If I could just carry my camera and one of my lenses around on their own I would.

I’m one of those people who really don’t like carrying bags for any occasion especially photography.  Having said all of the above it would be impractical to carry all of my equipment around in my hands.

So when I went looking for my camera bag I chose one that would hold all of my every day photography kit without making it to heavy for me to carry on the move.  The photography bag which I chose was the Lowepro SlingShot 202 AW, I felt this bag had everything I needed.

You can read product specifications and a review of the Lowepro SlingShot 202 AW below.

Lowepro SlingShot 202 AW Technical Details

• Original camera sling bag design allows for quick rotation from back to front to access your camera, lenses and accessories
• Hideaway Tripod Mount system secures a compact tripod or monopod to side of the sling via foldout holder, quick-release buckle and strap
• Patented, built-in All Weather AW Cover protects your camera gear and personal items from the elements and tucks away when not in use
• Includes a built-in microfiber cloth for two memory card pockets
• Fits a DSLR with attached standard zoom lens; 3-4 additional lenses or flash units and accessories; compact tripod or monopod.

Lowepro SlingShot 202 AW Review

I usually like reading reviews of products before taking the plunge and purchasing them, however on this occasion I really needed a camera bag so I had to go out and purchase one blindly.  However by reading this review you will know exactly what you are getting before spending any of your hard earned cash.

From looking at the size of the bag I was a bit worried that my current setup of the Canon 50D and the Canon 24-70 luxury lens wasn’t going to fit, however I took the chance and it paid off.  I was able to fit the above combo plus my canon 50mm 1.4 lens along with my 430ex II flash comfortably inside.  There was also room for my memory cards and any other items that I wanted to carry such as a pad and pen.

I also purchased the water bottle that is an option for this bag but honestly if I was going to purchase again I wouldn’t bother.  The only logical place it can be fitted is where the tripod can attach to and as i’m a huge fan of DSLR tripods I never get to use the water bottle.

The tripod/monopod holder sits on the side of the bag and in my opinion is an excellent feature of this bag as I tend to get my tripods dirty and having to put them back inside my camera bag with my expensive equipment isn’t an option to me.

The best part of this bag for me and one of the main reasons why I purchased it was that I could have access to my camera right away rather than having to set my bag down to get access to my kit.  Being able to sling this bag over my shoulder to get my camera out, taking the shots I needed and then putting the camera away as soon as I got the shot is a great feature especially in the kind of work I do.  Photojournalists and “paparazzi” will love this camera bag.

Another great feature especially if you have expensive camera equipment is the weather sealing protection that this bag has.  If you get stuck in some bad weather conditions like I have many times you can simply pull the weather cover out of the bag to protect your equipment.  I have found this feature to work well in both the snow and rain.

Lowepro SlingShot 202 AW problems

The Lowepro SlingShot 202 AW does however have room for improving on.  The first problem I have with this bag is where the camera body sits.  I have found that on either side of the camera there is a lot of wasted space which could be used for storing more pieces of equipment.  This doesn’t really affect the user however as this bag will easily allow you to store 3 lenses and a camera body.

The 2^nd problem in my opinion is with the one strap function.  Without this one strap the bag wouldn’t be able to swing around, but if you’re going to be using this bag for travel photography and you have a lot of heavy gear then this one strap will dig into you after a few hours.  This is a small problem though as most people looking to purchase this bag will be looking to carry a small amount of kit which isn’t going to weigh a whole lot.

The Lowepro SlingShot 202 AW is an excellent all round DSLR camera bag for those looking to carry a few lenses a camera body and some other accessories.

Most online retailers are charging $90 to $100.  The best price I have found is on Amazon at $89 with free super saver delivery.  You can find The Lowepro SlingShot 202 AW on Amazon at this link www.amazon.com/lowepro/slingshot/202/aw

If you would like to save more money and carry a little less equipment then the Lowepro SlingShot 102 AW may also be an option for you.

for more free DSLR Tips or DSLR equipment advice please keep on reading.