Review of Lowepro Passport Sling

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $74.99
Sale Price: $39.00
Today's Bonus: 48% Off

In my search for a camera bag that did NOT look like a camera bag, I discovered the Lowepro Passport Sling...and I LOVE it! I could not find any reviews on this product so hopefully this review will help someone else who is searching for that perfect camera bag...that doesn't LOOK like a camera bag. The Passport Sling is not too big yet large enough to hold my gear. Unloaded, the bag is also very lightweight. It features a removable camera box which attaches to the bag with Velcro, 2 small interior flap pockets (for phone, iPod, credit cards, gum, etc.), 2 exterior pockets, 1 exterior water bottle pocket (which I have yet to use for a water bottle), adjustable shoulder strap, and expandability.

I wish the external pockets were a little deeper/wider and designed in the shape of a rectangle instead of a trapezoid so items could fit better. Although a travel book and map would fit inside the bag, it would be nice to have quick and easy access on the outside of the bag. I would feel more secure if the external pockets had either a zip or Velcro closure so I don't feel like items might fall out.

The camera box has 1 adjustable Velcro divider which I configured with my Nikon D90 and 18mm-200mm lens attached on the left side and both the 35mm f/1.8 and 50mm f/1.8 (filter attached) side by side in the other half of the camera box. (I'm not going to lie, it's a little snug fitting them side by side but I like knowing that I have both with me.) There's still some space on top of the prime lenses for a spare camera battery, 4 AA batteries (for my SB-600), and some other small accessories (spare SD card, card reader, camera remote). The flap of the divider folds over nicely to cover the lenses/accessories and provides a cushion to protect the lenses and camera grip. I keep the SB-600 next to the camera box in its padded case to stay protected since the bag itself does NOT have any padding. There is also a small pocket on the soft box to hold a spare SD card. I wish they had other pockets on the side of the camera box to hold some other small accessories for quick access (cleaning cloth, rear lens cover, lens cap, pen loops, etc.). Even with all this camera gear in the bag, there is still some room inside for other things and I haven't even expanded the bag!! I usually keep the bag UN-expanded but I like knowing that I have the option to increase my space if I need it, especially when sightseeing. I do have a tendency to do a bit of shopping while traveling!!

It's great that the camera box is removable so the bag can then be used as a regular bag to hold anything you want to put in it. I wish there were some internal zippered pockets, especially if I ever use the bag WITHOUT the camera box so there is more organization. The current design does not really have a place for any other internal pockets (aside from the flap pockets already included) so I do understand why there aren't any in there. I LOVE the look of the bag so much that I could easily see myself using with without the camera box...as if I EVER leave the house without my camera!!!

I chose the Mica color because I wanted something neutral and I have enough black bags. The Mica is like a dark khaki/olive, both male or female could feel comfortable carrying this color.

Although the bag was designed to be worn across the body, it can also just be worn as a shoulder bag. Personally, I like the security of wearing it crossbody because the bag will not fall off my shoulder. The strap length is more than adequate for me (I'm 5"4' and 115-120 lbs.) and is adjustable. I imagine this bag would be fit someone much taller or much smaller than me.

The bag was announced in early 2009 and I am surprised that I have not seen more of these in stores or available online. It is such a great bag!! When I purchased mine earlier this year, I had to special order it and it took a couple weeks to arrive. Maybe I should shut my mouth so I am the only person out there carrying the Passport Sling!

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I purchased the Lowepro Passport Sling for my recent trip to Italy. I wanted an easy access, stylish camera bag to use while I travelled. I carried a Canon 7D with it's 18-135mm lens, my 70-200mm, 2.8L lens, a few memory cards and filters. The bag functioned very well and was comfortable to use, easy to access. The padded area for my camera and it's primary lens was barely big enough. A Rebel would have fit very comfortably, but my camera was very tight. I would have liked to have had my battery grip on too, but there was no way it would have fit. I had plenty of room for my 70-200mm, 2.8L, but the area in the bag that it fit had no extra padding, so I had to add my own with a crunched up t-shirt.

The improvements that I would recommend would be as follows: make the bag slightly larger to accommodate a full size camera more comfortably; add some extra padding in a secondary compartment to protect a second lens and/or flash unit; and lastly, add zippers to the external pockets of the bag to hold a passport, money, filters, etc. more securely.

