Customer Reviews

Kata R-102 GDC Rucksack for DSLR Cameras and Camcorders

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am putting a Nikon D70 in the Kata 102 and while it is snug, I know I can put a larger camera in the section designed for the camera. Kata's product information states that the "R-102 is designed to hold a Digital/SLR body with 80-200/300mm lens attached, extra lenses or a mini DV camcorder and many more additional accessories."

I am not disappointed in the quality of this bag. It has YKK zippers that, for outdoor products, is the gold standard in construction. The stitching and material are top notch.

The R-102 comes with a system to attach a large tripod to the backpack. It consists of a "pouch" to hold 2 of the tripods legs and then a strap to hold the tripod securely at the top. You can still open the bag and all the zippers with the tripod attached. Another feature that is indicative of a well designed backpack is not only is there the "main" zipper that opens the pack in half but there is another zipper in the front of the bag that opens only enough to reveal the camera section and nothing else.

The bag is only one part of the "Kata system." I can attach a waist belt harness and additional "hip" and a shoulder type bag to the front of the waist sling if I wanted. It does not mealy have shoulder straps but a built in section of material that takes much of the weight off the shoulders and transfers some of the weight to the area between the shoulder blades. I have never seen anything like it.

The bag is not gaudy but close inspection of the bag might reveal that it is not a normal backpack. In addition, with the tripod attached it is pretty obvious what is going on. I feel safe in my town but for areas where there is a lot of crime one might consider a less "techkie" look the bag has for a more plain design (of course leaving the tripod at home). If a person put all the extra accessories on the bag you would definitely attract attention.

I like to ride my bike for exercise and fun. I used to use a shoulder bag that was not designed to be worn on a bike although I could do it, but because it was so awkward, I rarely took my camera with me. With the backpack, I have already developed the habit of putting it on before I leave my house. I have my camera and mini-DVD inside. If I know I am specifically going out to get pics I attach the tripod, if I am just going out for an errand or whatever I will still don the pack but leave the tripod at home.

I really like the bag compared to my shoulder bag. I can fit a sandwich in the R-102, attach a water bottle or whatever. In addition, it comes with a strap system and neck strap to hold the camera outside the pack, attached to the pack so the camera is not wrapped around your neck. This is really a great feature. The camera is secure but available for immediate use. This additional harness can be quickly and easily be removed when not in use. I don't like a bag with all kind of extra straps that hang down. In addition, I do not fly but I read that the bag complies with airline regulations concerning carry-on luggage. The K-102 will fit in an overhead compartment or under the front seat of a passenger jet.

The backpack's shoulder straps are thick and padded and is a pleasure to wear. I have been taking my camera everywhere with me and taking a lot more pics as a result. Loaded, it is not too heavy and can carry the right amount of goods. I have looked at other packs and while bigger they also look a lot more heavy.

I am very impressed with this bag.

I ordered the Kata R102 and Lowepro Vertex 200 AW at the same time because I didn't know which I wanted. After trying them both for a week, I kept the Lowepro. I'm NOT saying this bag is inferior, it just fits a different need. I could definitely see myself buying the Kata down the road.

I needed a way to transport all my gear for an 8-month trip from the United States to Australia. There just wasn't enough room for "everything" in the Kata. That being said, the Vertex 200 is a much larger bag and is designed to carry more.

I loved loved loved the protective quality of the Kata R102 though. The outer shell is very shock absorbent and I'm confident it could take a kick or punch without damaging anything inside, let alone a shoulder-level fall to the ground. The zippers are very stiff but will loosen considerably after moderate use.

The bag is very comfortable and adjustments are easy to make with the shoulder harness. I can't say the same for the tripod holder. After seeing how easy the Lowepro system was and trying for 5 minutes with the Kata, I just gave up...the contest was over.

My main gripe however was the lack of individual storage compartments. There are mesh bags to toss small gear into, but I like things to be segmented and zippered securely. This is where the Lowepro really outshone the Kata. I may just be OCD for neatness and organization though.

