I used a Tamrac System 6 bag for many years, and it has served me well, but this bag appears to be of equal quality, with a number of excellent features which make it more secure. comfortable and versatile than the former.
Materials appear well-chosen and of high quality. Construction appears good and rugged, but beyond this there is a level of thinking in the design which sets it apart IMO.
The most useful feature for me is the ability to covert it from over-shoulder to backpack. A well-made and comfortable harness is included that clips on or off in seconds. On the back of the bag is a mesh-covered cushion, making it very comfortable as a backpack. At first I was skeptical, thinking that the cushion would be intrusive when carrying it on the strap. It does cause the bag to tilt slightly inward, as the cushion is mounted toward the bottom of the bag, but it does not cause a problem IME. In addition, there is a waist belt which tucks behind the cushion, to secure the backpack for rugged terrain.
I have always been torn between a backpack for long hikes and an over-shoulder bag for quick accessibility. This bag does both, and deserves serious consideration for this alone if that is something that would work for you.
But there are other nice touches as well. For instance, the bottom of the bag is rubberized for wet ground, and it sits on a couple of shock-absorbing runners, bringing it off the ground in any case. Tripod-straps are tucked into the runners, and this is clever for a couple of reasons: First, the weight of the tripod goes directly beneath the center of the bag, for good weight distribution, and second, the tripod is cinched tightly against the flexible runners, meaning that the tripod will not swing when you walk. Good thinking throughout!
The shoulder strap is also well done. It is removable, attaching to large D rings on the bag with robust metal clasps with swivels. This allows the strap to rotate in two directions in relation to the bag, a much better design than the straps directly sewn onto the D rings, as on the Tamrac. In addition the strap has a large, well-padded, movable and removable shoulder pad with a non-skid underside, also a plus compared to the Tamrac IMO. The top handle is well designed, nicely grippable with a good pad underneath for the hand.
The padding is far better than that on the Tamrac, at the cost of slightly larger external dimensions as compared to interior space. Domke lovers need not apply...The interior dividers are robust. I miss the horizontal dividers and some of the flexibility of the Tamrac design, but this works for me OK.
Front pockets are OK, though a bit small for my taste. The do have elasticized pouches and a mesh zippered divider, but I miss the pouch for carrying digital media of the Tamrac. For me the biggest downside of the design is the absence of side pockets, but there are a couple of horizontal cinch straps on each side where removable lens pouches or other things could be secured, and actually this modularity is not a bad idea at all.
Another great touch is the presence of a built-in rain cover, which lives in a zippered pocket at the back and which can be deployed in seconds.
In terms of front clasps, this bag has two in front instead of one front and one on each side like the Tamrac. Both are relatively secure for toting the bag without zipping it up, but I'd give the edge in speed to the Tamrac.
In terms of appearance, I'm not crazy about all the leather trim, nor the big metal logo on the front. The belt-type buckles for the front clasps are not really to my taste either, but it all functions well enough.
In sum I am very happy with this bag, and feel that it deserves serious consideration among higher-end bags. For those who might find the backpack feature useful, this bag is a must-see.
0 comments:
Post a Comment