Others say...

"Too big, and too small...."
I eagerly awaited trying out this bag, not because of any reason other than as a photographer of sorts I'm always finding myself wanting "just one more thing." My current bag is the Lowepro Slingshot 200, which I like quite a bit aside from the strain it puts on my right shoulder after a while.

I own several lenses alongside my current camera body, a Canon EOS 5D. At first glance, the Seattle Sling is very chunky. It's a rectangular mammoth, looking quite a bit larger than the Lowepro...


I figured because of this that there would be quite a bit of room inside the case, but I was disappointed to see there's much, much less room than the Slingshot...

The design is interesting, as inside the case there's a "waterproof" bag and the slots for your equipment inside the bag. Think Ziploc with magnets at the top instead of a "real" seal. This is bizarre, as the magnets, while convenient, don't properly seal the bag, so I really don't think your camera would survive a drop in the water. In the case of extreme rain, the camera would probably be fine, but I'd argue that the Lowepro is even better in this respect since it has a waterproof cover that comes out and covers the entire OUTER case, i.e. no water gets in. With the Slingshot, water can get in the outer part but technically gets stopped when it reaches the inner magnetically sealed bag where your equipment is stored.

There's technically room for 4 lenses and one camera body with a lens attached, but in reality there's not much chance of this happening unless you have a relatively small SLR and small lenses along with it. My 5D with the 24-105 Canon lens stick up considerably with the lens face down in the bag, leaving the body of the camera quite exposed at the top to being bashed around, certainly more than the Lowepro.

Another problem with this bag is there's only a little place to put accessories, and, ironically, this part is definitely NOT water protected. I noticed some rain had got in while out this past week, and my filter covers were a little moist. The sides of this accessory holder are protected by a MESH cover, with holes in it! HOLES? Holes + rain = BAD! This little holder seems more of an afterthought than anything else...

Overall, I'm disappointed with the case. I think the build quality is quite nice, but it really is a chunky case. As soon as you put the case on your shoulder you're well aware you've got a material brick on your back. It's not at all subtle, and it's nowhere near as easy to get your equipment out as the manufacturer would have you believe. It feels like digging in a bag. Couple that with not being able to hold very much, and you have to wonder why.

So while not an awful bag by any means, you're much better off with the Lowepro. It has more compartments and space, isn't quite as chunky-monkey in its appearance, and is considerably less expensive.

**EDIT**

I forgot to mention, this bag has the most obnoxious velcro cover EVER that you have to pull apart to get into the case. If you're in the forest and need to switch lenses to get a picture of that deer 200 feet away, forget it! You try and open the bag and you'll scare the entire forest away. And the forest next to that forest.

"I mostly like it"
This bag has a lot of good features and a few bad ones. The main feature of this bag is that it is waterproof (although not submersible). I don't doubt that claim. The bag has a plastic liner, you are supposed to fold the top of it over 3 times to close it. It has plastic clips to keep it closed. The top of the bag closes over that and is held closed with velcro. The plastic that makes up the liner is some sort of heavy, fiber reinforced plastic. It seems tough; much better than I expected. Inside the plastic bag is a padded insert with movable dividers to hold your camera and lenses. Both the plastic bag and padded insert can be removed. I don't think it would be a good idea to use this bag without the plastic liner because folding the plastic liner closed is part of what keeps your gear secured inside; the top of the outer bag only has velcro on one side.

pros:
- Making this bag waterproof was clearly their main goal.
- There is a lot of padding in this bag. The bag is padded, and there is a padded insert inside the plastic bag.
- It's designed to be able to easily access the contents of the bag while wearing it. That might be obvious to people who are used to this sort of sling bag, but I am used to camera backpacks, and the difficulty accessing my gear while holding the bag was my biggest dislike of my camera backpack.
- Seems very well made, but I have not had this bag long enough to see how well it really holds up.
- Straps for holding a tripod

Cons:
- Theres no smaller pockets. I love little pockets to help me organize my stuff. This bag has none, except for some little mesh pockets you can get to by opening the top of the bag. But they are very small and dont have any kind of closure on them, so I dont know if I would trust them enough to keep anything important in them. There are places on the outside of the bag where you could probably strap smaller pouches, (like maybe the Lowepro slip lock cases?) though I have not tried it. I don't know what they were thinking by leaving out smaller pockets, but I want them.
- It doesn't hold very much considering the overall size. But that is the price you pay for having a bag that is so well padded.

