Reviews for Nikon D70 / D100 / D200 / D300 / D700
Review #1
This is my third cambag in a little more than six months. This is the one I’d dreamed of all along - a cambag built around the Nikon D70s with space for my flash (Sigma EF-500 DG Super Flash ) so I wouldn’t have to always drag my daypack with me. The H-12 only leaves me some space for some of the little stuff.
It is made of some solid fabric with a surface that feels tough and protective. I know a couple of professional photographers who used one of these Kata bags and they are impressed with it.
I chose this bag only after trying to put my things into it. I already had a good impression of Kata products from forum threads and a few Danish users (I believe Kata is fairly new in Denmark). Before spending some of my hard earned cash on it I wanted to make sure it fit my needs - and my gear. And it did. So I jumped at it. Here’s why:
The main compartment holds a D70S with the kit lens - and has some space to spare. It could also take the cam house with a Nikon 18-200mm DX f/3.5-5.6 VR attached.
The H-12 is narrower in the buttom than in the top, so it kinda fits the camera with its lens. But there is just enough room for the the flash or a (small) lens in the bottom.
My D70S is safe in this bag, I think. The case feels kind of stiff, yet the padding is soft and in a bright yellow colour. In front of the main compartment there is a small pocket for the flat stuff - mem cards/batteries (in an included thing Kata calls a digital organizer), LumiQuest soft screen, and such.
I was afraid the H-12 could not hold my flash unit in a side pocket. Now I have tried out the bag at the photo shop and righto! The Sigma flash can’t even be crammed in there.
The D70S and the Sigma 500 flash are crammed in the H-12 but they can be in there. Just. I place the Sigma broken as shown with the flash part to the right. It doesn’t fit the other way. The top has to “look” out at you in the right side. Put the divider on the top of the flash and insert the camera.
It just fits, nice and easy. You would think they’d actually planned it so … J
In the lid there’s a small flat room for more flat stuff. The lid is kind of rigid which is part of the sturdy and hi-quality feel there is to the two Kata products I‘ve tried (this and C-59, also reviewed here at cambags.com). But I don’t keep the LumiQust Soft Screen in the lid now. When the bag is closed, my D70S presses onto the lid and its contents, so I keep my Lumiquest Soft Screen in the front compartment (below on picture).
The two side pockets are flat and can’t contain rounds objects. This blower gets crammed tight in there. Don’t even try to put a lens in there; this is a Sigma 150mm F2.8 EX DG APO Macro HSM
The H-12 is said to be a fair protection against rain and on top of that it has a rain/sun cover. Good thing.
A very small room for the rain/sun cover on the rear side of the H-12. Not much space for fun there, but the rain cover comes in a chequered soft bag which can hang from the shoulder strap if need be.
The H-12 can be carried over/on the shoulder, on a hip belt, or in the hand. The shoulder strap is very good - shaped for the shoulder and neck and well padded for the soft skinned.
I prefer Katas ingenious rubberized non-slip strap NSS-DH which stays on the shoulder at all times. And it doesn’t tear at the neck if you carry it across your chest. It’s optional.
As with the C-59, Kata has made a mistake with the lid. Also on the H-12 the zippers can’t be opened fully when the bag is overhung on the shoulder. The buckle is in the way of the zipper.
A way to solve this problem can be to open the zippers before you need to use the camera. Only close the lid with the snap-lock in the front of the bag. Then it’s easy to get to the camera. But then there’s no dust or rain protection.
thanks to Jan Holm for review.
