Peak Design Camera Cube V2 review: Padded pouches keep your camera safe in any bag: Digital Photography Review

Peak Designs two new camera cube sizes: X-Small and Smedium Photo: Jeanette Moses

This morning, Peak Design announced two brand new sizes of its Camera Cubes: X-Small and Smedium. We were lucky enough to check these new sizes out before the announcement. All of the new V2 Camera Cubes also get new waterproof zippers, bigger main openings, fold-away lids, and 360-degree exterior handles.

Although these may not be as exciting as a new piece of glass or a fancy light, they are highly functional and versatile accessories that make it easy to carry your gear and keep it safe when you aren’t shooting. One of my favorite aspects of a camera cube is that it gives you the ability to turn any bag into a functional camera bag.

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Peak Design already makes its Cubes in sizes small, medium and large. These newly introduced sizes sit right below and above the existing small-sized cube, making them an excellent choice for a photographer or videographer who likes to travel light and favors a bag that doesn’t necessarily look like a traditional camera bag.

Specifications

X-Small

• Exterior: 23 x 12 x 15 cm (9 x 4.7 x 5.9 in)
• Internal volume: 3.5 liters
• Two x-small dividers
• $49.95

Smedium

• Exterior: 31 x 23.5 x 15 cm (12.2 x 9.25 x 5.9 in)
• Internal volume: 10 liters
• Two medium dividers, one small shelf divider, one small divider, 2x-small dividers, one detachable pocket
• $64.95

Design and Construction

The Smedium cube comfortably holds a camera body, an additional lens, and a flash with room to spare. Photo: Jeanette Moses

The X-Small and Smedium camera cubes both have a weatherproof recycled 400D nylon canvas exterior and a high-density foam interior – a combo that will keep your gear safe and sound while packed inside the cube. The Cubes also feature anchor points that make it easy to mount into any Peak Design bag or strap, but they can just as easily slide into any bag to create an instant camera bag.

The X-Small bag features two tiny dividers that split the interior into three distinct areas. The Smedium sized bag features two medium dividers, one small shelf divider, one small divider, two x-small dividers and one detachable pocket, which can be customized in numerous ways to hold a wide variety of equipment.

Overall, the Cubes feature a straightforward design, and the velcro dividers make it easy to switch up the inner organization to fit the amount of gear you need to carry.

In Use

The X-Small cube is a solid choice if you don’t need to carry much gear. It nicely holds my Canon R5 with 50mm lens and a compact point-and-shoot film camera. Photo: Jeanette Moses

The use cases for these two new sizes of Peak Design camera cubes are very different, but having multiple-sized cubes allows you to customize bags depending on your needs. If I’m heading out with a camera and don’t need to bring a laptop along, I’m always trying to travel as light as possible and typically prefer to carry my gear in a small Herschel backpack rather than one of my camera bags.

The X-Small camera cube fits perfectly inside my compact Hershel backpack. Photo: Jeanette Moses

The X-Small camera cube is a great fit for this; it comfortably fit my Canon R5 with a 50mm lens and allowed me to slide a small point-and-shoot film camera into the cube as well. It was also a nice fit for carrying around a 35mm range finder and an extra lens.

This simple, compact bag becomes a safe way to carry my camera gear once the Peak Design camera cube is inside. Photo: Jeanette Moses

There are a lot of shoots where I need a bit more than the bare minimum, though, which is where the Smedium camera cube comes into play. Its exterior is 31 x 23.5 x 15 cm (12.2 x 9.25 x 5.9 in), so it fits best in a full-sized backpack. I liked using this size with my Db backpack best, as it allowed me to access the gear in the camera cube without completely removing it from the bag.

The Smedium cube’s number of dividers made it so I could comfortably carry a camera body, a few lenses and a flash; the detachable pocket was a great space for storing extra batteries or memory cards.

Conclusion

The Smedium cube packed inside my Db backpack. Photo: Jeanette Moses

These two new sizes of Peak Design Camera Cubes make it easy for photographers to turn any bag into a camera bag while still keeping their gear protected and organized. These cubes are particularly appealing for photographers who enjoy carrying their gear around in a bag that doesn’t look like a traditional camera bag.

“These cubes are particularly appealing for photographers who enjoy carrying their gear around in a bag that doesn’t look like a traditional camera bag.”

They’re also more budget-friendly than investing in a traditional camera bag – making them a good option for anyone just getting started with photography. Although we love the concept of the x-small size, it would be nice if this cube had a bit more depth to fit a full-frame 24-70mm lens.

Ultimately, the Smedium cube will be a more versatile choice for most photographers as it allows room for longer lenses, extra batteries and other small accessories. It’s also sized to fit inside any style of full-sized backpack. In addition to turning any bag into a camera bag, the Peak Design cubes are a great way to keep different pieces of equipment organized even when you aren’t shooting. These are extremely useful camera accessories, and we are pleased to see Peak Design expanding the size range of its camera cubes.