The Mindshift/Thinktank Photocross 13 eluded me and at the time it was a little disappointing because I really felt it would be a problem solver, but on second thoughts, maybe it was, like a lot of things, a win in disguise.

Originally I wanted a bag that could take my sports kit, but realistically that may have been unworkable. The PC13 would have still struggled with gripped bodies (EM1x), even M43 ones, so I would have had to break down combinations, defeating the purpose of the exercise and not really achieving anything over the LP Pro Tactic 350 or other options (Domke F-804).

Looking at my day kit, trying to change up the heavy bag on the shoulder dynamic, I decided instead to use my TT Turnstyle 10L as the base, hopefully working from the sling “workbench” with ungripped cameras and a few lenses. The F-2 Domke is nearly perfect, but it is still a shoulder bag.

The Photocross 10 kept coming up a few times when I went looking for alternatives and it has a few benefits compared to both the PC 13 and TT 10.

The mouth is wider, so easier to work with gear and maybe even a two camera kit again. The TT10 is surprisingly big inside, but the two ends can get a little cramped even with the zip fully open. The PC10 is more of a three sided-flap opens forward setup rather than a single sided “gaping mouth” zip. The TT is a better travel bag, a little more secure, but the PC may be the better work bag.

It is a little bigger than the TT, squarer and deeper. It may even be big enough to effectively do what I wanted with sports, a job the TT10 is almost big enough for, but a touch more room (especially height) would make a huge difference. When I did the basketball recently, the TT10 easily took my spare lenses and accessories, even taking my second body, but not in ready-to-go form and it was a little cramped when I went to add a flash.

One helpful reviewer compared the PC13 to a Domke F-2, and they were basically the same volume if very different shapes. This means that if the PC10 is 80% of that, which it looks to be, then it should take my cut down kit, maybe even a smaller sports kit*.

The other small benefit, apart from the fact it is actually available, is that it is a fair bit cheaper. About $70-80au on average. If I love it, I can then gauge the chance of the bigger bag working and I can get some idea of the weight when loaded, so the PC13 may come later.

*For football I intend to use the 40-150 f4 instead of the f2.8, which will change things.