Mindshift
Rotation180º
Professional in
BELLA
COOLA, British Columbia
St Elias
Range USA
Mt Logan,
Canada
THE SKI
MOUNTAINEER !
LINK ALERT ! FIELD REVIEW "MINDSHIFT" ROTATION 180 PRO
This spring and early summer I
had some ski expeditions lined up on the coast of British Columbia and as
far away as the Mt St Elias Range in the USA.
These places are remote and
difficult to reach. My goals were to acquire images and video in an
incredible place that would require keeping up with elite athletes in motion
and not be a liability to the situation.
One of my primary concerns
with shooting this project was having a method to deploy my gear, shoot and
stow without slowing down the nature of movement in a dangerous location.
I
attempted to modify some camera bags with little success. Eventually I recalled
a review by Dan Carr on some MindShift products. I sourced out the review and
the concept appeared to be a breakthrough in camera bag designs.
Many of the reviews I saw
on line with the packs were very positive and detailed. I'm not going get into
what can go in what pocket or different configurations of the accessories. Dan
Carr did a fantastic job of a complete review and I will back up his findings.
My focus for this
review will be on deployment in locations that are typically challenging and
how the bag carries essentials for ski mountaineering or adventure sport
in particular. My intention is to shed some light for the effectiveness of
the Rotation Program outside of a studio review.
MindShift was founded by
the creators of "ThinkTank" who are known for progressive camera bags
and accessories. There are 2 flagship packs among other other accessories by
Mindshift, the 22 litre R180 Panorama and it's big brother the 37.5 litre Rotation180º Professional.
A week before my departure
for Bella Coola I anxiously waited for the Rotation 180 Pro to arrive.
If it did not live up to my
hopeful expectations I would have to resort to my other system of taking
a pack on and pack off, which is not super efficient with skis attached.
Soon enough I was
unwrapping the pack with the Deluxe Configuration. This included
extras's such as padded insert for extra lenses or camera body, top
pocket, Tripod kit and extra attachment straps.
Immediately I was impressed
by the build quality of the pack. Some have mentioned that it is a heavy bag
but I believe there is a good balance of weight, comfort and durability in the
design.
Many of the accessories on
the bag are removable so it's simple to trim the fat and pair it down to
only those that you need for a particular shoot.
At 6'2 in height my 1st
concern was the length was on the short side but when I loaded the bag it felt
right at home with the weight properly anchored across my back and distributed
on my hips and shoulder straps.
The highlight of the
rotation series is you never have to take the pack off to access the integrated
camera waist pack. The magnetic quick release buckle allows the belt pack to
slide out of it's stowed position for quick deployment of gear and accessories.
Then the belt pack essentially becomes a great workstation for switching lenses
and accessories.
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danncarr.com
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For all my shoots I
travelled with the padded insert in place but when it was "Go Time"
it was removed and the technical mountain gear went in.
This mountain safety
equipment is equally important as the camera gear. If the avalanche
shovel, probes, Crampons, climbing skins, 30 meter rope, Ice axes, 1st aid kit,
fluids, food, thermos and Insulating layer did not fit in I was back to square
one.
One by one I slowly layered
all these items in the pack. I was a bit pessimistic as I have other bags
with larger capacity claims where I struggle to get all these in place.
I'm not a fan of hydration
bladders with so many sharp tools around. It would spell disaster if my
hydration kit was punctured or leaked so I prefer a 1 litre bottle. The
empty hydration pocket proved to be an ideal place to stowe my shovel
handle and Avalanche probe.
Soon enough the bag was
filled but not stuffed.
All of the items listed
above were in place and the waist pack contained a Canon 5D Mark 3, with a
16-35 and a 24-105 with a Zacuto Eyepeice attached. In addition I had 3 spare
batteries, some chamois for drying, filters, lens cloths.
For Videographers I
did occasionally use a Sony FS 700. The waist pack fit the body
nicely however don't expect to have a lens attached, not a big deal unless
you are on a run and gun shoot.
Each of my trips I have
used the pack it has been tested it in some of the most difficult conditions
and environment you can find anywhere on the planet. I climbed
numerous mountains with skis attached to the bag with tripod and was
truly surprised by how well it performed from day 1. I was committed to
the system in Bella Coola as I had no alternative and immediately I knew
this would be my go to bag for most shooting circumstances. It was the 1st
trip where I could shoot the action and keep pace with the athletes
without asking them to wait for me while I dealt with my equipment.
In the St Elias Range we
towed heavy T-boggans with enough gear for 3 weeks of mountain travel and
the Rotation 180 pro was loaded on my back for the long traverse. During
this time no deficiencies in the pack were found.
A minor plus that I really
like about the bag is it stands up on it's own when placed on the ground. Small
detail but less exposure to the environment.
Now a review would not be
valid unless I could provide some constructive criticism in the pack
design.
Despite how robust the
material is I found it did have a tendency for some breakdown and minor
tearing in the material where my skis were attached. The avalanche shovel in
it's compartment provides a rigid interface for the skis to slowly wear
holes down in the fabric and if I'm correct in how I attached my skis that area
could use some reinforced material in this area or caution when attaching skis.
Most users will not be in a position to have this issue but it's worth noting.
In summary I highly recommend
this bag for many reasons. The180 degree rotation is the most unique feature
that sets it in a league of it’s own. The other features are well thought out
and the bag should be at the top of your list if you are in the market for a
new camera bag.
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