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Think Tank Photo Sling-O-Matic Review

When the Think Tank Photo Sling-O-Matic was announced I was not sure this would be a bag for me. Its main selling feature is that it is a sling bag that lets you switch which shoulder you use.

I have personally never used a sling bag until now. What I loved about this bag beside how well it is built is that it does more than let you easily carry a lot of gear. It lets me shoot out of it as if it were a shoulder bag when I put it down on the ground.

Where this bag shines is if you are going to be on a shoot that requires a lot of walking as well as shooting when you get to your location. The bag is extremely comfortable on your back even when carrying over long distances. Most back pack bags fail when you are trying to shoot, its not easy to get your gear in and out quickly and you can not grab and go with the bag. The slingo-o-matic 20 lets me easily shoot out of it like i would if i were using my Retrospective 30. If I need to grab and go its a quick zipper of the main compartment followed by 3 or 4 different ways to carry the bag. You can grab the top handle, side handle, sling it, or put it over one shoulder.

I found that when shooting an event recently in Vegas that I would only need one lens during the dinner, the 24-70. What this means is with the Sling bag i could wear the bag on my back and not have to worry about it hanging on my shoulder or putting it in a corner somewhere where I wouldn’t be able to keep track of it. If i really needed to grab another lens i could either put the bag down or pull it around the front to access other lenses.

This bag is not just for pro’s, if you travel with the family going to the park or on vacation it is perfect for you. You can load it with the camera gear you need and still have extra space to carry around other important possibly no photography items. One thing I have not mentioned is that you can “Sling” the bag around to the front for easy access to your gear if you want to shoot while standing or on the move.

Overall I really dig this bag and its big brother the sling-o-matic 30 which allows you to carry a lap top. Take a look at the video below to see how I have been using it and see if it works for you.



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