The Shimoda Top Loader Series are holster-style shoulder bags made from water-resistant resin-coated nylon. Available in three sizes, they are designed to accommodate everything from a single camera and a single lens in the smallest version, up to a camera body and three lenses in the largest. The main compartment is expandable, allowing you to use any lens up to a mounted 100-400mm. They offer multiple carry options, which I will detail further later in the review, and they come with a padded shoulder strap.
Shimoda’s Top Loader holster bags are available individually or in kits as part of an integrated system of camera backpacks called the Shimoda Side Series. The Side Series consists of three backpacks: Sidecountry, Side Lite, and Side Street (links lead to dedicated reviews of each). These backpacks incorporate Top Loaders for camera protection within the bag, allowing you to access your gear through a side access hatch. When you need something smaller to work from, you can extract the Top Loader from one of the Side Series backpacks and use it on its own.
Since I’ve already covered each of the Side Series backpacks with their reviews, the Top Loader review on this page will focus primarily on using these holster/shoulder bags outside the Side Series system. As you’ll see, one of the significant benefits of these camera cases is their multi-use design. They can be used alone or with almost any other camera backpack, whether Shimoda makes it or not. With that in mind, I’d like to dive into the features of these bags and consider how they can help you on your next photo mission.
Disclaimer: Shimoda provided the Top Loaders for test and review. No money changed hands, and they were not allowed to see the content before it was published.
Table of Contents
Shimoda Top Loader Specifications
The dimensions given in the table below are for the bag in its regular, unexpanded state. The expansion of the bags, and the extent to which they expand, is discussed later in the review.
| Small Top Loader | Medium Top Loader | Large Top Loader | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Dimensions (in) | 6.7W x 10.2H x 5.9D | 10.4W x 10.2H x 5.9D | 12.6W x 10.2H x 5.9D |
| Exterior Dimensions (cm) | 17W x 26H x 15D | 26.5W x 26H x 15D | 32W x 26H x 15D |
| Interior Dimensions (in) | 5.9W x 8.3H x 4.7D | 9.6W x 8.3H x 4.7D | 11.8W x 8.3H x 4.7D |
| Interior Dimensions (cm) | 15W x 21H x 12D | 24.5W x 21H x 12D | 30W x 21H x 12D |
| Weight | 0.9 lb / 0.4 kg | 1.2 lb / 0.54 kg | 1.3 lb / 0.61 kg |
Shimoda Top Loader Colors
The Top Loader is available in three sizes: Small, Medium, and Large. When purchased individually, each size is available in Black or Boa color. A third colorway with a black and white pattern is available on the Medium Top Loader when purchased as part of a Side Series Kit. The kits consist of the backpack shell (Sidecountry, Side Lite, or Side Street) and the black/white Medium Top Loader. The interior color of the Black and Boa colored Top Loaders is Shimoda’s signature light blue. The Black and White Medium Top Loader from the Side Series kits has a white interior.
It is worth noting that acquiring a Medium Top Loader by purchasing one of the Side Series kits does not provide any cost savings. A Medium Top Loader costs $79.99 at review time, and the Side Series kits are all priced at $79.99 more than the backpack shells. This means that if you dislike the appearance of the Black and White colored Top Loader included in the kit, or if you prefer to avoid the easy-to-dirty white interior of the Black and White model, you can buy the Black or Boa-colored Medium Top Loader separately. No harm done.
What’s New?
Shimoda first introduced the Top Loader holster many years ago. I reviewed that version of the bag, available in just one size, and recommended it to those seeking a rugged camera holster suitable for a small mirrorless camera. Fast-forward to 2025, and Shimoda introduced an updated Top Loader line that now includes three sizes: Small, Medium, and Large, all tested and reviewed on this page.
The 2025 version of the Small Top Loader is nearly identical to the original Top Loader model. Still, it adds an Apple AirTag pocket and a safety strap that prevents the holster from sliding off the waist belt of the Shimoda Action X Series backpacks. Nice tweaks, but if you’re a happy user of the original Top Loader, probably nothing to push you to an upgrade. The big news is the introduction of two larger Top Loader sizes, and the simultaneous launch of three new Shimoda backpacks, the Side Series, designed to work in tandem with the Top Loader holsters for internal camera storage. Side Series bags have separate reviews on this site: Side Lite review. Sidecountry review. Side Street review.
Carrying Capacity
Small Top Loader
The smallest Top Loader comes with one removable padded divider. In reality, since this version of the bag is only large enough to accommodate a single lens, most people will not use this divider unless they have a tiny APS-C lens or a compact camera like a Fuji X100.
In its standard state, the small Top Loader is ideal for a standard-sized ungripped mirrorless camera with an attached standard zoom lens like a 24-120mm f/4 or a 24-70mm f/2.8. Depending on the brand of camera and lens model you use, you may be able to leave the lens hood in the forward-facing position. I can do that with a Sony body and the 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II, but it’d be a lot tighter if I were using a larger lens like the Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8. In that case, you could expand if you wanted to leave the hood in place.
