I opted for a forest walk to see if I could capture a few images of deer in the morning mist. As it happened, I didn’t, but the weather was good, and despite overloading the backpack with the kit, it remained comfortable for the three-hour hike with the dog.
Loaded in first was the Sony A7 III with 70-200mm fitted, then a 100mm macro and 35mm f/1.4 for good measure. Alongside this, I popped in a few other accessories and slipped in a filter and kindle into the front slip pocket, Chilli water bottle and travel mug into the other side. If you want to carry a tripod, this can be strapped to the front with a strap at the top and a tripod pocket at the base to hold it securely.
When it comes to the initial layout of the internal dividers, Vanguard has positioned these for carrying camera kit rather than camera kit and personal effects.
Over the three hours, access to the kit through the top of the bag was quick, and there was plenty of adjustment through the shoulder and waist straps to ensure comfort throughout the trip.
Used as a straight camera backpack, there is little to fault; the bag worked well, held the kit and provided easy access when I needed it.
The next test used the bag as a more general-purpose day backpack with a camera kit and a few personal effects.
Here the bag was easy to adapt. The two side pockets are superb at holding additional items and personal effects, but if you need the extra capacity, then you do need to use some of the main bag internal space.
Dividing off the top of the bag is easy enough; just remove one of the velcros divides and pop it across where the lens usually slots in from the top. Then adjust the other dividers inside to make room for the camera and lens choice, no 70-200mm this time, just the 35mm and flash, and it’s set, and there’s still plenty of space for additional equipment if needed.
The newly created cavity at the top is ideal for my lightweight jacket, notepad, and a few other bits.
There was also plenty of room in the bag’s main section for the camera kit, and everything fitted in very neatly and again, there’s plenty of room for a surprising amount of stuff.
There is a laptop/tablet slot on the back, and I managed to fit a 16-inch MacBook into this, but it didn’t feel comfortable. A large tablet, on the other hand-fitted, in perfectly, but it wasn’t mine, and the owner was reluctant to part company with it for any length of time.
Zipping up the back and again, the backpack performed well; the only slight niggle is with no side access; it is a bit of a pain setting the bag down to get to your camera. The shoulder straps’ design also means it’s a little more fiddly to unzip than some, but it’s not a major issue.
The other feature that should be pointed out, one of the main sales features, is the USB port and pocket. Incorporated into the back is a cable and pocket that enables you to slot in a charge pack inside the bag, giving you an external USB socket. It feels like a gimmick but is annoyingly useful.
Overall the VEO R48 Adapter is a very refined camera backpack, and it excels when used out in the field as a true camera backpack. The USB feature is also incredibly useful, especially for charging phones; someone is always bound to be running low. This backpack now lets you offer that phone charging service in remote locations.
