Tenba Cooper Slim Backpack Review | 5 Months of Everyday Use

I have been using this backpack for 5 months now. Although pristine when new, I love the worn-in look and I think this bag will get better with age. Canvas and leather often take on an attractive patina over time.

Aesthetically, I am a big fan of the varying textures of leather, canvas and chunky metal zips on the Cooper series. The bag comes with a water-resistant cover, but I haven’t bothered with this, as my camera kit is always stored in the lower compartment, which is leather and waterproof.

The coating on the Cordura® cotton canvas allows raindrops to bead off during light showers and since this isn’t the kind of bag I would use for a long hike where I am likely to be caught in a downpour, this is more than adequate.

Is the Tenba Cooper a good everyday backpack?

With two separate compartments, this is a similar kind of design as the Lowepro Fastpack BP 250 AW III, which I have when I need to carry a lot more kit when shooting weddings. Being a smaller bag, I like to use my Tenba Cooper Slim as my everyday backpack, with and without camera gear in; it is stylish, simple and subtle enough to not look like a camera bag and in the charcoal grey, it goes with every outfit.

I like to travel as light as possible so by considering what kind of shooting I’ll be doing day to day I can limit myself to my GH5 and one or two lenses knowing the modular padded insert will keep my gear is safe.

What fits in the Tenba Cooper Slim Backpack?

The padded pouch in the top compartment can fit up to a 10-inch tablet, but I use this for my A5 diary. The secure rear pocket allows me to store my keys and phone safely and the front pocket is perfect for my lens caps which I would most certainly lose by the end of the day when kept in my pocket.

The padded straps make the bag super comfy to wear all day and the ventilated air-mesh helps to prevent a sweaty back.

All in all, I really enjoy wearing this backpack and I am rarely without it.