I bought this little bag for my $2500 Nikon D700. With so many bag options out there, one often gravitates toward the expensive bags when the camera is so expensive. But trust me, you don't have to. This bag has a clever design to top load the camera-you'll have to pull the straps through the compartment seam to create enough room for a large body like the D700. It will not have enough room left for the detachable battery pack if you prefer to carry it. Simply detach and store in main compartment when traveling.
The main compartment is big enough for my extra 18-50mm wide angle lens with its own zipped sub-compartment. In addition, I routinely carry my charger, extra battery, cleaner, and other gadgets which photographry enthusiasts accumulate over time. I have yet to run out of room. The bag is big enough to carry everything and grow.
I picked this bag for 2 reasons: it was the cheapest for its size, and the unrecognizable name brand and design makes it look like a schoolbag to the casual observer. Therefore, it's a small deterrent to avoid attention from thefts. You can spend more but I wouldn't recommend it. Would easily choose this cheap alternative again for my expensive equipment. Case Logic TBC-307 SLR Camera Backpack (Black)
This bag is really good quality for the price! When I began looking for a backpack to keep all of my digital gear in one place I was shocked at how much manufacturers want for for a dedicated bag of this type. Most were at least double the price of this one. I took a chance on this one and was glad I did!
It's the perfect size for me. I really like all of the space and pockets. There is a big zippered pocket on the outside as well as the 2 big zippered pockets inside. ALSO, there are tripod straps on the side of the bag!
The camera is protected because it is supended in a type of hammock that accommodates some pretty big lenses. AND it is hard to tip over empty or loaded. It's like a weeble! It wants to sit straight up.
I don't carry every piece of gear I own around with me for a day of shooting. If I am out for the day I usually just carry the camera on my shoulder with a light prime lens attached and leave my bag in the car, but if I need to carry this bag fully loaded it is very comfortable.
I keep these contents in my bag when I am on the road: Nikon d60 with nikon 18-135mm zoom attached, Nikon D40 body, nikon 50mm 1.4ais in a pouch, Nikon 50mm 1.8D in a pouch, Nikon 35mm 1.8 Af-S in a pouch, charger, 2 spare batts, rocket blower, cards, etc, with room to spare.
I HIGHLY recommend this bag!
The bag serves its purpose.
Positive side:
- Easy to carry the equipment on your back, no back-strain for typical usage with padded straps
- Easy to extract the camera from the top pocket
- Sufficient pockets to get your stuff in (cellphone, GPS, energy bars, small water bottle .. you get the idea) besides the optical equipments
- Long warranty
Negative side:
- Main compartment does not have re-organization capability that can provide a snug protection to lenses, so the extra lenses just lie there loose
- Sometimes, it requires exercising care to extract the camera from the top pocket. It is not possible to attach the lens-hood and store it - it has to be taken off and stored in the main compartment.
- The zippers seem to be little on the weak side
Don't know points:
- Is it waterproof?
Overall, you have to try it in a store before deciding if it is right for you. It worked for me, and that is good enough for me.
This is a great bag is you have an SLR with lens attached, plus need extra space. The quick zip top pocket is perfect for grabbing your camera and being ready to snap a pic in a hurry. I only wish it were a little larger because I have to jam the neckstrap into corners to get the zipper closed.
I usually also carry a snapshot camera, cables and even a small camcorder so I appreciate the extra space. Still, it is quite compact. And the backpack straps are so comfortable that you can forget you have it on.
The front zip pocket is useless though. I would much rather have a smaller but deeper pocket to hold a lens hood, which will not fit into the top camera/lens pocket. But these are small problems - overall this is big improvement over my last bags.
At this time I'm undecided whether to return this bag or not. It's a good size bag with good external padding, not too big with plenty of protection. I like that there are no Canon or Nikon labels to attract thieves. I also like the internal layout, pockets and the space available to stuff things.
What I don't like is how few options there are to fix expensive gear inside the bag to keep them from hitting eachother or shifting. The picture show's a zoom lens strapped in on the right side of the bag and this looks snugg and nice, but that's the only strap available. It's really basically just an open bag, apart from the lone strap. I have a DSLR, a walk-around lens, a 300mm zoon lens, a small fixed lens and a flash. I may also occasionally bring the camcorder along. I can't really think of many ways to pack all this without also packing my socks and underwear to keep the bits apart.
In hindsight I should have gone to a store and compared bags before buying, but who has time. - Slr Backpack - Camera Cases - Camera Bag - Camera And Zoom Case'
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