Customer Reviews

Tamrac 5768 Velocity 8x Pro Photo Sling Pack (Black)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I now own three Velocity Sling Bags. I frist purchased the Velocity 9, as I thought the 7 would not be big enough to carry my Cannon 300 and now the 400XTI, along with room for Three lenses Cannon 17-40 f4L, the 24-105 F4L, and the Cannon 70-200 f4L. assorted filters,caps batteries, and memory cards. well it was too big, next tried the Velocity 7, too small had to leave one lense out, well the 8X solved all problems. in addition they did one thing I had hoped for the zipper flaps are on the inside of the pack now so you open it away from you. makes it easier to get at everything.

If I had but one more suggestion it would be to be able to lock the cover closed. In Europe one has to be careful of pick pockets and locks would allow me to leave the pack on my back while more through towns and villages.

I got this bag right before going on vacation. I easily fit my Canon XTI camera, a zoom lens, and my Canon Optura digital camcorder in the main compartment. The bag has several padded dividers so that everything could remain scratch-free. The dividers are kept in place by velcro so you can adjust them to fit your camera(s) and lenses.

The pouch in the front of the bag is big enough for me to carry 2 mini dv tapes for my camcorder, an extra battery, 3 Compact Flash cards, and the battery charger that came with the Canon XTI. Even with all that, there is still room left over for more stuff. The front pouch also has these red tag things that you can use to denote which memory cards or DV tapes are full.

The bag felt very comfortable and I was able to carry it all day without feeling the need to take it off like a regular backpack. Since it goes across your chest it doesn't pull on your shoulders and arms like a regular backpack would. We went to Disney World and walked around from morning to night and it didn't bother me one bit.

Another nice feature is that the bag opens away from you. So when I needed to grab a camera out of it I just swung it from my back to my side or front and opened the top pouch without it constantly falling close and getting in my way.

The only negative thing I could think of is that when you take the bag off and set it down, it doesn't stand up on its own. You either have to lean it against the wall or lay it flat.

Bottom line, this is a great bag for active photographers on the go or just folks that hate their camera bags falling off their shoulder all the time.

I purchased the Velocity 8x Pro to house my Canon Rebel XSi and attached battery grip, also flash and zoom lens. The associated product description states that the pack will work with a grip, in this case it did not. The camera and grip is such a tight fit that it is extremely difficult to slowly zip/unzip the upper cover. The pack is just too small for this combination.

Thanks to Amazon's great return policy I returned the Sling Pack. I ended up purchasing a Lowepro Topload Zoom 1 Camera Bag for my XSI, it's not really the same in functionality, but my camera and grip fit well, and are easy to get to.

The Tamrac pack appears well constructed, and has ample pockets for accessories. It had a great review in Professional Photographer (November 2008), one of the reasons I initially purchased it. As some have mentioned, the shoulder strap padding does not extend far enough to provide all the padding you would need over your shoulder. Also, the single zip on the upper cover is not as efficient as a dual zip option, and will slow access to the camera.

I have the Velocity 7 but it would not hold my 80-400 lens attached. The strap on this bag has little padding and the weight with a camera and lens in the bag starts to weigh on your shoulder.

I ordered the Velocity 8x with high hopes the new design would be better. It is not. The strap has more padding and my 80-400 and another lens fits in the bag but the weight still is a problem for one "sling" strap. Furthermore the product photos are deceptive they show the bag sitting high in the users back and low when it swings around. This is false advertising, if you adjust the bag so fit your back it swings around so high on your chest you struggle to get to your equipment. The adjustment strap annoyingly bunches up as you move from the back to front position. You would be better served to remove the bag defeating the whole purpose. Plus its dificult to get off and on.

I agree with the following reviews about the Velocity 8, they still hold true to the 8X.

Brian Smart wrote: "There is no particular support for the camera, other than the standard Velcro attached dividers. You can stuff it in pretty much any way you want to, but it never really seems to fit in any kind of secure fashion. True, it will hold a good amount of gear, but the top only access is awkward, and you end up digging into the bottom of the bag with no real organization options for lenses, filters, etc. And don't even get me started on the sling strap. It not only doesn't work very well, it makes it difficult to even carry the bag. It can't just be thrown over your shoulder when you need to run. And don't even try to put it on over a jacket. You need to be a bit of a contortionist to get your head and arm through the strap. If there was at least a quick-release buckle on the strap it would help. The bag's flat profile is nice, but wasted. Plus, the round bottom makes it impossible to set the bag down to open it up. It ends up lying on its back, or sort of, since the big fat sling strap sticking out the back won't actually let you lay it down flat. The advertising sounded great! Now, if they would just design the bag that they advertised...

Oh, and did I mention that this bag didn't live up to my expectations?"

