Review Redsnapper SY618 Bag

Marcel

Kim Jong Bod
Admin
Messages
29,405
Name
Marcel
Edit My Images
Yes
I've been toying with the idea of a new bag for a while. Being a current and diehard Lowepro MiniTrekker II AW User for some years, I was getting annoyed with the backpack style, due to needing to keep taking it off to change lenses etc. Not practical when walking around the streets or confined spaces. So I looked around for a shoulder bag.

Looking at the prices some of the major manufacturers charge, I couldn't justify spending £80 plus on one, so bought a 'manbag' instead.
While this plugged a gap for days out doing street photography, it wasn't 'enough' (It has no padding for a start, both external and internal, so my kit was in danger of being bashed about).

I happened upon TP Member RedSnapper, who made a name on here selling tripods and heads at a fraction of the leading brand equivalents and now also sells bags (amongst other stuff).
One of them being the RedSnapper SY618.
At just £39.95 it seemed a bargain for what it was, and just what I was looking for.

Well, today it turned up thanks to the nice man driving a Citylink Van.

Opening the box, I was pleasantly suprised...but shocked. It was huge. I thought it would engulf my kit. It's more sandy/lighter coloured than the image on the website above (which I already knew thanks to RedSnappers thread here on TalkPhotography).

redsnapper_sy618_01.jpg

redsnapper_sy618_02.jpg

redsnapper_sy618_03.jpg


It's made of a strong, good quality material, which looks like it will stand up to some weathering. Sadly not waterproof, but it does come with a removable waterproof cover).

redsnapper_sy618_04.jpg


Looking around it, I was impressed by the number of pockets incorporated into the bag. One at either end, two on the side (front), one on the outside (rear), two in the sides (inside), one zippable / mesh pocket in the 'lid', and a large compartment inside, currently divided into five sections.
More than enough for my kit....So I started putting all my kit into it.

redsnapper_sy618_05.jpg


The centre 'section' (including the padding) can be lifted out for those that temporarily need a large space / bag.
The centre section also has an extra bit of zipped / velcro 'security' to stop dipping hands and foreign objects. Handy if like me you want to keep the flap open and folded back while youre carrying it, but still require access to the bag's contents easily.

redsnapper_sy618_06.jpg

redsnapper_sy618_07.jpg


There's an adjustable shoulder strap with a padded protected bit to stop those sore shoulders. There's also a carry handle (detachable for carrying it short distances (again, handy for carrying to the car etc)).
There's also a third strap, which I didn't expect to see, and that's a waist strap (I assume), to stop the bag veering off when being carried.
I have detached this strap though, as I don't really see the need for it myself (I never used the waist or chest straps on my Lowepro either).

From what I can gather, this is every bit as top notch quality as a leading brand name bag, and well worth the money. If you were to buy something like this in Jessops, you'd expect to pay at least twice the price....and with a 10% discount to Talk Photography members, you really can't go wrong.

I'd suggest even though this bag might be too big for your needs, or you may require a backpack style or some such. Give RedSnapper a look, I can't recommend them enough. They've proven to be very popular with their tripod legs and heads, and I'm sure they are about to seal that reputation with bags too.

(Pics to follow)
 
I also forgot to mention there is a padded laptop sleeve inside the bag too! (I took it out and put it to one side when I opened the bag, hence forgot to photograph and include it in the review).
 
I met Mr Redsnapper last week and he had one with him....a brief look prompted me to order one to replace my Lowepro Stealth Reporter. The Redsnapper bag is a little more utility in appearance and there'll be times when it's beneficial not having everybody know that there's £xxxx worth of toggery stuff over you shoulder.

Bob
 
I like the look of it. I get fed up with packing what I *think* I'll need before I go out, and then finding I could really have done with that extra lens...
Fantastic price for what you get too.
Can you post back after you've had a chance to use it Marcel, see how practical and comfortable you found it to be?
Lowepro's never let me down in terms of keeping things safe and snug, and I too don't want to go for the rucksack style, but would like some extra space to keep everything together!
 
Mmm...

I like the look of this too.

But I`m thinking it might be a bit big for me atm as I only have two lenses and one of them is always on the camera... :D

I plan on getting more gear though so maybe it would be a good investment... got to get something as I`ve no bag atall just now... plus when I think about it I always take my bino`s out with me too and they`re not massive but they aint small either.

