Tenba Axis v2 24L Review

For a good reason, there’s something decidedly military about the Tenba Axis v2 24L. The design and style have been inspired by the military backpacks that Tenba has made over its 40+ year history.

Because of the background and the company’s expertise in making strong, durable bags, this backpack instantly feels a cut above many others of a similar style.

Three major points make the Tenba Axis v2 24L stand out. The first is the design with the huge internal capacity, which can take one to two Mirrorless DSLR or Cine cameras with between six to eight lenses, up to 400mm 2.8, plus a laptop up to 16 inches.

Next is the durability; the materials used are heavy wearing, and across the body is the MOLLE webbing; this enables you to customise the bag with many of Tenbas accessories such as Lens Capsules, Battery Pouches and Memory Card Wallets but also enables the addition of standard military pouches.

Finally, there’s the comfort with Tenba’s Airflow harness and auto-adjusting Pivot-Fit Straps that enable you to fit the backpack comfortably; and as part of the AirFlow back design, there’s plenty of adjustment in the shoulder, chest and waist straps.

First up in use is the capacity; this bag sits in the medium size range at 24L. That’s a decent capacity and an ideal choice if you’re headed out on a day’s shoot and want to take a variety of lenses or kit. The design with the webbing also means that there are plenty of options for expansion with the ability to clip or strap on bag accessories.

Inside, the bag comes generically laid out with plenty of room for various kit combinations. After a couple of minutes of folding back and removing some of the divides, I’d arranged the interior to meet my needs. Inside I comfortably packed one Sony A73 with 24-70mm, a 35mmm, 50mm, 85mm, macro and a Profoto flash. That essentially left three decent-sized holes for the further kit. In the images, you’ll see the rain cover slotted in.

Further extending the storage options is a small cavity in the top of the bag, sizable enough to fit a lightweight jacket, snacks and dog treats as long as those last additions are in a self-contained bag to stop them from dropping through to the main section. Alternatively, you may want to carry filters or other camera accessories with you. This cavity is a decent size for this size of bag and very neatly blends in with the lines of the design rather than feeling like an added extra. While additional kit can go in this section, it’s really designed as a top access point for your camera with a large lens attached.

On the side is a long pocket designed for a lightweight tripod, or a chilli water bottle also fits neatly in. On the other side is an opening that enables quick access to your kit. 

In total, there are three kit access options. The first is the large flap through the back of the pack that enables full access, quick access is also possible through the side and top. 

On the front of the pack is where you’ll find the laptop slot and a further slot pocket for more slimline accessories such as memory cards and filters. Again all very neat; my only issue is weighing the front of pack with the weight of a MacBook Pro 16-inch laptop is a little much. However, you’re unlikely to take a weighty laptop with you on a day’s hike; at the most, a large tablet is far more sensible and works fine for this style of bag.

Camera bag comfort

With the bag fully loaded, the shoulder straps’ padding and width do a good job of spreading the weight, and for the size of the bag, the width of the waist straps is ideal for helping to distribute that weight across the body. Used on several New Forest hikes, the bag’s comfort stood out, and the quick access through the side made it easy to get kit when needed. 

Throughout the test, my only minor issues were the tripod mounting options on the side. The pocket is sizable, but only slimline compact travel tripods fit perfectly; larger or longer tripods feel slightly unbalanced, however lightweight. You do, of course, have. The option to strap larger tripods onto the webbing.

I would have also liked an option to seal off the top section so it could properly be used as a space for personal items.

On longer walks between locations, the waist and chest straps helped to take the weight. Another highlight that is well worth a mention is the side pocket which is ideal for the DJI RS 3 Pro or new RS 3 Mini.  

Finding your ideal bag is an impossible task. However, when it comes to size and function, the Tenba Axis v2 24L is a close match to what I’m after.

The bag’s capacity for a start is far larger than I expected despite the specifications listing what should fit inside; I comfortably managed four lenses, a camera, and a flash. Once loaded there was still plenty of room for a few personal effects in the top, as long as you blank off the divide between the top and main section of the bag, and those items aren’t too small.

Despite the bag being weighed down by quite a bit of kit, the shoulder straps, supported by chest and waist straps, all helped to take the weight comfortably.

What I liked about the Tenba Axis v2 24L was the versatility. The webbing on the exterior makes it easy to attach additional pockets and pouches for water bottles, lenses or anything else you wish to attach. This gives the bag a distinctly military look reinforced by the camo pattern of the material; if camo isn’t your thing, then don’t worry, it’s also available in black.

If you’re looking for a camera backpack with plenty of storage capacity for gear, then the Tenba Axis v2 24L is a great solution. The one thing to note is that the top section is designed as an access point rather than an area for personal effects, although you can blank it off. This is a purely functional camera backpack rather than a lifestyle and, for that reason, will suit most enthusiasts and professional photographers extremely well.