Retrospective or Peak Design Sling?

I thought I've made up my mind, but I am having doubts. Have to make a decision this week.

If I can only keep one, should it be Retrospective 7 or Peak Design Sling? Sort of like the looks of both. Peak Design is more modern. Retro 7 is a bit more roomy.

I mainly shoot Sony now, but still have a Pen E-PL6 kit.

Share your thoughts please?

jor23 wrote:

I thought I've made up my mind, but I am having doubts. Have to make a decision this week.

If I can only keep one, should it be Retrospective 7 or Peak Design Sling? Sort of like the looks of both. Peak Design is more modern. Retro 7 is a bit more roomy.

I mainly shoot Sony now, but still have a Pen E-PL6 kit.

Share your thoughts please?

Flip a coin?

Better yet…

Eeny meeny miney moe.

Catch a monkey by the toe.

If he hollers let him go.

Out goes Y. O. U.

😜

valsan wrote:

jor23 wrote:

we are trying to deal with a serious issue here ...

Tenba then,

Funny you should say that... I'd vote for the Peak Sling, simply because I vastly prefer slings that hug my body closer than messenger style bags that swing about more, but then I'd be a hypocrite since I do have a Tenba Cooper Slim 13 sitting mostly unused in my closet (got it on sale for $99, knew I wouldn't use it a ton but it's the most appealing messenger style bag I've seen so I still bit on it).

I'm mostly using a ThinkTank Turnstyle 10 right now and will likely try the Peak Sling soon. Not trying to purposely collect bags or anything mind you, if I like the Sling I'll keep the TT as my beater/outdoor bag... Still trying to find a frequent use purpose that justifies the Tenba tho! Let's not talk about the half a dozen waist packs I also own/use...

I don't know the Peak Design, but I like my Retrospective 5. Changing lenses is very easy with this style of bag. The 7 I looked at recently as bringing the 100-400 with me on holiday as going to a couple of air shows, but was just too big for day-to-day carry. As I was unlikely to be using the 100-400 regularly when out and about I got another solution for luggage.

Depends on how much you carry. I guess the Sony stuff is significantly bigger?

jor23 wrote:

I thought I've made up my mind, but I am having doubts. Have to make a decision this week.

If I can only keep one, should it be Retrospective 7 or Peak Design Sling? Sort of like the looks of both. Peak Design is more modern. Retro 7 is a bit more roomy.

I mainly shoot Sony now, but still have a Pen E-PL6 kit.

Share your thoughts please?

I find the Peak Design Sling very versatile. I often where it more like a messenger style bag. I also like the divider system. It has become my every day bag for my E-M1, 12-40, 40-150 Pro, and good sized flash. It holds those items well, along with 2 spare batteries, small pop up flash, cable release, straps, 1.4 teleconverter, and other items.

That said, if I were using mostly smaller lenses and a smaller body, I might find the interior too open. I probably wouldn't like it for my E-P5 and a set of 4 or 5 primes.

jor23 wrote:

It's very deep. Could stack three small primes. They'd be rolling a lot in the bag.

Try some separate lens cases. They're great for managing stuff and give you the ability to use ANY bag for lugging your gear.

The smallest LowePro (8cm x 6cm?) and the next size up handle most M4/3 lenses nicely.

I prefer sling bags because they carry better and are more accessible than purse/messenger style bags. I'll often attach one lens case to the strap for easy lens access and quick lens changing.

I also use a Mountainsmith Zoom S to carry two lenses or a camera + pancake prime or short zoom. I usually carry a couple of Voigtländers in one… 17.5mm and 42.5mm.

Mountainsmith Zoom S with 7-14mm + 14-140mm I

Patagonia Sleath Atom Sling for flyfishing'

My current bag

jor23 wrote:

It's very deep. Could stack three small primes. They'd be rolling a lot in the bag.

That was my point. I could see using glued lens end caps to keep two lenses together.

Currently, I use the Everyday Sling for just the larger body and lenses. I use a mirrorless mover 20 for my smaller setup.

rsmithgi wrote:

jor23 wrote:

It's very deep. Could stack three small primes. They'd be rolling a lot in the bag.

That was my point. I could see using glued lens end caps to keep two lenses together.

Currently, I use the Everyday Sling for just the larger body and lenses. I use a mirrorless mover 20 for my smaller setup.

