Had to give it five stars because it's brilliantly made. I had wanted to get the 30L but was told that it wouldn't work with a DSLR... only mirrorless. My camera is a D850 and usually shoot with the 70-200 2.8 (it's a big chunk) and a 24-70 2.8 (not tiny either). Used it several times but with camera gear, water for myself and my dog... lunch for both of us... plus all the misc gear needed, it proved to be too much weight and bulk. A couple weeks ago I took my dog to a local State Park. As we were getting out of my car, I noticed someone who was getting her dog out and a bag that looked very familiar. I couldn't help myself and said: wow! a Shimoda! She turned around and I asked if she liked it. She told me that she should have purchased the 50L instead of 30L since hers wasn't long enough to sit properly on her back. I'll trade you mine! I have the 50L and it's just too big... I doubt my gear will fit in the 30, but if it does, we might have a solution for both of us. To my shock and awe, she was very interested. We arranged a time to meet and see if the 50 works for her and if the 30 will hold full frame DSLR or not. Cutting to the chase, it worked beautifully. She has enough room for gear as well as backpack camping gear, and I have a bag that holds all of the above plus a pair of snow shoes... with less weight and bulk. Her only complaint was the 50L is VERY deep fore and aft. Camera and lenses tend to move around in the deep cavern of the pack but indicated it's a problem that's easily solved. Because of the expandability of the pack, I can also stuff layers which is a big deal. My only suggestion to Shimoda is that they might want to consider a slightly (very slight) bigger version so that they can market it to people like me. Even if they don't, I found the bag that meets my needs very well.

I tried A LOT of bags during the pandemic and finally settled on this one. I'm 6' and the 50L was big enough when I need to pack a lot, and still a good size for me when I'm traveling light as the top expands as needed.


My camera/lenses are mirrorless, but I ordered with DSLR Medium Core Unit as it's deeper so I could stand up a few lenses I couldn't in the mirrorless version.


Very comfortable for hiking as similar to my Osprey backpacks, yet extremely practical for all photographic/hiking needs. The flexibility it allows is the best of all I tried. You can fit laptop and a water bladder, and it's very weather proof.

I picked up this bag to take hiking on a trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and it did not disappoint. While I've loved a few other backpacks for carrying my photo gear (and I have a LOT of them to choose from so I probably have a problem...) nothing has compared to the comfort of this bag. I thought it would be an improvement and I wanted all the help I could get but I never imagined it would be as comfortable as it was even loaded with admittedly too much camera gear and hiking up steep inclines at fairly high elevations (the Appalachians obviously aren't the highest mountains but they're still mountains). I also loved the green color since all my other backpacks are black. Color was never a deal breaker for me but I rather like the green of this bag. All in all, it was an amazing investment and the 50L was the perfect size for my needs. I'm even thinking of picking up the other sizes at some point for various hiking excursions in the future but I'm not yet convinced I "need" just yet. Overall, it's extremely comfortable and the bag itself so far doesn't show any dirt even. I'm sure it'll eventually get dirty but I spent 4 days in the woods with it and all the dirt just wiped right off. I can't recommend this bag enough.

I loaded this backpack with gripped EOS R5 rf 15-35, rf 24-70, rf 70-200, rf 100-500 85 F1.4, 100 L Macro along with all the accesories, the back felt great, lots of room for personal items. I am happy I got it!

I can pack tons of gear or go with a liter load, this backpack is perfect for day trips, landscape photography, everyday carry. I use it to carry most of my gear everyday. I usually have the large DSLR v2 insert, but sometimes I switch it to the Medium DSLR V2 with the small one for flexibility.
In my car I have the medium insert for when I am going on a hike. What I do is use the medium insert as a storage tray in my car for the lenses I do not need to carry on my hike. Great system!
I highly recommend this bag!

I recently took the bag out for the first time to the Olympic National Park. It worked flawlessly it kept my camera gear dry and safe. It was also comfortable to hike with, I liked the fact that I didn't need an additional rain cover as the material is already very resistant to water.

I purchased the large DSLR insert which was perfect for my three zoom lens 16-35, 24-105 and 100-400 as well as two prime lenses. The main reason I got this over the new version of the Explorer backpacks from Shimoda was due to the extra storage at the top of the bag for food, clothes etc.

Side pockets are awesome for holding a tripod and large water bottles, plenty of pockets for storage. Overall a great bag very well made, I highly recommend it.

I've been looking for a good ski touring / photo bag for a while. Overall, I'm very happy I went with this bag. The main reason I chose it was for its dedicated snow safety gear front pocket. With my previous photo bag, I could't fit my shovel and probe without having dangling pieces or open pockets. The size of the Action X50 is perfect for me. When working in the mountains, I usually pack a drone, lots of extra batteries, a gopro, one dslr with one or two lenses, a shotgun mic, phone, repair kit. All this fits easily in the lower compartments. Up top, there is plenty of room left for a water bottle, down jacket, skins, cap and goggles. You could fit more but it will start to be a cluster...

The little extras I really like are the front pockets on the shoulder straps. I use these to pack a small radio and a couple cliff bars. The weight is very acceptable. Also, the water resistant separator that separates the top and bottom part of the bag is a great touch. I'm a splitboarder and it's easy to stash the collapsible poles on the side of the bag when riding.

The one thing that I don't like as much is the side opening back panel. Not because of the actual access but because I get caught in the straps when I use the bag with my holster pack (I always travel this way when shooting rapid paced video).

When in use, it's obvious that this bag was made with backcountry ski photography / videography in mind.

I recently took delivery of this bag and all I can say is WOW!! It is so much more than I could have expected!! Such high quality and workmanship for a camera backpack!

First and foremost, I was NOT compensated for this review...I bought the bag with my own money and was not paid for a review. However, I am also the owner of another Shimoda bag, the Explore 40. I am very much aware of the quality of the Shimoda line of backpacks, having owned the Explore 40 for nearly two years now. With that said, my expectations for this new Action 50 were high to begin with. But the expectations were far exceeded with its arrival!!

You can notice the difference between the two, as is expected with any evolution of a product line. And that is not to take anything away from the Explore line....top notch quality all around!!

The Action 50 now affords me the ability to carry my mirrorless system, in addition to backcountry camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, etc.) for overnight trips here in the Blue Ridge of NC. The stitching, zippers, shoulder straps, etc. scream first class!!

I am so happy to have stumbled upon the Shimoda line of backpacks nearly two years ago!! They have a customer for life!! Thank you Shimoda...and thank you B&H for carrying the line! Two top notch companies in my books!!

I waited 2 years to get a Shimoda even after all the positive reviews. I primarily shoot landscape and felt it would be too big for my mirrorless kit. I've been using an Atlas Athlete which I love but sadly won't fit my full frame Nikon and wildlife kit.

The 50L Action X is perfect for carrying my Nikon D800 attached to my 200-500VR with additional space for accessories, fits live a glove. I haven't travelled by plane yet but the overall dimensions makes it fit on domestic airlines as a carry on if not overloaded with additional gear. I bought the large dslr core unit which was the perfect choice for my wildlife set up.

I wasn't sure about the roll top closure but have already fallen in love with the design. Materials are top quality, feels like this bag will last for decades with extensive use.