In conclusion, if you just need to carry an SLR + 2-3 spare lenses inside an armor-like vault then the Kata R102 is for you. It's honestly the surest feeling luggage piece I've ever held. For my needs though, the compartmentalized storage and extra space the Lowepro offered was premier.

This bag is slightly bigger and bulkier than I thought it would be. It is about the size of a small carry-on bag. It will easily hold a large SLR with zoom lens attached and 3 or 4 lenses, plus a flash, and perhaps a small bottle of water OR a small SLR body OR pocket camera. If you carry those huge pro lenses, you might only get one or two of those inside and still have room for a flash. But for most of us, you can easily fit an SLR with zoom, 3 or 4 lenses plus a flash. Or maybe 2 or 3 lenses, flash, and a 2nd body. There are 4 pockets. There is a mesh pocket inside, on the underside of the trap door. It can hold memory cards, lens filters, etc. There is a large "horse shoe shaped" zipper pocket inside that encircles the zippered lid. You can fit a lot of small items in this pocket because it's pretty big. There are two zipper pockets on the outside, alongside the trap door. These two pockets are not very big. As an example you could probably put a can of Red Bull in each pocket. But, it would be tight. Biggest faults? There are no pockets on the exterior where you can simply slide a map or magazine. And things can easily fall out of the two exterior zipper pockets when you unzip them. The bag has a multitude of loops for hanging accessories. The shoulder straps are VERY thick and well padded. The best part? Extremely comfortable to wear. The section that rests against your back is, again, well padded. Therefore, you won't have anything poking you in the back as you are walking. The trap door is a great idea. You can access your SLR quickly without opening the entire bag. The good: Thick padding, very protective. Large interior zipper pocket. The interior is yellow, making it easy to see what's inside. Dividers are movable, so you can customize your bag. Handle is sturdy & comfortable. Has a canvas pouch for attaching a tripod. Top notch quality. Has a nice, high-tech, modern look. It holds it's shape and doesn't look crumpled and frumpy. Bag looks classy without screaming "camera".
The bad: Items can easily fall out of the two exterior pockets as you unzip them. Rather pricey, but VERY well made. The section of the straps that go over the top of your shoulders is VERY thick and adds to the overall bulk of the bag. This bag is perfect for people who want to take a day hike and have their camera gear with them in a safe and comfortable package. I am glad I didn't buy the bigger R-103 model. This Kata R-102 is plenty big enough for my needs. I would have given it 5 stars if there were just a couple more places to stash small items on the outside. Otherwise, it's terrific. I am very happy with it.

I've been using this pack for a couple of months now and I have to say that my over all impression is positive. I was previously using a small Lowe Pro back pack that I loved, but that my system just outgrew. The reviews that I read on this bag were good for the most part, so I decided to give it a try. Build and material quality are top notch. The zippers are nice and heavy and of good quality also, though they were a bit stiff to operate when I first started using them. Hopefully they will eventually break in. I also like that the center section of the top unzips to give access to your camera without having to open the whole bag. All in all, it seems like a good pack, able to withstand quite a bit of abuse while providing decent protection for your equipment. Now for the aspects of the bag that I'm not particularly happy with. Although the interior is fairly roomy, only 5 dividers are supplied, two of which must be used at the bottom, one on each side to support the camera body. This gives you only 4 compartments around the perimeter for extra lenses and various other accessories. Sure, Kata will sell you a pack of extra dividers, but they're rediculously overpriced, and besides, the bag should come with at least two more dividers at a minimum. Also, the only extra pockets apart from the main compartment, are two in the lid, and are so small as to be all but useless. There's also a small pocket on the inside of the lid, but, again, it's so narrow that my camera manual won't even fit in it without folding it in half. Last but not least, this bag needs a waist strap. Sadly none is included. These may seem like minor nitpicks, but, taken as a whole, they seriously detract from, what is otherwise, a very nice bag. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably pony up the extra bucks and buy another Lowe Pro.

As soon as you open the bag you can feel the quality of the Kata-102. I'm comfortable my camera and gear is safely ensconsed with in the soft yellow padding and tough outer shell. I do wish there were more ancillary storage spaces for things like my Copperhill cleaning kit, camera and flash manuals, extra batteries, charger, various cables, etc. The inside of the cover does have a narrow storage compartment but it would be better if it was broken into smaller compartments instead of one big one. Things tend to fall out when you're lokking for something.

