The Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large is designed to fit a digital SLR camera with grip and a long-range zoom lens attached, 5-6 extra lenses and accessories. It uses TST RIB structural protection for the equipment. The pack has three carrying options in one; changing from sling to "X" position to backpack and back again. It is fast and easy by using the quick release buckles. The bottom main compartment of the pack holds equipment and uses the modular dividers to custom fit the bag. The large top compartment will hold personal gear or additional gear, and it has internal pockets and a MP3 player pouch.
Two external zippered pockets allow quick access to accessories without opening the main compartments. In sling position, the bag easily swings around from back to front to achieve quick draw access to the main camera and extras lenses. In backpack position and "X" position, the equipment can be comfortably carried for long distances. The included chest belt and balancing hip strap helps take the load of heavy equipment off the shoulders. The included rain cover folds neatly away into an integrated pocket and can be hung out to dry on the small buckle next to the handle, or tucked away for storage in one of the pockets.
| Material |
Exterior: Reinforced Nycore grid fabric Interior: TST rib structures protection Interior: Yelloop and smooth lining Interior: EVA + PE closed cell foam |
| Type of Closure |
Zippers Buckles |
| Exterior Dimensions | 12.6 x 7.5 x 17.7" (32.0 x 19.0 x 45.0 cm) (LxWxH) |
| Interior Dimensions | Main compartment: 11.6 x 6.3 x 11.8" (29.5 x 16.0 x 30 0 cm) (LxWxH) |
| Tripod Holder | No |
| Waist Belt | Hip strap |
| Accommodates | Digital SLR camera with a mid-range zoom lens attached, 5-6 extra lenses and accessories |
| Carrying/Transport Options |
Shoulder strap Chest strap Hip belt |
| Weight | 3.5 lb (1.5 kg) |
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Most Liked Positive Review
Overall Excellent Photo Backpack/Sling
I needed a backpack bag that would hold my Nikon D300 with the Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 VR zoom attached. My vetted choices came down to either the Lowepro Slingshot 300 or the new Kata...Read complete review
I needed a backpack bag that would hold my Nikon D300 with the Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 VR zoom attached. My vetted choices came down to either the Lowepro Slingshot 300 or the new Kata 3N1-30. Both are very large bags, and while there were others worthy of consideration, these two were at the top of my budget range.
The Lowepro is a nice bag (my brother owns one and loves it), however, I gave the nod to the Kata for a couple of reasons. I like the yellow interior - very easy to find small parts even in low light. I like the flexibility of converting it from a sling to backpack. Finally, I personally like the styling better than the Lowepro (which is functional but homely). The Kata, in my opinion, doesn't scream "camera bag" quite as much as the Lowepro.
The Kata is generally well designed and exceptional quality. The interior dividers are configurable to the user's specific needs, access is flexible providing for easy swing around "quick draw" as well as through the traditional rear flap. Initial configuration was a little cumbersome due to the restricted ability to fully open the rear flap. This limits easy access to the uppermost compartments, but once I figured out how to fit everything inside it was fine. There is ample room in this bag for a large SLR with lenses and attachments. My D300 with both MB-D10 and the 70-200 attached fit snugly in the horizontal position. However, finding an additional spot for my 17-55 f2.8 was a little more challenging. (Note these are both relatively large lenses with even larger hoods). I still have room for my flash and another small lens or accessory, but that's about it for the main compartment in my case. There is an additional compartment in the top for other stuff (flash cards, batteries, charger, lunch, etc). The extra straps for converting to a full backpack tuck neatly out of sight. The pack is very comfortable to carry, even with a heavy load.
Pros: Overall design is good (with exceptions noted below) and the quality of construction is excellent . Very manageable and comfortable to use. Very spacious and flexible for varying needs.
Cons: I would really like for it to have some means of attaching a tripod or monopod (something the Lowepro omits as well). For a pack of this size, that seems to me to be a reasonable expectation. Also note there is no compartment for a laptop - not important to me, but perhaps for others. My biggest gripe is the inability to just lay the thing out fully open on its back (note the product photo - that's as far as that rear flap opens). It makes configuring the compartment dividers very awkward.
