Peak Design Camera Cubes V2 review

Peak Design's Camera Cubes V2 aren't a new product but are still used in new bags like the hotly anticipated and recently reviewed Peak Design 25L and 45L Outdoor Backpacks. The cube inserts are modular and are designed to work with many (though not all) of Peak Design's camera bags.

The V2 cubes are a modular camera box system for protecting your kit both in and out of your kit bag. This means they're interchangeable and available in five different sizes: Extra Small, Small, SMedium, Medium, Large, ranging from $49.95 to $109.95 depending on the size you go for.

They can also be used in tandem with Peak Design Packing Cubes (available in Extra Extra Small, Extra Small and Small sizes) which are better for clothes, gear and food – the Packing Cubes also come in either a weatherproof Versa Shell or a breathable stretch mesh, the breathability of the latter is better for items you want to dry out such as clothes.

I got hold of the Peak Design Camera Cubes and put them through their paces in this review, though if you'd like to see how Peak Design's latest 25L and 45L Outdoor Backpacks performed you can also see how they fared here. Peak Design claims its Camera Cubes V2 are the only cube systems on the market that are Fair Trade certified, 100% carbon neutral, and guaranteed for life. Here, I put them through their paces to see if you should part with your cash.

Peak Design Camera Cubes V2 Specifications

Build & Handling

The Peak Design Camera Cubes are available in Extra Small (3.5L), Small (6L), SMedium (10L), Medium (13L), Large (20L) which for the sake of this review we’ll refer to as XS, S, SM, M and L. All are made from weatherproof 100% recycled 160D nylon canvas shell with water-resistant Ultra Zips.

Peak Design uses a ‘Cube Units’ system to let you know what will and won’t fit inside proprietary Peak Design bags such as the 25L and 45L Outdoor Backpacks and Slings. You could of course use the Camera Cubes in other non-Peak Design bags, it's just harder to gauge which cubes will or won't fit without trying them first.

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The 45L Outdoor Backpack has three Cube Units, so could fit the Large Camera Cube as well as 1-2 Small Packing Cubes, or alternatively a Medium Camera Cube, 2-3 Small Packing Cubes, and a jacket. Or if you’re focusing more on hiking the 45L can fit a tent, sleeping bag, and a single XS Camera Cube. The setup options feel nearly inexhaustible.

The 25L Outdoor Backpack however has just 1.5 Peak Design Cube Units and this means the SMedium Camera Cube is the largest it can take, plus a single Packing Cube. Alternatively, you could fit it with an XS Camera Cube and one or two Medium Packing Cubes.

Peak Design's 7L Outdoor Sling can be used with the XS Camera Cube, though the smallest 2L Outdoor Sling is too small to fit any of the cubes and is better suited to smaller accessories.

The S, SM, and M Camera Cubes can accommodate a camera with a lens attached measuring up to 29cm in length, though this is expanded to 43cm with the Large module.

FlexFold dividers inside do a good job of protecting your kit and there are plenty of them to give you options when organizing your camera bodies, lenses, and accessories. There’s also a soft pouch inside which comes with the supplied C-clips to hook the Camera Cubes into the 25L and 45L Outdoor Backpacks and stop them from tumbling out the main hatch door when opened.

There's no metal frame but the cubes do have some rather beefy padding and there is also some stiff piping around the edges which helps keep the edges of the cubes nice and straight – it also helps the Camera and Packing Cubes stack together neatly inside of your bag as the corners and edges are really crisp. Of course, they’re made to work best with Peak Design’s proprietary bags and here they can clip into specific anchor hooks made for them, though there’s nothing stopping you from adding a Camera Cube V2 to your existing non-proprietary hiking backpack.

The padding on the Camera Cube lids can be removed entirely, allowing the now empty and malleable lid to be neatly folded away when mounted inside your bag. This is a clever design I was very fond of, and also allows the lid to still be used and zipped shut in a hurry if the heavens open whilst you're out hiking. While Peak Design's Outdoor Backpacks are very water resistant, it’s great to be able to zip the cubes up for an additional layer of protection against the elements when needed.

One feature I really liked was the grab handle which goes all the way around underneath the main zipper and this allows you to get a good hold of the modules to fit them in or pull them out of your bag easily.

It’s also worth noting that in addition to the main zipper opening which grants access to the entire cube internals, the Medium and Large Camera Cubes also feature two side access zippered panels. This is particularly useful on the Medium Camera Cube which can be arranged inside your backpack to face upwards so you can grab your main camera with a lens attached from the rolltop opening if needed. This doesn’t work for the Large though as the side doors are on the two sides which don’t point towards the rolltop opening, though on some bags it makes it possible to grab your camera through a side access port. Our Outdoor 25L and 45L Backpacks on test didn't have a side access feature so we weren't able to test this out.

Performance

The Camera Cube V2's modular design is brilliant for the amount of customization it gives users, though it does mean you’ll need to find a place to stash your extra cubes when they’re not being used, and if you have a lot of them it can quickly clutter a space. I did however enjoy lining a drawer with the cubes in my home office and making this a home for my camera kit when not in use. This helped keep my kit organized and protected from dust and moisture when not in use, but ready to go for the next shoot.

