Review of the Lowepro Slingshot 100 AW camera bag

[mercury_in_flames]

Review of the Lowepro Slingshot 100 AW

Well after buying the Lowepro Micro Trekker 200, a behemoth of a backpackers camera gear case, I realised I didn't need anywhere near that much space. Unfortunately I didn’t take any shots of that one but you can a quick idea just by seeing it on Google.

Anyway, for the price, I wondered whether the slingshot was worth it, as it is was only a mere $20 or £10 less than the huge micro trekker 200. The Slingshot is ideal though in that it doesn’t encourage you to take all your gear with you, lenses and all. It encourages you to be selective. If I were to go anywhere for a day I'd take a 17-55 say and a 70-200 say or something along those lines with regard to form factor.

First of all, this bag goes over your shoulder like some sports bags I've seen. If you are worried about only one strap resulting in the bag flying all over the show, there’s no need because it also comes with a strap that comes from the opposite side that comes round and clips to allow the bag to be quite snug on the wearer.

It can also be worn with the bag towards your front. I'd value this feature if I was paranoid about having my bag opened while I was on a bustling train or whatever.

If you are carrying the bag on your front, you get a side zipper that opens to reveal the back of your camera. It’s quite easy to whip out for that spur of the moment shot;

If you were worrying about the zippers loosening and all your gear pouring out, there are two clips that stop the zippers from going any further which keep the flap from opening any further than show just a before;

Space:

Well as you can see, there doesn’t seem to be that much room at first glance;

You can separate compartments using the dividers;

There are various ways of storing a camera in the bag;

The top compartment is quite spacious and can accommodate my D80 without the lens on it or my Minolta XG-1

It can even take the 70-210mm lens

Features:

Also note that alot of the inside of the case has soft material lining the edges and bottom, so that you can rearrange the layout of the case itself. You could easily put two long strips of the case insides to be vertical and carry two lenses of the 70-210mm I've pictured in this review.

One of the features I quite like about this bag is that as part of the AW, ‘all weather’ features, it has a compartment at the bottom;

The slot holds a waterproof cover for the bag. Ideal if you live in a country where rain is just around the corner;

The Alternative

Camera bags are by no means cheap. The Slingshot might not attract you as for just £10 more you can have the Lowepro Micro Trekker 200; a bag that holds twice as much gear, has two straps (like a back-pack), is also shower proof (albeit without the rainproof cover).

If you only ever take two to three lenses with you on a shoot, the Micro Trekker might not be for you. In a sense using the Micro Trekker 200 with three lenses in it would be similar to a woman walking around with a back pack carrying just 4 items of make-up. On the flip side, if you are always looking for more space, and have a wealth of gear you can’t go without on a shoot, the Trekker might be the daddy.

Conclusion:

The Slingshot 100 on the other hand is compact and if you don’t travel with 5 normal zoom lenses, has more than enough space. If you are new to SLR gear (like me), you might be surprised at the weight that can quickly mount inside a bag. Like all Lowepro camera bags, the Slingshot comes with dividers that can protect your gear from bumping into each other. With respect to the style of strap, I am pretty sure that if you wore this bag for 5 hours while hiking, that your one shoulder would start to feel it. On the flip side however, as a commuters tool it’s great. I myself plan to take this bag on aeroplanes, on the London underground, while cycling, everywhere. If you are just starting out with a DSLR, I can strongly recommend this bag.

Value: 82/100

Features: 90/100

Performance: 85/100