[TENBA Shootout, medium size, black.]
Let me first say that just like there is no perfect camera, there is also no perfect sling-bag (or any kind of a gear-bag for that matter). Everything depends on your particular situation. Sling-bags are either too small, too big, too difficult to switch between carrying and shooting modes, or their shape may be too awkward to accomodate your stuff in a logical and convenient way. So, mine is just a personal opinion that may or may not apply to your particular needs. Also, nobody should compare the functionality, convenience and comfort of use of sling-bags in relation to photo-backpacks or shoulder bags. All three have different uses and are completely different from one another.
Over the last seven years, I have bought and used 5 sling-bags from 3 different manufacturers (TAMRAC Velocity 6 and 7, LOWE PRO Slingshot 200AW and 300AW and TENBA Shootout Medium).
Tenba has been the last one on my list of preferences mainly because it looks quite awful in all product shots I have ever seen, both in print and online. But not long ago, I read a Shutterbug review and it made me think again about the Tenba sling-bag.
What I found out as a result of comparing all three systems, was that for small compact or hybrid camera there is no bad choice. All three systems (in appropriate sizes) work similarly well. In case of a DSLR system, though, things do not look the same.
The shape of Tamrac Velocity series does not allow to fully utilize the size of the bag for fitting an adeqate amount of gear. But it is certainly the best choice for street photography, when you don't need to carry a lot of gear with you. And it looks best of the 3 systems.
Lowe Pro Slingshot is not bad, but the difference between consecutive sizes is too big and changing from carrying to shooting mode is quick enough only if you carry the bag all the time in a manner appropriate for shooting mode (low on the back). In the aesthetics department, Lowe Pro seems very conservative and plain. The all-weather cover is implemented in the best possible way.
Tenba not only looks much better in real life than in product shots, but it also offers the most intelligent and pro-oriented design, with more useful features than the other two. Tenba represents to me the best combination of size-to-capacity ratio, ease of access to the equipment and ease of change between carrying and shooting modes, quality of materials/craftsmanship and aesthetics. It is the only one of the three systems that allows a configuration for carrying (and very easy access to) a body with a long lens attached to it, has a built-in facility for secure strapping of a small tripod and has a built-in 'bungee'-cord holder for a water bottle. The only negative I can find in its design is the fact that a rain/snow cover is stashed in such a way, that it takes up almost all the space in an outside pocket, preventing the use of that pocket for anything else.
So, Tenba Shootout became my sling-bag of choice, especially for occasions when I shoot landscapes and outdoors portraits.
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