Review FStop Guru camera bag

[Craikeybaby]

This is a review of my FStop Gear Guru camera bag, I've had it about 6 months and used it a lot for hiking, travelling and day to day use. Disclaimer: I'm in no way affiliated with FStop Gear, I've just been using their camera bags for a few years now and am a happy customer (I paid full price for this bag and both my other FStop bags).

Specs
Volume: 28 Liter / 1,709 Cubic Inches
Dimensions: 9" Depth x 14" Wide x 20" Tall (22.9cm Depth x 35.6cm Wide x 50.8cm Tall)
Torso length: 18.5” - ideal fit for 5'3" to 6'3
Inside camera compartment: up to Medium Pro ICU (more about this later)
Weight: 1.17kg - 2.60 lbs (No ICU)

Back story
Last year I had decided I was going to treat myself to a new camera bag when I got my first submission accepted by Alamy, I was thinking FStop Loka, as I have had an FStop Bard for the last few years, it has been around the world with me and generally the best bag I have ever owned, but being a shoulder bag it wasn't ideal for carrying a lot of gear a long way.

However, the day of my images getting accepted to Alamy the FStop Guru was announced, it had to be a sign! The Guru fits into the FStop range under the the Loka, as a less technical bag with slightly less capacity, which both seemed like positives to me!

Order Process
As FStop bags were only available direct, I ordered from their website, (but now they are also availabe from the Paramo shop in Covent Garden, London) I had not seen the bag, but after having a few questions answered by their team, I was ready to pull the trigger, I went for the Guru in black, with both small and medium ICUs, as I wasn't sure which would be best and in any case the extra ICU is charged at cost price or it could be returned (FStop have since put really useful graphics on their website to show how ICUs fit in their bags).

When I ordered they were still waiting for stock to arrive from their factory in the Far East, after a number of weeks I had an update to say that the products for Europe had arrived at their distribution centre in Rotterdam and that my bag would be sent out any day soon. Result! This is where the only slight problem occurred, my delivery did get sent out, I had an email to let me know, but it didn't mention the DHL tracking number, I waited for a week and still nothing, it turned out DHL had tried to deliver but not bothered to leave a card or call the phone number that FStop had included on the box and just took it back to their depot 30 miles away and kept it. Great! After a week, I'd got a bit concerned, so spoke to FStop Gear and they were able to tell be the tracking number and I was able to locate and collect the rather large box containing my Guru bag and 2 ICUs. I also ordered the addition hydration sleeve, which arrived separately from the US about a week later.

Unboxing
When I opened the box, there were 3 black cloth bags each containing a bag/ICU. This is a nice touch, they are great for storing the bag/ICU when not in use or organising clothes in a bigger bag on longer trips.

 

[Craikeybaby]

The bag
My initial impression was that it was quite a small bag and had I done the right thing? I loaded up the medium ICU which had plenty of room for my gear and felt a bit better. The small ICU takes my essential gear with enough space to carry all kit needed for a day on the hill, so the bag is actually bigger than it looks. The only slight niggle is how the medium ICU is bigger than the aperture in the back of the bag (see image below) so if you pack the ICU before loading it into the bag you need to bear that in mind and put less used items in those sections. Above the medium ICU there is room for a jacket or lunch, with room for both above the small ICU.

Access to the ICUs is through the back of the bag, this means that the part of the bag that contacts your back stays clean/dry, I know it doesn’t work for everyone, but I don’t mind taking the bag off, it means that you have a clean, dry and protected area to work in when changing lenses/fitting filters etc.

The main compartment also houses the laptop/hydration sleeve, which unlike FStop's bigger bags, on the Guru this isn't padded. It will hold a 13" laptop easily, put the laptop in a neoprene sleeve and it is a tight fit, but it goes. I hardly ever carry a laptop and it is my CamelBak that usually lives in this sleeve (inside the optional waterproof FStop hydration bladder bag, I prefer to keep my water away from my camera) with the hose routed down the shoulder strap under the mesh that is there for that purpose.

On the front of the Guru there are 2 pockets, an organiser pocket with a zip at the top, which holds a surprising amount as it goes all the way down to the bottom of the bag and a smaller pocket which has a full length zip in the middle, I find this perfect to store a lightweight waterproof. There is a hdden pocket right at the bottom to store the optional waterproof cover, which I didn’t bother with, that may be useful for stashing important documents etc when travelling. My reasoning for not buying the waterproof cover is that the bag is waterproof, it is fitted with waterproof zips, so why would I need a cover? I’ve been out in the rain a few times and my camera has stayed dry, as has everything else in the bag, but it would have been a nice touch to include the waterproof cover.

The Guru also doesn’t look like either a camera bag or a technical mountaineering bag so I have used it a fair bit when travelling and can confirm that it fits in overhead lockers on 737s etc and hasn’'t gained any unwanted attention from airline staff despite being way over weight restrictions.

 

[Craikeybaby]

ICUs
The ICUs are the bits that keep your camera gear protected and organised, I went for both the small and medium, to keep my options open, and I'm glad I did, there are some times when I don't want to take 2 bodies with me and want to travel light, so the small ICU is perfect for that.

(5D, 70-200f2.8, 17-40f4 and 50f1.4)

(As above, plus flashgun, light meter, hoods, filters etc)

Carrying
Any camera bag can hold a load of stuff, where the FStop bags excel is how they carry, I have had the Guru about 6 months and done plenty of walks, ranging from gentle strolls to about 15 miles, over all sorts of terrain, varying amounts of camera kit and occasionally the tripod strapped to the side of the bag (I’ve found I prefer the tripod strapped to the side rather than the front) and it has never felt like I am carrying something heavier than a normal day sack. There is some ventilation around the back, but a camera bag isn’t going to be as good as a slimmer dedicated day sack. The shoulder and hip straps are well padded and adjustable, although not quite as adjustable as the larger FStop bags (but due to the size of the bag, the load will be lighter), the key thing with how the packs carry is that there is an aluminium frame to support the weight, this is something seen more commonly in mountaineering packs rather than camera bags. The key this is that after a full day out walking my back/shoulders don’t hurt, like they do carrying normal camera bags all day.

Conclusion
Overall I’m glad I went for the smaller Guru, as fits in with my travelling lightweight ethos, a bigger bag means you’re more likely to carry more stuff*, and I can fit all of the essentials into the Guru, carry them to my location and easily access the camera section when I get there. The bag has also worn well, despite a lot of use I haven’t noticed any loose threads etc, the straps are still comfy and my camera has stayed protected.

And lastly an image I took on my first trip out with the Guru:

*I’ve since bought a Satori EXP for some longer trips I have planned, which due to the ICUs being interchangeable I can use with the ICUs I bought at the same time as the Guru.

 

[Gary Coyle]

Good review Lewis, they seem quality bags.

 

[Craikeybaby]

Thanks, I've been meaning to post it for ages, but never got round to it.

 

[neil_g]

nice, im pretty sure thatll replace my now sold loka one day

 

[Keebsuk]

Very good review but you missed THE most important thing, the price!!

Andy

 

[jerry12953]

Thanks.

Paramo have just told me that they will have a selection of fstop bags at Focus on Imaging, but they didn't know which ones.

 

[Craikeybaby]

Very good review but you missed THE most important thing, the price!!

Andy

The latest price is on their website, I can't remember how much I paid and exchange rate will be different now. It isn't a cheap bag though.

 

[KayJay]

I'm looking at these as an option. Trying to get out into the country more and a bag with the capability of carrying camera gear and non-camera gear essentials is becoming a requirement for me.