A few months ago I stumbled across a camera/travel bag from a new company called Vinta. Billed as a bag for the "modern traveler", the Vinta S Series fits somewhere between a less canvas version of a Bradley Mountain backpack and a functional camera bag. I ordered mine in the Forest Green color-way with tan leather handles and accents. In pictures it looked rugged and refined, calling back to a woodsman's sensibilities but in a bit more of a functional fashion.
Green With Envy
Right out of the box the S Series was everything I wanted it to be. The Forest Green color really pops when paired with the leather accents. At only 2.2 pounds, it is super comfortable on your back, even when fully loaded down. For my purposes that includes a Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-120mm lens, Nikkor 85mm lens, battery grip, two batteries and chargers, Rode VideoMic Go, and a lens filter kit. At full capacity, the S Series never felt too full or heavy. The weight distribution over the small footprint bag was perfect and makes carrying it all day a breeze.
Small Size Rules
The S Series is a pretty small feeling bag, which worried me at first. At 11.5 x 15.75 x 5.5 in., it's definitely smaller than my Tenba DNA 15. As I began wearing it fully loaded, I realized the small footprint led to a more comfortable experience. It sits pretty high up on your back but leaves room at the bottom of the bag to attach a tripod comfortably.
Rugged Look
The looks of the Vinta S Series is easily one of its best qualities. I'm not sure I've ever received compliments on my camera bag before, until now. The S Series doesn't necessarily look like a camera bag, which helps with urban commuting and not advertising that it has a few thousand dollars worth of gear inside. On weekends I'm a jeans and t-shirt guy and the S Series blends in seamlessly and fashionably. The back load zipper feature also keeps your gear protected from theft while wearing it.
Digital Nomad Issues
My one issue with the S Series comes not from it's small size but in its ability to carry my 15" MacBook Pro. Namely because it really can't without making it hard to access any of the other gear that I've stored. With all my gear fit inside, the 15" MacBook Pro barely fits into the slot unless you load it from the front, meaning you can't access the camera gear without taking the laptop out first from a different pocket. Yes my 15" MacBook Pro is a beast and I should probably get something a bit more portable. I tried lightening the load and adding it in and that mostly worked, but it was still too tall to open from the back. So if you're looking to use this as a camera and computer bag, make sure you're using a 13" laptop for optimal fit.
Overall
The Vinta S Series is a perfect bag for traveling lightly with your camera. It carries the essentials, especially if you shoot with a mirrorless camera, and looks great while doing it. The small size makes it super comfortable for long days of carrying. I do wish I could fit my 15" MacBook Pro more comfortably, but that's a minor issue for me. I need a smaller laptop anyway. Overall, I'm really happy with the Vinta S Series and can't wait to take it on more photo adventures. You can order the S Series from Vinta here and from Amazon here. To see more specs on the Vinta S Series, check out my earlier post.
Photos: All photos were taken by my lovely wife Kim at Rice University in Houston, TX.
Disclaimer: I was not paid for this post and did not receive my Vinta S Series bag as compensation for this review. I genuinely love this bag and bought it with my own cash. The opinions are my own and are unsolicited. The Amazon link is an affiliate link that allows me to earn commission from any referral sales. This is a way to help support the ongoing effort of I Create Nothing to bring relevant travel, creativity and lifestyle content to you.
