Cosyspeed is a brand new camera bag company that has a totally different approach to bags. From the start, we weren’t quite sure what to think of them. Creator Thomas Ludwig calls them bags–but we’re more inclined to think of them as belts with lots of pouches. And while the company’s plan is to market them to street photographers and mirrorless camera users, they could be better off for wedding and location photographers instead.
But like any first generation product, they have their kinks and their plusses.
Pros and Cons
Pros
– Comfortable
– Configurable
– One moment they can hold your camera and lenses and the other it can store your light meter, an extra flash, wireless triggers, filters, phone and more
– Probably a great accompaniment to those guys that wear photography vests.
– Absolutely no one will think that you’ve got a camera in these pouches.
Cons
– The belt can be a bit tough to get off sometimes
– We wish they had a vegetable leather version or canvas
– Not the most fashionable option
Ergonomics
Cosyspeed’s camera sling solution starts with just one pouch that is permanently attached to the belt. This pouch can be further protected by using another flap in the back that can go around an actual belt on your pants.
The user can then choose to add more accessories: some of them are for phones while others are for lenses and other are just for anything else you might want to add.
The main pouch is where you’ll probably be spending most of your time when working with this product. To access your camera you really just need to open up the pouch, put the camera in, and close it. The pouch can be set up with dividers or be totally plain Jane. Additionally, their size can be configured with the use of velcro on the sides.
To close it up, you’ll use a little buckle and a tie that goes around from the bottom of the pouch to the button. This button will need to be pulled on to open the bag to begin with.
Build Quality
Despite our initial doubts when we were configuring and reconfiguring the main camera bag, it stood up with no issues and didn’t fall apart or let our equipment become affected by the weather. Because of this, we’re impressed by what it can provide for you. But for what it’s worth, we’d be much happier with the bag being a special sling that went around the chest. This would have the option of having a much larger pouch/bag attached with quick access just like the pouches already have.
In fact, that would be really cool.
With the current super small pouch, slinging a Cosyspeed Camslinger around your chest is kind of like wearing a mini-bookbag and a fanny pack–but with slightly better looks.
Ease of Use
In order to use the Camslinger, you buckle it across your waist after adjusting the belt. Then you use the Velcro sides of the pouch to make them bigger or smaller to accommodate your gear. After this, you just close it up, and get to shooting.
With some work, it can fit a Fujifilm X Pro 1 with a lens attached, but not much else. It can hold a Sony E mount camera and an Olympus OMD with ease though.
During our time out with it, we found it easiest to use with these smaller cameras as well. However, it wasn’t always the quickest to access the camera unless I chose to not buckle the pouch. Instead, I’d just keep the band around it to keep the pouch tightly sealed.
In addition to this, if you want to sit down then you’ll sometimes need to unfasten the belt completely–which is a bit of an awkward situation. People are completely used to taking bags off their bags or shoulders when sitting down, but not always with their belt system.
These are areas where the company will need to improve on.
Conclusions
Cosyspeed has shown off a very interesting product that can develop into something more with customer input and by tackling the problems that it otherwise has. It’s a great solution for those with back problems, photographers on set or a wedding that need a place to store accessories on them personally and not in their bag, and people that are going on an African safari and don’t want sweat bands to develop on their clothes.
Otherwise, we’re not sure that it’s quite there when it comes to its actual intent–being a holster for your mirrorless camera. Many mirrorless camera users tend to go for small bags in the messenger or sling variety because they simply make sense. If Cosyspeed can redevelop the product into something like that, then they can possibly have a competitor to Think Tank, LowePro and ONA if they go with the canvas and leather versions.