Fashioned in the style of a small doctors bag the Tenba Cine bag has been designed with videographers in mind. As the smaller of three sizes, the 16 is an ideal fit for mirrorless and DSLR systems with one large video zoom and a prime or accessories such as a Ninja V.
Our Verdict
If you think that a bag is purely there to hold your kit then think again. The Cinelux Shoulder Bag 16 is designed to be a working part of your video kit, offering a way to transport your equipment to your location but also to be a place to set down your camera in between scenes and locations. A fast doctors bag opening and three large pockets enable you to easily transport everything you need, bar tripods and lights, for small production. There’s very little not to like with this exceptionally well thought out and designed videographers bag.
For
- Compact design
- Fast access to kit
- Tough and easy to transport
Against
- Blue strips can Stubb fingers if not careful.
- Once you have one, you'll want more.
What is the Tenba Cinlux Shoulder Bag 16?
Specification
- Weight: 1.8-2.4kg
- Capacity: 3-5 lenses up to 300mm
- Exterior Dimensions: 41 x 26 x 27cm
- Interior Dimensions: 34-37 x 23 x 22cm
- Exterior pockets: 3
- Wraps: 1
- Luggage pass-through: yes
Performance
The design of a doctors bag is a perfect fit for videographers who need to dip in and out of the bag as they work, on opening the two sides that make up the top of the bag fold back to reveal the inner cavity.
In layout, this inner space is sparse compared to what you would expect to see if this was a bag intended for stills. Inside are two flex-core dividers along with a wrap.
This means that while the inner capacity is large, it’s been designed to hold a relatively small amount of kit. In my case that space is ideal for a Sony A7 III with 28-135mm video lens fitted and an ATOMOS Ninja V, Tascam and a couple of RODE NTG4+.
With the camera prepped and loaded the interior quickly fills with space enough for the set-up to be easily lifted and replaced with ease.
The side and front pockets fit cables, although only space for two three-meter XLR rather than 10m and a Nisi 95mm VND.
How does the Cinelux 16 perform in the field?
Over the month’s test, I used both the small 16 and larger 24 Cinelux bags, on a series of shoots. From a muddy field on the outskirts of Bath to stately homes in the middle of nowhere in Wiltshire.
What was quickly apparent was the quality of the build of the bags. The exterior is tough, and while it may not be weatherproof, it keeps heavy rain out for as long as it takes to throw a tarp over your kit.
The base of the bag is reinforced with tough rubber pads that help the bag to grip when needed, and slide, with a push on polished floors without leaving a mark.
In transit, the large shoulder strap offers plenty of padding, and on the back, there are the welcome signs of a trolly pass through. These straps make it easy to stack several of these bags as your dragging your kit from one location to another.
The actual shape of the bags, while not being square and stackable, is square enough and will stack on atop the other to a height of about three. Something you test when waiting for people to arrive with other videographers who happen to have the same kit as you.
When the filming starts the bag can sit by your side like a faithful dog, ready to give you access to any additional kit you need or to re-hold the camera once you finish.
Oddly my only complaint about the bag is the two blue metal strips across the top, either side of the opening. These look great, but on several occasions, with cold hands, I went to grab the bag and stubbed my finger in the edge. A small but briefly painful experience I had with both this and the larger of the design.
However, that should not distract from how transformative the use of the Cinelux 16 has been.
Verdict
It’s no coincident that I have recently seen these bags used by several local videographers. Being a small and independent videographer every penny you spend has to make sense, and if you are going to part with your cash, it needs to be something that is going to benefit your filmmaking.
A bag, while one of those items that you’ll deliberate over for months, possibly years, it’s rare to find one that is so obviously brilliant. One that not only holds your kit safe but is easy to transport and use in the field.
The Tenba Cinelux 16 is that bag; it’s ideal for my Sony Mirrorless set-up with one for each of three cameras. Not only does it keep the kit safe when its use but also enables others in my household an easy way to move it to a more tidy and convenient location when not in use.
At first, the Cinelux 16 may seem small and limited in capacity, but it is that way by design. You can’t just stuff it full as it then won’t work in the way that it has been designed.
Leave your kit room to breath inside, keep it organised, and it’s an absolute pleasure to use.