ThinkTank Sling-O-Matic Video Review:

The think tank sling -O- matic 20 is a mouthful, let me start with that!  I will say this is the most impressive sling bag I’ve tried to date, and that’s a long list (incase DLSR sling, LowePro classifieds (both sizes), Kata 3n1-30).  If you want a killer sling that’s well thought out, this is the bag for you.  Second on this list would be the incase as it’s also very well done, check out my review of it here. But the think tank is clearly the most well thought out and laid out bag of the group in terms of sling usage.

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Lets start with the good points first.  The bag itself is just about the perfect layout for a shooting bag, at least for me.  it’s a very basic rectangle with velcro all over and it comes with a TON of inserts.  I’ve actually removed 1 from the setup it ships in and there was a bag with another ~10 inserts in it with the bag.  The possibilities are endless.  But I’ve had my 5D, 7D, 24II, 10-22, 100-400 (can be on a body with the hood flipped) 24mm TS-E and my A2 in it this week along with my mic, filters, remote and all my other goodies.  No problem.  The velcro is nice and strong which means it’s a PITA to get your dividers in exactly the right spot, but once you do they’re set. The shoulder strap is very well padded and very comfortable.  The fact that it switches sides is great as my bag can get heavy after a while.  This is VERY easy to do, even if I don’t make it look that way in the video (my jacket was tied in the way).  The 2 side pockets are also great for travel.  We just flew down to Myrtle Beach 2 weekends ago and this was my carry on.  My wife got one side compartment for her reading material and the ipad went perfectly in the other side.   The bag fits perfectly under a seat as well with room to spare.  You can actually put it under length ways or side ways w/o it sticking out.  The bag also comes with the rain cover that all TT bags come with.  I doubt the bag would have an issue in the rain, but if you got caught in a downpour it’s always nice to have it.

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Now for the issues I have with the bag.  The first is that a sling will weigh you down when used on one shoulder for a long time.  Yes the fact you can reverse the strap to the other side helps significantly with the sling-o-matic, but this bag would be what I consider my perfect bag if it had the option to have 2 straps and be worn backpack style.  You could even use this bag as a shoulder bag if the sling strap was removable somehow.  I think they’re missing out on extending the sales of this bag to more people my selling it as ONLY a sling bag.  I walked 6 miles on the beach last weekend and both shoulders were pretty sore when I got home.  They do give you a nice sternum strap and waste belt setup though, but I’d prefer to see a very similar bag with a backpack setup personally.  My second biggest issue with the bag is the tripod mounting system.  The pocket will only work for very short/small tripods, with my setup only half the tripod fits in the pocket.  The straps they provide to work very well for my tripod though, so I can’t take too much away for the pocket being short, it’s the length of the bag.  Just don’t only show a tripod inside the bag in the manual though.  Another issue I’ve found with the bag is that the back material is prone to picking up dirt.  Because the bag reverses, both of the back panels will go against your back at some point.  If you set one side down in a dirty environment, it picks up dirt and it won’t brush off.  This material is comfortable, but I’m guessing my bag will pick up a lot more dirt as I use it more.

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That’s about it though.  The bag itself is awesome for holding gear and it works VERY well as a sling.  You can even wear it with one strap just over your shoulder (not over your head) as well for when you’re moving around quickly (walking out the door to the car).  I like the sling aspect a lot provided I’m not going on a long hike.  And even then, I love the easy access this bag gives me to my gear.  The tripod complaint is more in their documentation than the design as the bag does carry my legs very well with just the straps.  And I’ll live with the dirt as well, but it’s something to consider if they ever roll out a v2.0 release of this bag.  All things considered, this is easily the best sling bag I’ve used.  It’s comfortable and holds all my gear (even when doubling up for a video review) and is very configurable.  The only real question is that you need to decide if you’re a sling person or a backpack person, and I’m on the fence there myself.  I want both really.

link to bag on their site

ThinkTank Affiliate Link!

product guide .pdf

I am also a ThinkTank affiliate.  This does NOT mean I’m biased in my reviews.  In this case think tank DID supply me with this bag, but I can honestly say I was going to purchase it anyway as I’ve been looking for a good sling bag for a while now.  What this does mean is if you’re considering buying the bag, please use my ThinkTank Affiliate link. You’ll help support this site, but you’ll also get a free gift from ThinkTank for doing so, so we BOTH get something!

