About 6 months ago I switched from an over the shoulder camera bag to a backpack style for my portrait and general photography. I chose the Clik Elite Pro Express for its size and versatility and so far I’ve been pretty impressed. While I don’t think Clik Elite designed this bag as a backcountry camera bag it is well suited for photography where you don’t have to carry non camera gear.
A while back I read an article by a famous photographer where he wrote as he got older he had to switch from an over the shoulder style camera bag to a backpack style do to back problems. I’m pretty sure that age is 40 when you need to make the switch. At 41 my camera bag was getting heavy and hurt my back to carry around, so I decided to make the switch to a backpack style. I decided to try a Clik Elite Pro Express. It seemed to have the right amount of space for what I need and I could find a last year’s model (2010) for a reasonable price at B & H photo. I also really like Clik Elite. I think they respond well to customer feed back and their products are innovative and well built. With the purchase of this bag I have now officially sold all of my Lowe Pro bags and now own nothing but Clik Elite.
What I do like about this bag is the layout. The lid flips open while the bag is laying on it’s back and makes an excellent work surface. The small details like a lip that flips up so round things like lenses don’t roll off the open lid is great. It does have a padded laptop compartment which is nice even though I don’t carry a laptop. I do put my files and waivers in there so I have eliminated the attaché bag that I carried along with my camera bag. I use Nikon’s Creative LightingSystem so I have multiple flashes and I’m adding more. This bag carries them easily along with my spare body and a couple of lenses. The exterior compartments easily fits all the extras that go along with shooting in the digital age. The top compartment flips open when the bag is on its back just like the main compartment which makes finding things in the middle of a shoot go faster. The waist belt and shoulder straps pack away so the bag is carry on compliant. I pack the waist belt away when I am only carrying my equipment a short distance. As with all Clik Elite bags the construction is bomb proof with nice heavy zippers. The shoulder straps are comfortable but not overly thick to get in the way when you are trying to lay the bag on its back to get to your gear. The interior is customizable to grow as you get more stuff, which we all like to do.
Now for what I don’t like about this bag: first is the so called tripod retention, it is a simple bungee cord and pocket that one leg fits into. The bungee flat out sucks, it isn’t strong enough to hold an aluminum tripod in place. Mine flops around which if you’re walking over rough terrain to get to your shot is very annoying. On the 2011 model they have added a tripod retention system to the outside center of the bag which should prove to be much better than the system on mine. The bag could also stand to be a bit longer so it rides better on your back. I have an average torso length and it just seems a couple of inches to short to ride right. Also it doesn’t have a rain cover; I think this is essential for any camera bag. You never know when you will be caught out in a sudden cloud burst and will need to protect your equipment. I’ve even been chased to cover while shooting senior photos by a short rain shower and having a rain cover is just good piece of mind. I understand that Clik Elite has made the 2011 model longer and added a rain cover. They also now sell rain covers to fit their bags that were manufactured before they listened and made rain covers standard. While none of my Clik Elite bags have rain covers I will be buying them this year, at $25 a pop I’m in no rush to get them. The buckles on the shoulder straps and waist belt that are made to mate with their chest rigs don’t match. Their buckle supplier changed the design so now you have to get a retro fit kit, free of charge from Clik Elite, if you have an older chest rig. The top compartment zipper also sucks, the way it lays it is very difficult to get zipped. There just isn’t enough tension to for it to zip closed easily. I’m not sure what the fix is for it, it’s a great idea that just doesn’t work in practical application. Last but not least is those damn metal zipper pulls. I know it is a small detail but I hate them. They lace these great cord zipper pulls through them so why not just get rid of the metal ones? Wire cutters and re-lacing the cords zipper pulls fixed that problem.
Overall I think this is a great bag for what it is designed for, general photography. If you’re looking for a backcountry camera bag this isn’t it, but good thing Clik Elite makes those too. It is nice to see there bags evolve as comments come in from the average user not just the sponsored pros. I believe if you buy this bag for general photography you won’t be disappointed. Will this be the last bag I ever own? I doubt it, but that for me and a shrink to work out.
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