What bag do you use in the park? Looking for a sling type

[Finally08]

I normally carry a backpack style camera bag in the parks, but it really is a pain with the constant on and off when I need to get into it. I want something that will sling around, that I can pull around and dig into without constantly taking it off.

I don't want HUGE because I plan to keep my gear minimal in the parks...buuut I have a 70-200 2.8 lens that is quite the big guy, so I guess I would at least like to have the option of it fitting in the bag too.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

I have two bags I primarily use, Lowepro Slingshot 200 and Fastpack 200. The Fastpack is a backpack style with side entrance. It is a little larger than the Slingshot and works similar by unslinging one arm and swinging it around. The Slingshot is a little smaller and I use it primarily when I'm going with a lesser amount of gear. When I am in the parks the camera is very rarely in the bag so I have plenty of room for lenses. Only when I put it away, does the bag become cramped. I have a 70-200 f2.8 and I usually have it unmounted in the bag and just swap when I need it.

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

The zoom won't fit in a Slingshot 100, dunno bout the other bags, I have a 50-135 that is a little smaller than yours, but both will fit in the fastpack, as Gianni already stated...

 

[disneyboy2003]

I normally carry a backpack style camera bag in the parks, but it really is a pain with the constant on and off when I need to get into it. I want something that will sling around, that I can pull around and dig into without constantly taking it off.

When I was looking at carry-around camera bags, there were 2 in particular that caught my eye and that were highly recommended.

The Think Tank Urban Disguise bag is a black bag that doesn't scream "camera bag." It holds 1 dSLR with lens, plus 2 large lenses, plus a laptop. You can probably fit another 2 camera bodies in the front pockets, too! That's a LOT to fit in a non-camera-bag-looking camera bag!

There are several different Urban Disguise bags, but I ended up getting the Urban Disguise 50 (link). It's a shoulder bag (similar to a messenger bag), and it's easy to take my camera out when I'm walking around.

The other shoulder camera bag I was considering was the Crumpler 6 Million Dollar Home bag (link). Crumpler has several different (x)-Million Dollar Home bags, but I think this one was close to what I was looking for. It also holds TONS of camera equipment, and looks like a standard messenger bag, so thieves won't know that it's specifically a camera bag.

I don't want HUGE because I plan to keep my gear minimal in the parks...buuut I have a 20-700 2.8 lens that is quite the big guy, so I guess I would at least like to have the option of it fitting in the bag too.

HOLY COW!!! That must be the HOLY GRAIL of low-light zoom lenses! From a wide-angle of 20mm to a super-telephoto of 700mm, and all with a constant aperture of f/2.8! I don't doubt that this lens would be "quite the big guy."

just kidding.


Yay! It's my 600th post!

 

[Finally08]

When I was looking at carry-around camera bags, there were 2 in particular that caught my eye and that were highly recommended.

The Think Tank Urban Disguise bag is a black bag that doesn't scream "camera bag." It holds 1 dSLR with lens, plus 2 large lenses, plus a laptop. You can probably fit another 2 camera bodies in the front pockets, too! That's a LOT to fit in a non-camera-bag-looking camera bag!

There are several different Urban Disguise bags, but I ended up getting the Urban Disguise 50 (link). It's a shoulder bag (similar to a messenger bag), and it's easy to take my camera out when I'm walking around.

The other shoulder camera bag I was considering was the Crumpler 6 Million Dollar Home bag (link). Crumpler has several different (x)-Million Dollar Home bags, but I think this one was close to what I was looking for. It also holds TONS of camera equipment, and looks like a standard messenger bag, so thieves won't know that it's specifically a camera bag.

HOLY COW!!! That must be the HOLY GRAIL of low-light zoom lenses! From a wide-angle of 20mm to a super-telephoto of 700mm, and all with a constant aperture of f/2.8! I don't doubt that this lens would be "quite the big guy."

just kidding.


Yay! It's my 600th post!

LOL...I totally got those numbers backwards. I have the 70-200 2.8. I survive on 4 hours of sleep a night...some days, not as well as others obviously.

