Sling Bag & Tripod Solution

2012.07.23

A while ago, we reviewed the Think Tank Sling-O-Matic 20 and found it to be a fantastic camera sling bag. It provides an excellent compromise between a shoulder bag which keeps gear accessible and a backpack which keeps gear comfortable and well balanced.

The Sling-O-Matic design particularly moves easily from the back to the front and opens up its entire side away from the photographer which gives it the best gear access of any sling bag. Despite my liking of this particular bag, I rarely used it. Its major drawback is that it does not do well with anything but the smallest tripod. While it is possible to attach a tripod to the bag itself, doing so makes it very unbalanced. You cannot combine any sling bag with a tripod bag either.

There is a solution though. It's the Gitzo GC5330 Tripod/Monopod holder. This is a simple but very secure clip which attaches to a belt and holds a tripod or monopod parallel to its wearer and it works extremely well. Even with a tripod with ball-head and leveling base attached, it feels comfortable and relatively unencumbered.

If this sounds like a product-pitch, it is. I have no relationship with Gitzo but I bought this product from my own money three weeks ago and have been using it daily ever since, mostly in conjunction with the Think Tank Sling-O-Matic 20. This made it more comfortable to hike and carry the tripod over long distances while staying comfortable while maintaining quick access to my camera and lenses.

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