Shimoda calls the Insider Sling its most-requested product in company history, and it’s easy to see why. The Action X and Explore backpacks are great for carrying a full kit, but plenty of photographers want something smaller for days when a backpack is too much. The Insider is Shimoda’s answer: a compact sling, built to carry one camera body and two smaller lenses, or a zoom up to a 100-400mm. In this Shimoda Insider review, I’ll take a detailed look at the sling’s features, and I’ll cover how it carries, what it holds, and who it’s for.
Disclosure: Shimoda sent me the bag to review. No money changed hands, and they didn’t see the contents before publication. These are my honest views about the Insider Sling Bag.
Shimoda Designs has offered Shutter Muse readers a 10% discount on anything purchased through their online stores. US, Canadian, UK, French, or German residents should use the discount code ShutterMuse10 after clicking here to access the store. Australian readers should use the same code on the local Shimoda distributor’s site, Maxxum, instead.
Table of Contents
Shimoda Insider Sling Key Features
- Fits an ungripped body with a mounted mid-range zoom plus an extra lens, or a body with a mounted 70-200mm f/2.8 or 100-400mm
- Easy-Adjust shoulder strap with a 3-point adjuster and a TPU pull
- Adjustable internal divider to customize the camera compartment
- Hidden AirTag sleeve
- Front pocket with built-in organizer
- Breathable air mesh back panel
- Tripod straps on the base for a travel-sized tripod
- 210D nylon shell with a PFAS-free water-repellent finish
- YKK Splashguard zippers
- Aluminum strap sliders
- Available in Black, Cappuccino, and Burnt Red
- 60-month limited warranty
- Price: $129.95 at review time – check current price
Shimoda Insider Sling Specifications
| Insider Sling | |
|---|---|
| Weight | 0.94lbs / 0.43kg |
| Outside Dimensions (in): | 12.5W x 7.1H x 5.9D in. |
| Outside Dimensions (cm): | 32W x 18H x 15D cm |
| Inside Dimensions (in): | 11.4W x 6.7H x 4.3D in. |
| Inside Dimensions (cm): | 29W x 17H x 11D cm |
Shimoda Insider Sling Bag Design and Features
In this section, I’ll give you a detailed rundown of the Insider Sling’s design and features. As I always do with my camera bag reviews, I will include plenty of detailed images, including a range of lens loadouts to help you visualize your gear in the bag.
Camera Access and Capacity
The Insider Sling’s volume was chosen with two main lens-carrying combinations in mind: An ungripped mirrorless camera with up to two medium-sized zooms or primes, or an ungripped mirrorless camera with a single, mounted larger zoom like a 70-200mm f/2.8, a 100-400mm, or, in Canon’s case, a 100-500mm lens. I tested all these combinations, and you can find photos of them in this section.
When it comes to that first combination -camera + 2 lenses- you have up to three different packing configurations: The first is to unmount the lenses and line everything up side-by-side. This is a reasonable way to carry things if you don’t know which lens you’ll need next.
The next configuration uses the included adjustable divider’s repositionable capabilities. With one of your two lenses now mounted to the camera, push the divider to the side and lie the camera down on its side. The flexible, adjustable divider works perfectly here, letting you quickly switch between having a lens mounted to the camera and not, without ever moving the hook-and-loop attachment points of the padded dividers.
The third configuration features a downward-facing lens, leaving room on the side for your second lens. I tested several lenses in this configuration to determine the maximum camera and lens length that would fit while still allowing the zipper to close. Based on my testing, it can accommodate up to a Sony full-frame camera with a mounted 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II.
Anything larger would make the zipper too tight. This combination is 7.3 inches, which is slightly longer than the bag’s quoted internal height of 6.7 inches. This extra length bulges the top of the bag slightly, but doesn’t cause a functional issue. This means Sony users can use this configuration with a 24-70mm; however, Canon and Nikon users, whose equivalent lenses are much longer, must lay the camera and lens sideways to carry this popular walkaround focal length. Not an issue, but worth knowing.
The second targeted carrying solution for the Insider Sling was an attached mid-range zoom lens such as a 70-200mm f/2.8, a 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6, and even the Canon RF 100-500mm L IS. Larger lenses like these don’t often fit in sling bags, so it’s great to have a new option if you’re telephoto-inclined. All the described lenses fit comfortably, even when attached to bulkier full-frame bodies such as the Nikon Z8 or Canon R5 Mk2.
Front Pocket
The Insider Sling features two different zippered front pockets. The first pocket has its zipper tucked under a fold in the face fabric to protect it from the elements. This pocket has a flat profile, making it ideal for a phone or other slim accessories, such as lens filters in protective cases. In the corner of this pocket, you’ll find an Apple AirTag sleeve. This is likely to be compatible with some Android tracking equivalent, but please do your own research on that front, as I’m not an Android user.
