For some time now I've been thinking about adding a different style of camera bag to my long-time "go-to" Domke bags. Most of the time recently, I've been using 2 Nikon mirrorless cameras, a Z50 and a Z Fc. I did not want to go the full backpack route as having to remove the pack, find a convenient location to place one, then the need to unzip a large flap, remove a camera, then reverse all of this before even taking the first frame just does not suit what most of my photography entails. SO...this sling bag looked like a good compromise that might meet my needs. And..for just 30 bucks, the investment certainly was not going to break the bank.
I just received the bag yesterday and so far, I have not used it in any 'real life' situation. So these remarks are all from my initial impression of the bag. Right out of the box, I was impressed with the general "feel" of the bag, it seemed to be a "Goldilocks" item...that is, not too big and bulky, but of adequate size for my gear., in other words "Just Right"...!
I like the fact that of the several mesh pockets in and on the bag, the ones that would be prone to spillage, have zipper closures. These closures always keep small accessories from working their way out of a mesh pocket and getting lost or misplaced. I count three pockets with this feature...including the largest one on the lower rear of the bag which also serves as an extra bit of padding against one's lower back. One of the design features of this bag is the placement of the clips that secure the lower flap of the bag. I noticed that several similar ones had these fasteners in the middle of the pack. In this pack, those clips are on the edge of the pack....this allows an extra gear/gadget pocket to be placed in the center of the pack....(this pocket is one that has a zipper closed mesh pocket inside.) The pocket in the top of the pack is roomy enough for my Z50 to fit along with a few 'extras' and the covering flap for this section also has a zippered pouch on the outside. Another nice touch is a padded flap near the bottom of the pack where the carry belt is attached. This padding is located at a point where the clip would have a good chance of pressing against one's hip bone when hiking...this should alleviate that. The lower compartment is quite roomy, plenty large enough to hold the Z Fc, along with a couple of lenses, small flash, etc. At 9" wide (deep?)..it is big enough for a mid-sized zoom lens when attached to the camera.
The exterior of the bag has several loops that can be used to attach other items to the bag, such as a tripod, water bottle, cell phone, etc. All in all, the design of the sling bag is top drawer.
Is it perfect?? Well, almost, but there are a couple of things that I'd like to see. One of those would be rubber feet on the bottom of the bag. This would keep the bag out of the dirt, mud or water if it needed to be set on the ground. Another change that would be good would be to have a few more options in the divider partitions that come with the bag. These would be just fine for full sized DSLR's, but for mirrorless cameras, they waste a lot of space. I will be making some custom inserts for my bag, that will make the bottom section more efficient and 'user friendly'..!
All in all, I'm extremely pleased with this bargain bag....I know I'll get a lot of use out of it...
Contains at least 50% recycled material.
As certified by
Global Recycled Standard
Global Recycled Standard
Products certified to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) contain recycled content that has been independently verified at each stage of the supply chain, from the source to the final product. In addition, social, environmental, and chemical criteria related to processing are required. The purchase of Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certified products demonstrates demand for recycled content and best processing practices in the supply chain.
Certification Body
Intertek
Certification Number
TE-00127968
