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This product is a godsend for those who find carrying a camera bag an unnecessary nuisance while walking around with an SLR. It provides adequate protection but also allows (with practice) fairly quick removal so your slr is ready to shoot in a couple of seconds or less. The elastic strap an be placed around your waist, and I've placed a carabiner on my belt to hold my slr (in the zing) steady when I don't intend to shoot anything. Effectively, with judicious adjustments (like the carabinier in my case), this little thing can actually function as a kind of compact, minimalist, lightweight bag that you can wear on your middle ike a waist bag. Be careful when you put it on for the first time, though, especially if you have a bigger than medium lens. The material is so tight and strong that I nearly dropped the camera when my hand slipped. But overall it's an excellent, unique product that looks and feels like it will give good service for a reasonable length of time.
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I've tried various camera cases over the past 4 decades. Though I've switched cameras many times (currently I use a Nikon D50) I have always used the same case: a Zing case. I spend a lot of time outdoors with a pack on, and for this kind of use, the Zing case is ideal. It's tough, it's padded, and it's water-resistant, though the camera goes into a Sea to Summit lightweight dry bag in the pack when it's _really_ raining.For years, I have used these types of Zing cases with a soft neoprene neck strap. However, to avoid neck strain, I run the neck strap through the haul loop of my pack. Recently, for my daypack (Vaude Rock Ultralight Comfort 25 my wife has one, too, and my 9-year old daughter has the smaller version) I've added a bit of 3/4" tent webbing attached with a Triglide buckle onto the haul loop, with a 3" webbing loop with a Fastex-type buckle, so it's easier to take the camera off and on without taking off my pack. (Mostly to hand the camera to my daughter so she can take some of her own pictures.)
The camera swings a bit on your chest, and can bang into rocks when climbing a face, or smack into your chest (ouch!) so I used to have a short length of elastic (small bungee cord) running from the right side of the hipbelt to the left side of the sternum strap to run across the neck strap just above the camera, snugging it up against my chest.
More recently, I got fancy and used some 3/4" elastic and a 3/4" Fastex snap buckle to replace this still playing with it a bit.
With a pack on, the chest strap of these "Action" cases just doesn't work for me, even if I use those Fastex type buckles on the camera case to snap to the shoulder straps too low. Running something across the neck strap above the camera works better. You might think it would pull down and strain your neck, but with the neck strap through the haul loop, this doesn't happen.
However, I have a short length of accessory cord that acts as a "keeper" for the case so I don't drop it off a cliff or into a stream. But when I let it dangle like that, it's a pain and in the way. So, I used one of the buckles from the Action case's chest strap (cut it off) and attached it to my right sternum strap, so when I take case off (and sometimes keep it off for quite a while in nice weather and easy terrain) I can snap it to the right side of the sternum strap where it's out of the way.
Your mileage may vary.
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I have a D5100 and it's not as easy to get in and out of this thing as I was led to believe. It offers great protection, but more often than not, I leave it at home because it takes so long to get it in and out. (For me it hasn't gotten easier with practice, but that might say more about me than the product :))Honest reviews on Zing 545-121 HXBK1 Large Action Cover (Black)
I had trouble finding much info on this case that would help me determine if it would work for my camera/lens. Here is what I can say about this case now that I have used it on a backpacking trip of the Kalalau Trail on the Na Pali coast of Kauai.I have a Nikon D80 with an 18-55mm f/3.5 lens. This case fit perfectly for this camera/lens setup. I also own a Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5 lens and while this case will stretch over this camera/lens combo, I am afraid it will come apart at the seams over time if I use it with this length lens.
This case really offers an excellent solution for taking a larger camera on a hike or backpacking trek. Here are a couple of things I learned and implemented myself after reading other reviews that make this case even more functional:
1) When using this with a backpack or day pack that has a loop built into the pack that is situated behind your neck: Buy the Tamrac N45 quick release strap for the camera. Then run this strap thru the backpack loop and it keeps the camera weight off the back of your neck. The quick release makes it easy to remove the camera from this setup if needed without taking the backpack off. Keep in mind that the Zing case only has a waist strap. The case relies on your camera's existing strap.
2) I used a carabiner to attach the camera body in Zing case to my backpack waist belt. The waist strap that is built into the Zing case does work but is a bit thin/stretchy for a bulkier camera/lens like mine and I wanted to make sure the camera didn't bounce around while hiking.
With this setup, when it is time to take a picture, you simply slip the camera out of the Zing case. The camera is still attached to the Tamrac strap that is attached to your backpack. No worries about dropping it. The Zing case is attached to your body via the waist strap and carabiner so it won't fall when you remove the camera. Take your picture and put your camera back in the Zing case. It takes a little getting used to in terms of getting the camera back into this case, but with a small amount of practice, it becomes easy.
The key features of this Zing case setup are accessibility and protection of your camera from the elements (sweat, dust, water resistant but not water proof).
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