Acknowledging those limitations and the fact that no camera bag is perfect, the 3N1-30 or one of the two smaller versions should impress you. You'll be hard pressed to find a better pack in this price range.
Bottom line: I'm happy with my decision to purchase this pack over the Lowepro and highly recommend it. I'm only giving it 4 stars for the omission of a tripod/monopod attachment and the awkward main compartment access. Despite those caveats, this is an excellent, albeit not perfect, large camera backpack.
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Most Liked Negative Review
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This is my 4th Kata Bag, I have a HB-207 that is the best bag I ever owned, a DR-467 which is a great Day Shooter pack, and a small shoulder bag...Read complete review
This is my 4th Kata Bag, I have a HB-207 that is the best bag I ever owned, a DR-467 which is a great Day Shooter pack, and a small shoulder bag for when I have An SLR at the beach... Quality and design have always been top notch with Kata. I needed larger then my DR-467 with no laptop pocket and enough room for 2 bodies and about 5 lenses (one telephoto). This bag seemed perfect.
I thought the concept of sling and backpack with the crossover would
work great.
First problem:
If your much over 5'9" and 240 Lb... this bag will not fit... the waist strap is only about 38" the Shoulder straps are too narrow for a bag designed to carry this much stuff. Also conveniences I am used to with Kata bags are absent. No D-Rings on the straps. No top shoulder adjustments.
Loaded this bag is really not comfortable, and can be downright painful for hikes past the corner store.
Second problem. Adjustable internal pads are a bit thin, and the spacing
doesn't accommodate pro lenses - The image of the camera with the telephoto and 4 lenses is not reliable, it's canon's f/4 lenses not f/2.8.
Lastly: the sling is too short for someone my height (6'1"). When the bag is pivoted to the front position even with the strap at full length the opening is at mid chest height and it's difficult to get the 2 zippers open.
On the good side it does make a platform to rest the camera on. between shots.
Given that I opened and used the bag for testing I feel I can't honestly return it. And I wouldn't saddle a friend with the problems of this bag.
so I'll have to eat the cost and make do with my well loved other two
Kata bags
I hope this in not a sign of future releases from Kata....
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
Most of photography is done while walking about though small towns, city streets as well as the wilderness. In all instances I want to travel with what I need and have it easy to get at. For the 3 in 1 sling backpack (Large) does the job. It holds Canon 7D with Canon Battery grip, Canon 70-200 L with lens shade attached in shooting position. Quickly accessible through the side. Also in the back Canon 17-40 L, Canon 530 flash, Canon 60mm Macro, Canon 5D and Canon 400L. Plus cables, batteries, filters, cards, a set of collapsible reflectors, rain coat and other odds and ends. This bag is small but with some carefull arranging it fits a lot!.
Comfort is very good on short and long walks of ten miles or more. Nice for roaming city streets also. Best part it really does not scream camera bag at you.
I never carry water bottles inside a bag. I attack two with D rings to the outside. If you use a Ipad that will fit in the top compartment at a slight angle.
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
Its hard finding the right bag, as each person is different. For me, i was looking for a sling style backpack that can access my camera from the side. I also wanted to be able to carry couple lens and small accessories. This bag fit the bill in my case. It is nice and padded, and the dividers are easy to configure. I even had room to stick a lite weight rain coat. I also got the accessory to attach a tripod. With these attachment, its not easy to access the front flap with out removing the tripod accessory.
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
I pack a Mamiya RB67 with a 127mm lens attached, a Canon A-1 with 50mm attached and 1x 28mm lens, 205mm zoom lens. In addition I also pack a Digisix light meter, 15+ rolls of 120 film, the Kata weather-cover, a multi-tool, spare parts and caps, cleaning supplies, pens/pencils/markers, all booklets and information sheets on my equipment, 2x journals and spare padding to reconfigure the interior whenever i need. My wife has the Medium which holds, comfortably, a digital camera body+ standard lens, as well as a zoom lens and an additional film camera body+lens+wide angle lens. It will also carry whatever accessories i listed above.
Keep in mind -- the more equipment you pack the heavier the bag will be.