I agree with Road Runners assessment as well: "...when I got a bigger lens and camera body (which did not fit in the 7) I naturally picked up the 8 (even though some "reviews" on Amazon noted that the angle of the bag after you swing it around to the front made it difficult to remove the camera.....some even felt they were likely to drop the camera)." ..."What makes the bag hang at that awkward angle is the location of the strap attachment on the side of the bag.....it is lower than on the Velocity 7. As a result, the bag hangs at a tilt when you swing it around in front of you. I could never have enjoyed my skiing trips, or taken so many great pictures, if the 7 was this awkward to use."

Get a backpack you will be better served.

This is my third camera bag. I finally have one that works for me. I carry a digital camera with a 18 to 200 mm lens, a macro lens, a flash, and all my filters and auxiliary stuff in it. It is of reasonable size and does the job.

I usually don't write reviews but I had to about this camera bag because the negative comments truly surprised me. I love this bag! It sits perfectly on my back, it flips around exactly as it shown, easy to access your camera, and it is light.

To determine if I was going to like this bag, I spent two hours walk around with this bag on my shoulder. It was very comfortable and never awkward. I'm not a small guy... I'm 6'2", a solid 220lbs, it fit comfortably, and never felt like a burden while walking with my gear. How many shoulder bags can compete with that?

I do lots of hiking/traveling (almost every weekend) and I need a bag that would not weigh me down or be cumbersome when exploring busy city sites. This bag has ample room for a normal size DSLR camera, three lenses (depending on the size) or two lenses with a flash. Personally, I know when I am hiking/traveling; I take the most utilized lenses only: 50mm, wide angle, and zoom lenses. What else would you need? A flash... maybe. Extra memory cards - definitely! If you are looking to lug your battery charger too, my question would be why? It is a travel camera bag and the least utilized equipment can go in your suitcase or wait for you in the car.

My filters, cell phone, iPod, and glasses fit in the front pouch with ease. The side straps of the bag easily held my light weight tripod too.

The only drawback to the bag is the inability to stand up on its own. You must lay the bag on flat surface or swing the strap over chair to access the top pouch when it is NOT on your shoulder.

This is my third Tamrac bag in my 20+ years of taking photos and I can truly say, I love this bag.

I based my purchase decision on other reviews in this area, so I feel compelled to pass it on.

I purchased the Velocity 8 because I wanted something better suited for day tripping in Europe than a full-sized camera backpack. The sling carried my Nikon D200 w/a 17mm-55mm zoom lens, a fisheye lense, a Nikon SB-800 speedlight, filters and a spare battery. I still had room for a pair of sunglasses, cell phone and wallet. I left my battery charger and other ancillary gear in the hotel, but I never felt compromised.

I don't understand the negative comments because the Velocity 8 is easy to use in tight crowds and comfortable for long stretches of time. While this product is too small to carry a full complement of gear, it's ideal for sightseeing. The Velocity 8x Pro Photo Sling Pack is worthy of the Tamrac name!

The Tamrac 5768 Velocity 8X Pro is a durable, roomy bag for carrying a zoom lens and your other gear. Its uniqueness is its ability to be moved from back to front quickly. My husband is a wildlife photographer and he finds the Velocity 8x the perfect size to transport lenses on the trail and still not be burdened by bulk. Worth noting: if other items are not carried, the bag will accommodate a digital camera fitted with a 300mm lens.

I call my new Tamrac 5768 "Camera Shield" and not without good cause. I have always been prone to dropping things and a fully loaded Camera bag was no exception. Since owning this bag I must have dropped it a dozen times, often landing on hard surfaces. My equipment has come through unscathed and fully functional each time. I could have saved myself hundreds of dollars if I had purchased a Tamrac bag earlier. Thanks Tamrac!!!

My set-up when using this bag:

Nikon D90 DSLR, with a 80-400mm lens attached

Nikon 70-300mm

Nikon 18-105mm

The above works...is slightly cozy due to the two large diameter lenses (the 80-400 obviously, and the 18-105 is also slightly large in diameter).

In terms of bag depth, it's just right for the Nikon D90 and the attached 80-400mm...would work nicely for many Canon and Sony DSLRs as well, with a similar large lens attached to the body.

Of course, Tamrac makes several sizes of this bag - both larger and smaller.

On the back, it feels comfortable and small to medium sized (I'm fairly big, 6' 3", 210). The flip around to front for access is handy and smooth. I need to get more accustomed to the top zipper...it's quite secure...which makes it a tad cumbersome (this is minor).

In the top and side pockets there is room for extra batteries, other like-size accessories. An iPhone fits...

Value: I paid around $62 for this bag - seems like a good value. It appears well constructed / that it will last for many years...