| Author: | | Forum Member Registered: October, 2013 Location: Midwest Posts: 98 | | Review Date: November 5, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Compactly store a lot of gear, yet remain accessible | | Cons: | Easy to overload | |
Way better backpack style bag than competition, very well thought out, I would recommend this to non-Pentax shooters as well. I routinely take 2 bodies and 6 lenses plus circ pol. hoods etc. All items are easily accessible. This makes for a very heavy bag though (my own gear problem) works best with small Pentax lenses. bigger barrel lenses start to tighten things up. Another comment mentioned that it opens the wrong way, which I agree with but still miles ahead of other backpacks. The middle section opens nicely when slung, I would like to see the top do similar (and be square vs triangle shaped) the lower would be better to open in a way that doesn't expose 3 lenses to potentially fall out when "slung"
Idea to improve would be to incorporate a rapid sling strap connection into the comfortable padded shoulder strap so you take the camera out and clip a camera mounted connector to a slider on the bag strap. As is, the nylon webbing on the shoulder strap allows for attaching other items temporarily (like Sigma belt lens cases)
| | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: October, 2009 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 2,030 | | Review Date: July 7, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Size, Comfort, Price | | Cons: | Not really useful as a sling, pockets face the wrong way | |
This is my favorite "1 Camera" bag, by far. The size is perfect, it's well made, durable and has good padding. The compartments are laid out in a logical way and there are several small pockets for small items that otherwise would be lost at the bottom of a larger space.
My one complaint is that the main compartments aren't really useful when you "sling" it around. It's easy for items to fall or roll out, so I kneel down and support the bag with my legs before opening it.
But it holds everything I need for a trek. Right now I have the K-7 with a DA 35mm AL and grip mounted, plus a DA 16-45mm in the center space (divided by a vertical pad) and 3 lenses with hoods attached (24mm, 50mm and 85mm) standing vertically in the bottom space. I put each one in a small (lightly) padded case, they rattle around otherwise.
In the half-moon compartment at the top, I have (ready?) an AF 360FGZ in the original bag, a 4-filter pouch (polarizers), cable release, blower/brush, lens cloth, the large hood for the 16-45mm and a wide-angle hood for the 24/35mm.
Small flap-pockets hold SD cards, miniflashlight and AAA's for the flash.
With a camera battery in both the body and grip, I usually don't carry a 3rd, but could probably squeeze one in if I had to.
BTW, my Tokina AT-X 80-200mm f/2.8 fits in the bottom compartment (alone, of course!) if needed. Can't take any other primes in that event, though.
A very handy, tough case and a great price!
Ron
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: April, 2010 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,053 | | Review Date: December 10, 2010 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Plenty of space, comfortable, pentax branded | | Cons: | Not waterproof | |
This is a nice bag to carry your camera and a bunch of gear. It is comfortable to wear or carry although it can be kind of awkward to swing around to get stuff out while standing since the compartments open in such a way that you need to keep one hand stabilizing the bag so stuff doesn’t fall out if you have more than one thing in each compartment. I like the pentax branding but obviously some people don’t like that since it limits the appeal of this product on the resale market and makes what is in the bag more obvious to anyone who knows what pentax makes.
This bag has three main compartments:
The top is good for storing accessories like a flash, memory card reader, battery charger, other junk as it is an undivided space about the size of a grapefruit.
The middle compartment is for the camera and it could easily accommodate an attached lens that is 2-3 times the length of the kit lens (18-55mm). It gives you a little space on the side of the lens and has a divider to give you space past the lens. But I don't use those spaces for anything yet. I suppose with pancake lenses you could probably fit two cameras in this compartment if you put them orthogonal to one another with the divider between and you could keep a P&S in the little division next to the lens. There is also some netting in the zip compartment that opens up where I keep my rear lens cap and some desiccant.
The bottom compartment is a lens compartment That is designed to accommodate 3 lenses. The spacing is short so if you have some large lenses they probably will not fit in here. I have also heard complaints that very small lenses like are not held in place well and it is recommended to get at least two of them (LBA?) and use a double rear lens cap to make them fit better.
I received this bag gratis from Pentax USA after complaining about an unscrupulous online vendor. Class act on Pentax's part to make sure their customers are satisfied when their dealers fall short.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: November, 2009 Location: NY/NJ Posts: 952 | | Review Date: December 3, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Comfort, Space, Layout options, Price, Looks | | Cons: | None | |
I received the Pentax Sling Bag as a present and was pleasantly surprised with the quality of it. The material used is very nice, and water repellent to some degree (I made a 2 minute run to the car in light rain and everything inside was dry). Padding is very generous, nothing to complain about here. The ability to swing it around to access the camera/lenses is good, although you have to be really careful not to drop things. I tend to swing the bag to the front and sit or kneel so that I can rest the back of the bag on my legs. Compartments are very well laid out. Top compartment is half round and serves well as accessory storage. I usually keep the battery charger and various cables in there. The center compartment has a flap with a double zipper around it. This is where you camera goes. I usually keep the K-x with a medium zoom attached and there is room for a 50mm and another short lens (55mm or 28mm). So you can fit one medium lens (such as kit lens or even the 50-200/50-300 plus two short lenses. The flap itself also has storage both on the outside and inside. Inside there are two pockets which are useful for memory cards or even filters. The outside is a zippered pouch (about 1" thick) which is great for more batteries or other flat accessories. Then there is the bottom compartment which has two dividers, allowing you to store three medium lenses, or one longer one and one medium one if you remove one of the dividers. So to recap, you can fit all your accessories, your camera, and up to 6 lenses (For example your Limited prime lineup) in one very convenient sling bag.
Another plus - It has the nice red Pentax logo on the flap.
| | | | | | | Senior Member Registered: July, 2010 Location: HI Posts: 168 | | Review Date: August 28, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Good size bag, well-made, Cheap, Pentax brand ! | | Cons: | Waist strap is not as useful | |
I was surprised that there were no review for this item on the review page when i was looking for some opinion before i got this. That's all right, i will write one up here for somebody else that might found useful. 
This sling bag is perfect for me, cheap, durable and fullfit all my camera needs. I do alot of outdoor activities and i do want a bag to carry my camera safe with me all the time. I was thinking shoulder bag was too bulky to travel and a slr case would be too small for me, so the right choice for me was a sling bag. After a brief reserach i found out that only the Pentax sling box would fits within my budget and it pleased my eyes.
I used it everytime when i need my camera during the weekends or outing. It stores up to 4 -5 lens and a body in there, which becomes pretty handy when i need my lens for different needs. The top compartment is not deisgn for lens since there is no cushioning material, but still u can stuff a flashlight, cell phone and your wallet inside. There was an optional waist strap attached to the bag which i don't find any use for myself. I took it off and there was a strap ring which the strap original tie off from. The ring was perfect for my monopod and i just stick the monopod throught it when i want it with me.
This bag only upset me once is where i did not close the zipper completely with an opening like half inch on the top compartment, one of my AA batteries slipped off and i was not able to find it again (you know you cannot just buy one battery off the shelf !!) Other than that it is a good bag for its value and a good way to say out loud that "I m a Pentaxian"
| | |
