When I bought my first DSLR camera (Canon Rebel XSi) I naturally bought a carrying case for it – those things are not meant to be carried in your pocket. I was very happy with my first camera bag – it was big enough to hold my camera and a couple of other items, but it was still small enough to be unobtrusively carried around to almost any location. However, with time I started acquiring more and more accessories and lenses, and soon enough my little bag was bursting with all the stuff that I had jammed into it. I’ve been looking for a suitable upgrade for it for a while, and I find that Case Logic DCB-308 SLR Camera Sling perfectly fits my current needs. The sling is much larger than an over the shoulder bag, but not quite as big as a backpack. It is packed with features, some of which I’ll outline below.

The sling-strap that will keep your sling on your back is very strong, sturdy, and comfortable. At first I was a bit concerned about having a single strap instead of the usual two on a backpack, but in terms of comfort and the sturdiness I didn’t notice that any compromises had been made. The strap is really wide and nicely padded so the whole sling rests comfortably on your back. The strap makes it also possible to take your sling off more easily – you can accomplish this by just unbuckling the front of the strap. In addition, the strap setup allows you to bring your sling from your back to your front without taking it off just by swinging it around your upper body. The front position is actually incredibly convenient if you are changing your lenses on some outdoor location. I usually find myself fumbling with my lenses and looking for a place to put both the lens and the camera bag down while making the switch. This can be very inconvenient. Having the whole camera bag in front of you in a very sturdy position makes this whole procedure incredibly easy to pull off.

The main compartment can hold a DSL camera with an attached lens, plus two more lenses, a lens and a flash, or a similar configuration. The various subdivisions are adjustable and you can configure this compartment in a myriad of different ways. You can also use a compartment at the top of your sling to place another lens, but this is not particularly convenient. So if you need to take more than two additional lenses with you, or are using two DSL cameras for your fieldwork, this sling may turn out to be a bit cramped.

I wish that there were a compartment that could hold a small laptop or a netbook, as these could be useful when you are traveling. I was able to fit my Acer Aspire into the capacious front pocket, but it was a very snug fit and I don’t think that it’s a good idea to carry your computer in front of your backpack or a sling, even the one that is remarkably well padded.

The sling has two handles: one at the top and one on the side. This helps you can carry it in your hand in several different ways.

There are several smaller pockets that can be used for various camera or traveling accessories. There is a side pocket with a strap at the top, which is meant for a tripod. I have a not-too-large tripod and I would be hard pressed to fit it into this pocket. However, a monopod would almost certainly fit, as would a smaller tripod.

Inside of the top pocket there is a small “raincoat” for your sling. This could come in handy in a case when you get caught in a downpour, but I would not use it to plan a trip to a rainforest.

The overall make of this sling is great. It is built out of very sturdy and durable materials, and I suspect it will last me a really long time. Or at least until I acquire even more lenses and camera accessories than what I currently own.