Awesome review, Nick. You communicate very well and concisely. I appreciated your critique of the water bladder location, and agree wholeheartedly. I purchased the Sukha in part as a result of your review, but also because I don't need to meet the carry-on requirements, as I rarely fly. The Sukha seems to have much beefier shoulder straps, and is a dream to carry. One critique I have is that with the XL Pro ICU, which I believe you said you have, one can't access all the gear without actually removing the ICU, as the backpack's port (even in the larger Sukha) doesn't fully cover the top three or four inches of the XL size. Just something to mention to those considering it--just fine as transport, but not as a quick means to access ALL the stored equipment. Thanks again, Nick!
I just got back from Puerto Rico with my F Stop Tilopa and was really impressed how small the compression straps got the bag. I was able to bring it on as a carry on with room to spare. I'm pretty sure the metal frame that inside is the only limiting factor in how small the bag could get. Great video Nick. Thanks
Nice! I fly with my F-Stop Tilopa all the time. No problem on mainline jets, but it's a little dicey on commuter jets. I usually put my tripod in my rollaway and check it, and carry the bag with me. Nice review!
I own two F-Stop bags and they are awesome. Best bags I've ever owned. Yes, they are expensive, but the quality and versatility are 2nd to none. Highly recommended.
What the heck! I've litterally been searching RUclips for a decent English review of this bag! For several months. I click on my subscriptions and here is Nick Page doing one haha. Awesome! I'm going to buy one
My twin bro got me a Tamrac Evolution 8.. I love it, it's a bit smaller than I thought, but I streamlined my gear and got rid of stuff I don't use and it's fantastic. I had been using a terrible bag before that
Those loop things are called molli webbing, mostly used for mounting additional pouches and such, but those don't really look like they can be used for anything useful.
that "weird" stuff on the inside is just molle webbing. it's used on military equitment and it's just like a universal system that u can strap stuff too.
Great review! I just got the Lotus after debating it for a couple years. My main interest was a camera bag that also had a water bladder since I mainly do nature photography which requires hiking. I do agree about the water bladder location though. I’m glad to know you can fly with yours because that was something I was concerned about with my slightly smaller Lotus. Cheers!
Great review Nick. I have the F Stop Satori and Lotus. The Satori is a bit on the large side for air travel, but one of the tips I found was to ditch some of your non expensive camera items which usually go in the space at the top or sides of the bag and pack them into your main bag which will allow the top and sides to smoosh into a smaller space. But then there's the hassle of repacking after your get to your destination. I have a love/hate relationship with those zippers. They are great for keeping water out, but I do a lot of cursing when the sky is lighting up in front of me and that stupid bag won't open. Maybe it's just the particular bag I have, but I have to work to get those zippers to open.
Just bought the F-Stop Sukha in Black a little bigger but a 10/10 camera bag with the large ICU Pro. Can't go wrong strongly recommended. Also suggest doing a little survival kit, first aid kit or EDC bag inside in case you get stranded when out and about doing your scouting or location hunting or landscape photography.
Sigh yeah...my Mindshift 180 was so expensive that I feel obligated to love it. But the waist compartment is REALLY disappointingly small, holds only camera body and two lenses at MOST and I am finding myself more often than not getting into it AFTER I take the bag off. I almost never have it on my back when I get at my camera because I use a tripod for most of my photography. I am rarely hand holding my camera. So the BIG PLUS that I thought I had with this Mindshift bag might not be a plus at all. I can barely fit a good ICU in the main compartment soooo maybe I should try and sell it for an F-Stop bag before my Mindshift bag gets too used. Thanks once again, Nick! Totally following your advice like a diligent acolyte... :D -Aaron
Aaron, I use a Mindshift 180 and always carry a tripod, either in my hand or in front of me hanging from the strap system. If I'm using one of the 2 lenses I have in the waist pack, I don't take off the bag. I pull out the legs of the tripod and put it on the ground, swivel out the waist pack, put a lens on the camera (with a polarizing filter if necessary, they also store in the waist pack), mount them on the tripod, and I'm ready to go. I only have to take off the backpack if I'm using a lens from the insert in the back and/or if I need to use a grad ND. I presume you attach the tripod to the back of your Mindshift 180 pack and that's why you have to take the pack off to shoot? You can buy the straps to attach your tripod to the bag ($49) and carry it in front of you, hanging from the backpack. It balances the weight much better than sticking it on the back.
Hi ! thanks for your very informative video ! i see you have a water bladder tube mounted directly in the bag's shoulder strap. Could you please tell me which bladder it is ? Thanks !
