GOMATIC MCKINNON CAMERA BACKPACK 25L

£270/$299 You can buy additional ‘cubes’ for this backpack, tailoring it to your exact daily and photo needs

This backpack is the brainchild of Canadian photographer Peter Mckinnon and is the smaller of two options branded as Gomatic in the UK and Nomatic in the US. It’s endlessly customizable. The key is a ‘ladder’ system that enables you to extend the top compartment of the split photo/daypack.

For camera kit, there’s the option of adding a set of dividers, either one or two small ‘cubes’, or one large cube. These fit into the main compartment, which is accessed from the rear via a zippered flap which also contains two mesh pockets. However, the dividers or cubes add to the backpack’s cost – at around £45/$45 or £70/$70 for small or large cubes. Additional accessories sold separately include organizer cases for batteries, filters and memory cards. Unusually, the backpack is supplied without a waist belt or slip-over rain cover, these items again being sold as optional extras.

While the build quality is excellent and the Mckinnon is immensely versatile, the modular approach makes it the most expensive backpack in the group once you start adding extras supplied with other contenders on test.

Performance

A bonus of the modular system is that you can buy multiple large and small cubes and tailor them to different collections of cameras, lenses and other accessories that you often use. It’s then easy to slip the appropriate cube into the backpack or to leave them out to create a regular backpack.

VERDICT It’s relatively lightweight, really nicely made and looks very stylish. The modular approach adds expense as well as versatility making the backpack pricier than most competitors.