f-stop Large Rain Cover

Product Information

To start with, I would really have liked to see more traditional storm flaps covering the zippers. While the YKK Aquaguard zippers should provide a strong level of weather resistance on their own, they can be damaged. A damaged zipper isn’t going to provide the rated weather resistance. A storm flap provides an added layer of defense against water intrusion. At the very bottom, there’s a zippered compartment that I believe is for storing the rain cover when it’s not in use. At least that’s the best use I’ve come up with as it has no other apparent function or need to exist. Unfortunately, when I put it to the test, their Advanta™ material just doesn’t seem cut it. Rain Cover: Not Included but Needed

Lower webbing for poles or an axe. Carrying a Tripod Various tripod options are demonstrated with a shorter tripod ( Peak Design Travel Tripod) and a larger 2-Series tripod ( Really Right Stuff TFC-24L). F-Stop gear makes a Medium Shallow ICU, and a Medium Slope, but not a Medium Pro. What I found in some of my attempts with the Small Pro was that I could use just a little more space, but not nearly as much as there is in the Large Pro. Both are from the Pro series which are designed to fit a SLR with a battery grip or integral vertical shooting grip (such as a gripped 5D mark IV or 1Dx mark II. Large Pro ICU Based on my testing, here too it seems that F-Stop Gear has skimped out. When I put my Ajna in the rain, I didn’t see water bead up or run off. Instead it almost immediately soaked into the fabric.A fully customizable suspension system. The Airport Commuter has great padded straps. However, the strap and belt positions can’t really be adjusted and that makes it hard for me to wear all day. Especially when it’s full and heavy.

Unfortunately, F-Stop Gear doesn’t seem to have done any of that. Instead, they’ve put their faith in their “Advanta™” material and YKK Zippers and pretty much stopped there. When F-Stop launched in 2006, the Tilopa was one of its first products, and it would be hard to argue with the notion that, at the time, it redefined the genre of rugged camera bags for outdoor photographers. I used the first few iterations of the Tilopa for ten years as a professional ski photographer, and there wasn’t anything else like it on the market. Since then, this genre of bags has become more popular, and the Tilopa has faced stiff competition from the likes of Shimoda, NYA-EVO, Gura Gear and even Lowepro. Many of those other bags offered better internal organization and more features than the relatively simple Tilopa, but not anymore. I changed my mind at the last minute in part because of the larger size of the Tilopa. At the time, I felt the smaller Ajna would be a better fit for flying. Moreover, I was concerned that with 10 L more capacity, I would find a reason to load it up and carry all that much more weight. Finally, and maybe most importantly, I really liked the concept of F-Stop gear’s internal camera units for organizing your gear. Internal Camera Units: Modular Organization for your Kit From nature, to landscape, to video, to urban or travel settings, to drone, and even adventure sports, the interchangeable camera bag inserts are also useful as standalone carry solutions on their own, with the ability to be used as carry-on pieces during air travel, or even storage organization compartments when at home.I’m quite demanding when it comes to my camera bags. When I’m working, it will get dumped on the floor and dragged around in all sorts of environments so I need something that is durable and rugged. Internally, a well protected space for my camera gear goes without saying (it is a camera bag after all) but it also needs to have room for other items… extra layers, food and drink etc and, when I am travelling, space for my laptop, chargers, cables and anything else I might need on the flight. And if it’s not too much to ask I’d like it to be as light as possible. I’ve googled around a bunch, and I’m having a hard time figuring out just what Advanta™ is, aside from another pointlessly confusing trademark in the textile industry. From what I can tell it’s essentially a bonded plasticized weather/water proof membrane that’s not any different than any other polyurethane based water proofing solution. When push comes to shove, my position on the Ajna is definitely mixed. On one hand, I’m still using it and that has to say something. Especially since I could easily replace it. Typically when I carry a tripod with the Ajna, I use one of the side straps not the rear ones for mounting it. Much as I’ll talk about later with hydration bladders, I find that side mounting a tripod keeps it closer to my center of gravity and makes it more comfortable to carry. In many ways, what I would really like is a Medium Pro ICU that splits the difference between the Large Pro and Small Pro models.

F-Stop pioneered the concept of removable padded camera cubes in outdoor photography bags., allowing you to customize your load-out to carry as much or as little camera equipment as necessary. The F-Stop ICU lineup currently consists of eight different sizes, and all but the largest Master Cine size will fit into the Tilopa. So i thought i will change to Shimoda Action X50. However, after testing that i decided to go with Tilopa. There were pros and cons for each (i can tell more if someone is interested) but overall i liked Tilopa more after all. It just felt higher quality (and has proved to work pretty well in practice). Designed with thoughtful and innovative elements curated by our community of Brand Ambassadors, all of whom are photographers, participate in the design, testing, and quality control of every f-stop product. ICUs at B&H Photo– Tiny, Small Shallow, Small Pro, Medium Shallow, Medium Slope, Large Pro, X-Large Pro, Master Cine The Lowepro ProTactic BP 450 AW II allows you to get at your camera from the top. Photo credit: LoweproLEE Filters holder, two pouches with graduated filters, circular polariser, Big, Little & Super stopper filters Related Reading: F-Stop Ajna 37L Duradiamond Review Kait is 5ft 8″. On the left, she is wearing the Tilopa DuraDiamond and on the right the Ajna DuraDiamond. Specifications F-Stop Gear’s magic sauce is the Internal Camera Unit, or ICU. The system is built around the idea of having a modular padded container that’s attached in the bag’s frame to meet the demands of each specific use. In addition to the losses incurred by damaged gear, if this is being used in a professional context there’s also the potential losses in not being able to carry out y our job as the photographer/videographer too.

Second, they were marketed as having an unprecedented level of weather resistance, and keeping my expensive camera gear dry is important. In terms of comfort, I was more than happy with the Ajna on all-day hikes with the Medium Slope ICU holding a camera and four lenses, plus all the usual non-photographic gear such as a couple of litres of water, food and some layers. If you plan on hiking all day with an Ajna, I recommend looking at the Medium Slope ICU as your best combination. You can use the Large Pro ICU in the Ajna, but if you fill it, you’ll be pushing up to the maximum weight I recommend with the Ajna’s lightweight shoulder straps and waist belt. Please note that the dimensions and weights in this comparative table are accurate. F-Stop’s own dimensions and weights are not accurate. The bigger problem for me is the problem of water and camera gear being in the same compartment. I would argue that every possible measure should be taken to protect the camera gear from getting wet, and this isn’t an example of that. That said, I also regret changing my mind and going with the Ajna instead of the Tilopa I was originally looking at.Opening the top cover to the main compartment, I noticed that there were drops of water on the top of the trash bag that was providing shape and structure during testing.