I like the look of the slingshot bags the most so far...that's sorta the style I was thinking, but even they look bigger than I was hoping for. So hard to get a grasp of the size in a photo....I am only 5'2" so I don't want a bag that hangs from my shoulders to my waist.
I have the 7 million dollar home as my regular gear bag for work....I really don't want something I have to wear like that while touring around. It is not friendly to my back having the weight all on one side....I know I need my gear on my back, but I need an easy way to get in and out of it. Am I being too complicated? lol

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

It is not friendly to my back having the weight all on one side....I know I need my gear on my back

I would look at the Lowepro Fastpack 200 series. The 70-200 mounted to the camera will not fit in Slingshot 200, but will in the Fastpack. Its not a giant bag (the 5'3', 105# DW has carried it with no issues). It does have the easy access side entrance. This allows you to slide one arm out, swing it around, unzip the flap and insert or remove camera. Also it won't break your budget. Amazon currently has a good price of $59.16 and free shipping (black-red and blue are a few $ more).

http://www.amazon.com/Lowepro-Fastp...YOJ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300905612&sr=8-1

 

[Code]

You can fit a 70-200/2.8 in the Slingshot 200/202 but it goes in the center slot so you can't put the camera with another lens mounted away in the bag. (This is true for the Fastpack 200, too, I think? I did slightly modify my 200 to fit my 70-200/2.8 in one of the side slots, but it made the bag very heavy for its size.

To properly fit the 70-200/2.8 in a Slingshot you'll need the 300/302, and while I think my 300 is a great size, I'm 6'7".. it'd probably seem pretty large to you. The belt on the 300 does a great job of getting the weight off my shoulder, it's big difference from the little strap on the 200.

Not sure if there's any other answer for pure sling style.

 

[Finally08]

I would look at the Lowepro Fastpack 200 series. The 70-200 mounted to the camera will not fit in Slingshot 200, but will in the Fastpack. Its not a giant bag (the 5'3', 105# DW has carried it with no issues). It does have the easy access side entrance. This allows you to slide one arm out, swing it around, unzip the flap and insert or remove camera. Also it won't break your budget. Amazon currently has a good price of $59.16 and free shipping (black-red and blue are a few $ more).

http://www.amazon.com/Lowepro-Fastp...YOJ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300905612&sr=8-1

Thanks everyone...this bag looks like a good option! For the most part I will have my camera and walk-around lens on my neck (18-200). I will probably only have the 70-200 and 50mm for certain days ...not everyday because I know all that weight will get tiresome! I usually only put the camera away in the bag for a few reasons...bathroom breaks, dining (and it comes out then sometimes too!) and rides where I either can't use it, or don't want to risk it flying away/getting drenched.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

I just bought a Sling 202 on FleaBay for about $60. It's really nice and I think I'm really going to like it. Unfortuantely, I really won't know until my trip to Disney next month which doesn't help you very much right now.

I have a 60D with several large lenses and it all fits nicely with room leftover for personal stuff.

My guess is that you would be very pleased with this bag.

-bob

 

[alloyd1170]

Love love love Think Tank products! I am slowly selling off my old bags and switching over. I just got the Change-Up for my upcoming Dis trip. Normally I just carry my G11 in my pocket, but want the big guy and another lens this trip. The Change-Up is a waist pack, but can be worn across the body, on the shoulder, as a waist pack along with the cross-body strap (my fav way to go as it just slings forward and backward along my waist with support), or with a cross back harness type set-up. It's not a large bag, but will hold the 70-200. You can also add other attachments to the belt (think Lowepro will work on it too). Beats lugging a backpack/sling bag around, and my back isn't sweating to death!

 

[MOmousefan]

I just bought the Kata 3n1 10 sling bag for next week's trip to WDW. I am taking a DSLR for the first time, so a bag is needed.

I have to carry the Lumix FZ 35 in the upper compartment and will use it for taking videos. I have drooled over everyone's great pictures and hope to take some good ones myself.

 

[Mexidoc]

Just got the m-rock arches. It has back back straps that can be converted into a sling bag. It is got a lot of access ports. This one might be a little bigger than you are looking for. You could check out the olympic by m-rock it a little smaller.
I have tried the loprowe and it's great. Only problem is it a little small. But the m-rock has been very good so far. I can fit the nikon d5000, 18-55mm,
70-200mm, 50mm, sb400 and lots of other accessories inside the bag.

 

[mom2rtk]

I bought the Slingshot 202 last year before our Disney trip. I thought it looked perfect, and so easy to access the camera in. I carried it one time to a cross country meet, and decided I hated it. The sling design put all the weight on one shoulder and it didn't take long to feel it in my back. I didn't take it and brought my generic Wal-Mart backpack again to Disney. It's not perfect, but it did the job. (I keep the lenses inside in individual lens pouches).

