MADE Products CA-2001-BLK Seattle Sling Waterproof Bag (Black)

I am in the new owner category. Mine arrived yesterday.

My main goal was to get padded, waterproof protection for a Nikon D700 and 300mm f4 lens, which I commonly take with me kayaking, or anywhere else for nature photography. Those trips commonly involve rain, and nearly always dirt, sand, etc.

Anyway, when the bag arrived, I was afraid it was too small for this combination. Turns out that it fits perfectly! I can even put in a moderately sized zoom lens as well.

This will be a constant companion with me on outdoor adventures!

My only negatives so far are the magnetic closure (dangerous for hard drives), and the huge velcro on top. Nothing scares wildlife away faster than having to open velcro. There's no other way into the bag. Therefore, four stars instead of five.

This bag is one of the best made bag I have ever owned; camera or not. The construction on this bag is similar to carbon fiber and the water/sand proof internal pouch is excellent. I wish this company made a smaller bag for lighter travels.

This is an awesome bag that will protect your camerag gear when you simply have to take it out into bad weather. If it is raining, or snowing, or you are going out on the water or to the ski lodge, this is the bag to use.

It is well-constructed. The interior bag in which you place your camera gear, sort of like a bag you'd put your lunch sandwich in and which is sealed with a magnet, is sturdy and waterproof. It kind of reminded me a tarp. The full bag itself is bulky, and due to all the cushioning does not hold as much as you might think, but you can get your camera body and a couple of lenses in there without too much difficulty. And, if you are going out under the circumstances above, why would you want to take any more anyway?

The downside is that it is bulky and would wear on you if you toted it around all day. There are better alternatives for that bright, sunny day when you just want to walk around Venice or Rome and snap off some shots. But you still might want to have this bag back at the hotel, ready in case tomorrow turns out rainy and blustery but you still want to get some action shots of wave action off St. Marks Square. Even if it just rains hard on the day you happen to be leaving for a short trip, this is the bag to use. Or, yes, if you actually do trek through the Amazon rain forest or go canoeing down the Grand Canyon or something like that, you'd use this...

I once lost a good camera packed inside a case, which in turn was packed inside a duffel bag, due to a flash rain storm. Never again. You don't really need this bag until, well, you find you do.

Highly recommended for the serious photographer or anyone with expensive equipment.

Nice, well-made padded waterproof bag. The bag consists of an a sturdy padded exterior case, an removable thick sealable vinyl liner and a divided padded insert to hold your camera and lenses. The bag is well-padded and appears quite sturdy. It is designed to be worn backpack style on one shoulder and has no handle. There are straps to hold a small tripod, a velcro clasp and a few small unsealed pockets near the lid hinge. The removable liner is essentially a thick vinyl bag with a magnetic clasp and straps to hold it in place with the lip folded over to keep it sealed. The interior section is pretty standard with velcro adjustable padded dividers. The insert can easily hold a medium sized dSLR with medium sized lens attached, a telephoto (Canon 70-200 f/4L IS) and an additional lens with some room left over for a flash and some accessories. The waterproof liner can be easily removed though I'm not sure I'd trust the bag to without the linear straps holding your gear secure in the case.

Overall, this is a quality bag but not one I'd use on a daily basis in dry weather due to the inconvenience of the liner bag which slows down pulling out your camera and the lack of accessible accessory pockets. During wet or humid weather or when shooting near water, however, I can think of nowhere better to stow my gear for pure peace of mind.

Here's the deal with this bag: if you need something to carry your camera equipment in that will be easy to travel with, keep your gear relatively safe, and above all keep it DRY - this is the best thing next to a hard case with rubber gaskets. If you're looking for a light bag to use daily for walks and a quick trip somewhere and DON'T need uber-protection, go elsewhere.

The CA-2001 is heavy compared to standard sling bags. It's also pretty bulky due to the extra padding. And there are a lot of layers you need to go through to get to your gear. But those are the things that make it so great for tough environments. The good news is that it's comfortable, comes with an additional around-the-waist strap to help steady it, and your gear can be accessed easily by swinging the bag around to the front of your body, without removing it from your shoulder. The straps are fully adjustable and my wife (5'7", 115 lbs) and I (6' 1" 200 lbs) were both able set it up very comfortably.

Your gear is kept safe deep within the bag, in a three compartment padded area that is then kept withing a bright orange dry bag, which is in turn secured within the padded over-bag. There's enough room in that interior section for my SLR, a 100mm Macro lens, an external flash, and a few small additional things. You could probably get a second lens in if you didn't need space for a flash. The dry bag has clips at all four corners; when inserted into the over-bag, the two clips at the base are fed though small openings in the over-bag. After arranging your gear in the padded section, the dry bag is closed and the top is triple folded/rolled down. The ends then go around the outside of the over-bag, and clip to the clips that are fed through from the bottom of the dry bag (I hope that's clear - you can see the orange you see peeking out in the photos). A large flap closes across the entire top and is secured with a two large sections of velcro. The thing is, while the dry bag can be removed and the padded sectionals used without it, I wouldn't personally keep gear in the over-bag without the dry bag due to lack of a zipper. That makes it something I'd personally be nervous about no matter how robust the velcro (and it IS robust). However, since the orange bag is actually clipped in, should the velcro somehow open up the dry bag isn't going anyhwere, nor is it opening. Nice.

One minor quibble is that there are no exterior pockets. If I could dock it a half star for that I would, but I suppose an argument could be made that they are looking to provide maximum protection for the gear you carry; something that might not apply to things kept in external pockets.

The bottom line is that I'm reviewing this in the context something that provides excellent protection from the elements (rain, sand, dust) while allowing for some less than careful handling. And for that, this bag is the best I've found.