Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent for dSLR's with larger zooms, January 27, 2007
UPDATE: After Six Months - July 07 - This is a review of AW300 - Amazon lumped all Slingshot reviews together after my original review, which was the first AW300 review.
I've been using this bag for about 6 months and I am very happy with it. It is very well designed, well constructed & well padded. It is about the size of the backpacks that middle/high school-aged kids use, but it is fully padded and retains its shape. As advertised, it easily holds a large SLR (in my case, the more of a medium, Nikon D80) with an 80-200mm f/2.8 lens attached, along with a lot of other stuff (e.g. a 18-70 lens, 50mm lens, SB-600 flash, a 1.4x teleconverter, cables, camera & flash manuals, batteries, filters, & memory cards, with room to spare).
If you are not familiar with the Slingshot bags, this is a sling-type bag which is like a combination messenger bag/one-strapped back pack. It is worn on the back with the wide, well-padded shoulder strap across the front of your body from the left hip to the right shoulder. Then, to access your camera, you slide the bag around front, (this is easy to do) without removing it, like accessing a messenger bag or shoulder bag. The flap opens away from your body so it does not interfere with access, as a messenger bag or shoulder bag typically would, however. In this position, you can easily remove your camera while wearing the bag, though most of the rest of the storage compartments cannot be accessed without removing the bag. With a D80-size camera, it is easy to lift the ends of the padded interior dividers to access a lens (or two) or a flash in the main compartment.
As some have noted in reviews of other sling-type bags, a sling bag is less comfortable than a backpack for heavy loads and/or extended use, but it allows convenient access to your camera without removing it. That is true of this bag as well, but, this bag has a nicely padded, wide shoulder strap, and most importantly, a waist belt that is padded at the hips which really takes a lot of the weight of the bag off your shoulder. After shooting more than a dozens of lacrose games, wearing it the entire time (albeit, without the camera in it most of that time), I found the bag to be extremely comfortable. As compared to my previous sling bag, a Kata T-214, this is much more comfortable (the shoulder strap on that bag slipped around inside its padding, which was also too short, so I had to frequently readjust it to keep the nylon strap from digging into my shoulder). The Kata bag was also too small to hold my camera with an 80-200 lens mounted (which is what I mostly wanted it for).
The only con I can think of is that it lacks a good place to strap a monopod (or tripod, though I don't think I would want the weight of a tripod with a sling bag). There are some loops on the middle of the bag (they are the darker stripes on the grey field in the picture of the bag), but they aren't well located nor do they seem well designed to hold a monopod (definitely not a tripod). I would like to see a couple of adjustable straps on the non-opening side to attach a monopod. Also, if you don't need/want to carry your camera with a large zoom attached, the smaller Slingshots would probably be good choices (though I don't think they have the nice padded waist belt, which is really important if your equipment is at all heavy).
UPDATE COMMENT: Although I would like attachments on the side of the bag for a monopod (as the smaller Slingshots have), the center loops work well enough with a velcro strap attached around the monopod.
Overall, very highly recommended.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
What can't you carry with this?, June 1, 2007
So, I looked into the SlingShot 300 after reading about it in the UK's Digital Photographer magazine (http://dphotographer.co.uk/) & compared it with other similar items, both in-person & online. Once I decided the Lowepro was the way to go I was then vacillating about whether to get the 200 or the 300 as there were lots of reviews, especially here, that went both ways. Since I would rather have too much room then not enough, I opted for the 300.
Now, I originally needed this for an event I had to shoot & I wanted to be able to take a couple of cameras (Canon 20D & 5D), several lenses (24-70mm 2.8f , 50mm 1.8f, 70-200mm 28.f) to cover all needs, a couple of flashes with diffusers, batteries for all & a charger just in case, plus all the little miscellaeous stuff one could need when on location & not sure what the situation is. Needless to say, it was a load, but the 300 handled it no problem.
I have had messenger bags for many years now from biking, so the feel was similar, but more backpack-like. Also, I am used to having the strap go over my left shoulder & the SlingShots only have a strap that goes over the right one, so it makes for some discomfort/lack of familiarity. It's not bad, it's just something that is a personal issue. Wouldn't mind a switchable version for lefties & righties, but that would have to be 2 different bags.
Well, as I said, the bag swallowed a ton of stuff & did it with no issue. Of course, it weighed a ton too, but so would anything with that much equipment in it! But, I was still able to ride on my bike with this full load with no great strain. The interior allowed me to put a camera with the 70-200mm mounted in the main middle compartment & the sides let me configure it for a lens & 2 flashes on one side, & the additional camera with a lens mounted on the other side.
On this point of the 2nd camera's location...It's not accessible with the same ease as the main camera because it is buried a little further in & is in a fully surrounded location (the inserts wrapped around the side & front while the bag's base & side covered the camera's other sides). There isn't too much you can do about this except expect it & make it work. Just deal with it if you're lugging that much stuff with you anyway. Either that, or your 2nd camera should be out around your neck anyway, ready to shoot. ;)
This bag is a well thought out, well layed out piece that will definitely be a benefit to amature & pros alike. It's relatively inexpensive, will swallow your gear & protect it. It is pretty low profile - get it, LowePro (sorry, painful I know) - in that it isn't flashy & won't draw a bunch of attention to the fact that it is carrying camera gear.
Would I recommend?: Totally.
Which size?: That is subjective to your needs, but if you have a lot of equipment, or are looking to add to your arsenal, pay the little bit extra & go bigger. If nothing else, you'll gain greater flexibility of space with minimal weight gain. If you just have one camera & some additional lenses/accessories, the 200 should be just fine.
Where to buy?: Well, I have no hesitation to tell people to support their local smaller camera shops for things, but I have to say that the ease of use & price here at Amazon make it hard to think of going elsewhere.
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31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Only for men, July 31, 2007
Not enough had been made of the fact that this bag was designed for men and only men, (and perhaps some very small breasted women.) (I'm discussing the Slingshot 300.) I am 5' 8" tall and curvy but not "Baywatch" material, (as one review on another site so delicately put it)and this bag is not only extremely uncomfortable, the "sling" function won't work. I think a woman any shorter than me would find it even worse.
Held all my gear nicely though. I was delighted until I put it on. It might be wearable just hung over the left shoulder, but loaded, it creates too much uneven stress on the back, neck and shoulders.
It's wonderfully made and I'd love to be able to use it, but its going back tomorrow!
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