Tripods and backpacks play a huge role in photography. Choosing the right gear can be daunting, but it’s a worthwhile investment. The two backpacks and a tripod I use are:
- MindShift rotation180° Panorama 22L Backpack (for longer trips)
- MindShift Gear PhotoCross 13 Sling Bag (for short day trips)
- Slik Sprint Pro II Tripod with SBH-100DQ Ball Head
MindShift rotation180° Panorama 22L Backpack
When doing my research on backpacks, I came across two brands that I liked: MindShift and Lowepro. I ultimately decided on MindShift because I really like the quick access of the fanny pack that comes with the bag. Check out how easy it is to access and put away:
To give you an idea of what fits, here’s what I fit into the bag:
- Filter case
- Stack of 6 filters (plus caps and adapter rings)
- Four lenses
- Mirrorless camera
I could probably fit a few more things if I wanted, such as small papers, SD cards, and a couple of spare batteries.
This bag has two other compartments. One at the very top that I use to hold small things like tactical gloves. And another that is larger that I use to mostly hold food and water. For scale, I put in a standard sized water bottle.
I really like how the bag has a little pocket to stabilize tripod legs. It also has a buckle at the top to strap in the tripod.
The rotation180° is also very comfortable. During our 6hr Lakes Trail hike in Sequoia National Park during a snowy winter, and again during the summer, I barely got any aches and pains using this bag.
MindShift Gear PhotoCross 13 Sling Bag
This next bag is great for smaller outings. The tripod still fits, although a bit more awkwardly than with the rotation180°. Here’s what it looks like with and without a tripod:
Because almost all of the interior is divided into slots for camera gear, I can fit everything I could in the rotation180°, plus an extra lens! I also have a rain cover that fits nicely.
One of the unique things about this bag is that it has a horizontal divider cover. Here’s what the interior of the bag looks like with all of my gear. On the right, I flipped the cover down on the left segment. As you can see, a few more items could easily fit in there.
The PhotoCross boasts weatherproof zippers, and so far, they have stood up to the elements. In the images below, hopefully you can see how good of a seal there is with the zipper. The exterior straps are removable, and the rain cover fits like a glove.
Filter Caps
As a quick aside, I use the Fotasy aluminum alloy slim filter caps to store my filters. I love these caps because they are low-profile, which allows me to save space in my backpack.
Slik Sprint Pro II Tripod with SBH-100DQ Ball Head
Okay, I have a confession. When I first got into photography, before I bought myself my camera, I didn’t think about tripods. I thought, “A tripod’s a tripod, why not get a cheap one?”. So I settled with this cheap Acuvar tripod and tried to shoot the night sky with only my phone. I remember driving to Keys View at Joshua Tree National Park, setting up my phone with the tripod, and taking a 10sec exposure of the sky. The wind almost blew over the setup! After I bought my mirrorless, I decided that it was time to invest in a decent tripod.
One thing I really like about the Slik Sprint Pro II is how you can take the legs out and set up the camera close to the ground:
This set up is how I got my stained glass shot at Lake Kaweah. The tripod also has a decent ball head that allows for smooth rotation in pretty much all axes. I also like how the viewfinder in my camera is at my eye level when the tripod is fully set up.
I don’t know how it would handle a heavier DSLR with a longer telephoto lens. But for my mirrorless camera with a 75-300mm lens fully zoomed, it holds very steady, even with the center pole extended.
What’s your go-to gear? Do you have any advice for buying tripods and backpacks?