A backpack or a duffel may be nice for weekend journeys, however typically they are often overkill for a day spent out and about taking pictures stills or video. Whenever you wish to journey mild but additionally give your gear a protected, snug experience, this new sling bag from Gura Gear could be simply what you’re in search of.
It ought to come as no shock that the majority of us within the images and videography world are typically considerably obsessive in relation to the baggage that we use to move our treasured gear. Cameras, lenses, and the plethora of equipment that we use with them signify a major funding for many of us, and there are comparatively few of us who don’t have a tragic story about gear being broken or ruined by being dropped, bashed, or uncovered to the weather. A number of years in the past, I personally discovered the laborious means {that a} compact digicam may not benefit from the refreshing summer time rain as a lot as I do! In case you’re a working photographer, the monetary losses that may be incurred by your gear not surviving a visit can lengthen effectively past the worth of the gear itself.
That mentioned, the brand new Kiboko Metropolis Sling 6L from Gura Gear is certainly not a bag geared toward working photographers with a great deal of gear that they should transport to a job. This can be a bag for anyone who needs to step out for the day with a couple of compact gadgets of picture or video gear; have a protected and comfy approach to carry it; and make sure that all of it will get dwelling in a single piece. As I discussed within the introduction, I really feel that this can be a bag that properly fills that hole between carrying all the things in your individual—on a strap round your neck or in your pockets, for instance—and toting your gear with you in a backpack or a full digicam bag.
Earlier than we go any additional, I want to make it clear that though Gura Gear despatched me the Kiboko Metropolis Sling to check out, they gave me no instructions with regard to scripting this evaluate. The entire opinions expressed listed below are my very own, and Gura Gear didn’t take part in any means within the writing of this evaluate.
I believe it’s value mentioning, earlier than we get into the heart of the evaluate, who the Kiboko Metropolis Sling isn’t focused at. That is in all probability not a bag that you will use to hold a big DSLR and its lenses. This could be attainable with a few of the smaller digicam programs like Micro 4 Thirds, for instance, or different compact mirrorless cameras such because the Lumix S9, maybe with considered one of its compact prime lenses such because the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.4. However I might say that the Kiboko Metropolis Sling is extra squarely focused at compact picture and video gear. For videographers for instance, this could be a great bag for carrying compact video programs such because the Sony ZV-1F, DJI Pocket Osmo 3, Insta360, or GoPro cameras, together with their myriad equipment like filters, microphone programs, batteries, and stands.
Certainly one of my day journey configurations for nonetheless images is constructed across the Leica Q3, which, though being considerably smaller than a full body digital SLR, is certainly not as compact as a few of the cameras I’ve talked about right here. I needed to see if the Kiboko Metropolis Sling may help this setup, and after a bit of time spent rearranging the structure of the padded insert that comes with it, I used to be delighted to find that it may comfortably accommodate the Q3, a few spare batteries with their USB charger, a pockets for my spare SD playing cards, a transportable on-camera flash unit, a transportable tripod, and a microfiber towel that I wish to maintain with me for drying off or de-dusting my gear. As a fast apart—any of you who’ve ever learn The Hitchhiker’s Information to the Galaxy will perceive the significance of at all times having your towel with you!
Even with all of this gear packed, the bag nonetheless has loads of pockets and areas left for different equipment and private gadgets reminiscent of a cellphone, keys, and so on. As I mentioned beforehand, this sling isn’t supposed to switch a full dimension digicam bag or backpack, however regardless of its comparatively diminutive profile, it nonetheless manages to accommodate a formidable quantity of stuff.
The inside of the Kiboko Metropolis Sling has been very thoughtfully designed with a view to organizing and defending your picture and video gear. The sling has a point of protecting padding constructed into the perimeters and the underside of the bag, however it additionally has the sort of configurable, padded insert that you simply typically discover in digicam baggage, with Velcro panels that may be rearranged to create the structure that’s supreme on your gear. One of many options that this bag has, nonetheless, that’s positively not frequent to all digicam baggage, is that the insert may be eliminated solely and is even appropriate with different gadgets in Gura Gear’s vary of bags.
This might be very helpful if, for instance, you wish to transfer your digicam gear into a bigger merchandise of Gura Gear baggage reminiscent of a duffel for a weekend journey, whereas nonetheless retaining the insert’s group and safety. With the ability to take away the insert additionally offers you the flexibleness to repurpose the sling itself for different makes use of, reminiscent of day journeys the place you may wish to carry different kinds of things and don’t want the protecting padding for them.
One of many coolest and most considerate design options within the sling’s inside is the row of 4 built-in SD card pockets which can be positioned for simple entry when the zipper of the principle compartment is open. These pockets are color-coded with good stitching, two of them in blue and two of them in pink. This lets you conveniently carry SD playing cards in a means that locations them shut at hand once they’re wanted but additionally permits you to distinguish between the playing cards which can be empty and the playing cards which can be full. I might personally use the 2 blue slots to hold empty playing cards and transfer every one to a pink slot when they’re full, however the way you select to make use of these colour codes is clearly a matter of private style.
By way of high quality, the Kiboko Metropolis Sling looks like a superbly made piece of bags. From the premium really feel of the bag’s supplies to the standard of the stitching, the zippers, and the inside, there’s nothing about this bag that feels low-cost. I’ve not had the chance to check the sling in heavy rain but, however one intriguing function of it that I actually like is that the lengthy zipper on prime of the principle compartment appears to have a really good rain cowl built-in into it that completely pulls collectively behind the zipper as you shut it. This isn’t a type of annoying material collars that at all times appear to get snagged within the zipper on backpacks and digicam baggage. It seems to have been very rigorously designed and crafted to cowl the zipper simply sufficient to maintain out the rain with out being extensive sufficient to get snagged in it. As I mentioned, I’ve not had the chance to check the sling in inclement climate, however this considerate addition to the principle zipper makes loads of sense if it really works because it seems prefer it ought to, because the prime of the sling is the place you’ll most anticipate (and least need) the ingress of rain or snow.
The removable shoulder strap and the properly contoured carry strap make this stunning bag a delight to hold, and even once I had it stuffed with gear, it by no means felt uncomfortable or cumbersome on my shoulder. The Kiboko Metropolis Sling has simply been launched, and on the time of writing this text, is out there in a wide range of colours at a particular introductory worth of $149.99 from B&H Photograph—a saving of 20% on the common worth. I might say that for anyone in search of a compact, snug bag to bridge the hole between carrying your gear in your individual versus utilizing a backpack or digicam bag, this thoughtfully designed and superbly crafted sling might be precisely what you’re in search of.
