[PhilNUK]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lowepro-Slin.../dp/B000B9O83A

just seen one in my local Curry's and they look really good. Not too big, but seem to hold a camera with lens, plus 2 extra lenses and loads of other stuff including flash unit.. Ideal for me to be honest..
The whole slingshot design means that it goes over one shoulder but you can swivel it round to the front when you are in crowds or when you need access to the camera.

check out the pics in here:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-LOWEPRO-SL...QQcmdZViewItem

I was tempted with the Lowerpro Vertex series as they have got good marks, but this really takes my fancy as I like the fast access of it all.

[salubrious_k]

Yes it's brilliant! My favourite bag.

My others are a Crumpler shoulder bag (the Bunny Man) a Crumpler backpack and a small Lowepro camera-only shoulder bag

[PhilNUK]

cheers for the reply mate...
I might pick it up.
Out of interest, which shoulder bag have you got for your camera? The Lowepro one I mean. I am after a smaller camera and lens and maybe battery bag too. Nothing big.

[lmccauley]

I just bought the Nikkor 70-300mm VR lens, and it's too big for my Slingshot 100 and my small bag.

Will have to go shopping for replacements, too.

[salubrious_k]

Originally Posted by PhilNUK

cheers for the reply mate...
I might pick it up.
Out of interest, which shoulder bag have you got for your camera? The Lowepro one I mean. I am after a smaller camera and lens and maybe battery bag too. Nothing big.

I'm afraid I don't know, in fact it may not be Lowepro. I picked it up in a hiking shop in Wales when I needed a small bag quickly (I was finding the bag I'd brought to large and heavy for long walks). It was only £15 and was very basic.

[jonnypb]

i've got one, good bag and lots of room for lenses etc. also has a water proof cover that pulls out

[salubrious_k]

And for a one armed bag it's surprising how comfortable it can be when loaded with kit - it's even more comfortable if you attach the strap that holds it even tighter to your back as I think the weight is more distributed over your chest that way (although you need to unfasten this when swinging the bag round)

[MitsiTurbo]

Ive got one aswell but have replaced it with a Computrekka AW which is also fantastic. I do alot of travelling overseas so this bag fits 400d body, 4 lens (inc a 70-300mm and 10-20mm), point and shoot camera, PSP + 2cases of UMDs, iPod video + noise isolating earphones in a metal case, chargers for all the above, filters, card reader, cables, memory cards, laptop and a few other bits and pieces! Needless to say, it gets a bit heavy! The slingshot fits everything aside from the laptop, so its quite spacious! Although I have added the 10-20mm since last time of using it. I cant bring myself to sell it though as its ideal for when doing a walkabout due to not having to take it off your back.

[the id]

Another positive recommendation from me, I regularly carry A Nikon D200 and my 3 lenses with room to spare, comfortable with easy access to photo gear!

[GaryK26]

I've had a Lowepro Slingshot AW 200 for some time now. Quality-wise it's top notch.
The slingshot design is brilliant - took me a few goes to get used to pulling the bag round and pushing back.
The only problme that I have had is that the interrior configuration is not ideally suited to long lens (I have a Canon 70-200L F4). The "compartments" for spare lens are suited to shorter lens to be stored vertically. This is fine if you have your longer lens attached to the camera body, but restrictive when a shorter lens is attached.

However, I have recently tried re-configing the compartments so that the lenses are stored horizontally and this seems to work quite well.

Hope this helps (sorry if it makes no sense whatsoever!)

Gary

[PhilNUK]

that settles it, I will pick one up I reckon... I might get the Vertex as well as that carries laptops as well.. The Slingshot will be perfect for taking out for the day though and to places where I don't need to carry so much.

[sivraj494]

Just my 2 cents worth. But personally I don't get on with the slingshots. A friend of mine has one, and find that when his stuff is in it, that because it is only onver one shoulder that it puts too much pressure on the shoulder.

Which is the reason why I bought my Crumpler Pretty Boy XL Backpack, so that it could go on both shoudlers and distribute the weight. But it might just be because my shoudlers are a bit dodgy.

[GaryK26]

I must admit that the first few outings with the 200 left me somewhat shoulder sore.
However, I dont recall having such an ache recently, but that may be down to me not packing all 4 of my lenses in there and the time carrying it has been under an hour.