Whilst low-profile enough to stash in a drawer, this is a bit of a drawback as they're only 13.5cm deep internally – so are best suited to smaller mirrorless kits and lenses. Larger DSLRs and optics will struggle to have enough space inside the cubes and a camera with a battery grip just isn't practical.

The Camera Cubes are available in sizes from Extra Small through to Large, while the Packing Cubes are available in three sizes from Extra Extra Small to Small (and also in breathable and non-breathable variations). This means there's a comprehensive range of seemingly never-ending combinations for you to find the perfect setup for your shooting style, though I must admit it's a bit overwhelming.

The Camera Cubes employ Peak Design's abrasion-resistant ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene Ultra Zips and in testing I found them to be very smooth and durable. You can also see the weather-sealing material built into the zippers too which adds some extra protection either in your bag or when stored at home. I put each of the cubes under a shower to evaluate its weather resistance and the exterior 160D nylon canvas material is a recycled nylon Versa Shell and did a great job at repelling water. No moisture seeped through the zips either – impressive!

One feature I was a big fan of was the tuck-away lids which allow the top piece of padding to be removed so it can fold away neatly inside of a bag like the Peak Design 25L or 45L Outdoor Backpack so it doesn't hinder or get in the way of your camera kit. The only issue here is you have to find a suitable place to stash the spare padding when it's set up in this way, this means it clutters up a drawer or space at home for the duration of time your cube is mounted inside your bag. It could also lead to it becoming lost or misplaced.

I really appreciated the strap handles built into just below the zipper on every cube as this makes it much easier to grab and pull out the cubes from your bag. This 360º grab handle goes all the way around the top section and has a seatbelt-style woven nylon webbing which is useful to be able to remove the cube inserts if an airline refuses to let you take your backpack on a flight, as the cubes can be easily removed so that you can board with your expensive camera kit, all whilst protected in its cube insert – the rest of your backpack can be stowed in the hold luggage.

Each corner on the top of the lid also has a small counter pull which you can grab for more purchase when operating the zips which is a clever addition.

When it comes to padding the V2 Camera Cubes employ a high-density EVA foam along with plenty of Flexfold dividers. The padding is decent and does a good job of protecting camera kit, and the cubes come with a range of Flexfold dividers depending on your model, these include an XSmall divider, a Small divider with and without a shelf, and a Medium divider. The Small dividers with a shelf are quite interesting as they add extra storage options and allow for example two small pancake lenses to occupy the same slot within the bag and still be protected (see below). The dividers use Velcro to keep them in place and can be moved around and customized to fit your kit best.

There aren't any pockets or zippered sections for small accessories, but the cubes do come with a single 'floating packet' a mesh material bag that can be Velcroed onto one of the internal sides of the cube. By default this stores the provided C-clips to keep the cubes securely attached to the inside of a Peak Design bag, but there's plenty of room for a few spare batteries or memory cards. This needs to be strategically positioned so that it doesn't clang against your kit though as this pocket is only mesh and not padded. It also doesn't seal shut.

On the outside of the cubes, you'll find hidden loops that can be used to attach a Peak Design strap to either wear or transport your cube and kit to the location without the need for a bag.

Comparing the V2 Camera Cubes to its V1 predecessor they are now 2cm shallower, so it's more of a squeeze to fit your kit and certainly more geared towards smaller mirrorless camera setups. They're also about 10-15% lighter than the V1 models depending on which you go for and have a more rigid design. The XS and SM versions are also entirely brand-new size options in the range.

The Medium and Large V2 Camera Cubes also feature a side access panel for use with Peak Design bags that also have a corresponding side access hatch. The 25L and 45L Outdoor Backpacks don't have this feature so it's no good here, but for bags with this option, it provides another point of entry.

Verdict

So should you buy the second iteration of Camera Cubes by Peak Design? Well, if you own a Peak Design bag that is compatible with the V2 Camera Cubes then it makes sense as you'll get the most out of them – neatly clipping into your Peak Design bag and interchangeable with the other sizes depending on how much kit you need to take on a particular shoot.

They're made from very high-quality materials and offer practically all of the features we'd be looking for in a camera cube design. That said, this iteration is more shallow this time around, so do be aware if you own bulky and awkwardly shaped kit such as big DSLR bodies, battery grips, or larger lenses like a 70-200mm f/2.8 as they're not quite as practical to fit in.

It's great to be able to use the cubes to store your camera kit when not being used on a shoot and the cubes can neatly fit inside a cabinet drawer, ready to be grabbed and installed in your bag for the next outing.

I used the V2 cubes with the Peak Design Outdoor Backpacks and it was really handy being able to swap out the different cube sizes and having the option to choose a smaller cube with less camera kit on those times when I needed to pack more hiking and camping kit instead.

The V2 cubes aren't cheap so my suggestion is to buy at least one camera cube in a bundle with your Peak Design bag, and then add more cubes to your collection once you've worked out which sizes you think might work best for your specific needs as this makes it a bit better value.