Kata KT DR-466 DL Camera Bag Review

What, according to you, is a perfect camera bag? A bag large enough to carry all the equipment this world has to offer? A bag slim enough to not really get noticed and perhaps carry one camera body and a prime lens attached to it, for easy access and picture taking? Or perhaps a sling back which looks stylish and performs just as well? When I started my market research for that “perfect” camera back-pack, I had my requirements crystal clear: Since I already had a large back in the shape of the Lowepro 350AW to carry most of my equipment with me, if there is any need for it, I wanted a much smaller back-pack, which would easily hold a couple of camera bodies with 2-3 additional lenses (prime/ small zooms), a Speedlite, remotes, filters, memory carsds, and if possible, my 15-inch laptop/ Apple iPad.

 

 

 

I was really impressed with the range of products that Kata manufacturers and since I’ve heard only good things about the company, I decided to give it a try. And they seem to have just such a backpack which fit my needs perfectly; the Kata DR-466-DL. It is a really compact (for a camera bag), sleek, stylish, spacious bag which satisfies all my needs perfectly. And after travelling with the bag for over a week out of town, and on a photo-assignment, I am satisfied that I made the right choice. Now, I will not really delve into the technical side of it, as to how much it weighs, or how much it sized at, but I’d love to give you an actual hands-on experience of the beautiful bag.

Size-wise, it is similar to a normal laptop backpack, and weights in a LOT lighter than my Lowepro 350AW. Weight is one of my major concerns, when I was looking out for a camera backpack, since I usually need to carry my backpack on my back/ shoulder for quite some-time while I am shooting, and the 350AW just didn’t let me do it, without hurting my back only after 30 minutes of constant carrying. But, with the DR-466 on my back, I hardly noticed it being there; this thing is just so light!  It is really easy to carry and store as well, because of its compactness.

But, please don’t think that if a bag is compact and light, it is not spacious or durable. The KT-266DL is both spacious and durable too! As you can see from the pictures below, there is a main camera carrying compartment at the lowest area of the bag which is big enough to carry two camera bodies of moderate size, and three prime lenses/ one zoom, two prime setup. In the picture below, the compartment easily fits a 5D Classic, 50mm, 85mm, and a 35mm lens along with a 400D body which is not clearly visible in the picture. It also fits in a 7D and a 24-70 2.8L lens comfortably, if I remove one prime lens from the setup. Yes, I probably cannot carry a 70-200 2.8 along with all that, but then again, for carrying my much heavier equipment, I have the 350 AW (Lowepro). This bag is solely meant to carry limited equipment, and travel light and comfortably.

 

 

 

 

Next, the two small pockets on the middle of the bag can be used to store anything, from remote flash releases to your business cards, to a note, pen, etc. while the top two compartments are big enough to hold a wallet, your cell phone, and other accessories. There is then the laptop compartment which easily fits my HCL 15-inch laptop, along with my iPad, as well as a host of filters, a Speedlite and other nitty-gritties. What has impressed me more than the space is the fact that the weight is distributed so evenly on the shoulders even after filling the bag to the brim, that I can hardly feel a thing! I am impressed!

Quality wise, there is absolutely nothing to complain. It is made of solid stuff, the zips are of high quality, and what’s more, it also comes with a all-weather cover built in right inside the bag. So, you don’t really need to take care of the cover or be apprehensive about losing it.

It’s been about 2 weeks that I have been regularly using the Kata bag, and I have only been completely satisfied. I, now use the Lowepro 350AW to store the equipment in my home and use the Kata completely, to carry my equipment on shoots. Priced at just over Rs.7,000/- (New Delhi), it is pretty steeply priced, but then again, like they say, “Quality hardly comes cheap, if ever…”

 

 

 

 

Note: Thanks to Writex India  and its Product Manager, Mr.Jasmeet Chopra who personally helped me making a decision on the kind of bag that best suited me. It is their dedicated team of professionals, who really helped me in showing different bag models from manufacturers like Kata, Manfrott, National Geographic, etc. and helped me making a wise decision. Thanks, Writex! 🙂

All For A Living…

 

It was not too long ago that I had this chance of interacting with a middle aged gentleman while I was waiting at the bus stand, to go some-place where I had to be. And I am sure I must have stuck out like a sore thumb in front of him or something. There I was, dressed in a very naive looking shirt and a dirty pair of denims faded with use and adorned with what else, but dirt and grime.The gentleman, however, seemed to be doing way better than what I was at that point of time – he was draped in the latest  threads, complete with what looked like this season’s coolest (or hottest, depending on the way you look at it!) sunglasses and shoes which seemed to gel perfectly well with the pants he was wearing on top of those sprawling estate, which I would like to believe were shoes!

He was looking at me for quite some-time, I could see. And then, all of a sudden, after almost assessing me in detail, he started exchanging pleasantries. We did exchange some “HIs” and HELLOs” and then, he threw me THE question that everyone, no-matter WHO I meet seem to ask me, what I did for a living. Just as I was about to answer that question of his, my cell phone rang and as I got it out of my pocket to see who was calling me at this hour of the day (it was almost 8:30 in the morning, a time when people generally are in a rush to reach their respective ‘jails’…Oops…Offices, is what I meant), I could see his two pair of eyes (from inside those funky sunglasses) rolled into the sight of that phone in my hands.

After I was done talking on the phone, I said – “I write, I click, I travel, and at times, I ride motorcycles. This is precisely what I do for a living, not in any particular order.” I tell it to him bluntly, almost in a hushed tone and I could see his eyes clearly lighting up, almost in amazement, or may be he thought I was bluffing; I would never know. “Oh, alright, but what do you do for a living?”, he asked me again. And as I explained to him a third time straight, he still seemed a little confused as to what “exactly” I did for a living. And by now, he was throwing those strange nervous glances all over me, and it seemed he was even murmering something strange to himself. I don’t know what his words were, the voices seemed to die down amidst the blaring horns of the passing vehicles. I reckon he didn’t get it, and I doubt he ever will. I say this, because I KNOW he didn’t really understood a word of what I said about what I did for a living, especially, in a time when, since childhood we are all groomed in such a way – be it in our homes, or schools/ colleges, we are almost led to believe that it is a sin if we do ANYTHING else but be doctors, engineers, lawyers and ofcourse a banker (how could I forget THAT one!?). If we do anything “unorthodox”, then, our life is not worth living at all. It is almost like committing a sin and not able to come out of it in any possible way!

I believe people like him just don’t understand that Photography and Motorcycling have infact kept me away from many ‘sins’ in life, if you know what I mean. If ever I am sad, I make it a point to click some pictures or may be go out traveling and all that sadness just seems to vanish away. I am sure he must have been working on some sort of number crunching to keep abreast with what he has been doing all his life, especially after he heard (crystal clear, I hope) that there CAN be a living by creating pictures and traveling all across the country too! At the end of it all, while I moved away, I could see almost a question mark on his face, with his index finger on his forehead almost closing his eyes in the process; he trying to figure out what all I just said while I, on the other hand, almost had this evil grin on my face as I disappeared onto the horizon, which, not surprisingly was filled with blaring car horns, and unending line of traffic jams…

Till next time. 🙂