MindShift rotation 180 Degree Professional Backpack - Deluxe

2020-01-16T19:00:00

I've had the rotation 180 since it first came out, and I've travelled all over the country with it, often carrying 3 Canon 5D series bodies with lenses attached: 11-24 (in the pack); 24-70 in the rotation; and 70-200 in a bag attached to the front straps. Yes, I look silly, but I have immediate access -- on the fly -- and without moving the pack, to almost instant 24-200 scenes. I keep a tripod in the side loop for immediate access as well. I can even attach a bivy and some extra gear for overnight outings. There's just enough room for all I need. (Though I have to remove and unload for the 11-24). All of that is a bit heavy, especially when you add hydration and a bit of food for overnights, but this pack has been through everything the northeast and the southwest have to offer, for years, and is still ready to go. I am just now thinking of getting a new one. I can't say enough good about it's design and utility. Great product all around.

Bart C.

Originally posted at

2019-08-20T20:00:00

I've had this bag for about 6 months now. This is the most comfortable camera bag I have ever used. Having the camera gear at the bottom in the waist pack keep the pressure off your shoulders and back. Can fit so much gear that it can be quite heavy. Love the pocket for the drink bladder. I also purchased the suspension kit to clip your camera to the outside of the bag so you dont have the strap hanging around your neck. Thus works like a charm and you dont even notice it's there weight wise

Nathan

Originally posted at

2019-02-03T19:00:00

Good pack. So many little details and straps and loops all over that make the bag really customizable. You almost have to spend a bunch of time re-trying how your using the bag to make sure you’ve noticed all the features. I’m 2 months into using it and I’m still finding things. I’m using mine for skiing and sledding. The pocket on the back isn’t quite big enough for probe and shovels and is kinda awkward but it works. I wish the fanny pack part was just a hair bigger as its a pain to close with a 5d 24-205 and a 70-200 in it. It fits, buts its hard to get the thing in and out.

Matt K.

Originally posted at

2018-09-21T20:00:00

I have been using the Rotation 180 Professional 38l with the Pro bundled accessories kit for about a year, using it as the main photo bag for travels and wilderness photography. Gear: Two Pentax bodies (K-1 and K3II), 5-6 lenses 15-30 to 300 mm Rotational waistpack works excellently in the field. However the height of the waistpack is somewhat restricting for a full frame body with a large lens attached. I find the possibilities for attaching all sorts of gear on the outside very convenient. Comfort of carrying: I am 202cm /6ft 7.5, and regularly bring tripod and 150 mm Lee filters, plus some non-camera equipment. The bag often weighs 15 - 18 kg loaded. I then find that too much of the weight goes on my shoulders, pulling backwards. The waist belt takes some of the weight, but not enough to make the carrying close to comfortable. I have tried many adjustments to the system, but the distance between the waist belt and the attachment point of the shoulder straps is too short. A profile with more volume in top, and less in bottom might give a better weight distribution than the "pear shape" of the Rotation 180 Professional. I wish two sizes of the pack, and with a top compartment more expandable than the current version. This could make it possible to load more trekking gear when needed, and still make the bag stay carryon. I still enjoy using the bag, and find it the best solution so far for my needs when doing outdoor shooting with a lot of gear to carry.

Svein T.

