# Mindshift Gear Backlight 26L Bag



## YellowJersey (Oct 9, 2016)

Saw Photorec Toby's review of the Mindshift Backlight 26L bag and decided, after much research, to pick it up. I must say that it's an excellent bag. 

Build: Excellent. I wouldn't expect anything less from the lads at ThinkTank 

Comfort: Very comfortable to wear. Unlike most bags I've come across, this one has a really good padded waist/hip belt. The shoulder straps are nicely padded as well. It's quite comfortable to use, even with a fair bit of gear. I'm pretty picky on this front and I really like this bag. 

Capacity: 26 litres gives you a plenty of room to spare. In the main compartment (rear access only), I currently have 
Canon 5D mkIII 
Canon 16-35mm f/4 
Tamron 15-30 f/2.8 
Canon 70-200mm f/4
Canon 420EX flash 
Case of 3 Lee GND soft grad filters 
Case of 3 Lee GND hard grad filters 
Case of 1 UV, 1 circ pol, and 1 ND filder
Battery charger + 2 extra batteries 
With room to spare for the upcoming 24-105mm f/4 IS L II 
Gorillapod Focus in the side pocket 
Strap on the back to easily carry a full sized tripod 

Use: I really like the rear-side entry for the main compartment. If you use the waist belt, you can simply slide your arms out of the shoulder straps, rotate the bag around to your front, and have easy access to your gear without having to take the pack off and set it on the ground, which is particularly handy if you're working in wet or sandy terrain. The front compartment has room for a 10 inch tablet and a 15 inch laptop (if you use a mac, it'll fit easily. My old 15 inch Lenovo T-series fits snugly). This is what really sets it apart from the other Mindshift bags, which have some weird fanny pack like compartment that you slide out of the main bag and I really didn't like. With the Backlight, the whole bag slides around and just works so much better for me. You also have room for things like snacks, a water bottle, and whatever other bits and pieces you happen to have on you. Having space for a laptop was an essential requirement for me since it means I can easily bring my gear plus my laptop on a plane with me. I'm actually surprised how many otherwise awesome bags don't have a slot for a laptop. 

Style: I got the green version, which I like not only because it's a nice change of pace from the endless black bags on the market, but because it also doesn't look conspicuously like a photo bag. It looks a lot like just a regular day-pack, which is nice since I don't wan to look too much like I'm carrying thousands of dollars worth of gear with me. 

Cost: It's not cheap, but not particularly expensive so far as camera bags go, which are always fairly pricey. I paid $380 CAD. You're looking at closer to $320 USD last time I checked. But I'd say it's well worth it. 

Conclusion: The best bag I've ever found for my needs. I highly recommend. 

Toby's review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mb0ZXoUfCk


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## LordofTackle (Oct 9, 2016)

Interesting backpack.

I have the Mindshift rotation pro, and in contrast to you I really like it, This "fanny-pack" is quite practical.
I stored a 5D3 with attached 24-70, a 100-400 II, a 16-35 and a 1.4x extender in it (tight fit I have to admit).
However, since I got the 1DXII, it's a lot harder to get my stuff in there.

So my question is, do you know, or can estimate, whether the 1DXII fits in the backpack upright (or a 5D series with attached grip)?


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## Jopa (Oct 9, 2016)

^ That looks like a marketing post.


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## YellowJersey (Oct 9, 2016)

LordofTackle said:


> Interesting backpack.
> 
> I have the Mindshift rotation pro, and in contrast to you I really like it, This "fanny-pack" is quite practical.
> I stored a 5D3 with attached 24-70, a 100-400 II, a 16-35 and a 1.4x extender in it (tight fit I have to admit).
> ...



To each their own. I found the fanny pack a bit fiddly and awkward, but if it works for you then it works. 

As for fitting a 1D style body, I don't know if it'll fit. I don't have a grip for my 5D, so I just placed the battery charger underneath it and it was a tight fit. Not saying you couldn't cram it in there, but I don't think it's the ideal solution. It seems to be designed for cameras without that grip. If there's a retail store near you that carries the bag, maybe try and check it out in person to see. Based on my measurements, I'd be hesitant to recommend it for a 1D body. 



Jopa said:


> ^ That looks like a marketing post.



In retrospect... yeah, I can see that. But I have no affiliation with ThinkTank. I just really like the bag and am excited that I FINALLY found one that suites me. I also couldn't find anything that I would consider flaws.


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## LordofTackle (Oct 11, 2016)

YellowJersey said:


> As for fitting a 1D style body, I don't know if it'll fit. I don't have a grip for my 5D, so I just placed the battery charger underneath it and it was a tight fit. Not saying you couldn't cram it in there, but I don't think it's the ideal solution. It seems to be designed for cameras without that grip. If there's a retail store near you that carries the bag, maybe try and check it out in person to see. Based on my measurements, I'd be hesitant to recommend it for a 1D body.



Thanks for your answer. That what I assumed from the pictures I found online.


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## Larsskv (Oct 11, 2016)

LordofTackle said:


> YellowJersey said:
> 
> 
> > As for fitting a 1D style body, I don't know if it'll fit. I don't have a grip for my 5D, so I just placed the battery charger underneath it and it was a tight fit. Not saying you couldn't cram it in there, but I don't think it's the ideal solution. It seems to be designed for cameras without that grip. If there's a retail store near you that carries the bag, maybe try and check it out in person to see. Based on my measurements, I'd be hesitant to recommend it for a 1D body.
> ...



The rotation belt in the Mindshift Rotation Pro fits a 1DX with a Canon 200mm f/2L lens attached, in the rotation belt. I have tried. I can recommend the Mindshift Rotation Pro for any 1D body.


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## LordofTackle (Oct 11, 2016)

Larsskv said:


> LordofTackle said:
> 
> 
> > YellowJersey said:
> ...



Yes it fits, even with the 100-400 II attached (barely). And I really like the system, it's awesome for hikes and longer travels.
My "problem" is, when I still had the 5D3, I could fit the 5D with 24-70 attached, the 16-35/2.8 and the 100-400II in the rotation belt. Also the 1.4x IIRC. This was possible because I could put the 5D in there sideways (small side down), which obviously is not possible with the 1DXII.
I guess I could fit in all the lenses plus the body if no lens is attached but that kind of defeats the purpose of the rotation pro....


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## YellowJersey (Oct 12, 2016)

LordofTackle said:


> Larsskv said:
> 
> 
> > LordofTackle said:
> ...



It's actually rather funny (in a frustrating way) how difficult it is to find the right bag.


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## LordofTackle (Oct 13, 2016)

So true! I guess in a few years I will have 20+ bags/backpacks/pouches laying around, like neuro.


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