Tenba Camera Insert in Synik 30?

[darumablue]

Has anyone ever used the Tenba or another camera insert in the Synik 30? If so, does it fit well? Does the clamshell opening risk throwing the camera out of the bag? (Considering selling my Peak Design EDC is I can get a solid camera set up for the Synik.)

[G42]

Has anyone ever used the Tenba or another camera insert in the Synik 30? If so, does it fit well? Does the clamshell opening risk throwing the camera out of the bag? (Considering selling my Peak Design EDC is I can get a solid camera set up for the Synik.)

I can't help on your question, but welcome to the Forums @darumablue! Hopefully someone will chime in

[yvandermeer]

I also can't answer your exact question, but I have a Synapse 19 (just received it last week actually!) and the removable insert from my Billingham Hadley Small fits very well into the S19. Consequently I also found this review of the Synapse 19 mentioning that same exact combination:

https://www.macfilos.com/2014/06/24/...nd-photo-gear/

You're probably referring to the Tenba BYOB inserts, which I think are quite similar to the insert from the Billingham, in that it's a padded rectangular box with some internal dividers.

I don't actually find such camera inserts ideal inside a backpack: weight wise, it makes most sense to put the camera insert at the bottom, but that means you're either left with a lot unused space on top, or you have stuff sitting in top of the insert that makes getting to your gear more cumbersome.
Putting an insert in the top half of a backpack (with other stuff like a puffy jacket or sweater below the insert) makes your camera much more accessible, but I find the rectangular shape of an insert to be a bit bulky / uncomfortable in the narrow top of the Synapse, plus there's the risk of the entire insert falling out more easily.

Instead, I use a Peak Design Field Pouch, which I double tether to the top O-rings in the main compartment using two small carabiners. In it, I carry my rangefinder camera with a single fixed lens, which fits perfectly. The field pouch doesn't provide a great deal of padding for my camera, but inside the Synapse it seems fine to me (plus, I try not to throw my bag around ;-).

Not sure if any of this was of any help! What gear are you trying to fit into your Synik 30?


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[x3n0n]

Welcome to the forums, @yvandermeer, and thanks for sharing your helpful and relevant experiences!

[yvandermeer]

Welcome to the forums, @yvandermeer, and thanks for sharing your helpful and relevant experiences!

Thank you!


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[GrussGott]

FWIW I've tried a zillion camera bags, inserts, etc and for DSLR stuff I've settled on a few key things:

(1.) I carry the body and 3 lenses max, and a small snake charmer of support gear, and that's it - most of my stuff stays behind

(2.) I use Tenba wraps, no more inserts; occasionally i'll use an empty cache for bottom or other padding

This allows me to easily carry my DSLR setup in any bag, including the DLBP. When I use the S25, i usually use the lower front pocket for day travel with the lens off or for shooting on the run, leave the lens attached stuffed in the main body with the wraps / caches on the bottom of the bag if needed.

I just did 2 weeks in Tokyo that way and my total bag setup was the western flyer and S25 including swim/gym gear, DSLR setup, and normal pack



that's actually a cell phone pic!

[Traveltech]

Peak design has camera cubes that I’m thinking might clip onto the compressions straps in the Synik. Has anyone tried this??

[quipacorn]

I've used a Tenba BYOB 9 in both a S25 and a Synik 30. It fits in the front chin pocket almost perfectly and is somewhat quick accessible.

[jsdwyer26]

Yes! Well sort of. I've tried in my S19, S22, and DLBP.

I usually take my S19 or S22 when I'm anticipating that I'll need to grab my camera at a moment's notice. For those situations, I put the camera insert in the main compartment. I try to put the insert vertically so I can (ideally) just open the side of the main compartment about 1/4 of the way up so I can reach in and grab my camera. My main complaint with this setup is: putting the camera back in can be difficult since the insert is "soft" and has no frame or support; in other words, it can get smushed if you have anything in the water bottle pocket or too much in the other pocket. The Tenba insert has a notebook slot in the back and I've found inserting my small notebook in there provides some support. This is less of a problem because I usually just walk and hold my camera with the wrist strap. And the S22's clamshell has made this even easier since you can zip further down this bag (it's just a shame I'm so attached my halcyon S19!)

Ultimately, I've found It's not a bad setup by any means but it's also far from perfect and I'm always thinking of and considering other options.

[G42]

I usually take my S19 or S22 when I'm anticipating that I'll need to grab my camera at a moment's notice.

Welcome to the Forums @jsdwyer26, glad you can help provide some input for the camera toting folks

[Yarpy]

Like GrussGott, I’ve gone through tons of camera bags over the years. I’m long past my full frame, heavy glass days. I’m now down to a Fuji XE-3, a couple of small primes and a mid-range zoom. Occasionally, a long zoom gets added.

