Veteran Member Registered: September, 2010 Location: Somewhere in the Southern US Posts: 12,285 | | Review Date: November 16, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Long, takes SlipLock attachments | | Cons: | Thin material, minimal protection | |
First got to try the SLRC201 from Case Logic with Hammock Suspension System. It got great reviews at Amazon and looked just right. The pluses are that it has a nice suspension system that cradles the camera while making it handy to get out quickly. It has two side pockets that expand inward and can accommodate a small P&S like the Panasonic ZS-5 that I own. The front pocket will do the batteries and extra SD card nicely. The strap that came with it is a complete waste of time. The base of the case is solid plastic and completely water proof up to 2 inches. Build quality was a lot better than I expected for $25 - or $50 for that matter. I put a nice Swiss Army adjustable padded should strap on it and it worked well. Took it to a Soccer game when the grass was wet and the case worked as described - it stood up on its own and the bottom is impermeable to water. Fits devices: 6.9" x 6.3" x 4.7" The problem is that the suspension system lets the end of the 300mm zoom rest on the bottom of the case. If it were 3/4in longer it would be perfect. Protection was good, construction was good, design is very nice, bottom is excellent, but its just a wee bit short to truly be a Zoom lens Holster camera case IMHO. If you have the 200mm DAL zoom it will probably be perfect for you. Its an 8 (would be a 9 if it were just that .75in longer).
So, next I tried a Lowepro Toploader Zoom 55AW. I own two Lowepro cases for my P&S cameras and am very happy with each. The AW designates their cases that are All Weather and have a hidden weather cover that can be pulled out and over the case to add to weather protection. I've found them to be a great asset when out with the kids and no rain gear in a sudden downpour.
The Toploader Zoom 55AW is supposed to be ~2.5 inches longer than the Caselogic which is good. The description at Amazon said that it fits a "DSLR with attached lens (up to 80-400mm f/4.5 or 100-400mm f/4.5); memory card, extra batteries or small accessories". So far so good. It also has the built-in All Weather AW Cover that tucks away when not in use and its a holster-style. So I ordered it from Amazon and it arrived today.
Man am I disappointed. Very thin padding, nearly none on the bottom, the interior has NO dividers other than a small velcro pad that goes across the lower portion of the case and is slightly adjustable but the velcro is only about 1in wide so its go VERY limited ability to adjust at all. The front pocket is completely unpadded and the thinnest material I have encountered on any bag I have handled in many years. Frankly it feels like a $5 bag.
The strap, as I am learning is the case for all of them, is worthless. I put a should strap from a Swiss Army computer bag on it and that has made a big difference.
It is deep enough for the K-x with the 300mm Zoom attached but AGAIN the camera rests on the end of the lens with no suspension and the padding is terrible so it offers no real protection. This one is a genuine disappointment and rates no more than a 7 in my book for all these shortcomings. Lowepro should be ashamed of this one. The quality of my two belt pouches for my P&S cameras completely blow this thing away!
So, I'm back to looking for a toploader with GREAT PROTECTION that will handle the K-x with the DAL 300mm zoom attached. Any suggestions?
UPDATE: 1/14/13 - When I put my K-5, with grip, and 18-135 in the bag sideways and use a piece of foam under the velcro panel included the bottom is well enough padded to feel safe with my camera. It's fairly versatile when lens canister cases are added via the SlipLock system. I've found that it's more useful in this configuration but it still could have been better made with better padding.
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