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The Dolica Sling Backpack is an attractive well-made sling backpack. Unfortunately I did not find the pack very comfortable given the equipment I had in the pack and the pack's fitting characteristics.
Since I already own the similar-in-function Amazon Basics Sling Backpack , AmazonBasics Sling Backpack for SLR Cameras (Black), I had a good point of reference for comparison. The bottom line after using the Dolica backpack for several weeks is that I got greater usability out of the Amazon Basics Sling Backpack. It was more comfortable to wear and my camera/essential gear fit better in it.
The Dolica certainly has some great features. I like the variety of zippered pockets, particularly the large exterior pocket that was able to hold my rather large Nikon 80-200 f2.8 lens. That lens measures 8.5 inches in length. A lens any longer than that would not fit in the side compartment. This compartment is also good for a larger flash unit, or a number of larger accessories instead of a large single item like a large lens. I like the three grab handles that are placed on the backpack and I also like the bright orange interiors of the compartments. The bright color assists you in seeing what's inside the compartments.
The main compartment is a largish, zippered, flip-open compartment. Inside is a neoprene sling attached to the body with velcro that enables you to reposition it somewhat or remove it completely if you wish. Unfortunately I was not able to fit my Nikon D300 with attached Nikon 15-55 f2.8 lens in the sling without first removing the lens hood, This was inconvenient. After removing the lens hood, the camera and lens fit nicely.
I was also not able to fit my Nikon D300 with attached 80-200 f2.8 into the main compartment. Nor was I able to fit my D300 with attached battery pack and with any lens into the main compartment. With that combination there was simply not enough volume in the compartment to fit the camera or to zipper it closed. With the Amazon Basics Sling Backpack, I was able to stow my D300 and battery pack with attached 15-55 f2.8 and lens hood no problem.
The Dolica has three additional, smaller compartments. One of these compartments is on the front side of the main compartment. Another compartment is on the side of the main compartment and has two small mesh sleeves in addition to enough space for a smart phone or similar sized something or other. Finally there is a compartment on the strap and this could also hold a smartphone, small point and shoot camera, batteries or a couple energy bars.
The shoulder strap was nicely padded and quite wide but it just didn't feel comfortable on me when the backpack was fully loaded with my large lens plus camera & attached lens. The shoulder strap in the backpack position put a lot of pressure on the front of my shoulder while there was a large gap between my back and the pack itself. This could not be reduced no matter how tightly I tried to adjust the shoulder strap. And since the pack is not actually centered on your back, I felt unbalanced as more weight was on my right hip.
The sling backpack has a large and wide shoulder strap plus a nylon waist/shoulder strap (depending on whether the pack is in front or in the backpack position) that attaches to the backpack. An adjustable nylon strap with buckle connects the two shoulder pads together. A feature that is touted for the Dolica Sling Backpack is the ease with which you can slide the pack from a backpack orientation to a front facing position. It was easy to make that transition without removing the pack from my shoulder.
A problem I had was the repeated loosening of the nylon strap used for the securing the tripod to the backpack. I'd tighten the strap, and within seconds it would loosen itself simply by the weight of the tripod. And when the sling backpack was in true backpack position, the tripod was always tipping downward and on several occasions fell out of it's harness. Obviously this is not a desirable thing to happen when you are hiking with your camera gear.
Although the Dolica sling backpack had a much more appealing appearance than the more utilitarian Amazon Basics sling backpack, beauty is only skin deep and for my usage the Amazon Basics had inner beauty that resulted in a more useable solution for my needs.
Photographers with smaller body DLSR's, shorter lenses or for a camcorder, point and shoot and extras, the Dolica Sling Backpack may fit your needs nicely. It is certainly a beautifully constructed sling backpack. But for my particular equipment needs and preferences it didn't meet my expectations.
I was provided a sample of this product for review from Dolica.
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Why to them pro photographers carry so much gear when they go out on a shooting expedition? The short answer is 'because they can'. And they can because instead of little camera bags that only have room for a camera and maybe a couple of pockets for some small accessories they use much roomier, ergonomically designed and cool looking bags such as this one by Dolica that come with compartments for the camera itself and many extra compartments and pockets for literally almost everything else that one may need besides it. But let me discuss this in a more organized fashion.
CAPACITY
Dolica's backpack's main compartment should accommodate most DSLR cameras. Our Alpha, lens attached, felt right at home inside and I can't think of any mainstream model that wouldn't.
The second compartment is large enough to hold a telephoto lens or a flash. Then there is a smaller compartment actually on the shoulder strap where you could store a cell phone or a small digital camera. Add to the above three more zippered pockets, one with a couple of inner clear mesh sub-pockets, attached to the bag's main body and there you have room for your cleaning kit, charger and charging cables, batteries, memory cards.
But wait... there's more. Can't go out shooting without a tripod and you can strap one in and there is even a pocket to prevent the tripod's spiky ends from causing any problems.
ERGONOMICS
Photographers don't travel light but, to my surprise, Dolica's bag is designed in such a way that the burden is a lot easier to carry and endure than I expected. It's basically the design of a baby sling with a wide, padded shoulder strap that allows you to carry the pack on your back when walking and to quickly move it in a position where the camera compartment is right in front, easy to access with all other pockets and compartments within easy reach.
I've loaded the bag with everything my camera needed, including a small tripod and kept it on for the past couple of hours. I still have the bag on while I'm sitting down and writing this review (removed the tripod) and I'm comfortable writing, camera and accessories on my back and I can slide the bag to the front 'shooting' position in about half a second. My shoulders or my back do not hurt and my hands are free to type.
PROTECTION
As I expected, the main camera compartment was designed to keep 'the precious' out of harms way as much as possible. There is thick padding on the top, stuffing the outside pockets should add some extra cushioning and there is an adjustable 'neoprene suspension hammock camera holder' that basically keeps the camera suspended in the air inside the padded bag and should be most effective on vertical drops.
And then there's, of course, protection afforded the photographer, especially his or her back and shoulders. The shoulder strap is extra wide and both it and the back of the pack are padded with some soft material that's quite effective and I'm saying it's so because I've been keeping this on my back for at least three hours how.
LOOKS
If 'looking like a pro' is one objective when shopping for a camera bag, then this one clearly fits the bill. It looks professional and complex even though I found that a few minutes of getting acquainted with Dolica's SB-015RD (nice, name) was all it took for me to learn how to wear it and how to quickly get to the various compartments and pockets.
The model that I'm reviewing is grey and red on the exterior and 'red' is a good color for me because I sometimes go out shooting in the woods it's where I live and most game here is not red. The interior is grey and orange and that's not a bad idea because whenever you see 'orange' you can tell that there's a pocket that you forgot to zip up.
CONCLUSIONS
I didn't attach any scores to the categories above because they are all superlatives. This is a well thought, well designed, well made product, made by people who clearly understand not only 'photography' but photographers too. It keeps equipment safe, easily accessible and as easy to carry as ergonomically possible.
It's a 5-star and it's so not because I was given this review unit for free this is never a consideration when I write reviews but because Amazon's five stars stand for 'I love it' and that's exactly how I feel about this product.
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>> Brush your teeth, it's the law!
