Vivitar DKS-25 Photo SLR Camera Laptop Sling Backpack - Large, Black

My old KATA bag got stolen, and I got this bag. It has the same basic idea of the design, and is built relatively well. For it's price it's definitely better than the "new and improved" KATA 3-in-1 line, which turned out to be a huge disappointment. The only reason I could not use this bag and returned it is because I use a battery grip on my Canon 6D. The side opening is just a bit too small to get the camera out easily. However, if you use no battery grip, or use a smaller body (Rebel series or 60D) - it would be great. It will fit a camera with the attached 70-200, couple of extra lenses, a flash or a second body, and still has a sizable top compartment for small items, bottle of water, or even a light jacket or sweater. Fantastic value for the price!

When I first got this backpack, I loved it. It's the perfect size and, for the price, you get a good deal of space and features. Sadly, the quality is sub-par. After less than six months of use (received this as a gift from my wife for Xmas), the stitching on shoulder straps (particularly the right one) has been ripped from top of the bag and are hanging on for dear life by but a few threads - rendering it useless with my more than $3k worth of gear. I will admit, I shoot and use my equipment quite regularly, removing the backpack frequently to grab gear as necessary. And, I pack my bags full, using every compartment - which one would think the backpack was designed to withstand. Again, for moderate users who don't plan on filling the bag with gear (and thus weighing it down) - it may be sufficient but why bother? If you're not going to fill the bag with gear, then bring along a smaller, lighter backpack. Again, while the bag was fantastic when first purchased, it has failed miserably from a quality of construction standpoint. Take my advice, pass on this one.

Update: It has now been over 6 years since I bought this backpack! I'm finally ready to buy a new bag, but this thing held up wonderfully. I'd have never expected a $50 camera bag to last this long with nearly daily use. Let me tell you what broke, and why I'm looking at other options, but before I do I should clarify that this is still a five-star product due to how long it lasted. Failure points: The fabric dividers have started coming apart. The stitching holding them together simply couldn't take any more abuse. I've dealt with this for a few months, but the final straw was the zipper breaking on one of the side access flaps. Design flaws: 1. The straps have WAY too much length to them, and not enough options to retain excess material, meaning my bag has always been covered in hanging strap excess. You could tape things up, but that would only be putting a band-aid on the problem. 2. The divider pads are too soft, and they give way very easily. Often my equipment would end up jumbled, at least after the first few years of use. 3. The shape of the top zipper enclosure is just silly. The way that it flairs out makes it floppy and annoying to deal with one-handed. 4. The top compartment has inadequate pockets for keeping items organized. It just wound up as a jumbled mess in the end. 5. Some of the outside (side) pockets are uselessly small 6. The tripod holding system is junk. I wouldn't keep a $10 monopod on there. With all that said, it has survived to this day. If I can't find something else with the convinient quick-access side and similar size, I'll probably just buy another one of these. Original Review: I've had the Vivitar for over three years now. I am a professional photographer (or at least, people pay me to take pictures and it is my only revenue stream) and this bag goes to every shoot. I've only now started to see some wear and breakdown, which is a damn long service life for such an inexpensive bag. About the bag: I can carry a 5D MK3 (with or without grip) along with my flash, a 70-200 L and two normal sized lenses (a 20mm and a 17-40). I also carry 6 batteries, extra memory cards, a laser tape measure and lots of odds and ends. I can even stick a good sized tablet or small laptop in the provided pouch. The big selling point for me with this bag is how you can sling it sideways on your front and pull your camera right out, ready to shoot. The top access works great when you use it like a normal bag and set it on a table to switch lenses. Pros: +Strong handles and straps. They're all still in place and working +Comes with a rain cover that doesn't cover the straps, so you can keep on trekking +Plenty of little pockets and spaces for various things, including zipper closed netting pouches in the top segment +Tough enough for regular use. I wouldn't take it on lots and lots of outdoor shoots, but if you shoot indoors, it stands the test of time +Small and compact enough to not look like a paratrooper when you're walking around +Good strong zippers, no problems there! All the zipper pulls are still intact too +Comfortable Cons: -The dividers are flimsy, as with all other camera bags I've used. They still work though -The monopod/tripod holder is only good for small, light units. It won't carry anything I own. The strap for it also has little resistance, allowing it to come lose. -Because there are three sides you can open, sometimes I would forget and leave one open, though somehow none of my gear has fallen out yet. I know this just sounds like me being an idiot, but if you do this work day in and day out, you're bound to forget some time. Summery: If you need a relatively cheap bag that doesn't carry a whole bunch of lenses and you don't shoot professionally outdoors, this bag will probably work for you. If you are a hobbyist of any kind, this thing might last you a decade.