Best Deals for Lowepro Passport Sling

I just received this bag today and at first sight it seemed kinda small. However, when I opened the zipper and expanded the bag, the size appeared to be average (not too big... not too small).

When I looked at the interior, I immediately saw the problem. There is not enough space for my gears. This bag is simply for the casual photographer having an entry-level DSLR with a kit lens. By the way, what I meant with "not enough space" refers to the padded area of the bag. You wouldn't want to put your camera or your lens on an unprotected space would you?

To address the above issue, I stripped the removable "paddings" from my old camera bag and stuffed them into this bag. With proper arrangement, I was able to fit the following items inside the bag:

1. Nikon D7000 with attached MD-11 battery grip

2. Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 vr ii telephoto lens with lens hood attached (reversed)

3. Nikon 60mm f/2.8 macro lens (attached to the camera) with lens hood attached (reversed)

4. Nikon 10-24mm wide angle lens

5. Nikon SB-800 speedlight with 5th battery compartment attached

6. Lens hood for 10-24mm lens.

I am giving this bag 4-stars because of it's looks, material quality, design, and configurability. Had it been a little bit bigger with sufficient padding, then this bag would definitely be the best walk-around bag.

When should you NOT buy this bag?

a. If you have a D300 and up (or 7D and up) with battery grip, don't bother with this bag unless you decide to remove the battery grip.

b. If you don't have "paddings" to fill the unprotected part of the bag interior and you want to place lenses or other expensive gears on this part.

Which bags should you consider as alternatives?

The bags that come close to this bag in terms of elegance and "casual or non-typical-camera-bag-looks" are the Crumpler million-dollar-bags or the Domke bags. Tamrac has the Rally series i think? But of all these bags, the passport sling bag is the most unique, best-looking, unconventional, and you-wouldn't-think-it's-a-camera-bag image.

Honest reviews on Lowepro Passport Sling

I'll keep it short because everyone's got the details covered, but I'll add the extra 5 stars that it deserves, and try shed some light on what seems like some pretty silly 2 to 3 star reviews...

So, you take the time to write a review to essentially tell us that you bought the wrong bag. The bag is perfect for what it is*. No it does not hold a D700/5D MKII+ with pro lenses... if you want full-frame body with lenses in a little shoulder bag, you need a Leica M9... perhaps re-review after trying it out with an approate setup? Why would you want to carry the amount weight of equipment that people are complaining that it doesn't fit, over your shoulder in what is essentially a large purse?

If you've got a small to midsize DSRL and a handful of primes, or maybe a rangefinder or a manual focus SLR; it's mint. The D7000, my 35mm, 50mm, and 105mm, fit with room to spare for: wallet, phone, flash, gorrilapod, etc... more than enough equipment to take some great photographs.

I apologize for any dryness... just trying to add some thoughts for anyone looking for an affordable semi-under-the-radar camera bag.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lowepro Passport Sling

I purchased this bag to use with the Canon T2i with the kit lens. I initially did not like the bag's rigid structure. I'm a petite woman, and this bag hung awkwardly on my back.

However, after spending 6 weeks carrying this bag around Ethiopia, I can honestly say I don't think I could have found a more perfect camera bag for travel. This bag is definitely not for someone with a lot of camera gear. But it is a great all-in-one for someone who wants their camera bag to hold all their other essentials, as well.

The padded camera pocket is divided and held my camera with lens attached, as well as a small extra lens (Canon "nifty-fifty"). I also toted a glasses case, water bottle, granola bars, and sunscreen in the large inner pouch. The inner pockets were great for holding my iPod nano, extra memory cards, and a cell phone. The outer pockets were perfect for hand sanitizer, lotion, kleenex, a small notepad, pens, and more snacks.

On the plane I carried this bag along with a backpack. Unzipping the large pouch allowed space for a travel pillow and a change of clothes.

I found the padded section of the bag strap to be unnecessary and never wore it. The strap alone was comfortable enough, even without the padded support.

After beating this bag up for weeks, it still looks like new. The material is rugged and durable. And my camera was always safe. Fellow travelers were constantly digging through bags and struggling to access cameras. The sling design made it easy for me to quickly grab my camera, and the various pockets kept everything organized.