I got an F-Stop Lotus for my trip to Utah last year, and really like it. But, I have noticed that the space between the back of the ICU is kind-of the Twilight Zone, and things get lost down there. Any suggestions for utilizing that difficult to reach space a little more effectively. I did try tying small bags to the top of that compartment.
Hi Nick. A very comprehensive review as always! As a huge fan of thinkTANKPhoto backpacks and shoulder bags, I'm always hesitant to try other brands, as I've come to admire the extraordinary build quality and attention to detail of thinkTANKPhoto, as well as their superbly reliable YKK zippers. Can you compare the quality of the zippers of this backpack to the YKK zippers of thinkTANKPhoto? Thank you sir!
Agreed on MindShift rotation bags. I made an impulsive purchase but the bag (it's rotations unit) doesn't work so well. Looks good in promo videos but in reality it just doesn't work
I think that material inside the bag that you were unsure of my be for 35 mm film canisters in case you use film perhaps? Nice review though I don't think F-stoppers are available down under.
First time I used this bag on a commercial airline they made me check it. They said it was too large, the bag was almost empty, no tripod, only the med ICU.
How comfortable is this pack versus the Shimoda?looking for long hiking,backpacking pack,but noticed the shimoda actionx isnt shipping til april 2020,but needing a comfortable bag now...thanks
Ive been thinking about one of the smaller bags, but i cant quite work out the sizing. The bag is 37 litres, but then they dont say how much litre space the ICU i'd buy will take up so i dont kow what else I can fit in it.
Its actually called the MOLLE system that uses military MOLLE style attachment points like tactical gear. I use 511 tactical pouches or some I found on Amazon for my tools and first aid kit attached to them. They work nice.
Hey Nick, nice Video! Kinda dig that bag. Do you still use it? Any experiences regarding the straps and overall durability with long-term usage? BTW: How tall are you?
Nick Page Ah ok. Heard about Shimoda as well. Also great looking stuff. I’m a big guy, too. It’s very handy if you can do height adjustments on a bag. Sadly the newer Shimoda bags are not available here in Germany yet.
@@sashinger5230 yeah from what I understand the covid situation has really messed up production. The shimoda 60L explorer from the older release is also a very very good bag, I have a long term review on it.. I still love that bag and would use it.. if I didn't have the 50L
Nick Page Ok, that’s reasonable. Covid sucks big time. Hope you and your loved ones stay safe over there! Yeah, I like the x50 as well. But I also like the Ajna and the Tilopa. I think especially their ICUs are awesome. The Tilopa seems to have thicker straps btw, but I still don’t know if the whole thing fits my 6’2“ 250lbs elephant body. 😂 Always having a hard time buying stuff like that. Might check them all out as soon I get the chance. All the best and thx! Sash
it does.. blue, bright orange, black and whatever this is... kinda wish I would have gone with black I thought it would be a bit more drab green which would have shown the dirt less.
Hi Nick, how long did it take you to get the bag? (I mean from order to delivery) Just curious because I have one of these on order. Nice videos - keep up the good work !
Just a video suggestion here, but to end this video, you could have videoed yourself walking away, which would have shown off the camera bag immensely as you faded into the distance.
with my phone! the wifi works great on the camera. I would tap to focus.. then start and stop the video all from my phone, and check the composition. Pretty crazy how much of an improvement the 5d iv is over the 5d III for the video side of things.
I would have purchased an f-stop bag for my travels, except from many sources online stopping me. Bags being delayed in their delivery for months on end, former employees saying that the ceo is completely wack and financially irresponsible, etc. It stopped me from purchasing one of their bags, which is disappointing because their form factor to seemed to provide solutions for 94% of my problems.
I'm really glad I got one when I did because they really are great bags, but it was definitely really inconvenient. I think it was delayed about four months. They don't advertise this, but you can have them send you a loner bag for free, you just pay for the return shipping whenever you get your actual bag. I'm happy to have mine, but I probably wouldn't go through ordering one again.
I bet. If I had the time to wait, I would have sunk the money into one. They seem like they are awesome, so I'm happy that you are content with the quality. Unfortunately, I was about to start some travel and couldn't wait a few months to get one.
I think F-Stop has really worked to address this, as the site now clearly posts when things should ship, and with my Sukha, delivery was within two weeks--not fast, by any measure, but apparently a quantum improvement!
Looking at grabbing this bag. Was told by rep that you can slide a 15" macbook between the icu and sleeve for it. Do you think that's accurate? Thanks for the review btw very helpful
Duc Ta, For smaller kits like mirrorless (I shoot the Fuji X-System), I find that several of the thinkTANKPhoto bags, such as the Trifecta 10, or ShapeShifter 17 V2.0, fit under the seat of a typical commercial jet. I have yet to try any of the F Stop gear.