When I received the bag I was actually surprised at its size.. It is a fairly medium to large sized pack(almost school book bag sized..not as wide)..I'm 5'11" and it's not huge, but not too small and female looking(on a man). The reviews discussing the interior materials and Velcro quality are VERY true as far as plan your positioning and use your fingers to separate the velcro( so to relieve the pressure of tearing)... Mine did tear a bit and the nylon is tough to repair.. But it is what it is... I sewed it up as best I could, put it where it's gonna stay, you aren't gonna see it! and on with life! Exterior quality seems to be fine.. I know other reviews mention zipper issues.. I have not had any as of yet! Used a few times in and out-doors(cold weather). Will keep you posted as to in the future. As for capacity... It will hold some gear! If you have 8 lenses and diffuser screens and multiple slave flashes a camcorder, 6 p.&s cameras, etc.. NOT what your lookin for!! I have my T3i w/ 18-55mm attached, 75-300mm( can also fit mounted), filters, batteries, chargers, various cords, hoods...and have room for a point & shoot and my handycam in the bottom...top enough space for a lunch or rain poncho and some trinkets( your not going out for a 3 day camp with just this!!). For a day at the park, or at a venue ..Perfect..maybe a tad bulky but..all-in-all.. CONCLUSION: For $50...it gives you the size, ability, and style of the KATA, Tamrac,etc at a 1/3 of the cost.. If your a professional(getting paid for your shots, and traveling 340 days for it)..you don't need or wouldn't be looking at this bag!!.. If your going a vacations, and taking the family to the theme park or day hikes/bikes then, this is a GOOD BUY!!! Yes you may have to fix an issue or two, you will probably customize it, and you will be able to determine if it is comfortable as a sling or not..for me.. Long hours of wear(backpack mode), an hour or two(sling is fine) yes, the padding is a bit funky for sling but I found that I can adjust it so it doesn't rub my neck..look as I said.. It's a backpack with options..which is why we are all looking at it!! And like me this is the 100th review you have read and have narrowed down your 2 or 3 choices and makers... I chose this one and I am satisfied completely with cost and above cost quality..should last for a while and do what I need it to! Hope this helps all those like me who obsess over research, products and manufacturers, etc...before buying.. But then again "to each his own.."

The Good: This item is cheap. Backpack has a lot of storage. *THIS BACKPACK IS VERY COMFORTABLE to wear*. All straps are easy to pull(for loosening and tightening. Backpack is a very comfortable size. The Bad: This is important to read: there are NOT enough dividers in this backpack to perfectly layout your setup. I was so very disappointed in this, because ease of organizing your gear is CRUCIAL! This backpack has so much storage space, but with the difficulty of organizing, you can't use all of it! Also, the velcro that lines the walls to customize your layout is not all over the interior perimeter, which makes it very difficult to place a wall exactly where you cant it. I combined all of the dividers from my previous Amazon pack with this one, and still did not have enough to make my layout perfect. Also, the interior does seem a little thin on the padding. I'm not so sure this backpack can effectively keep your gear cushioned, but we should never be throwing our backpacks to the ground anyways I guess. The Verdict: This is a great product. Please don't let the huge wall of text in,"The Bad" get me wrong. There is a lot to love here. If you are planning on upgrading from an Amazon Basics bag for more comfort and capacity, THIS IS A GREAT LOW COST CHOICE! With the divider trouble though, you're going to have to do some work (and using old dividers) to get your setup right. I really hope Vivitar is kicking themselves in the pants for skimping on the dividers.

I’ve been using this camera backpack for years. It has held up incredibly well through constant use and protected my equipment wonderfully. I am constantly surprised by how much stuff I can cram into it, even though at first glance it doesn’t look like a ton of space - it actually has tons of storage.

I purchased this item and found it to be a bit bulky. Because of that, the sling option was very uncomfortable, it was okay as a backpack, but not as a sling. The bag might also prove to be a problem if you're apt to shove it under the airline seat in front of you. So, I decided to return it ASAP. I was told by the company - Stereo Advantage - that I would would have to cover the return shipping costs because it was no fault of theirs that I was unhappy. Well, ummm, okay. I agreed, although this is the first time I had to cover that expense since shopping on-line. That cost was $7.32 Then I got my refund notice, they also hit my credit card for the "free" shipping I received when it was sent out. This must have been in the fine print somewhere. That amount, for some reason (keep in mind that I accepted the free ground shipping option), was almost twice as much: $13.24 The grand total for returning this item was $20.56 - If I had known this, I would have kept it, to either give away or sell at a cheap price and give someone a deal. In this day an age, where the competition is steep for my on-line dollar, Stereo Advantage will not be receiving one more cent from me. Be cautious when purchasing this item from Stereo Advantage, for returning it, if you are not happy with it, will make you even more unhappy. Please note, camera backpacks are one of the most frequently returned items. My source for that was a camera department sales rep at B&H. Stereo Advantage - Return Scam Artists

I loved the bag, even though it was really too big for me--designed of men, I think--but then the zipper failed on one side of the back pouch (the one for the computer) after only a few weeks of use. I was able to return it for credit.