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
I love to travel and hike with my gear and this bag gives me the best of everything. Perfect as a sling, great as a backpack, convenient to toss in the car just in case an opportunity pops up. So Versatile! Tons of room but not bulky, very nicely made with lots of storage options. Well thought out Kata!
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
Easy, Quick access. Comfortable
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
I reviewed a few bags before deciding. I chose carefully as I recieved a gift card from my younger brother for my birthday. I was wanting a bag for some time and never had the money to get one. so with the 75.00 gift-card...I literally cried tears, was soooo excited!!! Chose this bag as it was everything I was looking for all in one. I have a disc issue in my neck so the "multi use" straps are perfect. There is also room for me to grow with it. Now I am waiting for my rebate so I can get the tripod holder to go withit... One day I will be able to get my macro lens I so wish and dream of. I would change nothing. I took it on a day trip and that was the only bag I needed. I took everything (water, snacks, phone, etc.) and it didn't kill my neck. If I got tired I moved the straps and went on. I love this bag, and thank you to my brother Bob for the greatest gift ever!!! If I ever win the lottery...I am spending evey dime on photo equipment...After the grandkids school fund. Thank you
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
Finally I had the one Bag I could take it on Hiking with all my extras - no more selections!!!!.
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
Very good bag has plenty of room to accommodate my Nikon D90 and four lenses plus a flash and a lot of accessories. The top compartment is great for the spill over that doesn't fit in the bottom half of the bag. The carrying options are all pretty comfortable and stable, although this bag took some getting used to, I love it now.
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
I'm a pro photographer and use my bag daily. It much better than the last..with the side pockets to access my cams easily without opening the entire bag, its great on shoots and shooting on the fly. Totally comfortable on long hikes. Great back strap for support. Wright is distributed perfectly and doesn't feel as heavy as it should..LOVE DA BAG!!!
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
Strong construction very well made, easy access to camera, slightly harder to pull out extra lenses, a bit too big for my Kr + 2 lenses. Its heavy as well.
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
This bag is going to be great for hiking, I haven't used it for that quite yet. Access into the bag could be simple if your just retrieving the camera with whatever lense is attached, but a little bit more complicated when you would like to exchange lenses. The extra compartment for other personal gear isn't as large as I would have liked. It seems like such a large bag but at the same time not big enough.
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
This product is remarkably well made. I like the way some of the zippers are protected behind clips so to avoid having something slipped out of the pack. Compartments are easily divided and hold more weight than I am willing to carry.
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
The bag is easily accessed while having the bag over the right or left shoulder. Just shift it around to the front, undo an easy clip, pull a side corner back and grab your camera! Great for travel.
Carries a body and 3-4 lens and accessories.
PLEASE consider this bag seriously when looking for convenience and accessibility!
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
Roomy and strong construction. Zippers feel good. Thick strap bindings with metal rings. I do a lot of backpacking and I personally found the bag to be very comfortable over the course of a long trip.
Straps are pretty well padded but if you want super plush padding you may want to pick up a pair of sheepskin seatbelt pads to add a little more plush to them.
I'm 6'1" and 38" waist 40" chest and find that this bag fits very well. I was worried at first from reading other reviews that this bag might not fit but after receiving this bag I was astonished at how much room I had left. I'd imagine that someone with up to a 48"-50" waist could use the waist support, and the shoulder straps still have another 8-10" left to come out.
Super roomy. A little boxy in size (you could compare this to bag to a fully loaded large Jansport bag; 2 bigger pockets with several front pockets) to see how it fits on your back top to bottom wise. I was easily able to fit all my gear plus some in the bag.
Canon XSI w/ 55-250 lens mounted and battery grip.
50mm 1.8 mk II
18-55mm
Canon sx10is
Speedlite flash
5x EP5 batteries
Canon charger
Small solar charger
Light northface jacket rolled fits well in the top compartment with room to spare.
There's still plenty of room to go around!!!! Top compartment is super roomy for extra stuff. With the 55-250 mounted there's still a good 3+ inches to go, so if you've got longer glass that should give you a good idea of what will fit.
Overall I don't think I'll ever need another bag.
