Lets face it, we all out grow our existing camera bags at some point. I decided to upgrade to a nicer bag for my camera as I was working out of two bags (damn those smaller bags). Keeping up with what was in what bag was not my strong suit. When I say working out of two bags, I mean just my camera, lenses, and accessories. I am not including the bag containing my studio lights, backdrops, etc.
So I decided to give the Vivitar Series One a try.
Overview: This is a sling backpack that is suitable for SLR/DSLR and Laptop setups. the bag is designed for a traveler. This appeals to me as I do not have a true studio and I am always shooting on location. There are two main compartments. The upper compartment is an open space with some neting. I am using this to store my wires (data cables, power cords, etc) and my external flashguns. If you were hiking this would provide you with a great place to store your wallet, keys, cellphone, etc.
The bottom compartment is a padded compartment that features adjustable velcro dividers. I have arranged the velcro dividers to fit two camera bodies and four lenses. What I enjoy about this compartment is that you can not only access the area from the front of the bag as you would a typical camera bag, but there are side doors on each side of the bag for easy access to your camera. When I am ready I open up the door and pull our my camera and attached lens. On each door there are mesh accessory pockets which are ideal for small accessories (lens wipes, caps, memory cards, ets. The bag has a variety of other little pockets.
The bag also has a rain cover to protect your bag and gear. In the south, you can never accurately predict the weather so this was important to me.
Did I mention there is also a a padded laptop compartment? Yes, there is one of those too! I don't use it much, but I can see where it would be beneficial.
Pros:
- A tripod can be attached to the middle of the backpack for carrying and easy access.
- The straps are thick and padded for comfort.
- It can be work as a left sling, a right sling, or a back pack (two straps). There is also a support strap (belt) that goes around the waist that I found to be useful when hiking to get that perfect shot.
- The bag can be easily attached to a trolly of another bag.
- The bag is lightweight and appears to be durable. It is easy to clean.
- Several compartments for easy and storage.
- The bag is easy to clean.
- The bag is black and looks professional.
- Comes with a one year waranty.
Cons:
- No place to put a luggage lock on your zippers.
- The bag is not overly comfortable once you have a laptop in the laptop compartment.
- I had troulbe fitting my flashes in the bottom compartment as I desired as they were to tall, but this was easily resolved by putting them in the top compartment.
- I have already out grown the bag ;) [Not the Bag's fault]
Specs:
- Model: DKS-20
- Price: Very Reasonable
- Laptop Compartment: 17.5w x 10h (suitable for laptops up to 15.4")
- Top Compartment: 9w x 6.5h x 6d
- Bottom Compartment: 10w x 10h x 6d
LIKES Received: 
Linear Mode
