GoPro cameras have had an outsized impact on the state of film in the short time since they’ve been introduced, particularly on the amount of gear required to film, edit and publish videos. Yet, even as GoPro cameras have soared in popularity with professional and aspiring filmmakers, there hasn’t been a dedicated bag for the camera until the Incase Pro Pack ($144). As the head of filmmaking at GP, I spend plenty of time hauling around a handful of GoPro cameras in addition to the rest of my kit, so I was interested in getting my hands on the Pro Pack to see how well it’d function in the field.
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The Pro Pack has all the right features: a rear entry point to the main compartment, an adjustable divider, straps on each side for a tripod, a side entry pocket for quick access to main compartment, a pocket on the left side for SD cards or portable hard drives, and an accessory organizer. In addition to the main storage, the pack also has an integrated GoPro mount on the left strap, a rain cover and a bungee cord, which are all useful. It’s sturdy, lightweight and comfortable to carry. All told, it’s slightly smaller than a typical camera pack, as you’d expect, but still big enough to fit a Canon 5D, two lenses, two GoPro cameras and a bag of accessories — if you configure it well.
I do have one reservation about the Pro Pack, and it’s a pretty significant one: there’s no compartment for a laptop larger than 11 inches. There’s a pocket for a full-sized iPad that can also fit an 11-inch MacBook Air, to be fair, and you don’t necessarily need a laptop to publish videos from GoPro — you can download directly from your GoPro camera to your iPhone or iPad, and edit and upload from there. But an iPhone or iPad doesn’t let you archive daily footage and makes it more difficult to go through the day’s footage in a meaningful way.
In a Nutshell
Pros:
Stylish, comfortable, light
Tripod straps
Thoughtful compartment sections
Organizer accessory
Cons:
Expensive
No laptop compartment
Perhaps this bag isn’t intended for multi-day trips, but if I drop $200 for a camera bag, I expect the product to meet my needs, which means traveling with a fully functioning work station where I can dump and view the day’s footage. While I was testing the Pro Pack I always had to carry a separate bag for my laptop. That can be a deal-breaker.