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Electronic Accessories

Apr27

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Lowepro’s Urban Photo Sling

Posted in: Bags, Electronic Accessories, Photography, Product Reviews

Lowepro’s latest camera bags in their ‘sling’ lineup is the Urban Photo Sling. This just-released product comes in two sizes and is completely customizable.

I was sent the larger 250 model that can accommodate a pro DSLR (without grip) with an attached 70-200mm lens, two extra lenses or flash units, or a flash and one lens, a digital tablet, and a small tripod or water bottle in its side pocket. There’s also room for accessories and personal items, as well as a velcro-enclosed pocket for an SD card.

The Urban Photo Sling’s little brother (150) fits either a DSLR with attached 55-200mm lens plus either two extra lenses OR a flash and one lens plus a tablet, accessories and personal items. Another possible configuration is a CSC with attached kit lens, three extra lenses or a flash plus two lenses and tablet.

The Urban Photo Sling offers a modern, comfortable, and versatile way to carry and access both camera gear and digital tablet. You can wear it three ways: front, back, or side. It can be loaded two ways: either from the top or with the front panel fully opened.

A dedicated tablet compartment with protective padding is located inside the bag at the rear. I loaded the bag and tried various configurations with the camera body, lens, and flash unit.

As with many camera bags on the market, you can resize the interior sections via repositioning them on the velcro walls on either side. On the bottom, there’s two black panels that velcro together that will secure any smaller lenses that you pack down there.

I like the idea of carrying all my gear in a sling fashion, as the gear’s more readily available than most backpack models I’ve seen. The padded, adjustable shoulder strap includes a band to catch the excess strap length.

The Urban Photo Sling’s top flap contains a small, non-obtrusive honeycomb pattern design. That same flap is secured via two side clips as well as velcro in front. Once lifted, a small zippered section can store a couple of smart phones, notepads, pens and a set of keys (using attached key clip). I like the simplicity and practicality of this bag.

Additional storage on one side will fit a small water bottle or tripod, while on the other, a slim, velcro-enclosed pouch will be great for loose change, a bus pass, or pocket map.

As well, a tiny interior velcro pocket can stow an SD card.

Both models include a waist belt that tucks away when not needed and a carry handle on top.

The 250′s dimensions:
Exterior: 10.8″ (27.5 cm) wide, 8.1″ (20.5 cm) deep, 13.6″ (34.5 cm) high
Interior: 8.3″ (21 cm) wide, 4.7″ (12 cm) deep, 11.8″ (30 cm) high

For comparison, the smaller 150′s dimensions:
Exterior: 10.6″ (27 cm) wide, 7.2″ (18.3 cm) deep, 11.6″ (29.5 cm) high
Interior: 7.7″ (19.5 cm) wide, 4.5″ (11.5 cm) deep, 9.8″ (25 cm) high

Pros
Doesn’t look like a camera bag
Back of bag and strap both padded
Configurable interior that works with a variety of camera bodies and accessories

Cons
The weight of the sling (when loaded) takes a little getting used to, depending on both your body frame and how you’ll ultimately wear it

The Urban Photo Sling 150 retails for CAD $89.00; the 250 for CAD $109.00 and is available in black for now, however the line may expand to offer other colours in the near future.

Disclosure note: I was sent the Urban Photo Sling 250 for the purpose of writing this review: cmply.2

Jan24

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Lowepro’s Passport Sling Camera Bag

Posted in: Bags, Electronic Accessories, Photography, Product Reviews

Lowepro’s Passport Sling is what I’ll be taking on our holiday travels abroad this week. This DSLR camera bag is meant to work as either an equipment or everyday bag. There’s enough padded space to accommodate a DSLR body with an attached lens, plus either an extra lens or a flash unit.

I’ve been packing various combinations into the Passport Sling and found that my Nikon D90 (with a 35mm prime attached) plus the Nikon SB-700 speedlight works best.

Once I took off my camera strap, I was able to find the perfect solution to really grabbing the camera on the go. The photo below shows the camera with a 35mm prime lens placed into the bag in a side orientation. Unzipping the bag brought my hand right to the D90′s grip.

The bag can also store extras such as a battery charger or everyday essentials. I was able to get away with carrying three items: the camera body with attached prime, an 18-200mm lens, and in the additional area, the speedlight in the square Nikon carrier bag that came with it.

Side pockets will store small maps or guidebooks, and there’s a front section for a water bottle, point and shoot camera, or small umbrella. A small velcro flap inside stores a memory card.

Two interior side velcro closure pouches are perfect for batteries.

Size, quality, and feature-wise, it compares favourably with BUILT’s Cargo Camera bag (though the two are sweet bags for different reasons).

A great feature of this bag is its ability to collapse down and fit inside your suitcase or carry-on.

The padded shoulder strap is both comfortable and adjustable, and the excess strap tucks neatly into the pocket below.

As well, the cam buckle closes firmly, maintaining the strap’s length without creeping. Lowepro’s attention to detail includes a small square non-slip patch in the centre of the shoulder strap to help keep the strap in place on your shoulder.

This is a smartly-designed bag that will even expand (suitcase-style) in front to store up to 30% more stuff.

What I like best about the bag is that it doesn’t look like a typical camera bag – important when taking on the road and into high traffic tourist spots.

I’ll be taking this bag around long after our travels, as it’s both easy to wear and fits a variety of everyday needs.

