Customer Reviews

Kata KT DR-467 Digital Rucksack (Black)

5 star:		(78)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I spent quite a bit of time looking for the right backpack for my new Canon 40D and lenses. I wanted to use this backpack as (1) a daypack for wildflower photography mountain hikes of 7-12 miles, and (2) a travel pack (airplane carryon and storage case during extended car trips) for my camera, lenses and laptop.

I needed room for a few lenses (17-55 f2.8, 60 mm f2.8 macro, 85 mm f1.8). I will add a telephoto, but I won't be going for one of the monster zooms. My computer is a 15" Lenovo T60p.

I visited several stores to try out different laptop/camera combination packs. I was looking for comfort, ease of use, and capacity for my specific gear. For hiking, I wanted room for more than just the camera and laptop. But I also did not want a pack that was too heavy, or uncomfortable to carry.

The Kata DR-467 is just perfect for my needs. It holds all my gear easily (including the lenses listed above, as well as a 430EX flash, chargers for both the laptop and camera, and a small external USB hard drive). There is still plenty of room for a jacket and lunch on a hike. The shoulder straps are padded and quite comfortable. The waist belt is minimal, not enough to support the pack weight, but it will keep the pack from swaying. The sternum strap is adjustable and fit me well. The included raincover is a nice touch, as are the several accessory pockets. The bottom compartment for camera gear pulls out for easy access. The padded insert is removable, allowing me to use it in another pack, if I wanted to, or to use the DR-467 as a larger capacity daypack when I'm not carrying camera gear.

The Kata DR-467 strikes a good balance between protectiveness and weight. It's got decent padding for the laptop and camera, but it's still only 3.2 lbs. It seems very well made.

I tried two packs that are heavier and more protective. The Kata R-103 GDC Rucksack is a bit heavier, has more padding and room for more gear, but isn't nearly as comfortable. On my 5'11 frame, the sternum strap on the R-103 felt like a choker collar, and could not be adjusted low enough. The weight in the R-103 pulled back uncomfortably away from my shoulders. It's a great pack in terms of padding, and extremely well made, but uncomfortable to actually carry. It's not specifically designed for extra non-camera stuff, although you can carry a few things besides your camera and lenses if you toss out some of the dividers.

The other pack that I seriously considered was the Tenba Shootout Backpack, Medium, in Black/Olive. This pack has the best waist belt/suspension system of any of the packs. The Shootout comes in three different sizes. I tried the Medium, but my 15" Lenovo laptop would not fit. That left me with only the Large as an option, which weighs over 9 lbs, empty! It's extremely comfortable, of course, but I wasn't willing to carry a pack that was over 9 lbs before I put any gear in it.

Several other packs didn't hold my laptop, or just weren't at all comfortable. There were three decent choices that I haven't yet mentioned. The Tamrac Adventure 9 Photo/Computer Backpack (Grey/Black), held my camera gear and laptop, with some room for hiking stuff. But the construction quality and comfort just didn't match the Kata or Tenba packs. It seemed a little flimsy. The Think Tank Airport Antidote, Small Airline Carry On Photo Backpack impressed me as an airplane carryon. It's very well designed for that purpose. But it's terrible as a backpack to carry any distance. I thought the Lowepro CompuRover AW Camera Bag (Black) might be a good choice, but I couldn't find one to try out.

In the end, the Kata DR-467 was the best pack for my needs, regardless of price. It happened to be the least expensive as well, but clearly is better made than many other packs that cost a good bit more. I'm very happy.

this bag is great. first impression: its rugged and good-looking, obviously well-made. the military heritage is obvious, since its designed primarily for functionality and has a kind of stealth/spec ops look. definitely doesnt look like a camera bag, and despite its bells and whistles its fairly inobtrusive.

second impression: it's very intelligently designed: the camera compartment cantilevers out when you open it and slides back in when you zip it up. the yellow divider stuff which makes all your gear visible, can be reconfigured into various combinations and can hold a moderate zoom attached to the camera plus four other small-to-medium lenses. there's ribbed padding on the outside and gussets which expand the bottom when stuffed, so fitting a large DSLR with a grip is no problem. there are some nylon side panels that prevent your stuff from galling out when fully unzipped, and the entire padding section can be removed as well. on the side is a zip-out mesh pocket that can hold a small water bottle or be a convenient place to store lens caps in the field without having to remove the pack.

