Peak Design Shell Camera Cover Review

The Peak Design Shell is exactly what I’ve been waiting for since I got a Peak Design Capture Clip. If you’re a self-proclaimed photographer (or simply own and carry a camera) and are not already familiar with Peak Design, you’re missing out.

I’ve used Peak Design’s Capture Clip for a while now, and ever since I got it, I’ve been looking for a way to protect my camera from the elements while it’s attached to my pack – the Shell was designed to do just that.

It’s also much sexier than just having a plastic bag wrapped around your camera for protection.

The Specs

Note: I have a small and medium Shell. I feature photos of both and offer a comparison towards the end of this review. The Shell also comes in a large size (for $5 extra), but I don’t own hardware necessitating anything larger than a medium (my take on the different sizes with my 60D can be found further down).

• 4-way stretch fabric is seam-taped to resist rain, snow, dust, and abrasion
• Access the viewfinder and controls without removing
• Allow use with any Peak Design strap
• Completely cinches closed for safe camera stowage
• It packs down small into its built-in storage pocket
• Lifetime guarantee

The Good

The Integration

As advertised, the Shell does a fantastic job integrating with Peak Design’s other products. I use the Capture Clip and the Leash with the Shell and haven’t had any problems with either. The Shell is designed to allow for each integration with Peak Design’s anchor system, and even with access to the camera, the anchors and the Shell do not allow any water to make its way to your camera.

The Weatherproof-ness

I bought this because I wanted my camera to be protected from the rain, snow, or whatever other hazard threatens the well-being of my picture-making device. The Shell does precisely this. I’ve used this in heavy rain on a strap (the Peak Design Leash) and the Capture Clip. No matter how I was securing my camera or the conditions, I am confident that my camera will stay dry and protected – and it does.

The Protection

Although not its intended purpose, the Shell also provides your camera with an extra layer of security should you, for some reason, manage to drop it or smash it against something (which I’ve become quite good at when exiting crowded public transport). The fabric won’t protect your camera from everything, but minor nicks, scrapes, and dents can be prevented when using the Shell.

The Warranty

As always, I enjoy warranties and companies that stand behind their products. Peak Design’s website says, “Every single one of [their] products comes with a no-hassle, no-rhetoric lifetime warranty.” The warranty does not cover cosmetic wear, but anything that affects the product’s performance is covered. I’ve yet to need to replace an item under the warranty, but I’m confident they would happily support this claim.

The Okay

The Fit

The Shell comes in three sizes: small, medium, and large. It’s designed so that most cameras can fit either a small/medium or a medium/large (unless you have a mirrorless camera or a full-frame camera with a zoom lens). I didn’t know which would work best with my camera (Canon 60D with the EF-S 10-22 lens), so I decided to try both the small and the medium. The small fit snugly and made getting at some of the controls a bit more complicated, but I preferred it to the medium,m which left far too much excess material hanging around.

The Access

This ties into the fit, but if your setup is on the edge and you decide to size down, you may have difficulty accessing your camera’s controls. I am still able to reach and use (relatively quickly) my 60D’s controls, but I do experience some unwanted pull on some adjustment knobs from time to time. If the weather isn’t horrible, it’s easy to simply lift up the entire back of the cover, but if you need that protection during your shot, then you had best be able to use your camera blind.

The Bad

The Zoom/Focus

If you are a fan of primes or don’t do much in the way of zooming, then you can ignore this last part (please continue reading if you shoot on manual focus), but for anyone who plans to be zoom-happy (or focus-happy), the Shell can undoubtedly get in the way. Grabbing your lens through the Shell and attempting to adjust the zoom or focus rings can result in the fabric pulling back on the ring to where you began the process. This can be accounted for, but things certainly won’t be as easy as they would be without a cover (duh).

The Colors

There’s not much to complain about here – I love the Shell. But as long as we’re looking for things to whine about, how about the lack of colors? What’s this “only black” business? Let’s get some reds, blues, greens – hell, let’s get some pink and rainbow too! I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’d buy this thing in some bright neon reflective color (high-vis for cyclists?).

Small or Medium?

Now that you’ve decided that it’s time to invest in some protection for your camera, it’s time to decide what size you need.

The Peak Design Shell comes in three sizes: small, medium, and large. Peak Design’s recommendations are as follows:

To clarify, anywhere you see “almost” above means “excluding huge zoom lenses.”

I found the small to fit over my 60D (with an EF-S 10-22 lens) quite snugly – which I like. The medium was a bit too baggy for my liking, but it would also work (especially with a longer lens). The controls can be difficult to access with the small (especially if I have gloves on), but it’s bearable so long as I never need to shoot something at a moment’s notice.

Lastly, here’s a look at the chart Peak Design uses to show the different fits:

Conclusion

Peak Design’s Shell does precisely what it’s intended to do. Sure, it can make messing with the settings or controls of your camera a bit trickier, but you wouldn’t even be using your camera in certain situations without THE Shell – so it’s difficult to complain.

If you’re a fan of the Capture Clip and you enjoy having your camera with you (and accessible) regardless of what the conditions may be, then Shell is an obvious addition to your backpacking outfit.

Check out Peak Design’s Shell here.

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