And then there`s the filters etc.

Yeh... I`m convincing myself more and more I could do with this bag...

Marcel... do you think it would be TOO big for the small amount of gear I have atm?

Cheers. :)
 
Huge manbag = gay ;P.

Lol...

Oh well... I`ve just got mine today.

Got sick of waiting for Marcel to answer my question (joke... :p ) and just grabbed one and I`d say it`s spot on for size.

Looking forward to using and seeing how it goes.

Thanks Marcel and Mr. Redsnapper. :D

(y)
 
I used mine for the first time last Saturday and it was great.

I got 2 video cameras, plus batteries and chargers, 2 video lights with extra batteries, 350d with the grip and 50mm lens on, 30d with the 24-105mmL lens on and the grip, my 430ex flash, an umbrella :wacky:various cards, video tapes, cables, keys, wallet, mobile and thats the stuff that I can remember going in there. Well worth the money, like Marcel said, for a bag of this quality elsewhere you would be paying £100 easy. Its very much like a Billingham without the price tag. :clap:
 
....I got 2 video cameras, plus batteries and chargers, 2 video lights with extra batteries, 350d with the grip and 50mm lens on, 30d with the 24-105mmL lens on and the grip, my 430ex flash, an umbrella :wacky:various cards, video tapes, cables, keys, wallet, mobile and thats the stuff that I can remember going in there....

That sounds like a woman's hand-bag :LOL: :bonk: :muted:

I received mine today (thanks Joe) and my first impressions are that is well-made and has plenty of adjustable space. Looking forward to using it now.
 
I bought one of these as an alternative to my backpack style bags/s, I was getting fed up of having to take the bag off and set it down to get at the camera or a lens. It's an amazing piece of kit, great material/manufacture quality and large enough for most kit (takes my bigma upright without the camera attached nicely). It's very comfortable to carry. Forget subscribing to PhotoPlus, buy one of these instead :)
 
That looks a great price for a quality bag that size. I agree with the general comments - it's a pain removing a backpack all the time to get at bits of gear. I have a large Tamrac shoulder bag left over from my wedding days, which I've nearly sold a couple of times, but I'm glad I didn't, it's so much easier to access bits of kit on the move.

I gets a bit heavy on the shoulder on a long day if it's fully laden, and nowhere near as comfortable as the backpack - but hey ho - you can't have it both ways.
 
This looks like just what I'm after! Can I see a pic of you wearing it please so i can see how big it is on you? :)

Cheers,

Guy/Mohain
 
Looks like the kind of material that would weather nicely, it has got me thinking I may change from a backpack:thinking:.
 
Just an update from me....

I've just had a few days around France with mine....flights included and had the following in it;

5D Body, 70-200/2.8, 85L, 24L, batteries and other extras, 15" laptop and power supply.

No problems and stood up well.

Bob
 
Just to add my 2¢ to this - I bought one of these bags too. Its excellent. Lots of room inside and its well padded. The shoulder strap is really comfortable and certainly makes the bag feel significantly lighter than my Crumpler even with the same amount of gear. There's also a lot of padding at the back, where the bag is contact with my hip and it sort of moulds to shape. So it doesn't flap around or bang about when you're walking.

Thoroughly recommended - well worth the money - and thanks to Marcel for the heads up.
 
Well this bag got its first proper outing today, and I was certainly impressed.

Ever since the bag I kept looking at it in the living room thinking "My god its so big, I think I should send it back and go for the smaller one"

I was thinking it would be too big to carry comfortably.
Well after carrying it around Blackpool all day today, I'm actually very very impressed.
Like mv says, the shoulder strap is comfortable, and the padding really just helps it hug your body.
I don't carry it at the side onto the thigh / high, but more towards the rear, and apart from the weight, I could hardly feel it was there.
When I wanted to access something, it just slipped round to the front.

The only niggle I have, is that the weatherproof sheet you get doesn't fit the bag snugly, its sort of bigger at one side of the bag, than the other, but it was hard to fasten and stay fastened (velcro). still kept the top of the bag dry, but it wasn't as proper a fit as it should have been (Seemed like it was for a smaller bag perhaps?)