moving on, we come to the the upper section, made out of reinforced ballistic material with two nylon cinch straps attatched to metal d-rings. (havent tried this yet, but it would probably be possible to jury-rig them to hold a tripod by adding a QR nylon strap.) there are two vertical zip pockets with zipper garages and more high-visibility yellow material on the inside. perfect for filters, extra batteries, and other small items. in-between these two pockets is yet another pocket, with a mesh guard to prevent stuff from falling out. depending on what you're carrying, these three pockets can hold a variety of gear in a variety of ways.

in the top section is another larger pocket big enough to hold a second body + flash or several more lenses + a flash or a travel guidebook + lunch or a windbreaker + sunglasses. this section also has a cel phone and pen pouches. the bottom and backof this are padded but no additional dividers.

then there's the notebook section, which can hold a 17" laptop. it's worth getting this bag over the smaller version even if you dont use with with a computer because its one more layer of padding.

the back section has plenty of padding. fully loaded, it was heavy to lift by the top handle but the weight is distributed so very evenly. there's a chest strap and waiststrap for additional support for super heavy loads.

another nice feature is the insertrolley strap that can slide over airline carry-on handles and fits nicely into the recessed back section. it wouls have been nice if the waiststrap could have been tucked away when not needed but that's kind of a reach as far as complaints go. it says something about how the design of this bag that one has to really search for shortcomings.

the only other real con is lack of a tripod holder, but that could be worked around (see above). also, unlike some of kata's other bags, you can't clip a torso bag onto this one; not a big deal unless you want a backpack + torso bag combo, in which case get a kata bag that allows you that option.

kata bags aren't for everybody, and some of their models are just too high-tech. but for a combination of style, functionality, and reasonable price for the quality, the DR-467 exceeds expectations.

I picked up the DR-467 a few months ago (shop around for better pricing). I travel for work quite a bit and really wanted to take my DSLR and some lenses with me along with my much needed laptop. This backpack, though looks small, can fit quite a bit in it. I've packed it full o' goodies and it still fits under the seat of a plane no problem. Last night the front straps came in handy for strapping my tripod and a half-gallon water bottle. The shoulder straps come with thick metal clips for camera quick release straps (this is great so you save any neck discomfort from typical straps). I think my only peeves about this bag are the 3 vertical pockets along the front top pouch and the water bottle pouch which is WAY to small. As an added note I'm a big fella and this pack is pretty comfy and easy to take on and off both shoulders.

I'm not much of a writer so I'll just leave you with what I typically pack in here for travel:

Back Pocket:
Asus 15.4" laptop (G1 gaming model) in the back pocket.

Front Top Pocket:
Laptop plug
Mouse and Pad
Zune 80GB
4 pens and a sharpie
2 AA and 2 AAA batteries
Deodorant
A typical paperback book
Nintendo DS in a shell case with games
Field Guide Manual for my camera (basically another paperback book)
I tend to toss my phone and a small bottle of water in there too.

Front vertical pockets:
Random cables (usb for phone and camera, plug for DS, USB for zune)
Extra SD cards
Extra pencil lead
Any random change I wind up with.

Bottom comparment:
Note: this compartment is removable which can give you some space for some clothing if you aren't taking your camera.
Nikon D80 DSLR Camera
54mm Lense
25-55mm Lense
70-300mm Lense (with shade)
Wide angle macro lense
Zoom macro lense
Neck Strap
Extra battery
Battery charger
Cigarette lighter plug for battery charging.
Top mounted flash

I think that's about it. Great bag, I highly recommend it if you like to carry your DSLR and Laptop with you!

I did significant research before buying this backpack. I wanted a good compromise between accessibility, ability to hold upwards of 3-4 lenses, to hold my laptop and personal items; and then the obvious, like comfort, durability, etc. First impressions upon receiving this backpack were that it's designed and built well, and had a good feel overall. However, after taking it on a three-hour trek to test it out at full capacity, I've discovered a few issues with it.