My only two complaints would be why didn't they build the rain gear into the bag? I've had so many backpacks that have a rain gear stow pocket, and there's plenty of room on this bag to have done that somewhere. Moderately difficult first setup for lower compartment just because of their zipper design but definitely should in no way sway your decision to pick this bag up.
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
After looking for a camera backpack for a long time, I finally found one that I think is almost perfect.
I was looking at Crumpler Sinking Barge Deluxe, but it is just too big. This bag fits a lot of equipments without being obnoxious.
I was able to fit in my D700 with Nikon 300mm F4 attached.
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
Seams to be a good build with care for detail.
Just might be a little to small for longer trips, depending on your needs of course, but sweet for daily use.
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
I have used many bags, and this one is by far my favorite. I have used it for 3 weeks now as a walk-around/hiking day bag.
I have read some criticisms of it, but I just can't agree with any of them.
First: it is roomy, provided that I don't try to put every body and lens I own in it. This bag is supposed to be a day pack for wearing while on the move. It is not intended for hauling loads of gear. Still, I can carry an SLR w/grip, a 24mm, 50mm, and 105mm lens with comfort - including accessories. If I use the top compartment for gear instead of personal effects, I can carry a 2nd SLR body w/grip or another large lens. I pick my kit for the day, pack, and go. That's what this bag is for.
Second: Comfort. This bag is very comfortable as a sling bag - again - provided I don't try to carry everything I own. If I just put a shoulder strap over one shoulder as you see many people do with standard backpacks, then - yes - it does not stay against my back and flops around. Again, this is not the way it is designed to be used. If I slip one arm and my head up and THROUGH a shoulder strap as they show on the KATA website, then it is very comfortable and stays nice and flat against my back. There is also a waist strap to help with this even more, but I only use it if I am done shooting for a while. I also have no problem moving the bag around to my front from the sling position to pull out gear - even when wearing a moderate winter coat.
Third: Accessibility of gear. Yes, it is not as fast to pull a main camera out as it is just having a camera on a shoulder strap. Again, though, that is not the idea of this bag. It is to store safely/pull and shoot/restore again as you move around. I also don't find the zippers and clips clumbsy, and they are designed to help avoid gear falling out of a compartment. The plastic clips are also smartly covered with rubber bumpers so that they don't crack and break if they get banged. I have had those platic clips break on other bags, and that makes a bag pretty much unusable.
Fourth: The inside of this bag - like all KATA bags - is YELLOW. Yes!!! No more "disappearing" small items in the bottom of a black-lined bag.
Other Nice Things: A rain cover; a velcro de-tachable memory card/accessory holder; a slot for slipping the bag over the handle of a roller suitcase; an roller cart option; a tripod loop and optional tripod holder. It also does not scream "I have expensive photo gear inside".
It does not hold a laptop. Some might consider this a con, but after owning a couple of photo bags that do, I didn't want that anymore. In my experience, it makes any bag too heavy and uncomfortable, and becomes wasted compartment and wasted space when you don't carry your laptop.
There is no bag that does everything well, but for what this bag is designed to do, it is as good as it gets.
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
I ordered this backpack to carry my camera and 3 lenses. In the demo it claims that it can handle a DSLR camera, with up to 70-200 lens detached. You can never put these gears together in this small compartment. The top section comes with quite larger space than needed.
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
Fits my D700 with 24-70mm attached easily with room to access my SB900. Would like just a little more room to access things in the "quick access" pocket, so I can store my 70-200mm there instead of in a less accessible space. Overall, though, user friendly. I feel safe with my equipment stored in it!
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Comments about Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack, Large:
Recently took this bag on a trip and it held my 1d with 70-200 2.8 attached plus extra battery, 24-70 L, another lens and flash. The top part held a lot of other stuff. It's an awesome bag. Some may not like how square it looks but I don't mind.
Two thing to note, the bag was pretty heavy with all my gear inside and worked great as a backpack but the sling function was just uncomfortable with all that weight. Also, on the plane, the bag barely fit under the seat and I found myself hiding how far it was shooting out from the flight attendants. I refused to put the bag in the overhead but it would have made for a much more comfortable flight.
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