Ground Truth RIKR Camera Bag Review

Camera bags come in various shapes, styles and colours, however Ground Truth have put their efforts into producing a bag available in one size, colour, and style. Despite this, the bag is promising in what it delivers, such as the companies ethos towards the environment. In this review, I will be capturing (pun intended) what the bag offers photographers.

Read on to find out.

Who it suits

• Anyone looking for a slim, sleek profile camera bag
• A camera bag with soft, recycled fleece lining

Who It Doesn’t

• Anyone looking to carry more than one lens
• If you do not like the colour, black as one colour option is only available.

About The Camera Bag

• Price: £75
• Height: 280 mm
• Width: 200 mm
• Depth: 150 mm
• Weight: 700 grams

Ground Truth offers two products for your camera, a cube, or the bag, with both designed to fit into their rucksacks, allowing you to travel with more gear. However, the camera bag is designed to rock solo, with a comfortably padded shoulder strap and mesh outside pockets to store items.

I found the weight of carrying just my camera and one lens very manageable, as at no point did I find it uncomfortable. As with all the Ground Truth products that offer padding, I find it so comfortable and would grab a blanket made from this stuff. It reassures me that my camera is probably comfier than I am when out shooting photos.

What It Fits

The camera bag easily fits my Nikon D5100 with a small lens attached, with little room to spare, resulting in limited functionality if you wish to carry more than one lens on the go. Inside there is a zipped pocket great for putting spare batteries, cables, SD cards, practically anything small. I found the elastic pockets on the outside useful for putting my phone in, as I sometimes take photos with it where I can get a better angle.

Aesthetics

The camera bag only comes in black, meaning it has a low profile, especially due to its small size. The bag features two elastic pockets and straps to hold in place a small tripod underneath the bag. Minimal branding results in maintaining a sleek, simple look. On the go, a YKK zip with pull tabs allows you access to the main body. Fitting with the theme, the inside is all black, with padding.

I often wore the bag to one side and felt comfortable wearing it, and thought the bag was aesthetically pleasing because it was subtle.

Comfort

The bag has two carry options, one being the discrete carry handle on the top of the bag, and the second is the detachable-padded shoulder strap. The ability to easily remove and reattach the padded strap allows you to easily swap carry modes, and store the bag, as the strap fits inside.

The padded strap was more than enough to make carrying my camera around for almost an hour a breeze, personally I prefer this option over the carry handle, though it is nice to have more than one option.

Eco Credentials

Groundtruth carefully uses a range of materials in the construction of their gear. While recycled materials might sound inferior, their camera bag, which is part of their RIKR range, feels premium. The company explains the materials are water-repellent, stain-resistant, rip-proof, tactile and breathable. While some brands are incorporating recycled materials, Ground Truth has managed to go down to every single fibre, ensuring the fleece, mesh and more are all made from recycled materials. I find the attention to detail is what sets this brand out from competitors, and it still looks really stylish.

What Do I like about the Ground Truth Camera Bag?

I was fortunate to have been gifted some camera bags and while they were not ideal for use outside, I didn't like how they lacked padding, felt cheap and gave me the feeling my camera was not safe inside. This changed with the cross-body camera bag from GrouthTruth. The snug padding feels like I have wrapped my camera in a furry blanket, giving me the security I desire to know it is safe. Likewise, the exterior zipped pocket and interior mesh zipped pocket allow you to stow away small items like batteries, cables, SD cards etc. The bag does have two side mesh pockets for water bottles, however I put my phone in it for easy access as I sometimes find myself using it for photography alongside my camera.

Pros

• Made from recycled materials
• Really well padded
• Minimal design
• Removable handle (good for storage)

Cons

• Only able to fit one camera body and lens (connected)
• I struggled to understand and use the included lens hammock sling

Verdict

The Ground Truth cross-body camera bag is my go to when taking my camera out of the house. The slim design results in a discrete use and does not feel in the way. Additionally, the bag fits in their latest rucksack, allowing you to transport your camera and extra gear on the go.

The cross-body bag is only available in one colour; however, the sleek black colour fits my preference and adds to the minimal look. Buying this second hand, the seller and I appreciated the removable padded shoulder strap. I often remove it and keep it inside the bag, helping pack the bag into a confined space easier.

I strongly recommend the Ground Truth cross-body camera bag to seeking to carry a camera body and single lens outside. Just make sure to check the dimensions to ensure your camera will fit inside.