The Passport Sling is available in Black (with green interior), Sky Blue, and Mica. There’s a lifetime warranty with Lowepro’s products as well.

The Passport Sling’s dimensions
Interior camera compartment: 4.1″ (10.5 cm) wide, 7.5″ (19 cm) deep, and 7.5″ (19 cm) high
Fully expanded interior (excluding camera compartment): 5.1″ (13 cm) wide, 6.3″ (16 cm) deep, and 15″ (38 cm) high
Weight: 1.1 lbs. (0.5 kg)

It’s available around town (I’ve seen it at London Drugs) for $50 CDN.

Pros
Doesn’t look like a camera bag
Collapses down to store inside luggage
Comfortable to wear
Strong 600d Polyester Polymesh outer fabric (interior contains 210DNylon Brushed Tricot Velcro)
Great for travel, with space for guidebooks, water bottle, small umbrella, souvenirs
Good quality bag for price point

Cons
Inside padded area could be a tad larger to hold larger lens without being too packed in (maybe a future version in “large”?)

Disclosure note: I was sent the Passport Sling for the purpose of writing this review: cmply.2

Jan16

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BUILT: Cargo Camera Bag

Posted in: Bags, Electronic Accessories, Photography, Product Reviews

Together with BUILT’S Cargo Travel Organizer, I was on the go with their Cargo Camera Bag last week. I’ve seen a lot of BUILT’s popular neoprene laptop sleeves around town, but their camera bags haven’t (yet!) taken off in Vancouver.

[The Cargo Camera Bag, just out of the package]

Both are made by BUILT NY, a company specializing in colourful, functional neoprene bags, cases, and totes for a wide range of products and accessories.

I tried fitting various gear into many configurations, but the best set up for me was my Nikon D90 DSLR body with a 35mm prime lens attached, an 18-200mm zoom lens, a Nikon SB-700 speed light plus a point and shoot Canon and its charger. This should give readers an idea as to how much will comfortably fit inside the camera bag.

With the above collection of gear, fitting a DSLR charger and cord made it just a wee bit too tight to zip up. I imagine that packing in a smaller zoom lens would solve the problem. There’s also a large version of this bag available, with an extra compartment for carrying one more lens.

The padded shoulder strap is adjustable and clips to the bag on alternate sides, helping to better distribute the weight of the gear. I also like the bag’s carry handle that makes grabbing it a cinch.

As with BUILT products, the material is neoprene, stain resistant, and easy to hand wash and drip dry. The Cargo Camera Bag also contains semi-firm EVA in its construction. The removable compartments have velcro sewn onto their edges, allowing them to fit different camera body sizes and gear. There’s also padding in the base of the bag to provide an additional layer of protection.

The four interior pockets can hold anything from an iPhone to a Pixel Pocket Rocket digital card holder, small wallet, etc. I’m pretty pleased with these pockets located just inside both sides of the bag, making it an easy grab for anything small that I need to access.

The Cargo Camera Bag’s dimensions are 13.5″ (34.3 cm) wide, 11″ (28 cm) high, and 5.5″ (14 cm) deep and retails for $69.99 US. It’s available online in Canada from Macinbag for $79.99 CDN.

Disclosure note: I was sent the Cargo Camera Bag for the purpose of writing this review: cmply.2

Jan13

1 Comment

BUILT: Cargo Travel Organizer

Posted in: Electronic Accessories, Product Reviews

BUILT is a New York based company best known for its line of neoprene laptop sleeves, bags, and bottle totes. I’ve been a fan of their products for years, and was recently reacquainted with their unique goods via this year’s Meshwest Conference. Mesh, BUILT (and promotional agency Rightsleeve) worked together in branding the Slim Neoprene Messenger Bag for the 2011 conference.

While on the (continual) hunt for well-designed ways to transport gadgets and accessories, I came across another popular item in the collection: the Cargo Travel Organizer. Being out and about with laptops, cameras, and smart phone chargers, I’ve grown accustomed to packing these necessities into my various laptop bags. BUILT has taken this one step further with a slim-profiled zippered case.

I received the Organizer in black (with powder blue interior accents inside the pockets); the case also comes in City Grid/Orange, Navy Blue, and Scatter Dot. I like the curvy shape typical of many of their laptop products. As well, the carrying strap features the logo on a plastic shape that mimics the bag, another cool, well thought out design addition.

The bag can be bulked up with your cables, chargers, USB drives, etc. and still maintain a thin profile once zipped up.

It will stretch to accommodate a variety of stuff. It’s easy to maintain (via hand washing and drip drying) and is stain-resistant. The carrying strap is also easy to remove.

I own a messenger bag that the Cargo Travel Organizer can fit inside of, and the best use of the organizer would be in a suitcase, backpack, or other carrier/tote that will also accommodate your portable electronics. I was even able to tuck in a portable hard drive, as the photo below shows.

The organizer measures 11.4″ (29 cm) wide, 6″ (15.2 cm) high, and .9″ (2.3 cm) deep. I’m sure I’ll be getting a lot of use out of this, and plan to take it travelling in order to further road test it.

The Cargo Travel Organizer retails for $24.99 US and is available online in Canada via Macinbag for $29.99 CDN.

Disclosure note: I was sent the Cargo Travel Organizer for the purpose of writing this review: cmply.2