Mindshift Photocross 15 Review by Outdoor Product & Gear Photographer

Read Time: 5 Min.

As soon as Spring and warm weather hit for the year, I got slammed with all sorts of new photography work. I started the season out with one of my older camera bags. But, as soon as I saw the new Mindshift Photocross 15, I knew that I wanted to field test it and do a review.

This backpack is a direct follow-up to the Photocross 13 Sling Bag, which I reviewed a couple of years ago. And I have to say up front, the new Mindshift Photocross 15 builds upon all of the things that I loved about that sling bag (organization, styling, weatherproofing, etc). But it also fixes a lot of the things that needed to be fixed (primarily the comfort aspect by turning this design into a backpack).

Mindshift Photocross 15 Field Testing & Review

I have spent countless hours in the field with the MindShift Photocross 15 up to this point (I received it in late April). I’ve carried both heavy & light loads, photography gear, camping gear, and everything in between with this bag. I’ve also had my fair share of packing this bag in the blazing heat & humidity which we’re currently experiencing here in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky. And it has performed like a champ.

Mindshift Photocross 15 Loadout

The Mindshift Photocross 15 Backpack is no slouch when it comes to capacity, coming in at 20 Liters. This bag can hold a lot of camera equipment as well as some camping & hiking gear. Here’s what I have found myself carrying the most:

Fujifilm X-T2
Fujifilm 23mm f1.4, 16mm 2.8 and 80mm macro
Manfrotto Mini-Pixi Tripod
Filters, Rocket Blower, Spare Batteries and Memory Cards, Mini 5-in-1 reflector
Hammock & Straps (and sometimes a small military poncho)
A small fire kit & emergency essentials
Bug spray, some light snacks & a water bottle of some sort

Mindshift Photocross 15 Quality

Quality of the Mindshift Photocross 15 is everything I’ve come to know and love about the MindShift Brand…

The materials are high-quality and robust.
Weatherproofing on this bag is fantastic (which I have tested quite a few times without using the rain cover).
It’s capable of plenty of wear & tear in the outdoors (I am far from easy on my outdoor gear).
All of the finishing’s (such as the zipper pulls) are unique and incredibly functional.
And lastly, all of the comfort-driven aspects of this bags design are on point.

MindShift always does a fantastic job with their bags and they are one of the few camera-bag companies that I feel actually use their bags in real outdoor settings (not just a studio).

Mindshift Photocross 15 Organization

We all buy a camera bag over a normal backpack for one primary reason…Organization. And the Mindshift Photocross 15 has one of my favorite organizational designs among the camera bags I’ve tested. I personally roll with the divider organization you see above (4 very deep slots). This allows me to organize 2 of them for camera gear and the other 2 for camping/hiking gear.

However, what separates this bag from most others, is that you access all of your contents from the side like a sling bag (but, you gain the comfort of a backpack). I find this method to be very useful in the field if I don’t want to take my backpack off all the way. I also love that Mindshift utilized the closing flap as a secondary pocket area for smaller items (batteries, SD cards, lens wipes, etc).

Mindshift Photocross 15 Review

All in all, I have found that Mindshift has perfected this bag over their past sling version (the Photocross 13). The new Photocross 15 Backpack is very comfortable, has a versatile organizational system, is the highest quality-to-price ratio that I have found in camera bags, and it works very well in the outdoors.

Who would like the Mindshift Photocross 15 Backpack? Outdoor photographers, Nature photographers, and Active/Lifestyle photographers.
What’s Next? Buy Mindshift Photocross 15 • Follow me on Instagram

Ethics Statement: Mindshift sent the Photocross 15 Backpack over for me to try out, based on my past experiences with the Photocross 13 Sling Bag (upon my request to see if this backpack had improved on the original design). Mindshift & ThinkTank have not previously proof-read or influenced this article in any way. All opinions, statements, and content are my own.