Peak Design Camera Cube (Medium)

Product Information

It’s a little hard to get in and out of the lowest internal compartment since the size zip doesn’t run low enough. Also, I find roll-top bags a little fiddly and unnecessary with their additional steps to get gear in and out of. The Thule Aspect is well constructed and the materials feel like they’ll last a good long time. The zippers have glove-friendly pulls, the straps are well padded, and the bag holds its shape enough to stand up on its own. It’s not particularly weather-proof (especially the zippers) and doesn’t come with a rain cover. Size-wise it fits easily in the overhead compartment of most planes and even under the seat of some others. It also has abrasion-resistant YKK® RC-Fuse zippers, 420D velocity nylon, 420D high-density nylon, 320G UltraStretch mesh, 350G air mesh, nylon webbing, and 3-ply bonded nylon thread. Pretty much bomb-proof for any safari or outdoor adventure. Dual flaps for storage/separation; side access to camera cube; rear panel conceals straps; dividers in the cube. If I had to guess, while the Large will continue to be the choice for professionals and camera enthusiasts requiring a full suite of organisation, the XSmall and SMedium may end up being the most popular due to the XSmall’s compact size to attach a SlideLite Strap onto, and the Smedium potentially being friendlier for some 20-30L bags.

Style-wise, this bag definitely won’t turn any heads, but perhaps that’s a good thing if you want to remain unseen! Then, I tried to put the Cube in my normal hard travel luggage. It fit like a glove, and I had quite a bit of room to put clothes and other accessories (non-photographic) in that case. Success! You can see the Medium Cube all zipped up in the lower left of my travel case. I had the whole right side available for my other travel needs and a bit of space at the top left. The camera-carrying portion of the F-Stop Ajna uses removable ICUs (Internal Camera Units) and can hold up to a Large Pro. Depending on how you configure it, the Pro can hold 1-2 camera bodies and 4-6 lenses (a couple of long lenses plus smaller ones), plus other goodies. Need more space for hiking essentials? Choose a smaller ICU like the Slope or the Shallow. (All sold separately.)

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If you're only carrying around your camera, you can skip the camera bag, but I strongly recommend a strap. It's a safe way to keep your camera secure to your body, so if it fumbles through your fingers it won't hit the ground. Ditch the strap from your camera manufacturer; these alternatives are better.

I have two images showing the version one and two versions of the protective flex-fold Shelf Divider. The lighter one is the second version. This is the only protective flex-fold divider that is shipped with the first version of the Peak Design Small Camera Cube, and is the only first version camera cube that I had access to, allowing for this side by side look. You can see that the hook part of the divider connection in the second version is better color matched with the interior fabric of the camera cube. Getting things in and out of the WANDRD PRVKE is simple. The zippers feel good, but they’re not quite on par with the glidyness of the Peak Design bags.With that said, for more casual photography or in situations where you want fast access to your camera, using a holster or removable shoulder strap is often preferred. Overall, we’ve been loving the versatility of this system. It allows you to really customize everything to your liking—whatever that might be. And it really just works. No tinkering, no frustration, it’s simple and easy. Capacity: 20L (+3) | Dimensions: 12.60 x 9.96 x 19.29 in (32 x 25.3 x 49 cm) | Weight: 3.31 lbs (1.5 kg) Following their success with the original PRVKE, WANDRD has created a larger product lineup under the same name. They’ve even created accompanying camera cubes, which we’ll be looking at in this review—mainly the Essential Deep Camera Cube. WANDRD Essential Deep Camera Cube | It’s an accessory, but how does it fare on its own?

Basic shoulder bag styles provide convenient access to frequently-used accessories, or you can opt for more robust DSLR and mirrorless fitted casesthat protect cameras and lens attachments against everyday wear and tear and weather-related exposure. Peak Design’s zips are really the best in the industry – sure, they’re durable and water-resistant, but they glide so smoothly you’ll find yourself playing with them all the time. Overall, access is much improved this time around, making big camera loads and side access on the Medium and Large Camera Cubes much easier to take gear in and out of. The Exterior Design feels polished, with a sleek exterior that has a less tactical feel of its predecessor. PricesThe camera compartment is side access, so you could keep the bag on and access your gear at the same time (though it’d be nice if there were at least one more access point). There are a number of different attachment points for skis, trekking poles, or tripods, and it comes with space for a hydration bladder, an all-weather rain cover, and an ActivZone harness to keep things from bouncing too much while running or jumping. The bag is fairly narrow and hugs the body well, making it easy to do things like climbing. I couldn’t stop playing with the Dalston for the whole 2 weeks I tested it! Virtually everyone commented on it, photographer or otherwise. I can imagine in the loud orange (‘nasturtium’) colourway, you’d get even more attention.

Also, the button fastening on all the straps is rather unusual and takes a little getting used to, especially with cold hands – opening it is easy as tugging, but fastening is a little fiddly. Thankfully the zippers have larger pull grips with stylish leather accents.The height-adjustable shoulder straps are unique in the way that they can be adjusted – a lot of design consideration has gone into this. The straps themselves are amazingly comfortable with their moulded design. I loved the zippered access points from multiple sides, and that exterior webbing that serves as carry handles that are built into the design from any side of the bags. No spinning the bags to find a place to grab it. In summary, this means that the second version of the cube can be used exactly like the first version with respect to the lid, and if using this feature, the lid can almost completely be hidden away if the padding is removed.