Amazon Basics Sling Backpack

As photographers, we can seem a bit obsessed with gear and especially with carrying it. “There’s no such thing as the perfect camera bag” I’ve heard and read this a lot and I have to agree so, is this a review of that holy grail of bags, well, no. This is a review of a camera bag that fitted a need and budget I had, to see if it was right for me.

Although this looks like a small backpack which, to a certain extent it is, there’s only one shoulder strap as opposed to the usual two, which means it’s actually worn across your back diagonally. For me this seems to distribute the weight better than shoulder bags which always pull your body over to one side. Another advantage of one strap and the way it hangs, it doesn’t cover your complete back giving you that sweaty feeling rucksacks normally do. So, not liking shoulder bags and wanting something a bit smaller than a full-blown backpack this design looked like a good compromise.

Onto the bag itself, this is one of Amazons Basics range of items therefore it’s made on a budget and I’ll try not to compare it to bags that cost 4 times as much, that would be unfair. The bag itself is made from 100% polyester with polyurethane foam for the padding according to the labels and my first impression was its put together well. The main panels are all padded and offers good protection for your kit. I don’t think the bag is waterproof and it doesn’t come with a rain cover, I did cover mine with some waterproofing spray however and it did seem to hold up in light showers, just something to think about when purchasing.

The bag has two main compartments for your camera gear, more about those in a bit, plus a mesh pocket, a tripod fixing strap with bottom pocket holder for the feet, and a top carrying handle. The zips all run smooth and the click lock connectors are solid enough. As mentioned it has a single strap which is padded and adjustable, it also has a thinner strap similar to a belt or chest strap which stops the bag moving around when fixed to the main strap. The back of the bag has a mesh panel obviously to try and deal with ventilation when carrying. There are also two rubber feet on the bottom to stand the bag up.

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The inside compartments are bright orange to help find things easily, with the main having dividers that can be removed and replaced as needed and a couple of plastic wallets for memory cards. The top compartment has a mesh pocket on its floor section and that’s all there is, also this floor section isn’t removable, so you can’t make it into one big compartment.

Now to, how practical is it? The main compartment will hold a camera and a couple of lenses if you’re not looking to use it for pro equipment. My Nikon D7200 fits in nicely with a standard 70-300mm lens attached and has room for a wide angle and a prime lens. The real downside to the main compartment are the dividers which, don’t come in useful sizes. You have one which is “L” shaped that can be used to create a lens pocket, but the other four are just straight pieces which make customisation difficult, though not impossible. The orange material inside the compartment also feels a bit loose and you wouldn’t want to keep ripping the Velcro dividers off but, once its set up there should be no problem. The memory card holders are totally useless and I wouldn’t recommend using them at all. The top pocket is just that and there’s really nothing to say about it.

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When carrying the backpack with gear stowed inside it is a lot more comfortable than a shoulder bag. It doesn’t pull on you neck and shoulders and with the second strap in place, it won’t swing around your body. That said, the top part of the main strap isn’t ergonomically designed to a high degree and can feel a bit uncomfortable at first, although, I think it’s something you can get used to and not notice. Even with a small tripod attached it does feel surprisingly good to use and not at all out of balance. The advantage of being able to swing it around your body when accessing the compartments without removing it completely is also great.

Overall, and even with its faults, this is a great backpack if you need a bit more room for gear and don’t want to carry a larger one. Currently on sale at £18.99 from Amazon it’s a good budget buy but, I’ve also just recently noticed Amazon have a newer version for sale at £24.99 and from the images it seems some of the faults mentioned on this version may have been addressed. So is this something I would recommend? The answer would be yes if your budget is tight or maybe you want to try out a sling type backpack, the styles not going to be for everyone, but after trying it I’m hooked.