I was looking for a small, incognito camera bag for a DSLR, and the Timbuk2 Snoop Messenger fits those requirements well. The green/gray color combination is really pretty, despite the names Algae Green and Cement. When you see it, this bag doesn’t say “I’m carrying a Very Expensive Camera,” which is a safety bonus in my neighborhood. I selected the Extra Small size, because I wanted a bag that fits necessities only, that I can just grab and take shooting for a few hours without lugging a lot of extra stuff with me. The XS does not have bottom straps for carrying a tripod as there are on the larger sizes. It’s exactly the right size for my needs, but be forewarned that the XS is really small, as camera bags go. If you want something to contain a lot of camera stuff, or if you need to carry all-day supplies like a laptop, sweater or snacks, you will want to size up.
With all of the dividers intact, the XS Snoop’s light blue padded interior compartment is divided into thirds. With this configuration you can fit a camera body + 2 detached lenses (I tested with an 18-55mm and a 55-300mm lens), or 1 lens and a speedlight. Or, you can fit a camera body with attached lens pointing down, and this gives you a space for more stuff, but it is such a tight fit that the camera is difficult to get out of the bag. I took out one of the dividers to create 1 larger space + 1 smaller one. The large space fits a Nikon D5100 with standard 18-55mm lens attached, placed horizontally, with room to spare so I can reach in and grab it to shoot. The remaining smaller section will fit one other lens, or a few small items such as lens caps, cleaner, remote, etc. The slip pocket in the back fits a camera field guide or an iPad.
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