I'm trying to think of a way that would be a bit more elegant... Specially for three lenses, I stack two sometimes on my ThinkTank TurnStyle and it works okay, I wanna try the Peak Sling but a stack 3 lenses high would be kludgey. At times I've velcro'd a rear cap to the inner side wall of my TurnStyle for quicker access to that top lens (while the bottom is protected/separated by a neoprene pouch). Hard to work out something more convenient without the bag on hand tho.

Is it mainly the depth or would the third compartment (assuming the other two are sized/adjusted for bodies) also still loose laterally? If it's just depth I'd probably just do a neoprene pouch for the bottom lens then a two lens cap stack above it. Hmm, maybe some sorta bracket with rear caps attached to it pointing sideways tho, like a mini lens spice rack, just pull up and pick one. Wouldn't even need sub dividers between them if it's solid enough, tho it couldn't hurt.

I've used the Peak Sling for the past 5 months. Holds all the equpment in my profile, plus extra battery, small sony mic and wireless timer/receiver. Also, when in use, I keep my cell phone (iPhone 6+) in the side pocket. I find it very versitle, well made, balanced weight, and highly water resistant. Also, it's quite easy to get to my gear when making lens changes etc. Highly recommend!

Impulses wrote:

rsmithgi wrote:

jor23 wrote:

It's very deep. Could stack three small primes. They'd be rolling a lot in the bag.

That was my point. I could see using glued lens end caps to keep two lenses together.

Currently, I use the Everyday Sling for just the larger body and lenses. I use a mirrorless mover 20 for my smaller setup.

I'm trying to think of a way that would be a bit more elegant... Specially for three lenses, I stack two sometimes on my ThinkTank TurnStyle and it works okay, I wanna try the Peak Sling but a stack 3 lenses high would be kludgey. At times I've velcro'd a rear cap to the inner side wall of my TurnStyle for quicker access to that top lens (while the bottom is protected/separated by a neoprene pouch). Hard to work out something more convenient without the bag on hand tho.

Is it mainly the depth or would the third compartment (assuming the other two are sized/adjusted for bodies) also still loose laterally? If it's just depth I'd probably just do a neoprene pouch for the bottom lens then a two lens cap stack above it. Hmm, maybe some sorta bracket with rear caps attached to it pointing sideways tho, like a mini lens spice rack, just pull up and pick one. Wouldn't even need sub dividers between them if it's solid enough, tho it couldn't hurt.

I find it quite loose laterally for the small diameter lenses. Here is the bag packed with E-M1 w/12-40 attached, 40-150 Pro, and 25mm & 45 mm in the third compartment.

Here is a closeup of the third compartment.

As you can see, there is plenty of space for the lens to bounce around. Folding the divider down with prevent the two lenses from basking together but will not stop the top lens from bouncing around.

On the plus side, I usually have a large flash in that spot. Makes a nice compact package with the two lenses and flash. I have not tried to pack more into it because it is very easy to access gear when it is not over stuffed. It is quite rigid and getting at gear is very easy. I also sometimes remove the divider on the left (or fold it down) and put the E-M1 with 40-150 attached.

I have used the third spot for folded on ear head phones, water bottle, and E-P5 with 17mm F1.8 attached.

rsmithgi wrote:

Impulses wrote:

rsmithgi wrote:

jor23 wrote:

It's very deep. Could stack three small primes. They'd be rolling a lot in the bag.

That was my point. I could see using glued lens end caps to keep two lenses together.

Currently, I use the Everyday Sling for just the larger body and lenses. I use a mirrorless mover 20 for my smaller setup.

I'm trying to think of a way that would be a bit more elegant... Specially for three lenses, I stack two sometimes on my ThinkTank TurnStyle and it works okay, I wanna try the Peak Sling but a stack 3 lenses high would be kludgey. At times I've velcro'd a rear cap to the inner side wall of my TurnStyle for quicker access to that top lens (while the bottom is protected/separated by a neoprene pouch). Hard to work out something more convenient without the bag on hand tho.

Is it mainly the depth or would the third compartment (assuming the other two are sized/adjusted for bodies) also still loose laterally? If it's just depth I'd probably just do a neoprene pouch for the bottom lens then a two lens cap stack above it. Hmm, maybe some sorta bracket with rear caps attached to it pointing sideways tho, like a mini lens spice rack, just pull up and pick one. Wouldn't even need sub dividers between them if it's solid enough, tho it couldn't hurt.