First, the good. As mentioned, the build and design appears to be of very nice quality. Nice, seemingly durable materials. Plenty of cushioning--particularly for the camera and laptop areas. I'd be confident my gear would not be hurt in this bag. Also, the colored interior pockets is a nice feature, it makes it much easier to see and organize your items. The zippers seem smooth and well designed, all the seams appear to be well stitched. Also, another positive with this backpack is it distributes weight well, and there's very little sway or movement (with or without the chest/waist straps). It feels solid against your back.

Now to the bad. The backpack is uncomfortable after just an hour or so of use at full capacity. Packed in it, I had my Pentax K100D with lens attached, two additional lenses, a few small accessories, my 13" Macbook laptop, two sets of AA batteries, a first aid kit, a small lunch, and a small bottle of water. This was about all I could fit in the bag, and it made it of significant (not unbearable) weight. However, it didn't take long for me to feel the wear of the straps on my shoulders, pressing into them. The shoulder straps seem like they should maybe be wider, to distribute the weight more. To me, they're relatively narrow for what this backpack should be expected to carry. Also, while the waist strap does definitely help, it isn't much. A nicer strap would be nicer, for a more snug fit.

Another significant complaint with this backpack is the completely inadequate mesh pocket on the side. It's helpful for carrying a monopod, or maybe a very small/skinny water bottle. But any remotely normal size water bottle has no chance of fitting. To me, this is a major oversight. An accessible water bottle is one of the things I'd like most when out hiking with heavy gear. There's a couple other minor design issues I discovered. The top "big" pocket for personal items isn't so big. Don't expect to fit more than a small lunch and maybe a very light jacket or t-shirt. Small accessories are no problem, though. Also, don't expect to fit any longer telephoto lenses in the camera compartment. My 70-300mm barely fit.

Overall, honestly, if you're not too hung up on having a lot of space for personal items, and you don't have bony shoulders (like I do), this backpack might be a great deal for you. The build quality is very nice, and you can't beat a lifetime guarantee (optional through the Kata website). However, if you're looking for the best photography backpack out there with no compromises, or you're particularly worried about comfort over long periods, or about plenty of space for personal items, I'd look elsewhere. I'm planning to return this backpack for a refund and researching for a different one. Overall, I was disappointed.

I am delighted with this intelligently designed bag.

So far, I have packed the following items:

* MacBook Pro, 15"
* Nikon D60 camera body with a lens attached
* 70-200 zoom lens
* Nikon SB-600 external flash
* Panasonic TZ5, compact camera
* Panasonic FZ18 camera (larger body than a compact, but but not as large as an SLR)
* All of my cables and chargers


I have plenty of room left over for a notebook, pencils/pens, a light jacket, and maybe a paperback book.

The pack is easy on my back and shoulders. I am a petite female, 5'4", and the straps easily adjusted for a comfortable fit.

Another plus is that the backpack looks more like a backpack than a camera or laptop bag. It doesn't scream to thieves that it's loaded with electronic equipment.

The construction is sturdy. There may be more rugged bags out there, but they aren't worth the extra money for me.

I agree with several other reviews that a side pocket or a bigger water bottle holder would help. There are some side straps, though, that will let me attach an external bottle holder.

Really love this backpack from Kata. Previously, I only had experience with chain store backpacks but the DR-467 is a cut above. It has tons of features, superb build quality, and excellent padding. Exterior is somewhat anonymous however this is a plus for me as I sometimes travel through dodgy areas and need a backpack that doesn't attract unwanted attention.

It is compact, reasonably light-weight and has a slim profile. The bright yellow interior lining is very helpful for finding gear in low light. Has lots of pockets for organization. Laptop section fits my 17" just fine. Back padding is a little stiff. Lower gear compartment is attached by Velcro and can be completely pulled out. Compact size is not suitable for giant gear or very long lenses but medium zoom and primes should be fine. Top compartment is very roomy and has a slot to poke mp3 player headphones through.

Straps are very comfy. Zippers have smooth travel. Reflective cloth is embedded in zippers and straps. Rain cover is a nice plus as is zip out drink holder. The only complaint I have is no tripod holder and would like a dedicated keychain hook. My Slik 340EZ tripod fits in the laptop compartment so it's no biggie. This compact bag exudes quality and would recommend to anyone.

