You don't have to be a pro photographer to know that shoulder bags slide off your shoulder, and backpacks are hard to reach. The Lowepro SlingShot provides the advantages of both, without the disadvantages: It's a one-strap backpack, like a messenger bag, that slides from back to front when you want to change lenses or put your camera away.

The SlingShot is the most convenient camera bag I've used in the field. Buckles keep the zipper from unzipping too far and spilling the contents; a rain shell folds out from the bottom. For most users, the medium-size SlingShot 200 AW ($90 street) is just right for a camera, up to five lenses, and a flash. For me, the larger SlingShot 300 AW ($110) holds my camera and a big telephoto lens (100-to-400mm zoom). The 300 is so spacious, at 18 by 14 by 8 inches (HWD), that it would have room for a notebook if only LowePro made it an inch deeper and included a padded sleeve. (That would be the perfect bag for trade-show photo bloggers.) LowePro also offers an itty-bitty 100 AW ($70) for those who carry just a couple lenses. Color choices for all three are Henry Ford, Vatican, Rabbinical, or Tuxedo Black. Call it what you want; it's still black.

Post by Bill Howard