In its standard state, the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 fits into the Small Top Loader on its own. The larger Nikon Z and Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 Z lenses do not. The same goes for the brand’s respective 100-400mm lenses. However, if you expand the bag, these lenses all fit with an attached camera.
Medium Top Loader
The Medium Top Loader features two removable padded dividers that allow you to segment the bag into three sections. One of the two dividers has a fold in it to help support a camera body with an attached lens. This bag is an excellent size for carrying a camera body with two lenses, like a 24-70mm and a 70-200mm, or a 24-120mm and a 100-400mm. With the camera attached to the smaller standard zoom, it will fit into the bag in its standard form factor. If you wanted to leave the camera on the 70-200mm, or a similarly sized lens like a 100-400mm, you can expand the bottom of the bag.
Another option that becomes possible with the added width of the Medium model is carrying a detached pro-sized camera like the Canon R1 or Nikon Z9, or a smaller, gripped mirrorless body. Unfortunately, there is no way to zip the lid if you leave one of these larger cameras attached. Still, if you only own larger cameras, perhaps detaching the lens is an acceptable compromise—your call.
Large Top Loader
The Large Top Loader features a third padded divider, allowing for up to four distinct slots within the bag. Everything said about the Medium Top Loader still holds. Still, you now have one more slot for a third lens, or perhaps a teleconverter, and a few other accessories, such as a microphone or an action camera vlogging kit. Again, like the Medium model, the width of the Large model allows you to carry a detached pro-sized camera or a gripped body, this time alongside a pair of lenses.
Expandable Base
Top Loader holster bags feature a zippered bottom expansion that adds a few extra inches of depth. The amount of expansion remains consistent, regardless of which size of Top Loader you own. This added depth is sufficient to allow you to leave a camera attached to a lens or possibly keep a lens hood in the forward-facing ready-to-shoot position.
Importantly, the materials used on the expansion section are identical to the materials used across the rest of the bag. This means that you could leave the bag in its expanded state all day and pay no penalty in terms of weather protection. If you have a lens that only fits in the Top Loader while it is extended, I see no issue with always using the bag in its expanded form.
One thing to consider when using the Medium and Large bags in extended mode is that the internal padded dividers do not extend the full depth of the bag. The dividers are only as long as the bag is deep in its standard mode. This means that there is the potential for small lenses at the bottom of the bag to move around, or for the lens hoods of larger lenses to bang into each other. It’s not ideal, and I would have liked to see padded dividers that can unfold to extend their length to the full depth of the bag.
Carrying the Shimoda Top Loader
The multi-use design of the Top Loader Series is a key selling point, and much of that universal usefulness comes from the variety of ways in which they can be carried. Let’s take a look at those now.
Shoulder Strap
The Top Loaders come with a lightweight shoulder strap that provides just enough padding. Those who think they will carry it on the strap should note the images above. If you wear it on one shoulder, the rear positioning of the strap attachment points (D-rings) causes the bag to hang awkwardly (left-hand image). Only the bottom of the bag makes contact with your body, and it tends to swing around wildly when you walk. If you wear the strap across your body (right-hand image), you’ll notice that the bag now hangs in a much better position. It’s flat against the body, and the added contact makes it much more stable when you move around.
I find this difference between strap modes unfortunate. I wouldn’t say I like wearing straps across my body, and I avoid it whenever possible. I have tried many bags similar to the Top Loader, and all have the shoulder strap mounted on the side of the bag, not the rear. If the shoulder strap mounting points had been on the side in the middle, the bag would have functioned equally well in either carrying orientation. I pointed this out in my review of the original Top Loader, and was somewhat disappointed to see that the issue wasn’t addressed in the updated second version.
Backpack Waist Belt
The next option for carrying the Top Loader is to mount it onto the belt of your backpack. To prevent the Top Loader sliding off the waist belt when it’s unbuckled, the bag features a short nylon security strap. If you’re pairing the Top Loader with an Action X backpack, you can just pass the security strap through the hole in the middle of the Action X’s hip belt padding. If you’re securing it to the hip belt of a bag that doesn’t have a hole in it, such as a Side Series or Shimoda Explore V2 backpack, simply buckling and tightening the security strap around the hip belt generally adds enough friction to prevent the Top Loading from moving.
I was pleased with this setup, and I loved being able to undo the belt and not worry about the Top Loader coming off. The size of the Small Top Loader bag is also perfect for this application. It disappears out of your peripheral vision and doesn’t get in the way while you are hiking. Yet it remains easily accessible when you need it in a hurry.