Originally posted at

2015-10-22T04:35:58

I’m not one to write a review but when a product comes along that surpasses all of my (high) expectations I relent and start typing. Such is the case with the Rotation 180 Professional Deluxe 38L Backpack/Waistpack made by the fine folks at Mindshift. My wife and I took a two-week trip to Italy to celebrate an anniversary and I poured over backpack reviews beforehand in an effort to find a pack that would allow me to carry everything I needed for the length of our stay. I did not plan to take any luggage. I had the following criteria for my new backpack. It would need to: (1) Hold all my camera gear (2) Hold all my personal gear like clothes, toiletries, etc. (3) Allow me the freedom to shoot without removing it (4) Permit quick and easy access to my camera and gear (5) Accommodate a laptop (6) Accommodate a tripod (7) Have a rain cover (8) Permit a hydration pouch (9) Allow the load to transfer to the hips and away from the shoulders (10) Be comfortable. What a list, right? I hoped to be able to find a backpack that met most of my criteria. I never thought I would find one that not only met ALL of my criteria but even exceeded my wish list. What I didn’t count on was that the waistpack would also have a rain cover in addition to the rain cover for the backpack. Also Mindshift has come up with an ingenious way to carry a tripod using straps that allow quick access to it. You’ll just have to see it to believe it. Gone are the days when carrying around a tripod is burdensome. I shoot landscapes primarily so I always have a tripod with me. Mindshift is the only company I am aware of that offers this feature in their packs. You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0awle01Ep6Y The backpack performed perfectly on our trip. Our first stop was Venice. We got off the boat and were walking through San Marco Square to our hotel. We came upon an adorable child feeding pigeons with the old church in the background. I quickly rotated the waist pack around to the front while the backpack remained in place and snapped some shots without disturbing the girl or the pigeons. When I was finished I slid the waistpack back into the backpack and we headed on to our hotel. We visited seven cities in two weeks. When we got to our hotel I would remove the waist pack from the backpack and go shooting. When it was time to move on to another city I would slide the waistpack back into the backpack with all my clothes and personal items and head on. If I encountered photo opportunities along the way there was no need to remove my backpack. I just slid the waistpack around, removed my camera, took the shot, reloaded and marched on. My wife was not relegated to holding all my gear. She loved that. I can’t say enough good things about this backpack. I now understand why all the reviews I read gave it glowing recommendations. I am sold. Like most photographers I have several camera bags and packs. This one exceeds them all. Not only is the backpack a well designed and well thought out piece of gear but the company itself stands behind its product with great customer support. Bryan and the rest of the Mindshift staff spent a lot of time listening to me and answering all my questions. Kudos to Mindshift on a job well done!

REGGIE B.

2015-10-19T11:51:31

I’m not one to write a review but when a product comes along that surpasses all of my (high) expectations I relent and start typing. Such is the case with the Rotation 180 Professional Deluxe 38L Backpack/Waist-pack made by the fine folks at Mindshift. My wife and I took a two-week trip to Italy to celebrate an anniversary and I poured over backpack reviews beforehand in an effort to find a pack that would allow me to carry everything I needed for the length of our stay. I did not plan to take any luggage. I had the following criteria for my new backpack. It would need to: (1) Hold all my camera gear (2) Hold all my personal gear like clothes, toiletries, etc. (3) Allow me the freedom to shoot without removing it (4) Permit quick and easy access to my camera and gear (5) Accommodate a laptop (6) Accommodate a tripod (7) Have a rain cover (8) Permit a hydration pouch (9) Allow the load to transfer to the hips and away from the shoulders (10) Be comfortable. What a list, right? I hoped to be able to find a backpack that met most of my criteria. I never thought I would find one that not only met ALL of my criteria but even exceeded my wish list. What I didn’t count on was that the waist-pack would also have a rain cover in addition to the rain cover for the backpack. Also Mindshift has come up with an ingenious way to carry a tripod using straps that allow quick access to it. You’ll just have to see it to believe it. Gone are the days when carrying around a tripod is burdensome. I shoot landscapes primarily so I always have a tripod with me. Mindshift is the only company I am aware of that offers this feature in their packs. The backpack performed perfectly on our trip. Our first stop was Venice. We got off the boat and were walking through San Marco Square to our hotel. We came upon an adorable child feeding pigeons with the old church in the background. I quickly rotated the waist pack around to the front while the backpack remained in place and snapped some shots without disturbing the girl or the pigeons. When I was finished I slid the waist-pack back into the backpack and we headed on to our hotel. We visited seven cities in two weeks. When we got to our hotel I would remove the waist pack from the backpack and go shooting. When it was time to move on to another city I would slide the waist-pack back into the backpack with all my clothes and personal items and head on. If I encountered photo opportunities along the way there was no need to remove my backpack. I just slid the waist-pack around, removed my camera, took the shot, reloaded and marched on. My wife was not relegated to holding all my gear. She loved that. I can’t say enough good things about this backpack. I now understand why all the reviews I read gave it glowing recommendations. I am sold. Like most photographers I have several camera bags and packs. This one exceeds them all. Not only is the backpack a well designed and well thought out piece of gear but the company itself stands behind its product with great customer support. Bryan and the rest of the Mindshift staff spent a lot of time listening to me and answering all my questions. Kudos to Mindshift on a job well done!

REGGIE B.