I’ve also been looking at the Tenba inserts, and this backpack one in particular ...
https://www.tenba.com/en/products/by...ckpack-insert#

It should fit in the SN22 (which I don’t own, yet). You could pack some stuff in behind it. I’m leaning more towards the Tenba or Domke lens wraps. The insert, while good for keeping things organized, seems like it would take up more space than I’d like. If you’re doing one-bag travel, then this may be an issue.

I like yvandermeer’s idea of using a PD Pouch on top.

As much as I enjoy my camera gear, I do think about slimming down even more to an X100, or even just using my phone. I find as I get older, I’m less willing to futz around with all that gear. I’ve haven’t found shooting with a phone nearly as satisfying as a camera. However, with the quality were getting nowadays, I’m reconsidering that. My iPhone 6 is getting pretty ancient.

[yvandermeer]

@Yarpy Very recognizable! At one point in my "gear collecting phase", I hauled a full frame Nikon D700, a 70-200 f/2.8 and multiple f/1.4 primes into the Morrocan desert on holiday. After that, I started my journey of scaling down...

I'm a long time X100 enthusiast and firmly believe it's the best camera for what most people shoot. Having just a single camera & lens has numerous benefits: no time spent switching lenses or thinking about what lens to grab from your bag. No more decision paralysis regarding what gear to bring with you before you head out the door. Many people find that sticking to a single lens promotes their creativity. And of course – to bring this back to the original topic – it means less gear to carry in your bag.

I also have various Domke wraps, but find that in a backpack I miss a way of tethering them to the bag. On one occasion, the Domke wrap containing my X100F actually fell out of my bag as I was looking for something else in the bag and it tumbled on the ground from about 4 feet height. Fujifilm repair was needed to fix the damage (despite the Domke wrap).

The Peak Design Field Pouch solves this problem for me, and it seems like a perfect fit for the “Tom Bihn o-ring philosophy”.

Just my two cents – everyone's needs are different!

(FWIW I now shoot a Leica M10 with a manual focus 35mm f/2 prime from '83 and feel like it's the last camera I'll ever need, haha)

[Yarpy]

Yup. The whole camera gear thing can get very philosophical.

Bring a larger kit, and cover everything (or most things). Or, bring a minimal kit and know you may miss some shots. However, the minimal kit may help you get more shots in other areas.

For our trip to Ireland last August, I shot 85% with my 23/2 (35mm FF equivalent). During the trip it really made me pine for an X100. I owned the original model, then traded it for an X Pro-1 when that came out. I’m waiting to see what Fuji does with the X100V (or whatever they call it). If nothing else, there should be a lot of used X100Fs on the market. I’ve even noticed used prices dropping a bit lately in the Toronto area.

The thought of stowing it in that PD pouch with the o-rings, or in one of the side pockets is enticing.

The Leica sounds sweet.

[GrussGott]

I also have various Domke wraps, but find that in a backpack I miss a way of tethering them to the bag.

TB stuff sacks work great! That's what I do for actual travel when I'm not going to be using the camera: wrap it, stuff it, clip it in.

I've tried various Lowe, Inside Line, TB2, camera bags (and many inserts) but found, like you, I just don't need all the gear, so I like to stay light and flexible and use any bag. For DSLR, i carry the body, a nifty 50, a telephoto, and core lens. When I'm not shooting-on-the-go I wrap/stuff/clip in whatever bag for travel, usually the S25 or WF, sometimes the A45.

Then for run-and-gun sometimes i'll use just the nifty-50 in the Pilot or DLBP with a wrap folded on the bottom of the bag - even fits in the center pocket of the Pilot! If I'm going on photo run, i'll attach a lens, stuff a cache in the bottom and side of the S25, then just stuff the camera into the back lens first. When I see stuff to shoot , I just spin the bag around and pull out camera. Of course mirrorless is even easier!

I don't use any camera-body straps/neck strap except for a hand-only side strap, so I just slip my hand in there and pull the camera out.

To your point, everyone is different, and it's taken me years to come up with this method ... my motivation was one time when I went city shooting with a few folks and some brought a roller-briefcase chock full of gear.

My support gear is, charger, batteries, spare cards, giottos rocket, lens cleaner and wipes which all fits great in small snake charmer which I also clip in.

[yvandermeer]

TB stuff sacks work great! That's what I do for actual travel when I'm not going to be using the camera: wrap it, stuff it, clip it in.

Yes! I have in fact used this myself; for a short while I owned a Ricoh GR and it fit great in a TB stuff sack size 1 with a small Domke wrap inside. I had a way of folding the wrap so it would have one end always open, and it allowed me to just slide the camera out when I undid the draw string.

That said, assuming you are using the stuff sack's draw cord for the tethering, I think it only works for lightweight cameras. As much as I Iove the quality of my TB bags, I wouldn't trust the fate of my M10 + attached lens (~900 grams total) to a single stuff sack's paracord drawstring.