COSYSPEED Camslinger Streetomatic + Review: Compact, well-designed bag
posted Sunday, January 22, 2017 at 6:00 AM EST
In early December, I wrote about COSYSPEED’s new camera bag, the Streetomatic +. It is compact, but larger than its predecessor, capable of holding a DSLR camera rather than the mirrorless camera the the original Streetomatic was designed to carry. What makes this bag particularly interesting is how it is made to be used with a single hand.
The primary feature of the Streetomatic+ is its magnetic Fidlock closure. Fidlock is a German company – as is COSYSPEED – who worked with COSYSPEED to design the closure. It is a clever design that works well with only a single hand while remaining securely fastened when the bag is closed. To open the bag, you slide the metal button on the front to the right and then flip open the bag. When you want to close it again, you press down near the lock and the magnets do the rest, ensuring that the closure clicks back into place. If you want to make sure that the bag stays shut, there’s an elastic band sewn on the bag with a faux-leather loop that you can place around the closure.
Speaking of faux-leather, you can see a lot of it on the Streetomatic +. The team at COSYSPEED didn’t want to harm any animals to achieve the classy look for their bag, so they utilized PU veggie leather. The gray material is 600D nylon and it feels very robust. The entire bag is well-made, the stitching is nice and the attached belt feels very strong and appears built to last.
The Streetomatic + can be worn in two ways, as a cross-body bag or attached to the hip. I found that it worked best when it was strapped around the waist as it much more secure than when used as a cross-body bag, which makes the closure operate better and leave the bag more easily accessible. This is because there is extended fabric above the bag that is designed to let the bag sit comfortably on your hip, which it does, but it tends to fold down over the top of the bag when it is worn over the shoulder.
The bag is very comfortable to wear around the waist, even when it is full. The belt is wide and it has Velcro to help keep it properly sized to you. It comes with a belt extension if needed. I am not particularly thin, but I did have to use the belt such that I had to run it with its Velcro section through the loop, which can be a bit difficult, but there’s plenty of space. There is a lot of extra belt, but the bag has a loop you can slide around the excess belt to keep it from hanging. One of the few things about the bag that needs two hands to use is the belt closure. There’s a safety switch in the middle that you need to press to open/close the clicking closure. I like this feature because it means you won’t accidentally detach the bag while it is in use.
Inside the bag, there is enough space for a DSLR with an attached lens. However, you certainly won’t fit a gripped DSLR in this bag, nor will you comfortably fit a large DSLR in the bag. I was barely able to squeeze a Sony A99 II and attached Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 lens into the Streetomatic +, but it is possible. I also tried a Nikon D500 with a Nikon 20mm f/1.8 lens, which did fit, and a Nikon D800E with the same lens attached, that did not. Ultimately, a compact DSLR should fit comfortably in the Streetomatic +, but any large DSLRs will likely be a tight squeeze. A mirrorless camera, even a larger one like a Sony A7R II, should fit very nicely.
The bag also includes a variety of pockets. There are two exterior pockets on either end of the bag. There is a zippered pocket which has a mesh pocket inside of it, perfect for holding keys and small accessories. The other pocket closes with Velcro and can fit your smartphone. It can hold my iPhone 7 Plus, but anything larger could pose a problem. There are two mesh pockets on the inside of the bag’s main compartment as well, ideal for storing an extra battery and memory cards. The bag comes with four padded dividers to use inside the bag, but I don’t think they’ll be necessary for most camera systems except small mirrorless ones as there isn’t enough room to carry extra lenses if you’re using a DSLR.
Overall, the COSYSPEED Streetomatic + is a very nice bag if you don’t need to carry large DSLRs or lenses. It’s well-suited for a stroll around town and proved to be comfortable during extended use, even when completely full. The Streetomatic +’s magnetic closure works very well in practice and is an excellent feature. To be able to use a bag completely one handed is very useful.
You can order your COSYSPEED Streetomatic + from B&H for around US$130.