Overall I am impressed; the bag seems to be very well thought out, so I am somewhat baffled by the lack of side pockets. This seems to be sort of a specialty bag. I would say if you know you are going to be outdoors a lot where it will rain or someplace where you know you will be getting wet this bag would be a good choice. If you are just looking for an everyday sort of camera bag, this one might be overkill.


"Sturdy, High Quality Bag"
First, I must confess I don't own any SLR camera, which is what this bag was made for. What I got it for was to hold all my gadgets: two digital cameras, a Flip Mino videocam, a flip Ultra videocam, a Zoom H2 digital recorder, and an Olympus digital voice recorder as well as a couple of mini tripods.

They all fit nice and snug, safe and secure within the six heavily padded compartments inside of this bag. I feel confident that I could fling this bag against a brick or concrete wall many times, or drop it from a 10 story building and sustain no damage to the electronics inside. I'm so glad I have a place to keep all of these little items nice and neat, instead of them laying around like they used to before I got this bag.

The waterproof heavy plastic bag that envelopes the compartments is sturdy and should do a good job of keeping out water for temporary tasks, although it isn't made for prolonged submersion (but I think it could hold out pretty long).

The bag looks nice, is high quality and sturdily constructed, and well padded. I find the strap is a bit awkward and inflexible, though, allowing only the option of carrying it over one shoulder instead of having a hand grip to carry it horizontally. I wish they had put a handle on top of the bag but then I guess for the true purpose for which this bag is intended, the hand;e is in the right place. The straps included for holding a tripod on the exterior are also well made.

All in all, this is a high-quality product that provides excellent protection for an SLR camera. Or, as you read for what I did, a variety of sensitive electronic gadgets. The main hesitation I would have with this bag is the price - it is pretty expensive, hence 4 instead of 5 stars in my rating. But then carrying bags in general are pretty expensive. This one at least is well made and heavily padded, as well as made for keeping the contents waterproof.

"Boat or active outdoors photo bag"
For boat or active outdoor person.

Pluses:

1. Thick water resistant interior (waterproof for most boating and rain purposes). Unmatched for kayaks and canoes, as it can be carried on one's back while paddling. Best protection for any boat that might overturn.
2. For hikers--outstanding rain protection and also transports tripod.
3. Easy to strap on and remove.
4. Padded for extra protection.

Minuses:

1. Bulky due to padding and water protection.
2. Less comfortable than hip pack. But a hip pack doesn't carry the tripod well, and may not be as water resistant.

If you want a single bag for many outdoor conditions, this is for you!


"Would have been nice at The Narrows"
If you're planning to venture anywhere that's wet with your expensive camera gear, this is the bag for you. On close examination, it would be very difficult for any water to enter, although I'm not sure how it would fare if it were submerged.

This would have been the perfect bag while hiking The Narrows in Zion National Park. The only difficulty is the lack of spontaneity. The bag is somewhat cumbersome with several buckles and some very strong, very noisy Velcro. It could be enough of a hassle to make one decide that the current shot really isn't worth the trouble.

My Nikon D300 fits easily between the removable, very well padded partitions with additional room for a wide-angle or an even longer lens. The tripod holder is a nice add, but the tripod must be removed to get into the bag. Also note that the bag fits vertically across ones back, not horizontally as in the photo, so the tripod is actually in the upright position and not as balanced as it appears in the photo.

It is possible to get to the camera by unfastening the one small anchor strap and spinning the pack around to the front. All the contents are accessible but, again, only by going through several buckles and strong Velcro. It's a trade-off -- a secure water-proof environment or easy accessibility. You probably can't have them both.

As a regular bag, it's fine. There's a heavy plastic orange bag inside that provides the water protection. This can be removed. The bag itself is very bulky and protects its contents well. This bulk adds weight, though, and it may be overkill for a regular day of shooting.

For my trip to Kenya next month during their short rainy season, I'm undecided whether to take this bag for its protection or my non water-proof bag for its convenience.

On a different note, the plastic has an unpleasant smell and I don't think it will air out.