Here at Fstoppers, we will get you information on the newest announcements, the most exciting technological developments, the most jaw-dropping photo shoots. But you're not just on this site for that. You also come here for a host of perspectives on anything that has to do anything with the art of photography and things related. You come here for news, gear, pictures, and stories about how photos are made. And you come here for the little things. We do care about the little things. Here's a review of a little thing, The Peak Design Field Pouch.
Peak Design Designs
Peak Design has built a reputation for making smartly designed camera bags that you might mistake for something else than a camera bag. We've reviewed some of their products, most recently the Everyday Tote, and before that the Everyday Backpack, and Everyday Sling. As with their other products, Peak Design has demonstrably given the Field Pouch a lot of thought.
The Field Pouch is best thought of primarily as a "companion" bag for larger bags.
In Use
Peak Design advertises the Field Pouch mainly as an accessory bag, a "wing bag" to supplement another bag you have. You can add a strap (though one does not come supplied) and wear it over your shoulders, or you can stick it into a larger backpack, messenger, or suitcase.
My main use case for the Field Pouch is as a small system bag for a Fuji X100s. It easily fits the camera, a lens hood, a charger with mains cable and three extra batteries, as well as several SD cards and a USB cable. There is still some room left for perhaps earphones, a phone charger, maybe some change and a small wallet. If you stuck a travel toothbrush into the pouch you could feasibly use this as a very, very minimalist overnight bag. Just make sure to wash your socks and underwear in the sink. Sorry, that last part may not actually be pertinent.
Used as a camera bag, I had no trouble fitting a film Leica with attached 50mm lens into the pouch, along with a few fresh films. I even managed to cram in a small Nikon F80 SLR with a 50, though that left little room for anything else. For small mirrorless systems, the kind you'd use for personal work or street and travel photography (or anything you damn well please, actually), the Field Pouch may be all you need.
As a camera bag, the Field Pouch is the perfect size for a Fuji X100 or similar camera with accessories.
In its designated role as an accessory bag, the Field Pouch shines. It has one large (well, largeish, it's such a small bag that it's called a pouch after all) middle compartment, one zippered internal front pocket divided into two small compartments, as well as two rows of two each stretch mesh pockets. Cables, bits, bobs, memory cards, batteries, lens caps, pens, filters, small rolls of gaffer tape: give me your tired, your poor, your huddled accessory kit yearning to be neatly stashed away.
The Field Pouch features two nylon belt loops at its back so you can wear it on your belt and pretend the 1990s never ended (and don't we all want to do that sometimes? No? Who are you people?). Attach a Capture Clip and you have your camera always at the ready while still largely out of your way while walking around. Especially street and wedding photographers using small cameras should be able to get a lot of use out of this combination.
With a shoulder strap attached the Field Pouch becomes a small shoulder bag.
I occasionally also use the pouch as a shoulder bag. It comes with two hooks for Peak Design's proprietary strap attachment system, and since I own a Kalahari Kaama leather strap to use on old film cameras that's kitted out with Peak Design's quick connectors it's no problem quickly going from pouch to sling bag and back.
What I Liked
The Peak Design Field Pouch is small and versatile. It's very well made and not unattractive, albeit in an outdoorsy kind of way. Compatibility with the company's straps and Capture Clip is welcome, though you can use the bag without these additions and never miss anything depending on your use case. Its shell – Peak Design states it's a "waxed 500D Kodra shell with DWR coating" on their website – is water resistant and the pouch has the same rubberized bottom that Peak Design's larger bags sport.
You don't even have to use the pouch for photography-related gear at all. It fits a small paperback and a notebook easily in addition to phone, cables, charger, and a pack of tissues.
The Field Pouch is somewhat padded without seeming unwieldy. No, it will likely not protect your mirrorless camera from a drop of a cliff, but for everyday situations I wouldn't worry at all about whether my gear is protected in it. The pouch can also be varied in size. Its lid folds down and safely clings to two high quality velcro straps across the front. In its largest configuration, the Field Pouch can easily hold an A5-sized notebook (like a larger Moleskine or Leuchtturm 1917), an iPad Mini, or a Kindle; or indeed, all three at the same time. It will also shrink down to become essentially half that height if needed. Peak Design gives the pouch a lifetime warranty, and I have a feeling they won't lose too much money on this. The bag is sturdy and appears quite reliable.
What I Didn't Like
At $39.95, the Field Pouch is a bit steep for a small bag without even a strap. (Peak Design sells a bundle with one of its system Slide Straps for $80.00). For the same price, you can get similarly sized strap-already-supplied bags from a maker like Crumpler, while an Op/Tech Accessory Bag or a strapless Domke Belt Pouch will cost you under $30.
You can attach a Capture Clip, available separately.
The zippered pocket has one zipper running along the length of the bag but is subdivided into two small compartments. This means that keys, change, or SD cards won't collide with each other or get lost. It also unfortunately means you can't use that pocket for something larger that should be kept safe, like a small wallet or your passport. Sure, that is a bit of a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation, but overall I think one undivided zippered pocket would have been better here. The pouch also only comes in charcoal grey and heritage tan colorways. This is clearly a matter of taste, but I like the ash gray color of my Everyday Tote significantly better.
Conclusion
The Field Pouch is a bit of a sleeper. At first, it seems to be the thing that Peak Design wants to upsell you when you buy one of their other bags. I bought it as an accessory when I ordered my Everyday Tote. During the past few months, however, the tote has seen occasional use, while the Field Pouch is in my hands constantly. It can be a small camera bag, an accessory pouch, a tourist's about-town bag, with room for electronics as well as a travel guide, a clutch, even a tiny book bag. It will hold your batteries and odds and ends and make your life with and without a camera that much more organized. I can see myself using camera bags from other makers easily, but Peak Design has the market cornered on, well, Field Pouches. It's its own thing, but that thing is very useful.
The Peak Design Field Pouch is $39.95. Buy it here in charcoal or heritage tan (light brown). If you want to wear it as a small sling bag, you'll also need a strap like Peak Design's SL-2 Slide Strap, or a set of Anchor Links and a strap of your own.