I was torn between Lowepro Fastpack 250 & Kata DR467. Went into Adorama & compared the two bags side by side before the Kata won out. The things which swayed me in favour of the Kata were
1) less boxy shape
2) weather cover
3) overall comfort- the Kata straps are thinner, but it's just as comfortable (I loaded both packs with some weights in the shop before I tried them on)
4) top carry strap is thicker and nicer
5) sternum strap & strap for luggage trolley
[...]

I like the Lowepro for its:
1) side access - fantastic; the main reason I was considering this pack
2) more substantial waist belt
3) the compartments are better constructed (eg. the nylon is stitched tight against the foam, whereas the Kata nylon is kinda loose - you have to see them side by side to really know what I mean)

Just had the Kata out for a couple of day trips, fully loaded top compartment with baby gear, camera compartment with Rebel XSi, 50mm prime lens and a couple of kit lens & still room to spare. Very comfortable to wear, overall very happy with this product!

Make no mistake, this bag is sound and hits all the marks one would want - durable, plenty of room, comfortable with a flexible interior. My issue is not so much with this bag but with this bottom-loading "style" of backpack bag in general. These bags are generally used by inserting the camera lens face "down" into the bag so one can quickly grab and shoot. My issue is that this manufacturer (and many others) put the camera compartment in the "bottom" of the bag. I am sure there are good reasons for this such as issues dealing with weight distribution, mass and balance. However backpacks, by design, are meant to picked up - put down - and picked up again. One shouldn't have to be gentle when handling. Well - with the lens face down at the bottom of the bag the "impact zone" is directly into the lens itself with just a little padding between the most sensitive part of one's equipment and the ground. To me, this seems like a recipe for a damaged lens...eventually.

My only other issue (more specific to this bag) is that the multi-purpose water bottle/tripod catch net on the side is very small and tight. Does not fit a water bottle....not even a 12 ouncer without forcing it into the area to the point of feeling like the mesh will tear. And forget about trying to jam in your own re-usable water bottle. No chance.

I would love to see a bag design in the reverse - with storage space at the bottom and camera equipment zone up top - with the ability to insert the gear face-down at the top of the bag. One or two bags like this are on the market but these are from lower end manufacturers and the camera compartments are not even sized large enough to fit even a pro-sumer set up. Lets see what the future has in store...

I'm loving my choice to get this backpack. It's really well built and it's obvious lots of thought went into the design. Since I don't have tons of equipment it's perfect for me, but if you have two bodies and more then 4 lens, well there isn't enough space. Basically the camera pocket there are 6 slots, 2 will hold bodies, or an extra lens if you only have one body, plus the other 4 for lenses or other stuff. You can remove the dividers if you wish so it is configurable. There are lots of small pockets all around the pack as well for batteries, cards, etc... It actually comes with a poncho type thing you can slip over the top if it starts raining, as I said, really well thought out.

The only problem I have is the straps are a bit on the thin side, but as long as you don't have it on for hours it shouldn't bother you too much.


Update 6/15/09

So I've had the bag for over a year and it's still holding up pretty well. I had a couple of small holes show up near the top of my bag, not quite sure where they came from. But thanks to the material the bag is made of they haven't gotten any bigger and I expect this bag to last for quite a bit longer.

If you're looking for a camera bag with the ability to carry a laptop, this is the way to go. However if you don't care about the laptop, then I'd go with something else, it'll be lighter and you'll be able to hold a bit more in the way of camera gear.

Overall, the bag seems to be of high quality constructed of decent materials. Good padding inside the camera/lens area.
But if you have a zoom lens or lens hood attached, you cannot place the camera as the advertised picture suggests (vertically). There's just no room for it. In which case, you'd have to place it sideways taking up 2 columns. This in turn, obviously takes away some utility meant for this area.

The upper compartment could use a mesh pocket with zipper. There simply aren't any places to contain your lens cleaning kit or memory cards (or other small things you don't want to move around too much). I had to get another small bag to organize the small stuff and place it in the upper compartment. No biggie but still an inconvenience.

Lastly, a side mesh 'pop-out' that's too small to be used for anything. Might as well not be there at all.

But overall, it's quite decent and doesn't look 'dorky' like some camera bags. If you are creative with your organizing, you can probably overlook the shortcomings.