The straps are very comfortable and seem to displace the weight very well. It is a high quality product and should serve its owner well for many years.

Very well constructed and engineered backpack. So far I have been able to load DSLR with medium tele-zoom attached, 70-200mm tele zoom, flash, battery chargers, misc accessories and still have room for 2 more "reasonable" length lenses. Comfortable pack to lug around. Nice that you can access camera without opening entire pack. Like the d-loops on the shoulder straps. Would have liked to have received more and diverse dividers but not critical.

I am very impressed overall with the Kata R-102 photo Ruksack. It is well designed, comfortable to carry and looks good. Make no mistake it is a rucksack not a full size photo backpack. I carry 2 camera bodies, 2 lenses and a few accessories and it's full, it also gets narrow to the top so you are limited in what you stow along the top edge of the bag. I am happy with my Kata but for longer trips I still need a bigger bag.

This is a very comfortable bag. This is my third camera bag as I also own the Canon 200EG and the Tamrac Expedition 5. The Kata is without a doubt the most comfortable and well built of the three. The padding and construction is so well built and of such high quality that I am no longer paranoid of dropping my bag even if it contained a 70-200 f/2.8 VR lens within. The Zippers are XL and straps are thick, yet this bag as being as well built as it is, remains fairly light.
Forget buying the cheap bags and get it right the first time. The only down side about this bag I can think of is I wish they would add an extra slotted pad instead of making consumers buy it, otherwise this bag is FIVE STARS.

*EDIT* 6/21/2010----
After losing the internal Velcro strap, Kata customer service was able to send me a free replacement part. This is the second time they've accommodated me. Yes Kata bags are a bit pricey. However, I must say that you get what you pay for with Kata quality materials, but the service they provide is what sets them over the top.

THIS BAG IS A TANK! This is what one customer wrote in a review and influenced me to but this backpack, and I couldn't agree more. I read review after review about this bag and never saw a bad review. The thing that impressed me the most is that company make armor for the Israeli army. I can honestly say that I am comfortable carry my camera around in this bag. Amazon had is cheaper than anywhere else and when the backpack came in there was a neck strap and a holster for a tripod. That was a nice suprise. You can also add on to the backpack with a waist bag that mounts on the bottom of the backpack. Kata also has feature were you can clip your camera onto the shoulder straps instead of hanging off your neck. If you are considering this backpack go to Kata-bags.com to see all of they're products and reviews. I recomend this backpack to everyone who takes their camera with them everywhere.

I bought the R-102 a year ago for a European trip and have taken it overseas twice as well as to other destinations I've traveled by plane. Bottom line is that this is a great bag on a number of fronts to carry and protect all your equipment and accessories.

First off, it's carry-on size for air travel, which is key, as well as the fact that it can hold at least one camera body (I've got a Nikon D-200 with the MB-D200 battery grip), 5 lenses, a flash and a portable hard drive to store images. This bag keeps everything snug and secure.

The inside zippered pockets can easily store any wires and battery chargers as well as extra AA batteries for my flash. The 2 outer zippered pockets are small but good enough for things you'd want in a pinch, like a lens wipe or batteries for the flash or camera. And the tripod pouch can fit on either side of the bag or down the back.

This bag is extremely comfortable to carry for long periods of time--which I've done. And there is a waist belt, which is removeable from the bag and is unobtrusive. Another unique feature to this bag is that it comes with an integrated camera strap that you can attach to the camera and the pack itself, thereby taking the weight of the camera off your neck. Interesting idea, but I haven't used that since I don't have a quick-release camera strap to try it out.

The bag also doesn't look like a camera pack(at least when you don't have on the tripod attachment), which is nice when you don't particularly want to scream "tourist".

Kata bags are highly durable and this bag is also modular. You can pair it with the W-92 waistbag and REALLY carry a lot of gear! You can't go wrong with this bag. Just the right size, a comfortable ride and is more stylish than most camera packs.