Lowe Pro Fastrack 150 AW2 for everyday Hikes/Travel - $60. I've climbed 40 of the 53, 14ers in Colorado with a Mammut day pack and camera insert - $120 Maybe this "pro" retired at 54 because he spent and saved his money wisely. Cheers.
Nice work Nick, super well done video!
thanks man!
Awesome review, Nick. You communicate very well and concisely. I appreciated your critique of the water bladder location, and agree wholeheartedly. I purchased the Sukha in part as a result of your review, but also because I don't need to meet the carry-on requirements, as I rarely fly. The Sukha seems to have much beefier shoulder straps, and is a dream to carry.
One critique I have is that with the XL Pro ICU, which I believe you said you have, one can't access all the gear without actually removing the ICU, as the backpack's port (even in the larger Sukha) doesn't fully cover the top three or four inches of the XL size. Just something to mention to those considering it--just fine as transport, but not as a quick means to access ALL the stored equipment.
Thanks again, Nick!
I just got back from Puerto Rico with my F Stop Tilopa and was really impressed how small the compression straps got the bag. I was able to bring it on as a carry on with room to spare. I'm pretty sure the metal frame that inside is the only limiting factor in how small the bag could get.
Great video Nick. Thanks
Nice! I fly with my F-Stop Tilopa all the time. No problem on mainline jets, but it's a little dicey on commuter jets. I usually put my tripod in my rollaway and check it, and carry the bag with me. Nice review!
I own two F-Stop bags and they are awesome. Best bags I've ever owned. Yes, they are expensive, but the quality and versatility are 2nd to none. Highly recommended.
What the heck! I've litterally been searching RUclips for a decent English review of this bag! For several months. I click on my subscriptions and here is Nick Page doing one haha. Awesome! I'm going to buy one
haha nice! great timing.
Nice review!
I have had this bag now for almost a year now, and I am extremely happy with it.
My twin bro got me a Tamrac Evolution 8.. I love it, it's a bit smaller than I thought, but I streamlined my gear and got rid of stuff I don't use and it's fantastic. I had been using a terrible bag before that
Nick, f-stop has a bag available to put your water bladder in, provides that extra bit of water proofing in case of a leak.
I ordered one for my Kashmir bag and it works great for the bladder. Waiting for my Ajna to arrive now lol
Those loop things are called molli webbing, mostly used for mounting additional pouches and such, but those don't really look like they can be used for anything useful.
that "weird" stuff on the inside is just molle webbing. it's used on military equitment and it's just like a universal system that u can strap stuff too.
Hi mate was starting to wonder when the next video was coming out great work again
Great review! I just got the Lotus after debating it for a couple years. My main interest was a camera bag that also had a water bladder since I mainly do nature photography which requires hiking. I do agree about the water bladder location though. I’m glad to know you can fly with yours because that was something I was concerned about with my slightly smaller Lotus. Cheers!
Great review Nick. I have the F Stop Satori and Lotus. The Satori is a bit on the large side for air travel, but one of the tips I found was to ditch some of your non expensive camera items which usually go in the space at the top or sides of the bag and pack them into your main bag which will allow the top and sides to smoosh into a smaller space. But then there's the hassle of repacking after your get to your destination. I have a love/hate relationship with those zippers. They are great for keeping water out, but I do a lot of cursing when the sky is lighting up in front of me and that stupid bag won't open. Maybe it's just the particular bag I have, but I have to work to get those zippers to open.
Just bought the F-Stop Sukha in Black a little bigger but a 10/10 camera bag with the large ICU Pro. Can't go wrong strongly recommended. Also suggest doing a little survival kit, first aid kit or EDC bag inside in case you get stranded when out and about doing your scouting or location hunting or landscape photography.
6:00 those are cable management slots for chargers etc if anyone is wondering
I have multiple ICU's and sometimes I just put multiple ones in a large suitcase, super versatile.
Nice review, I fly with my F-stop Lotus all the time
Timothy Tan The Lotus also fits under many airline seats. I use mine as my second carry on.
Sigh yeah...my Mindshift 180 was so expensive that I feel obligated to love it. But the waist compartment is REALLY disappointingly small, holds only camera body and two lenses at MOST and I am finding myself more often than not getting into it AFTER I take the bag off. I almost never have it on my back when I get at my camera because I use a tripod for most of my photography. I am rarely hand holding my camera. So the BIG PLUS that I thought I had with this Mindshift bag might not be a plus at all. I can barely fit a good ICU in the main compartment soooo maybe I should try and sell it for an F-Stop bag before my Mindshift bag gets too used.