Soooooo........ now I'm looking at backpacks again, but the traditional 2-shoulder variety. I looked at the Tamrac Adventure 9. It has about the right amount of space, but seems to heavy empty, so I'm guessing it will really weigh me down once I fill it up!

I found the fastpack series online last night, and now would like to venture out to see one in person.

Are there others I should be considering?

 

[NauroraJbelle]

I have both the Lowepro slingshot 100 and 200. I carry my d7000 with an 18-200 on in it. I love the slingshot style for wdw.

Jeanne

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

The fastpack is a great bag IMHO, but due to my unfortunate experience (SEE HERE) with it I have to strongly reccommend carrying extra bubble wrap to fill the void left between the top and bottom of the bag, its not as a PIA as I thought it would be it neatly holds the camera in place with no shifting.

 

[AustinTed]

I normally carry a backpack style camera bag in the parks, but it really is a pain with the constant on and off when I need to get into it. I want something that will sling around, that I can pull around and dig into without constantly taking it off.

I don't want HUGE because I plan to keep my gear minimal in the parks...buuut I have a 70-200 2.8 lens that is quite the big guy, so I guess I would at least like to have the option of it fitting in the bag too.

The Slingshot 200 works pretty well and fits on all the rides. However, as noted, it won't fit the body with the 70-200mm mounted.

The Slingshot 300 will fit the camera with lens mounted. This bag will not fit in the bin on Mission Space nor will it fit under the seat in Soaring. Those were the only two trouble spots I had. Filling the bag is a temptation to be avoided if you are going to carry it all day.

For both bags using the waist strap can take some burden off the shoulder.

Another bag to consider is the Thinktank Retrospective 20. It has a very comfortable strap and provides easier access to contents than the Slingshot bags. I've used this one with good results and it fit everywhere that the Slingshot 300 did. It will also hold the camera with the 70-200mm mounted. Same rule on loading it up applies.

-Ted

 

[mom2rtk]

The fastpack is a great bag IMHO, but due to my unfortunate experience (SEE HERE) with it I have to strongly reccommend carrying extra bubble wrap to fill the void left between the top and bottom of the bag, its not as a PIA as I thought it would be it neatly holds the camera in place with no shifting.

Yeah..... I read your story! and hope your other camera is back soon and all is better than before!

Can you tell me a little more about how it happened and which fastpack you had?

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

Fastpack 200 18 inch drop.... $265 mistake, 4 weeks without the lens.... 3 weeks without my camera body. BUT Pentax has been very helpful. AND I do highly recommend their customer service department, they have been great during all this and have pushed a nobodies equoipment through and done their best to make me happy.

A big thank you really has to go to the Pentax team for being so helpful!

 

[mom2rtk]

The fastpack is a great bag IMHO, but due to my unfortunate experience (SEE HERE) with it I have to strongly reccommend carrying extra bubble wrap to fill the void left between the top and bottom of the bag, its not as a PIA as I thought it would be it neatly holds the camera in place with no shifting.

Fastpack 200 18 inch drop.... $265 mistake, 4 weeks without the lens.... 3 weeks without my camera body. BUT Pentax has been very helpful. AND I do highly recommend their customer service department, they have been great during all this and have pushed a nobodies equoipment through and done their best to make me happy.

A big thank you really has to go to the Pentax team for being so helpful!

The service you got from Pentax sounds first rate!

Can you explain more how the fall happened? Did you drop the closed bag and felt it was poorly padded?

Or did you not get the compartment completely zipped and the lens fell out?

I've been looking at the side access bags thinking they might be a good option for me, but have a fear that I might do that.

Sorry to make you relive your nightmare..... I just want to think this through since that's the style bag I was looking at!

I'm actually getting closer to just getting another cheap allpurpose backpack and sticking with the individual lens pouches like I've been doing. I just can't seem to find one that's "just right".

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

The service you got from Pentax sounds first rate!

Can you explain more how the fall happened? Did you drop the closed bag and felt it was poorly padded?

Or did you not get the compartment completely zipped and the lens fell out?

I've been looking at the side access bags thinking they might be a good option for me, but have a fear that I might do that.

Sorry to make you relive your nightmare..... I just want to think this through since that's the style bag I was looking at!

I'm actually getting closer to just getting another cheap allpurpose backpack and sticking with the individual lens pouches like I've been doing. I just can't seem to find one that's "just right".

ohhhh the pain........