM XF35mmF1.4 R
- FUJIFILM XF56mmF1.2 R
- FUJIFILM XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR
- Formatt-HItech Firecrest Holder
- Formatt-HItech Firecrest 10-stop ND & 3-stop ND Grad
- 13” Macbook Pro
- 1TB SSD Hard Drive
- Anker PowerCore 20000
The bag functioned as my carry-on for my flight and I always need a bag that is flexible. The top of this bag features a special divider that allows you to expand the top storage area from 4” to 7”. Moving it to the 7” position was perfect for allowing me to carry headphones, extra batteries, an extra shirt in case my checked bag got lost, and anything else I needed to quickly stow while airport hopping. This top portion also functions as a perfect stash pocket for an extra camera while out shooting when you don’t want to fully put something away. The Camps Bay is the perfect size for an under the seat carry-on and also small enough that on my flight from Seattle to San Diego that I could quickly pull it out when I realized we were flying over the beautiful Eastern Sierra Mountains. I was able to grab my X-T2 with XF50-140mm and XF1.4X Teleconverter to snap some shots as we flew overhead.
When I finally landed and spent some time shooting between the mountains of Anza Borrego and the rocky coast of SoCal, I wasn’t worried about sand or spray from the ocean because of the waxed canvas kept dirt and moisture away from my gear. And the side pockets are nice and tight which makes them perfect for stowing a small tripod to keep my hands free while on the go.
All in all, this bag is an instant favorite. The classic styling and details really make it stand completely alone in the category of camera bags that don’t actually look like camera bags. But you definitely are not trading style for functionality. For a smaller bag, it has tons of space and a heavy duty build quality that ONA is known for – and pairs perfectly with FUJIFILM X Series gear.
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