[ilweran]

I've found the 200 to be ok for carrying for 2-3hrs, not really tried it for any longer.

It's also great on boats - did a couple of boat trips when I stayed in Tenby and the sea was a bit choppy, but swing the bag round so it's on your lap when you're sitting and it's very quick to get the camera back in.

[tdodd]

Here are a couple of configurations I've had for my Slingshot 200 AW. For the last few months I've been using a third configuration, which I'll post separately. The configurations below are....

Config 1....
30D with grip and 17-85mm lens with reverse mounted hood and Pro1 filter
50mm f/1.8 with rubber hood
580EX
Sony DSC-P200 compact digicam
Portable 120GB card reader/HDD drive
Spare batteries for flash gun and camera
Gorillapod SLR
Rocket Blower (not sure if medium or large) and lens brush
USB leads for both cameras
Spare flash cards
Rubber hood for 17-85
Room to spare

Config 2....
30D with grip
EF 100-400, mounted onto camera, with UV filter and reversed hood attached
EF-S 10-22 with polarising filter attached but no hood
EF-S 17-55 with UV filter and reversed hood attached
Kenko 1.4X teleconverter hiding in the top right corner of the picture
Speedlite 580EX
Rocket blower, lens pen, flash cards, filter boxes

[tdodd]

Here's my latest setup, for which the dividers have remained as they are for a few months although I have juggled the kit around a bit. It contains....

Main Section....
Canon 40D with mounted EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 and reversed hood;
Canon EF 100-400 without hood (I could swap this for my 70-200 f/2.8 IS if required
Canon 580EX flash
Canon EF-S 10-22
Kenko macro tubes and 1.4X teleconverter

Top Section....
Hood for EF 100-400
Bungee cords
eBay flash remote transmitter/receiver
Spare BP511

Outside Pocket (Sorry about the poor focus on the attached pic)....
Hood for 10-22
Rocket Blower
Filters
Lens Pen

Inside Pocket....
Spare memory cards

[PhilNUK]

excellent posts Tdodd... great seeing the pictures, plus you have a bigger camera and more kit than I will ever likely have!
One thing I have noticed, there is nothing that allows for a tripod to be stored or attached too... is this a problem?

[tdodd]

I don't use a tripod that often and when I do I certainly don't travel miles with it. Mostly I use it for macro/product photography at home, or to try to get a decent shot of the moon. It's very rare that I'll need it when out and about and, if I do, it will sit in the boot of the car and I'll just carry it with me as needed. For things like zoo and bird photography I find handholding to be fine. If I was doing indoor architecture I might well use a tripod but then would have driven up to the door first. I don't do night photography so the only other occasion for me would be things like long exposure waterfalls but I'll make do with IS and improvised supports for those - or not bother

To be honest the backpack can get quite heavy if you load it up fully and adding a tripod directly to the bag with just one shoulder strap to take the load would not be my idea of fun.

A monopod can be a useful compromise and it is quite easy to sling a monopod over your shoulder with the camera attached and resting behind your back, Dick Whittington style. I was wandering around a reservoir yesterday with my 40D, 100-400 and 1.4X teleconverter exactly like that and also had my SS 200 on my back with other bits and bobs in it.

By the way, I'm thinking to add a Vertex 200 or Vertex 300 to my kit list, so that I have the option to take a bit more with me, including a laptop for travel. I'd love the storage the 300 offers but I'm a bit concerened about airport luggage allowances, both for size and weight. I'm off to New Zealand in a while and they have a pathetic 7Kg limit on cabin baggage. The Vertex 300 weighs almost 4Kg empty and a laptop is another couple of Kg so that leaves 1Kg for photo gear.

[PhilNUK]

i agree with the tripod... the monopod is a great compromise, should weigh at least a 1/3rd in theory.

The Vertex is the other pack that interested me... Lowepro certainly design some substantial packs and the Vertex came up trumps in a review in Digi Photo Magazine... It also stores a laptop too..

[GaryK26]

INGENEOUS - Reverse mount the hood!

Seriously, I did not even think of doing that and the hassle I have had trying to accomodate my 70-200L F4 & hood, well, now I know. And now my SS200 is much better organised