Bellroy Venture 2.5L Sling Review
A small sling is one of the most useful travel accessories one can get. On travel days it serves as a safe place to store your passport, wallet, documents, battery charger and other small essentials. When you get on the plane, you can either keep this round your shoulder or place it in the seat pocket in front of you. This ensures nothing is in your pockets and nothing gets lost. If you’re going for a walk round town, this is also a great way to free up your pockets and reduce the risk of pick pocketing. When in busy areas I always tend to slide this round to the front and can even put my arm over it to be extra safe if I’m somewhere that warrants that. A small sling like this can also double up as a mini camera bag if you have something small like an X100v or a tech pouch inside a bigger bag.
Materials & Design
The main outer material is a 100% recycled water resistant woven fabric. The zip is solid with a water resistant coating to keep rain out. The strap is not the thickest in the world however given you will not carry much weight in this bag, it’s enough. It’s made from a seatbelt like material although much softer to the touch. There is one magnetic buckle on the right side and although it’s easy to unlatch, it’s very secure when on your body. I’ve been caught short in a few rain showers while wearing this bag and it’s kept the water out just fine. Also after 6 months of heavy daily use, there are no signs of wear.
Ergonomics
There is plenty of adjustment for a sling set up however if you want to use it as a bum bag, then the strap is a little too long for me (31” waist). If you set it up properly and don’t carry too much weight, you can forget you’re even wearing it. The biggest issue with the ergonomics is the rear external pocket. Although it’s extremely secure and easy to access (for you), there isn’t much padding between the pocket and your body. If you use it for your phone or passport it’s fine, however should you put something more bulky in there, it might not be very comfortable. Finally the strap also compresses the bag when it’s on your body thus reducing its footprint.
Features & Space
In the front there is one large zip pocket which opens up to two pockets with a divider and a key leash. This is the perfect size for a wallet, keys, coins and lip balm. Inside you will find a hard divider towards the back of the bag that’s designed to house your phone and protect it from anything in the main compartment. There is also a soft fabric pouch towards the top of the bag where you can store sunglasses. Finally there is the rear access pocket as mentioned earlier. The main compartment is spacious and can easily hold the XT5 and an f2 prime with the lens removed. Alternatively it can hold a compact camera like an X100v or Ricoh with ease.
Summary
If you shoot with a Ricoh, X100v or your phone, this is the perfect daily carry bag. It can hold all the essentials you need and keep your pockets empty and your stuff secure. If you travel frequently, this can act as a secure document wallet that you always have on your body. It keeps you safe from pick pockets, keeps your stuff organised and stops you from losing anything important. I would recommend this type of sling to anyone.
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Instead of telling you how these will change your life, I would rather be practical and answer the most common questions that people tend to have when buying presets.
What are presets?
They are editing settings that are saved in a file and can be applied to any image.
Why do people buy presets?
Sometimes because they like the work of the photographer and want that style for their own photos. Mostly because they would like to see how other people edit and learn by reverse engineering the presets. Other times it’s just to support their favourite photographers, thank you!
What’s the overall style of these presets?
- Filmic
- Warm
- Soft
- Bright
What are these presets suitable for?
Street & Travel Photography
Some Nature (with further editing)
Some Portraits (with extensive editing)
Do I actually use these?
Yes. This is the same pack I use right now for all my editing. This isn’t a pack made just to sell.
Do these presets get updated?
Yes, as my style changes, these presets will also be updated. Any time a new update is available, you will get a free update via email. Of course you also keep all the old presets in case you prefer the older looks. Only presets purchased from 2025 onwards will receive the updates.
What file types are these presets for?
- All RAW files
- JPEGs & TIFFs (not recommended)
What camera brands are these presets for?
These were designed around Fujifilm, Sony, and Leica sensors. With that said, they will work with all camera brands. While there might be differences due to individual camera colour science, the overall feel of the preset will carry over.
Will these work with JPEG files?
Yes, but you will need to reduce the intensity and make further edits. I strongly recommend editing RAW files.
Are these one click edits?
95% No. You would need to do some basic adjustments as each image is different. These adjustments can include exposure, colour balance etc. In 5% of cases you can just apply and leave it alone.
Do I need to know how to edit?
You need to have a basic understanding of adjusting exposure, highlights, shadows, etc. A more comprehensive editing skillset will let you get the most out of them.
How many presets are included?
10 in the main pack and 24 in the extras pack
Why two packs?
The main pack is what I use for 99% of my edits and is kept small to reduce wasted time scrolling through presets. The extras pack is everything I don’t use often.
What software do I need?
These presets will work with any of the following:
- Photoshop (adobe camera raw)
- Lightroom Classic
- Lightroom Desktop
- Lightroom Mobile
Will these presets work with free versions of the above software?
You need to research and double check before buying. These presets were designed for the full paid versions.
Will these presets work with very old versions of the above software?
You need to research and double check before buying. These presets were designed on and for the latest software.
What file type do I get?
XMP
What else do I get?
- Comprehensive PDF guide
Can I modify these and turn them into my own?
Yes! In fact I encourage you to modify them and play around. Use these to help you get your own style.
I have more questions…. What do I do?
Make a cup of tea and drop me an email on hello@snapsbyfox.com
Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.
Finally I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying these presets is the most direct way you can support my work.
Thank you!