The Peter McKinnon X NOMATIC Camera Pack package came out of the blue! I don’t know why I had May as a shipping date in mind, so when I saw a big box with a black skull on it in our mail center, I was giddy with excitement! I really had to hold strong for an afternoon while I finish working from home before I had to setup some cameras to record the unboxing.
There are dozens of photographers that have more technical and better-shot reviews of the bag, but I wanted my not-a-professional-photographer-just-an-enthusiast point-of-view. I even recorded me struggling to finagle my gear in it in the next episode!
Initial thoughts:
It’s not as big as I thought it would be. That’s a good thing! Watching the Kickstarter video and Peter over 6’, I thought that a short guy like myself will drown in the size of the backpack. Not the case. I think it’s a decent size. Large enough for a lot of gear, but not too cumbersome if you decide to use it even if it’s not filled to the brim.
I love the details. That’s when you know a product is made with love. The logos on the dividers. The additional folds of the dividers. Stickers to assist in battery status. Instructions on how to properly slide memory cards in and out. Those let you know that the bag was made by an actual photographer that knows the tricks to make gear more efficient and handle them with care.
The big things are cool too! The overall look is sleek yet tough. I totally love it. And I’m the type of person that hates browns and green tones (the inside), but with the semi-shiny, somewhat flat black ballistic nylon exterior works so well. I love the strong zippers so I don’t have to worry about them breaking off and the magnetic closure of pockets and flaps to keep the the silhouette of the bag nice and smooth!
It’s worth the $510 I backed the project on. I know, that’s a whole lot of money specially considering I already have the LowePro Protactic 450 AW II. And it’s going to be slightly more expensive when it comes to the market. But when you’re so used to camera bags/gear being either functional or just flash, it’s great to have something that looks good and designed to maximize the storage and ease of use of your gear.
Combined with all the accessories, it’s better than the sum of its parts. The memory card holder, battery case, filter case and accessories pack, works so harmoniously in all the slots of the main bag that it all just makes sense! The problem with doing your carrying cases for your camera gear piece-meal is that sizes, slots, even color don’t always vibe together. This camera pack does. And because even the accessories have suggested places to be, the management of all your gear is just that more efficient.
These are just the first few quick impressions that I have. I’ll go pack this and see what I can fit there in my first shot!