| Author: | | Inactive Account Registered: February, 2010 Location: north west, england Posts: 13 | | Review Date: April 15, 2011 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | safe, small but big enough for everything | | Cons: | tripod section maybe although would make it heavy | |
Bought this bag mainly for my trip to New York, was looking for something fairly small and comfy, but to cover all aspects of photos. Work in a shop, selling them and figured it would be perfect, very comfy, easy to access when you get your head around it (side loading) which makes it very safe, as thieves expect to use the top to open. keep adding to my kit and somehow re-jig it and it still fits, this bag is better than the one of Mary Poppins. I find the top pocket very useful for short zooms/fixed although not that padded. in mine i fit a kx, 18-55, sigma 70-300, sigma flash gun, 10-17 fisheye. m 50mm aa batteries and charger, usb cable and 7 or 8 sd cards and a lens cloth, however there is a lens cloth inside that can also pull over to protect LCD. Another huge factor, which i haven't gained from yet is the AW (all weather cover) which pulls over the whole bag in makes it full weather proof so you never get caught out. The clips also make the zips stop so the bag doesnt flop open and you loose all your kit. I use my bag all the time, even to keep the kit together and couldnt imaging life without it and have no problem selling it on a daily basic. To me the 200aw/202aw (the new one) seem a bit to big for a quick bond style draw and shoot.
*this review is also for the 100AW which misses the tiny compartment at the front of the top flap.
| | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: August, 2010 Location: South Florida Posts: 312 | | Review Date: April 7, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $35.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Flexible configuration, very comfy, top-notch quality, lots of compartments, unique design | | Cons: | Sling action can be a bit awkward, More than one Big Lens would be cramped, Not for casual shooting | |
** As above, I also have a 100AW, not the 102**
I like to travel light. I've used a number of different camera bags, everything from a small holster-style Tamrac, to a messenger bag, to the aforementioned Tamrac attached to the inside of a backpack.
I bought this bag in anticipation of an upcoming vacation where I need to go out and do my daily shooting without lugging a bunch of stuff, but not wishing I had brought that one crucial item. I'll update this review after July when I get back.
I've also used it for some side work around town since I bought it, and I really love the bag. The sling configuration is just what I wanted. My typical setup includes:
K-X with DA 50-200 attached
DA 18-50 in one inside compartment
Vintage 28mm 2.8 in another inside compartment
8x extra AA's
6 SD Cards stuffed in various places
Giottos Blower (the medium ball one)
Lens Caps, filters, etc
With this configuration, the bag has plenty of room left.
Inside the bag, there are two velcro segmented dividers that attach to three sides of the inside. In their default positioning, they make it a little tough to access some of your stuff. However, they can be repositioned quite flexibly. The K-X's compact body makes it easy to store lots of other stuff in the bag without it getting in the way.
Now, last month, I shot a wedding for a friend (my first time doing so). For the task, my cousin (another K-X shooter) and I rented lenses and flashes from CameraLensRentals. We got the DA* 16-50 and the FA 50 1.4, and two 540 flashes.
With the Big Lens attached to my camera, the camera still fit comfortably in the center slot. Next to it, the flash was nestled in a compartment, and on the other side, the 50-200mm sat with plenty of room to spare. I could've squeezed the 50 1.4 in the bag too.
Now with the 50 1.4 (which I used for most of the day), I reconfigured the compartments to offer a little support. With this lens, I was able to store the camera in the bag with the flash attached. However, I had to turn the camera longways with the bag and gingerly put it in there. Still worked though! I still had room for the 50-200 but that was about it.
Finally, a funny anecdotal. One of the reasons I bought this bag is because it doesn't look like your typical camera bag. While I was at the bride's house for the above wedding, shooting pictures of them getting ready, the flower girl asked me, deadly serious, "Is that a parachute?"  
So all in all, it's a great bag. I do feel like someitmes it doesn't swing around my body the way I imagined, and if you want to take it on and off a lot (e.g. you're not in a full-time shooting mode) it's a bit cumbersome.
For me, though, it's great, and it has lots of features I haven't used yet, like the weather cover, the auxilliary strap (haven't needed it), tripod attachment loops, and I have yet to fill all the tiny pockets.  | | | | | Junior Member Registered: December, 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 44 | | Review Date: April 4, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $70.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Compact, Sling action, Lots of pockets, very sturdy, waterproof shell | | Cons: | comfort, can be a little small for some kits. | |
First off I am very happy with this product. I wanted a small camera bag that could hold a little more than "the essentials" while being rugged enough for hiking and this bad delivers!
It is obvious that a lot of careful thought went into this bag. Every detail from the smart location of the Velcro strips to the small buckles that prevent you from accidentally opening the bag too far give you the distinct impression that this bag is built by photographers for photographers.
What I like:
1) The for mentioned buckles: I can't really emphasize enough how much i appreciate this idea
2) the pockets: placed and sized with purpose. you can tell that thought went into their design, we aren't talking pockets for the sake of pockets.
3) size: Small enough not to draw attention but big enough to hold my simga 120-400, K5, and another lens.
What I don't like:
1) comfort: I have a bit of a soar back and the sling design puts a lot of pressure just one one shoulder.
Tips: even though the small side strap feels dorky; use it. you will find that it prevents the bag from falling to the ground when you instinctively unclasp the main strap when taking the bag off.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: February, 2008 Location: Lachine, Quebec, Canada Posts: 453 | | Review Date: November 5, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $75.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Quick access to gear, water proof cover integrated | | Cons: | more space could have been dedicated to the main carrying compartment | |
**Note that this review is for the 100AW model, purchased in 2008. Some features of the newer model are not available on the version I own, and are not considered in this review.**
This bag is my go-to bag for any quick outings and street shooting, since the slingshot strap and access allow for quick retrieval of the camera without any fuss. I find the space just right for this type of shooting- usually a super zoom mounted on the camera with a compact zoom and 2-3 primes in the lens compartments is my standard outing kit when using this bag.
Construction is top notch, quality materials used throughout, and the built-in nylon pull-out cover is fantastic when you get caught out in inclement weather. Accessory pockets are a little sparse, but given the compact nature of the bag, I still carry around 3 sets of AA's, card reader, etc in the main compartment. The thin outer compartment holds filters and cleaning cloths. Strap is nice and wide, and includes a waist clip belt if things get a bit heavy- of course this needs to be detached to perform the "sling" to access your gear.
Only complaint is that I would have preferred a smaller top accessory pocket and a bit more space in the main compartment so that there would be more room for larger lenses- as well, given the shallow depth of the bag, I can't carry any fixed aperture zooms, but that's the nature of this bag. There are larger versions available.
Have to say this bag is a true godsend in it's design and functionality- quick to load up, carries everything I need and yet is completely inconspicuous when you drop the camera in and sling it around to your back, and you have your hands free. Saved my bacon on a trip two years ago in France!
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: May, 2010 Location: California Posts: 6 | | Review Date: May 21, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $70.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | small (good and bad, depends...), comfortable, weather proof | | Cons: | small (good and bad, depends...) | |
This is a good bag if you want something that is small and compact for hiking or similar travel. This bag will hold a camera (with lens attached), 2 lenses (3 maybe if small) and is very comfortable.
But remember this bag is pretty small so if you store your camera and 1-2 large lenses you will have used up 90% of the space.
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