All in all, Im still impressed with this bag, and after my fears of it being too big, I can safely say it is just right (y)
 
Mine arrived today...had no time to 'play' with it but Im amazed with number of pockets it has :)
 
Oooh think I might just have to get one of these !
 
Quick question for you guys who have one of these & Mr Redsnapper. Would the material take that shoe protector spray stuff to give it a bit more weather protection ?
 
The bag comes with a weatherproof cover and by itself I reckon it is pretty good at keeping the wet out, but if it's important to you you would be better spending more for a guaranteed weatherproof bag.
 
The bag comes with a weatherproof cover and by itself I reckon it is pretty good at keeping the wet out, but if it's important to you you would be better spending more for a guaranteed weatherproof bag.

Cheers mate. It's not that important, more curiosity to be honest.
 
As for the spray stuff, it might work well but I'd be too worried about it staining the fabric to try it.
 
Well i would imagine being sand coloured it will get pretty grubby anyway after a while. We shall see as Joe said he has a couple left in stock, so i have taken the plunge :)
 
thanks for the review

am also thinking of ditching my backpack... this seems to be a great alternative

yukioMishima
 
you should do it. I got one for my birthday today from my future parents-in-law (after some hints from me), and it's fantastic. It certainly is big, but I knew it would be after reading this thread the other week.

The quality if fantastic. Nice khaki/sand colour, with some very nice leathery and suedey bits on it too.

Like someone said, I get the impression it'll 'weather' nicely, and actually looking better with age.

Great kit, for an amazing price. I'm sure something like this made by a bigger name would be double the cost
 
Nice review. It's given me the urge to purchase one right away.

Quick question: How long does postage normally take with them?
 
have got a pic with the camera sit inside ?
 
just bought one but how do i get my 10% discount????

You need to follow the instructions that are posted on the forums, "the discount is 10% and it is done after purchase by refunding to your method of payment. All you have to do is email me (/edit that's joe at redsnapper) your member name at the same time as your purchase.
Alternatively, call 01295 269333 and order over the phone."
 
Last edited:
knighthawk it's a big deep bag, what are you hoping to put in it? I currently have 30D plus grip and kit lens in one compartment, sigma 50-500 in the center compartment, 17-85 and 50mm 1.8 in the other and still loads of room left.
 
I need another bag :)

I am probably going to end up with more bags than Mrs_C :thinking: I have a Lowepro computrecker1 & Lowepro Orion-trekker2 and three Peli cases but the peli cases are only really useful for storage at home and at work. The computrekker is very large but you have to take it off your back and unzip it all just to get something out or change a lens and the orion-trekker2 is now too small.

This bag looks really rather good. Will it take a gripped D700 plus something like the 24-70 plus a gripped D200 with the 80-200, a flash and maybe the AFS50f1.4 ?? If not any ideas what would......
 
knighthawk it's a big deep bag, what are you hoping to put in it? I currently have 30D plus grip and kit lens in one compartment, sigma 50-500 in the center compartment, 17-85 and 50mm 1.8 in the other and still loads of room left.
Just that the bag dont appear to have many dividers in it considering its a large bag.....it's always best to see the bag with the camera in it to give you a real idea of its size
 
Just that the bag dont appear to have many dividers in it considering its a large bag.....it's always best to see the bag with the camera in it to give you a real idea of its size

It's pretty spacious bud. There's room for a camera, gripped, with a lens attached, and enough room for an extra 3 or 4 lens, depending if you pack a flash in there as well etc. It's like a tardis in there. And it you don't carry a small lappy around with you, take out the laptop sleeve that comes with it (yes, it's got one of those as well!) and you get even more room
 
It's pretty spacious bud. There's room for a camera, gripped, with a lens attached, and enough room for an extra 3 or 4 lens, depending if you pack a flash in there as well etc. It's like a tardis in there. And it you don't carry a small lappy around with you, take out the laptop sleeve that comes with it (yes, it's got one of those as well!) and you get even more room

Ok its looks good value...my Tamrac is over 15 year old now and still going strong ...I would still like to see a pic to see how the camera sits inside the bag before I take the plunge
 
Ok its looks good value...my Tamrac is over 15 year old now and still going strong ...I would still like to see a pic to see how the camera sits inside the bag before I take the plunge

Well it's pretty much as per the guy's pictures on the first page, but with a camera 'face down' in the middle
 
Back
Top