LowePro Photo Sling 150 [REVIEW]

The LowePro Photo Sling 150 at Amazon is the smaller of two option, the other being the 250. The 150 I tested is designed for a smaller DSLR and an extra lens. But I was happy to find it worked well for a single lens option on a larger DSLR. It was even able to carry a medium format Pentax 645D! It’s also designed to bring your tablet with you while you shoot.

Specs

• DSLR with attached 55-200mm lens
• 2 extra lenses OR a flash and 1 lens
• Tablet
• Accessories and personal items

Or

• CSC with attached kit lens
• 3 extra lenses OR a flash and 2 lenses
• Tablet
• Accessories and personal items

In Real Life

First, let me apologize for the dayglow arms you see in these photos. I was using an iPhone as my main camera needed to be in the shot.

This is the most comfortable camera sling I’ve used and I’m not totally sure why. The padding on the shoulder strap is fairly normal. Nothing to write home about there. It could be the cut of the shoulder strap. Whatever it is, I found this strap to be comfortable to wear all day long.

It has a waist belt that fits a guy like me well and has plenty of room for when I eat too much pizza….for months on end. The waist belt seem gimmicky at first until I tried running with the bag and saw its true utility in keep the bag, and my camera, close to my body and not flopping. Plus, with the waist belt on, the bag will not slide around when I lean over or I’m off center in some way. This is very reassuring.

The bag has two main zippered areas. The main compartment has zips that run the entire length of the front. This was helpful when I only had one lens. For those with smaller cameras and multiple lenses, take a look at LowePro’s photos on their site here. They show how a mirrorless camera, for instance, will fit inside and how the cross straps will help keep your gear in place when opening the bag fully.

In this main compartment there is a padded area for a tablet and a velcroed pocket on the lid for an extra memory card. I appreciate companies that make it easy to bring just one extra card and battery for a quick day shooting. And that’s what this bag excels at; just the basics for a day’s outing.

On the front of the bag, under a flap that velcros to the front and has clips on the sides, is a simple pocket for everything else. It is not big, but it will hold your keys, phone and a filter or two. On one side is a pocket that is so skinny it feels useless, especially as I rash my fingers across the velcro just to get in. It is the right size for a battery, but not much else.

While the body is not rainproof, the front/top flap does keep most water off in light situations. It is not part of LowePro’s AllWeather (AW) series so it does not come with a rain cover.

Conclusion

The fit with a full sized DSLR is tight. In my case, I was regularly using the bag with a Canon 7D with battery grip and 28-300mm lens (about the size of a 70-200mm f/2.8). But it worked well and kept my camera clean and safe. It has a normal amount of padding for protection. Nothing more and nothing less. Actually, the bottom is pretty thin when it comes to padding so I would be gentle when placing this bag down with a long lens. The sides have more padding than the bottom.

I liked that I could access just the top while the side clips stayed attached, giving the top part of the bag better rigidity. This is good design on LowePro’s part. If access is needed for the entire main compartment, it requires undoing the two clips which is best performed with both hands.

As this bag is intended for smaller cameras, I was impressed with how well it handled the size and weight. This is my new favorite sling (and I am someone who never liked slings before this year) and I think I like it better than I would the 250 version, specifically because it is smaller and not as bulky. It didn’t feel like it was too big on my back. As for durability? This wasn’t a long term test as I have only had the bag for about a month, but it looks to be of the normal LowePro build which has served me well for years. This is a bag I wholeheartedly recommend without reservation.

Get a price on the Lowepro Photo Sling 150 at Amazon.

NOTE: It does come with a center divider not pictured. Check LowePro’s site for ‘cut-away’ images.

Summary

Reviewer

Peter West Carey

Review Date

2012-10-08

Reviewed Item

LowePro Photo Sling 150

Author Rating

4