I did try the Medium and Large Top Loaders on the hip belt and found that the carrying position was less satisfactory than the Small Top Loader. The issue is that the load-out of a Medium or Large holster is always going to be heavier, and then it weighs you down unevenly. You can rotate the bag to the center point of the belt for a more even balance, but not if you have used the security strap to lock the Top Loader’s position. In the end, this: A Small Top Loader on the hip belt is great. The Medium is so-so, but I’d never wear the Large one in that position.
Fanny Pack Mode
All of Shimoda’s backpacks feature a removable waist belt. The Top Loaders have a wide belt sleeve to accommodate this, and a large panel of hook and loop that pairs with the hook and loop panel on the pack’s removable belt. Hey presto! Now you have a waist pack or fanny pack – whatever you prefer to call it.
In my testing, I found that this setup came into its own when used with the Medium or Large Top-Loaders. For the weight of the gear I can fit into the Small Top Loader, I was generally happy to carry it on my shoulder with the shoulder strap when it wasn’t in, or mounted on a backpack. Once I moved to testing the Medium and Large models, I found them to be more comfortable when I used the bag’s hip belt instead of a shoulder strap.
Backpack Chest Harness
By purchasing the optional accessory straps, a Top Loader can be mounted to the shoulder straps of almost any camera backpack, allowing it to be used as a quick-access holster. The Shimoda Action X Series of packs has been designed with this in mind and features multiple daisy-chain loops to ensure a perfect fit, but I can’t say I’ve ever had any issue making it work on other backpacks.
If you want to use a Top Loader as a chest holster, you’ll be most satisfied using the smallest size of Top Loader. I find the Medium and Large Top Loader models obscure my downward vision too much. It’s an uncomfortable feeling traversing uneven ground when you can’t look down to see your feet. With the Small Top Loader, though it does obscure my vision slightly, I find it an acceptable compromise for the quick access it gives me to a nice walk-around focal length like my 20-70mm f/4, or my binoculars when I’m out scouting for wildlife. If push comes to shove, I probably still prefer mounting the holster on the bag’s hip belt, but your mileage may vary.
Jetpack Mode
I must admit that I haven’t tried this particular mode, but I did see a video of it on Shimoda’s YouTube channel. You can remove the shoulder straps from your Action X or Explore backpack and attach them to the Top Loader.
Additional Features
Hidden AirTag Pocket
Hidden beneath a padded flap in the base of the Top Loader is an Apple AirTag pocket. AirTags are a great way to keep track of your gear, and Shimoda has integrated this feature into nearly all of its carrying solutions.
Front Pocket
All Top Loader sizes feature a zippered front pocket. On the smallest version, the pocket is big enough to carry a couple of spare camera batteries or a filter in a basic plastic filter case. As you move up in size, the pocket offers more functionality. The front pocket on the Large Top Loader is spacious enough to hold an action camera or a DJI Pocket camera.
Top Handle
Top Loaders all feature a thin nylon handle. It’s not much of a way to carry the bag, but it is a handy way to pick it up and move it around if it isn’t attached to a shoulder strap. I also clip a carabiner through it and hang it on my gear shelf for storage.
What about the weather?
The exterior material of the Top Loader is highly weather-resistant, but the main access zipper is not. It’s just a regular zipper, not a water-resistant YKK Aquaguard. I would have preferred to see a waterproof rain cover included with the bag, or at least have one available as an optional purchase.
In addition to being integrated into the Side Series backpacks, these Top Loaders were designed to complement the Action X v2 backpack series. These bags use the same external material but include an optional rain cover. What happens if you attach the Top Loader externally to your Action X pack and then find yourself in prolonged torrential weather? You can reach for the rain cover for your pack, but there’s nothing to cover your Top Loader. This means you have to hope there’s enough extra room in your bag to pack the Top Loader into it or, at least, to stow the camera. I rummaged through my cupboards and found a cover from another old camera bag, which now resides in my Shimoda Top Loader.
Conclusion
The Top Loader Series is another well-made set of products from Shimoda Designs. If you’re looking for a holster-style bag for a camera with 1-3 lenses, one of these should be on your shortlist. For owners of the Shimoda Action X backpacks, the Shimoda Top Loader is a must-have accessory. They work well when attached to the bag’s waist belt, and it’s great to have a shoulder bag when you reach your final destination, whether in an entirely different country or simply your camp spot for the night.
One thing I would like to see for future iterations is a relocation of the D-rings for mounting the shoulder strap. If they were placed on the side of the bag and not the rear, the bag would be easier to carry on one shoulder. I’d also like a rain cover as an optional accessory or even included with the bag.
Overall, these are great bags whose usefulness has been further enhanced by the introduction of the three Side Series backpacks. For example, you could pair a Top Loader with an Action X backpack for bigger days when you need to carry a larger load, or you could take that same Top Loader and use it inside the Side Lite pack shell for an ultralight day in the mountains.
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, using one of our other links is always appreciated if you’re unable to do so.