Front Organizer Pocket
Sitting between the front pocket and the main camera compartment is another zippered compartment that I’m referring to as the Front Organizer. This pocket’s zipper is weather-resistant like the main compartment, and it features two smaller internal slip pockets and two slots for writing implements. The two internal pockets in the Front Organizer pocket are ideal for camera batteries or memory card wallets. At the same time, the larger space is great for notepads, boarding passes, or passports while traveling.
What I found lacking in this area was a key clip. While I rarely use a key clip for my car keys, I do appreciate having a secure place to tether my memory card wallet. With memory card prices having gone through the roof in recent years, my tiny little card holder regularly contains a card collection worth as much as my camera.
It’s nice to feel like something so small-yet-valuable is properly secured, so I missed a place to tether it during my testing with the Insider Sling.
Shoulder Strap
The Insider Sling’s shoulder strap is symmetrically designed, with two metal buckles to adjust overall strap length and bag positioning. You can wear the bag comfortably on either shoulder, depending on your preference. Surprisingly, the strap has no padding, which may disappoint some people. I’m sure the intention was for the broad webbing strap to distribute the load and provide enough comfort, but I was left with mixed feelings.
My initial test of the bag was packing it with all my tech and travel items for a flight to Europe. The Insider Sling was a great travel companion alongside the matching Action X25 v3 that carried my camera kit. On that first travel day, the shoulder strap wasn’t a problem. Still, the bag was well below its maximum capacity, and I was also wearing several layers, which certainly added some cushioning. Later in the same trip, a heavier load and T-shirt weather left me wishing for a little extra shoulder comfort.
Notably, the Insider Sling borrows some design cues for its floating strap attachment system from the well-known Bellroy Venture sling bags. It’s a great system that carries well and pinches a less-than-full bag down into a more streamlined shape. The standard Venture Sling line also features a “naked” shoulder strap, but Bellroy also makes a camera bag version of the Venture Sling; similar in size to the Shimoda Insider Sling, it adds a small shoulder pad to the strap.
Top Handle
The bag features a nicely padded top handle that matches the look and feel of the handles on the matching Action X v3 backpacks. While I like the handle, both aesthetically and functionally, I did have the thought that it’s strange to find such comfort in a handle that will be used rarely and briefly, when the shoulder strap has no padding at all.
Tripod Carry
On the base of the bag, you’ll find two permanently attached tripod straps suitable for smaller travel tripods like the Peak Design option in the picture. Base-mounted tripod straps are standard on photography sling bags, so here’s my usual caveat: You have to really want to carry a tripod for this to make sense. Most of the time it’s probably more trouble than it’s worth.
Not only can it be hard to stop it from slipping around, but it also means your tripod is the first thing to touch the ground if you need to take the bag off for a moment. The added weight of a tripod also makes the bag want to rotate around your torso unless it’s really tightened up. In the Insider Sling’s case, the added weight may also push the overall load beyond the comfort point of the unpadded shoulder strap.
Conclusion
The Shimoda Insider Sling takes the rugged materials and design aesthetic of the brand’s popular Action X backpacks and shrinks it down to a shoulder-carry size. Available in three colors and a single volume, the bag can carry an ungripped mirrorless camera and up to two medium-length zoom lenses, or a single attached telephoto zoom equivalent to a 70-200mm f/2.8.
While I enjoyed using the sling bag as a travel companion to an Action X backpack, the lack of shoulder strap padding limited what I considered a comfortable load on days I carried it all day. Sometimes, especially in colder environments (hey, I live in Canada), a heavier load supported by several clothing layers isn’t a problem. Still, I feel the weight of a full-frame-mounted telephoto like a 100-400mm on a day when you’re wearing a single layer is a lot to ask of a bare nylon webbing strap, comfort-wise, if you’re really planning to put in the miles.
Maximum load comfort aside, I did love the design and functionality of the Insider Sling when I used it to carry a lighter load such as my a7R VI with a 20-70mm f/4 and my usual daily essentials: sunglasses, USB battery, AirPods, Phone, notepad, and a spare camera battery. This kind of loadout is where the bag shines, and I can certainly see myself pairing it with an Action X backpack for future travel adventures when I need something simple to carry a lighter walkaround camera kit.
Where to Buy (+ Save 10%)
Shimoda Designs has offered Shutter Muse readers a 10% discount on anything purchased through their online stores. US, Canadian, UK, French, or German residents should use the discount code ShutterMuse10 after clicking here to access the store. Australian readers should use the same code on the local Shimoda distributor’s site, Maxxum, instead.
I recommend shopping directly with Shimoda, if you can, to take advantage of that 10% discount. However, if you can’t, we appreciate you using one of our other links.