Make sure you check out the descriptions under the shots in the gallery:

edit/update: here’s an update with the backpack harness thinktank sells for their UD series.  I basically cut the sling strap off and put the backpack straps on.  I’ve been using it this way for 2~3 months now and it’s MUCH easier to deal with and MUCH more comfortable.  You get the same fast access and 2 straps to keep you comfortable.

12 thoughts on “ThinkTank Sling-O-Matic Video Review:”

  1. Damn Ben, I loved that informative review. Great to hear it from ‘the man on the ground’ rather than TTs designer video.
    Wanted to move forward on the backend of your review to ordering the sling 30, but the ‘affiliate link’ isn’t working!!
    Would like to move via it (affiliate link) if possible as credit goes where credit is due so to speak!!!

    Regards Une

  2. Very nice and thorough review. I think that the sling bag is designed to carry minimalist gears. To carry pro bodies, fast lenses and full size tripod, I agree that backpack will be much more comfortable.

    • Enche,
      I agree, my only question (for bag designers) is why can’t we have both? The bag portion of the sling-o-matic is great for either a light weight kit with some spare room OR a pro kit just killing the bag perfectly. With a light load the sling strap works great, and the side access is BRILLIANT, but once the load gets heavy, the sling becomes uncomfortable. If we need to switch shoulders because of that, isn’t a backpack the better solution at that point? What I’ve done is taken TT’s backpack harness and replaced the sling strap with it. Now I get this perfectly sized camera block with great side access, but I also get 2 straps. It’s much better, at least for me. I should have a full video review of this available soon.

      Ben

  3. Any updates to your backpack harness mod? I feel your pain looking for the right setup, so far still dragging my over stuffed TT UD40 around…

    • Neal, Sorry, I never posted the video review here on the blog! Wow, sorry about that. Check it out, I just updated the post above to include it at the bottom. I LOVE the backpack straps, it makes the bag significantly more comfortable.

      Good Luck!

  4. Good idea with the straps. Would it be possible to use the backpack straps and keep the sling strap (tuck away or have it hanging out the back)? I’m thinking I may want the sling sometime.

    Thanks!

    • If you strap the sling strap tight around one side, you could rig the backpack straps on the other side of the bag if you really wanted to. The issue with this is I’m using the bar at the top to attach my straps to, and if you leave the sling on there you can’t use that. I did just that for a week to test the theory and it worked, but was less than ideal. I’d do it that way if you want to use it as a sling 90% of the time, and occasionally a backpack. If you prefer the backpack route, with the straps I put on mine, you can just tuck one strap away and use the other one diagonally across your chest to mimic the sling and it works well.

  5. Hi Ben,

    I very much like your idea of converting the Sling-o-matic to a backpack and was wondering if you would mind either describing or just showing with some quick photos, the attachment points for the backpack harness. In particular, I can easily figure out what you did for the main taachment point at the top, but I was wondering exactly at where you attached the bottom two points of the harness. Thanks very much.

    Jose Cruz

    • Jose,
      There are two small loops under the bottom of the bag. Check it out and see if yours has them. I just clipped the backpack straps into those and its been fine.

      Ben

  6. Hi Ben. Really like the sling / backpack idea. I’m yet to buy the slingomatic but your concept seems to work well with what I have in mind and love the freedom to switch to a backpack.
    Just wanted to check if the sling is detachable at all, or I’ve got to cut it off for good