Thanks once again, Nick! Totally following your advice like a diligent acolyte... :D
-Aaron
Aaron, I use a Mindshift 180 and always carry a tripod, either in my hand or in front of me hanging from the strap system. If I'm using one of the 2 lenses I have in the waist pack, I don't take off the bag. I pull out the legs of the tripod and put it on the ground, swivel out the waist pack, put a lens on the camera (with a polarizing filter if necessary, they also store in the waist pack), mount them on the tripod, and I'm ready to go. I only have to take off the backpack if I'm using a lens from the insert in the back and/or if I need to use a grad ND.
I presume you attach the tripod to the back of your Mindshift 180 pack and that's why you have to take the pack off to shoot? You can buy the straps to attach your tripod to the bag ($49) and carry it in front of you, hanging from the backpack. It balances the weight much better than sticking it on the back.
Very nice video!!! Good job!!! Thank you!!!!
Hi ! thanks for your very informative video !
i see you have a water bladder tube mounted directly in the bag's shoulder strap. Could you please tell me which bladder it is ? Thanks !
I got an F-Stop Lotus for my trip to Utah last year, and really like it. But, I have noticed that the space between the back of the ICU is kind-of the Twilight Zone, and things get lost down there. Any suggestions for utilizing that difficult to reach space a little more effectively. I did try tying small bags to the top of that compartment.
Hi Nick. A very comprehensive review as always! As a huge fan of thinkTANKPhoto backpacks and shoulder bags, I'm always hesitant to try other brands, as I've come to admire the extraordinary build quality and attention to detail of thinkTANKPhoto, as well as their superbly reliable YKK zippers. Can you compare the quality of the zippers of this backpack to the YKK zippers of thinkTANKPhoto? Thank you sir!
Agreed on MindShift rotation bags. I made an impulsive purchase but the bag (it's rotations unit) doesn't work so well. Looks good in promo videos but in reality it just doesn't work
I think that material inside the bag that you were unsure of my be for 35 mm film canisters in case you use film perhaps?
Nice review though I don't think F-stoppers are available down under.
Thanks for the excellent review, Nick :)!!
Also keep in mind this is an old review! I much prefer my Shimoda bags over this one
@@NickPage Oh Wow! I'll have to check those out! I've not heard of that brand :)!
LIke these, Nick? www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1394900-REG/tenba_520_001_explore_40_backpack_blue.html?
Hey Nick good work, you've got something for everyone ! In your gear, what multi tool do you recommend to fix stuff?
First time I used this bag on a commercial airline they made me check it. They said it was too large, the bag was almost empty, no tripod, only the med ICU.
How comfortable is this pack versus the Shimoda?looking for long hiking,backpacking pack,but noticed the shimoda actionx isnt shipping til april 2020,but needing a comfortable bag now...thanks
Nick what rig do you use for your vlogging. The quality of your video and sound is amazing.
Good vid. Looks like the kind of kit I need. Does anyone know the name/model of the Columbia coat Nick's wearing?
Ive been thinking about one of the smaller bags, but i cant quite work out the sizing. The bag is 37 litres, but then they dont say how much litre space the ICU i'd buy will take up so i dont kow what else I can fit in it.
Those loopy things are for the canisters that hold the rolls of 35mm Kodacolor film. :):):)
Its actually called the MOLLE system that uses military MOLLE style attachment points like tactical gear. I use 511 tactical pouches or some I found on Amazon for my tools and first aid kit attached to them. They work nice.
Thanks for the review!
What is the width of the water bladder compartment I'm trying to fit my MacBook Pro 2017 15 inch
Hey Nick, nice Video! Kinda dig that bag. Do you still use it? Any experiences regarding the straps and overall durability with long-term usage? BTW: How tall are you?
I don't, about 2 years ago I switched to shimoda bags. (this is an old video) My current bag is the shimoda Action X 50L
Nick Page Ah ok. Heard about Shimoda as well. Also great looking stuff. I’m a big guy, too. It’s very handy if you can do height adjustments on a bag. Sadly the newer Shimoda bags are not available here in Germany yet.
