With every sport I’ve participated in, from road biking, skiing, kayaking, surfing, or wakeboarding, I’ve always found a way to bring my camera along to take pictures. I’ve tried endless options from bringing different types of bags, waterproof cases, a spider’s web of straps, you name it, I’ve probably tried it out. And in most cases I’m able to get by, just with some sort of issue that makes me looking for the next “best” solution.
Now as a bit of background, I am a bit of a snob when it comes to the quality of an image. iPhone and all smart phone technology has become incredible over the past few years, but for me, it just doesn’t cut it when it comes to the photography that I want to shoot. I’ve heard the term countless times, “The best camera is the one you have on you.” But what if you could make your BEST camera always the best camera on you?
Ever since I got into mountain biking, the first thing on my mind was how was I going to bring my camera along with me on rides? There are a number of photographers who ride on the road who have developed a three-point strap system for their full-frame DSLR cameras.
So I fashioned myself one of these three-point systems and it worked out great! I took it with me on everything from 100 mile rides to 20 minute rips around the neighborhood. This was the solution for bringing my camera on my bike… on the road.
Once I started taking it on gravel rides, I was really starting to notice that no matter how tight you make the straps to your body, the camera bounces around on rough terrain and with one unexpected bump your back will be yelling at you for bringing your camera along. And with mountain biking being the real end goal for where I wanted to take my camera, there had to be a better solution.
Going back to all of the bags that I had tried out, I didn’t want something too big where if I crashed, I would end up laying in a pile of broken camera gear. My main camera bag that can house all of my equipment is the LowePro Whistler 450. It can house all of my gear along with my laptop, extra layers, snacks, you name it. And it is also set up for any adventure you want to take it on. Consistently taking this bag on rides would be quite a nuisance. For short photo missions, or if there is a car nearby, great. I needed something smaller though, that could go along with me on any ride. Not something too small though that would only allow me to carry a body and say, a flat 40mm pancake lens. I wanted a variable lens and some storage for tools and maybe an extra layer.
After assembling my checklist, I took to the internet to find the best bag for what I needed. A quick search rendered a number of good options from Dakine, EVOC, F-Stop, and LowePro. Each company all seemed to have great camera bag options. They just weren’t the right option for what I was looking for. Except for one.
The EVOC Capture 16L was a perfect fit for a grab and go, DSLR set up. At 16 liters, the bag is perfect for keeping your camera setup light and allowing room for other things like layers, snacks, tools, and even a few liters of water. Without realizing it when I bought it, it’s become the solution to more than just my camera needs while mountain biking.
The bag consists of 4 main storage compartments. On the very bottom, you have your camera compartment with removable foam pad inserts. These are pretty much standard in most camera bags, and they are essential for making sure the space can be customized to fit your gear safely. This section of the bag is big enough to fit up to a large DSLR such as a Canon 5D Mark IV and two lenses such as the Canon 24-70 2.8 LII and Canon 70-200 2.8. That is my go to set up when I grab my bag to go for a ride. Either of the lenses could be swapped out to instead fit a flash, a small drone, or a few smaller prime lenses.
The second compartment is the large zipper pocket on top. This pocket is big enough to fit an extra layer, a tube, some snacks, and say a laptop cable. It also has a small mesh pocket for little things you don't want to lose in the bottom of all your stuff.
Moving on to the smaller pouch on top, there are two elastic pouches inside that can help things from bouncing around inside it. This pouch is perfect for a pair of sunglasses and a pair of headphones. The last big zipper pouch you’ll find is for the water bladder up against the back. EVOC claims it can hold up to 3 liters of water with their designated water pouch, but I have been using an Osprey pouch and it seems to fit without issue.
A wide velcro strap comes from each side of the back to wrap around your hips. A large nylon strap buckles over top to ensure the fit is secured to your back and the weight of the bag doesn’t get thrown around. These straps are large enough to easily, and quickly, find the release and get the bag off quickly to get out your gear. The waist strap even includes a small zipper pouch which is a great spot to store your keys on a ride. The bottom of the bag is also equipped with a small pouch that holds a rain fly that can go over the bag in the event that a light rainstorm comes down on you on your ride. There are also two hooked straps that can attach a tripod to the bottom of the bag. EVOC has incorporated a padded and ventilated back pad to give your back support and keep air flowing through it so your back stays cool and doesn’t get entirely drenched in sweat.
The one downside that I have found about this bag is that when you are packing a Canon 5D Mark IV with the larger Canon 70-200, you push the limits of the width of the bag by just a bit. Everything fits, but sometimes it’s tough to get the zippers shut quickly to move onto the next spot. It is fine for now, but I do hope the zippers can hold that extra pressure when zipping around the body.
Evoc really thought of everything when it comes to a small, light, capable camera bag. It has everything that I could ask for to be able to bring my camera along with me on the bike. Whether it be a long multi hour ride or just a standard workout with some friends that I want to grab some photos on, this bag has been the absolute best when it comes to mountain bike photography. Being able to bring my camera along with me on some of these epic rides, to capture epic views, is my favorite reason for bringing along the camera. Check out some of the awesome places that I’ve been able to bring my camera with me on my bike thanks to this bag!
If 16L is a bit too big for you, or if you’re a fan of the hip pack, check out EVOC’s 7L camera hip pack as well.