Saturday, March 29, 2014

Kata KT UL-LT-318 Ultra-Light LighTri-318 Torso-Pack Review

Kata KT UL-LT-318 Ultra-Light LighTri-318 Torso-Pack
Customer Ratings: 3.5 stars
List Price: $219.99
Sale Price: $166.22
Today's Bonus: 24% Off
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Hi,

This is a new product (March 2011) and there were very few reviews when I bought it. I decided to make a somewhat longer video review (2 parts) which can be seen at YT search for 'kata LighTri 318 UL part 1' and 'kata LighTri 318 UL part2' The short version it's a well designed, well built bag if you are willing to pay. I will be using this bag for a trip to Vietnam in May so I'll try to update it after I get back. I suspect that the materials of the fabric are fairly high tech and perhaps I'm not giving enough credence to those features when talking about cost value. Also, the front and back 'pockets' are not large enough to carry all those extras that photographers seem to have. Let me know if you have any questions.

UPDATE 21/6/2011

After using this bag on my trip and several other times, I think it's the best one I've owned so far. Mostly due to its ease in putting it on and moving it around. I thought I might move my camera equipment out of it to my big Lowepro when I got back but instead I've made it my main bag to grab going out the door. I would make this a 4.5 stars if Amazon let me.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I have been using this bag for last 1 month now.I like it and I recommend it to anyone who has mine kind of tastes.

Its able to hold all my camera gear.Olympus E5, and lenses Zuiko 50-200 SWD, Zuiko 12-60 SWD, Zuiko 50mm,FL-36R Flash..etc. and some accessories like batteries and filters with out using the included small pouch.

It serves the purpose gracefully. It provides a very easy way to carry just your camera gear when you walk around snapping, and it provides very easy and fast access to all the gear too.It is perfectly engineered and of good build quality.when fully loaded in front position the bag sags a little to the front, but I think it has more to do with the way I am organizing the heavy things inside.

You will like this bag , if you are like me, not a fan of carrying around things like laptops,tablets, tripods..etc in/on those big heavy camera bags.

for long travels you can have another backpack that hangs behind holding all your personal stuff and electronics other than camera gear and put this on front carrying position. This has another advantage that the weight that you are carrying is more on a balanced way now.I haven't taken this on an plane trip yet but I assume it will be work out very easy if I use this bag, and I think this one is compact enough to fit under the front seat.

Another thing I like about it is the fact that the bag can serve as a hand support while in-front position. It will never be as firm as a tripod but it can really help getting a more stable shot.

I would have given it a 4.5 rating if it was possible.The only thing I didn't like about it was the pricing. It is priced a little above what 'I think' is worth paying for.I bought it used-like new for around 62$. I think around 90$-110$ would be a reasonable price for new. Don't worry about the pricing and go ahead and buy it if you are looking around for a bag with perfect build quality and with above said features.

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roomy enough for my 7d with a 28-300mm lens attached plus a 10-22 mm lens plus a 580exII flash I don't need to haul around my big backpack all the time now. can be used as a torso or a sling bag very versatile.

Honest reviews on Kata KT UL-LT-318 Ultra-Light LighTri-318 Torso-Pack

This pack is decently well made and serves its function in a barely acceptable way. However, if you want to wear it as a slingpack and carry it mostly on your back (as advertised), you may develop lower back problems somewhere down the line. It will stick away from your back and distribute the weight in an unhealthy way putting pressure on your lower back by pulling on your shoulder away from your back. It is also larger than you would expect from looking at pictures and videos.

Carrying it on the front is only good for specialized work demanding maximum mobility with quick access to gear. You will not be walking around like this -it is large enough to obstruct the view of where you are going and make you look really stupid.

Putting stuff in and out of the bag is not problematic and you should have no problems with changing lenses. Unless of course you put something in the side pouch. It is notoriously difficult to open with one hand and that is how you will be operating it most of the time -the second hand will be holding the camera. You could put the camera away for a moment but the pouch is hard to reach with two hands due to the size of the pack. Across-the-chest camera straps are practically impossible to use with this pack -you cannot lift the camera high enough to exchange lenses because the camera strap will collide with the straps of the pack.

Finally, there is the price. This torso pack, like the rest of Kata's stuff, is way overpriced. I cannot agree with one of the other reviewers who says it is Ok to spend more just to get this pack. There is no logic to this statement; surely, anything can be bought for more than what it is worth, but that certainly does not justify Kata milking customers.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Kata KT UL-LT-318 Ultra-Light LighTri-318 Torso-Pack

Pro: Great bag to carry a few DSLR pieces to your photo site (Nikon D600, tele-zoom, wide angle, flash, filters) when I don't need everything that's in the backpack.

Neutral: Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable to carry on a short hike. Needs to include some instruction on how to use the extra carry straps for other configurations. Even the mfg on-line videos don't help much.

Con: Cost I purchased before the price reduction and that was too much for this bag. With the reduced price I'm more toward neutral.

Recommendation: Neutral.

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