@@sashinger5230 yeah from what I understand the covid situation has really messed up production. The shimoda 60L explorer from the older release is also a very very good bag, I have a long term review on it.. I still love that bag and would use it.. if I didn't have the 50L
Nick Page Ok, that’s reasonable. Covid sucks big time. Hope you and your loved ones stay safe over there! Yeah, I like the x50 as well. But I also like the Ajna and the Tilopa. I think especially their ICUs are awesome. The Tilopa seems to have thicker straps btw, but I still don’t know if the whole thing fits my 6’2“ 250lbs elephant body. 😂 Always having a hard time buying stuff like that. Might check them all out as soon I get the chance. All the best and thx! Sash
Once again thankyou Nick. Question: Does this model come in different colours ???
it does.. blue, bright orange, black and whatever this is... kinda wish I would have gone with black I thought it would be a bit more drab green which would have shown the dirt less.
I have 2 bags already but if I ever got to Iceland with you, I believe I would get this one. Once again thank you for your time Nick. Regards, Allan
Hi Nick, how long did it take you to get the bag? (I mean from order to delivery)
Just curious because I have one of these on order.
Nice videos - keep up the good work !
I ordered one last Friday and the tracking shows estimated delivery this Friday.
Wrecks, wow you're lucky. I ordered over a month ago and they've told me "early spring" and no promises.
Nick, I'm a big guy like you. Does the waist strap fit you? My current bag's waist strap isn't long enough to fit my fluffiness!
+Justin McGuire it does.. even over the belly not just under it
They also make extension straps if you need them
Just a video suggestion here, but to end this video, you could have videoed yourself walking away, which would have shown off the camera bag immensely as you faded into the distance.
If I had a better butt maybe I would have hahaha j/k good ideas
Would the large be able to hold a 24-70, 70-200 2.8, 2 pro level DSLRs and a flash?
For sure with the XL icu
Did you shoot the video on 5d m4 on Auto focus?
I did!
How did u check the Framing? Via wifi,? Cuz it looks far and there's no Flip out screen...
with my phone! the wifi works great on the camera. I would tap to focus.. then start and stop the video all from my phone, and check the composition. Pretty crazy how much of an improvement the 5d iv is over the 5d III for the video side of things.
I really wish your in the field episodes looked like this video.
yeah it would be nice, I recorded this with the 5d iv.. so much larger and heavier than a go pro lol
I would have purchased an f-stop bag for my travels, except from many sources online stopping me. Bags being delayed in their delivery for months on end, former employees saying that the ceo is completely wack and financially irresponsible, etc. It stopped me from purchasing one of their bags, which is disappointing because their form factor to seemed to provide solutions for 94% of my problems.
I'm really glad I got one when I did because they really are great bags, but it was definitely really inconvenient. I think it was delayed about four months. They don't advertise this, but you can have them send you a loner bag for free, you just pay for the return shipping whenever you get your actual bag. I'm happy to have mine, but I probably wouldn't go through ordering one again.
I bet. If I had the time to wait, I would have sunk the money into one. They seem like they are awesome, so I'm happy that you are content with the quality. Unfortunately, I was about to start some travel and couldn't wait a few months to get one.
I think F-Stop has really worked to address this, as the site now clearly posts when things should ship, and with my Sukha, delivery was within two weeks--not fast, by any measure, but apparently a quantum improvement!
Now I want one 😩
watch out standing your F-Stop bags on rocks - the rubberized bottom will come apart.
*That's the one Achilles heel I found* . . .
Nick does this have room for a laptop?
It does.. the pouch where the hydration pack goes could fit a 13" laptop.. probably not a 15" though
Nick Page that's a bummer I have 15 inch.
Looking at grabbing this bag. Was told by rep that you can slide a 15" macbook between the icu and sleeve for it. Do you think that's accurate? Thanks for the review btw very helpful
Will it fit under the airplane seat?
+Duc Ta It might but I always put it in the overhead
Duc Ta, For smaller kits like mirrorless (I shoot the Fuji X-System), I find that several of the thinkTANKPhoto bags, such as the Trifecta 10, or ShapeShifter 17 V2.0, fit under the seat of a typical commercial jet. I have yet to try any of the F Stop gear.
that backpack is slightly too tall for carry on. most airlines only allow you max 55cm in height. this is 59cm
Never had an issue
Water bladder in camera gear area !! I'm out
Lowe Pro makes plenty of bags.
so far I havn't seen one that I loved though
From a retired 35 year pro in the business...this is Overpriced Hipster Gear.
What does a "pro" use?
Lowe Pro Fastrack 150 AW2 for everyday Hikes/Travel - $60.
I've climbed 40 of the 53, 14ers in Colorado with a Mammut day pack and camera insert - $120
Maybe this "pro" retired at 54 because he spent and saved his money wisely.
Cheers.