Pros & Cons
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- Fits your camera plus extra lenses, or (since its insulated) up to 3 bottles of wine! Sling bag slides around easily for access to equipment.
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- Not as large as backpacks.
Tamrac Velocity sling bags let you carry a digital SLR camera with lens and a couple extra lenses. Choose the most useful model in the line, the Velocity 9x ($90 street), and you've also got the perfect insulated bag for carrying three bottles to that BYO restaurant. The Velocity 9x bag measures 13x11x7 inches (HWD). Others in the line range from camera-only plus a couple accessories bag (Velocity 6x) on up through two DSLR cameras with lenses (Velocity 10x, $100) that is the size of most backpacks. The Velocity 6x ($45) or Velocity 7x ($60) would be good for carrying a video camera even if that's not its intent. Both the Velocity 8x and Velocity 9x do the three lenses (plus one camera body) trick. All the Velocity bags ride on your back, then slide around front for easy access. All have three compartments formed by padded movable dividers and spacers so you can stack accessories or lenses; a hidden waist strap; and a bunch of front and top compartments for cellphones, MP3 players, memory cards, and keys.
The size of the Tamrac Velocity 8x (11x10x6 inches) was more to my liking and it will even do the three-bottles-of-cheer trick as well (barely). It's probably the right size for most photographers. But the Velocity 9x is the right size if you carry heavy telephoto lenses such as a 70mm-200mm f/2.8 or 100mm-400mm. I've found that a bag that looks just right at the store feels cramped in the field when you need to swap lenses or pull out a flash in a hurry. The Velocity 9x lets you quickly change and stash a lens without having to remove and reverse the lens shade then slide it just so into the snugger compartment of the Velocity 8x. The Velocity 9x is also more versatile if you carry other stuff - windbreaker or poncho, water bottle (make sure it's tightly capped), energy bars. And who doesn't?
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