Timbuk2 Snoop Camera Bag – Almost Perfect

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.

As with all Timbuk2 bags, the build quality on the Snoop is extremely strong. The padded insert is very sturdy and protective, but fits so snugly inside the bag that the front pockets don’t have much room. The clear pocket is great for extra SD cards, or maybe your ID and a housekey, but wouldn’t fit anything thicker. The Napoleon pocket on this size is also very small – which is fine for an extra battery or two, but unless you have tiny hands, don’t put anything in there you might need to get out in a hurry, like a cellphone.

Overall I am really pleased with this bag. The one thing keeping it from a five-star review is the strap. Timbuk2 uses the same gigantic cam buckle on this little bag that they use on their full-size messengers — and I can find no practical purpose for it on a bag this small. The loop of webbing the cam buckle creates on the side of the bag is untidy and takes up valuable strap real estate. Since I’m not a bike messenger and not a boy, I find messenger bags most comfortable when they hang at my hip, and with the cam buckle confabulation, the strap is not quite long enough. I ended up pulling the strap out of the cam buckle completely except for the last couple of inches, and that solves the length problem, but doesn’t seem terribly secure. I may replace the cam buckle with a regular adjustable buckle, which isn’t difficult, but would eat up some of the length. And, I shouldn’t have to do that on a ~$100+ camera bag. This is one instance where overengineering something doesn’t make it better. Keep working on it, Timbuk2, you’re almost there.

Tagged as: Timbuk2