I find it quite loose laterally for the small diameter lenses. Here is the bag packed with E-M1 w/12-40 attached, 40-150 Pro, and 25mm & 45 mm in the third compartment.

Here is a closeup of the third compartment.

As you can see, there is plenty of space for the lens to bounce around. Folding the divider down with prevent the two lenses from basking together but will not stop the top lens from bouncing around.

On the plus side, I usually have a large flash in that spot. Makes a nice compact package with the two lenses and flash. I have not tried to pack more into it because it is very easy to access gear when it is not over stuffed. It is quite rigid and getting at gear is very easy. I also sometimes remove the divider on the left (or fold it down) and put the E-M1 with 40-150 attached.

I have used the third spot for folded on ear head phones, water bottle, and E-P5 with 17mm F1.8 attached.

Nice, thanks for the pics, very much appreciated... They show the internal space and it's scale relative to M4/3 stuff better than other photos I'd seen. My ThinkTank isn't as loose laterally because of how it tapers (towards the top or left side but also across)... I think I can make Peak's extra space work tho, your pics give me a good idea of what to expect.

In most cases I think I'd do something similar to what you describe, two small lenses plus a flash in that left space (or a pancake), or a larger one plus a smaller one, if I ever wanna carry 3 in there I'll just make it work with an extra pouch or two at the cost of some accessibility. Looks a little roomier than what I have tho which is what I'm aiming for when traveling.

Probably would've gone with the TurnStyle 20 had I bought it for travel exclusively but the 10 is a good size for more day to day use.

I own or have tested a fair number of bags, and I kept both the PD Sling and my Retrospective collection (I own the 7, 10, and 30 at the moment).

The Sling is my go-to bag for almost any occasion. Fits my Fuji or Olympus kit with the lenses and accessories I need on the go.

The issue of snugness is something I encounter as well, depending on what I'm packing in there, but I've always found that I can either use the two-panel dividers or one of the lens bags that come with Fujifilm lenses to fill in any empty space and provide proper cushioning for smaller loads.

Access and comfort are also better on the Sling, overall.

The Retrospective series have an extremely comfortable padded strap, but like any messenger style bag, it becomes fatiguing more quickly than a good sling because of the way the weight is distributed. And where a messenger will tend to swing around more readily while doing more active things like hiking, the sling stays put.

The reason I kept both is because the Retrospective series were my first bags, for one thing, but also because sometimes what I'm after isn't long-term comfort but short-term comfort and larger carrying capacity. A messenger is better suited for that role, and I'll tend to grab one of my ThinkTanks or, more recently, the Tenba Cooper Slim for those situations.

jor23 wrote:

I just feel there's always some wasted space. The Peak Design Sling is deep and with only two dividers, can't utilize the space as efficiently. For example, you can put up to four lenses in the left and right compartment if the divider is folded down to form shelfs. This is great if you only want to carry one body. If you need to carry two bodies, each with a lens mounted, there's no room for another lens.

Do you guys find the Peak Design Sling weird to carry? The only way is cross body as a sling (as it's designed for). if you want to use it as a shoulder bag, it doesn't work.

I agree about the size but for my use it is a really good fit for a typical carry of my E-M1 and two pro zooms.

I use it as a shoulder bag often. The strap is not padded where is rests on my shoulder but it is wide enough to not be a problem.

jor23 wrote:

I just feel there's always some wasted space. The Peak Design Sling is deep and with only two dividers, can't utilize the space as efficiently. For example, you can put up to four lenses in the left and right compartment if the divider is folded down to form shelfs. This is great if you only want to carry one body. If you need to carry two bodies, each with a lens mounted, there's no room for another lens.

Do you guys find the Peak Design Sling weird to carry? The only way is cross body as a sling (as it's designed for). if you want to use it as a shoulder bag, it doesn't work.

Don't own one (yet?) but that's the only way I'd carry it, I were my TurnStyle as a sling like 90% of the time... Occasionally as a shoulder bag but I have to hold it so it doesn't slip off, only reason to wear it like that is if I'm like getting out of the car and dropping it off or setting it down.

It has provisions to be worn as a waist pack (at least version 1 did, think that got nixed on v2 in favor of a sternum strap), which might be nice for hiking, but I've yet to use it that way. I wear all my smaller waist packs sling style too. Probably not great for the back but I'm not carrying heavy lenses and I'm 35, hasn't been an issue.