Clik Elite Pro Express review

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.

Review of DiCAPac WP-S10

I have been looking for a way to carry my camera on the deck of my kayak that won’t cost me thousands of dollars for awhile now.  I thought the DiCAPac WP-S10 waterproof camera bag would be my salvation.  It has worked well for a bag that cost under $100 but getting there was a less than a confidence boosting experience.

I like to take photos and lots of them, I also enjoy kayaking, but getting the two together can be very costly.  I tried using a waterproof pouch from SeaLine for my phone, thinking I would use the camera on it.  The pouch worked great, the problem is the phone, and no matter what you do you are still using a very small sensor and getting only jpeg images.  Not the type of photography I enjoy.  A dive housing is another option, if you’re made out of money.  I don’t need to be able to take my camera to 100ft below the water and I don’t have the three grand it cost to buy one either.  I only want to be able to take photos in shallow water and it stay dry while I'm paddling.  The DiCAPac seemed like a great option, it is $85 from B & H Photo and guarantied to 16 ft .

This summer we bought my daughter a kayak for her birthday and we took her on a trip for her to try it out.  This isn’t the wilderness adventure of a lifetime but it was my daughter’s first trip so it was one that will never happen again and I wanted lots of photos.  My kids surprised me by getting me a DiCAPac for my birthday and giving it to me a little early, like the day before we left on my daughter’s trip.  After opening it I did read the instructions (that usually doesn’t happen) and tested it as per the instructions before putting my camera in it.  To my surprise it failed!  One of the welded seams was not welded properly and water poured in.  The good people at B & H Photo took care of me and replaced it but there was no way I was going to have it for my trip.  There is the major issue I have with this camera bag; I didn’t get a dime for being their quality control.  If you make a product that is going to protect thousands of dollars of equipment from water test it before putting your name on it.  It would be well worth paying $100 to $120 if I knew it had been factory tested before I bought it.

The second bag I got passed its test fine and a field test where I did two wet exits/self rescues and 15-20 rolls in my kayak.  My camera stayed perfectly dry which I am happy with.  I did install Velcro into the inside of the barrel then put the other side of the Velcro on my lens hood, putting the hood on backwards while in the bag.  This keeps the outer lens cover close to my lens for sharper images.  You must have an internally focusing lens for this to work.  I didn’t come up with this idea but read it on the reviews of the bag on B & H Photo’s web site.  I use my D300 with a battery grip in the bag and it is a tight fit.  I must take the lens off and put it on the camera through the lens barrel of the bag to get it on.  Thank god I have small hands.  I don’t find this a problem since I want the thing to fit tight.  If it just dropped in manipulating the camera would be impossible.  The bag did come with three micro-cell foam spacers to shim up your camera but I don’t need them for my setup.

As for manipulating the camera you must think out your settings before hand.  The controls are not easily accessible through the built in finger pockets so some ‘fore thought is required.  I put my camera on aperture priority and all is good.  The quality of the shots through the outer lens cover, a hard plastic, was very good.  They are not as good as through a dive housing, of course, but they meet my expectations and I think I will get outstanding adventure photos from it.  I also put a couple of silica packs in the bag to keep any moisture down and I carry a small piece of Pack Towel to wipe off the lens before shooting.  One thing I am working on is a bungee or retractable leash to attach it to my kayak.  I have been using the neck strap that comes with it but it is a pain as it is always in the way.

All in all I do think this is a good cost effective way to keep your camera dry while in the water, just test it first.  As with any product it works much better when you know its limitation and you don’t expect it to perform beyond what it is designed to do.  I will always test the bag before using it, but other than my bad experience with the first bag I am happy with the product, I wish I could be excited about it but I’m not.

Mile Stones

Most trips you will never forget but some will be ingrained into your memory as something special.  Taking my daughter to Chain-o-Lakes State Park this summer was that sort of trip, mile stones and memories were made.

When I was around 10 my dad started a tradition with me of doing something special for my birthday, just the two of us.  For several years we took a canoe trip, we would leave in the morning on the canoe trip and then camp that night.  The trip was through a local outfitter and we camped at the outfitters campground; that was my introduction to wilderness travel, which has become a life long love and passion.  This wasn’t a trip to the Boundary Waters but it was special to me all the same.  It has become important for my wife and me to start this tradition with our children.  Since my wife and I both love to do things outside we decided that it would be a trip with just that child and the other child would stay with grandma and grandpa.

Our daughter has been saving any money for about a year and a half to buy a kayak. So my wife and I decided it was time to “recycle” the birthday trip my dad had started 30 years ago.  She had saved about half of what she needed for a kayak and met our requirement that she start to learn how to swim so we paid for the rest of the boat and planed our trip.  I also made her a Greenland paddle in just her size.  I’d like to think that she wanted the paddle because dad uses a Greenland paddle or the since of tradition and history it represents but no she wanted it because I could stain it purple.  I’ll take what I can get and teach her about the rich history of traditional paddling later in life.

After making multiple trips to Nurpu River and Mountain supply and discussion with the Kevin, and Garry about what kayak was right for her she had her boat, PFD and a custom purple Greenland paddle.  I also bought a tow rope so when she got tried we could get her back safely and she would still enjoy the trip.

We packed our camper and headed to Chain-o-Lakes.  Our first day out we told her after we paddled a little we would go to the beach and she could play around.  That was all that was on her mind so not much paddling happened.  At the beach we let her play and swim; also we worked in a few wet exits.  I think this a skill that is essential for kayaking, knowing how far your boat will go before it goes over and having the confidence that you can remain calm and get out are as important as knowing which end of the paddle goes in the water.  We started by holding the boat and letting her jump out, by the end of the two days we were there she was flipping the boat completely over and swimming out.  We also attached both of our paddle floats to her paddle and let her play around with them.  She started to learn what it takes to climb over the paddle which will translate into self rescue later.

Over the coarse of a couple of days of paddling she got to see a muskrat swim by her boat, a beaver lodge, and slides created by river otters.  Knowing the kind of kid she is this just translates into a deeper love and appreciation of the outdoor world.  It also meant she wanted a kayak themed birthday party complete with a kayak themed cake but that is a whole other story in what a parent will do for their children.

While at camp she reached another mile stone.  She decided she wanted to ride her bike without training wheels.  We had attempted this several times before with disastrous results.  So after a long day of paddling she decided to try.  The training wheels came off and we started our first attempt.  Within three steps she was out of my hands and flying through the grass around the campground on two wheels!  I think it was an hour later before we actually got her to stop riding and take a break.  It all just came together.  I guess this trip was one of those times that you see your child grow up right before your eyes.  Since I was in Afghanistan the first year of her life I missed all of the first year mile stones.  I’m glad I’m able to reach these mile stones with her and I won’t forget them.

Now my youngest son’s birthday is in February and we are trying to figure out what special trip we should do for him, maybe climb Mt. Washington?  Ok maybe I’ll wait a few years for that since he’s only 4.