For the Everyday Photographer: We Review the Nomatic McKinnon Camera Sling 8L

A lot of photographers know and love this bag. Is it just because of the style, or is there more to it than just aesthetics? Let’s find out.

Choosing a camera bag is always an interplay between style, comfort, and efficiency. Yes, they can very much affect our creative process as photographers because the last thing you’d want is for your camera bag to get in the way of you and the shot you envisioned. Backpacks are known to be the top solution for long periods of carrying gear, especially when there’s a significant number and weight to be carried. However, sling bags, shoulder bags, or messenger bags can be very convenient for lighter loads and more active use. Let’s see how the Nomatic McKinnon Camera Sling 8L stands out.

The Nomatic McKinnon Camera Sling 8L

The Mckinnon Camera Sling 8L comes in an all-black form made from 80% nylon and 20% polyethylene. The entire bag is significantly longer than it is tall, as it comes in at 5.5 x 13 x 8 inches (139 x 330 x 203 mm) and weighs 1.6 lbs (726 grams). The entire exterior resembles a padded nylon shell with a black water-resistant surface, three accessory loops (molle hooks) on each side (compatible straps sold separately), and a black rectangular patch with the brand and series logo.

It comes with heavy-duty and seamlessly sealed zippers with durable metal zipper pullers that open up the main and only access into the sling bag. On the topmost part is a blunt hook that can be used to fasten a conveniently placed strap on the rim of the front flap, which serves as a temporary way to close the bag without having to zip everything up entirely—ideal for when the user needs to grab the camera and shoot right away or temporarily set the camera down inside.

At the back is a handle that spans about the medial half of the length of the bag, which can be convenient to quickly grab the entire bag. Behind it is a thin layer of padding that serves as a sleeve to insert the handle of your rolling luggage for easier carrying whenever traveling with a larger bag.

Once the zippers are fully opened to each corner, the front flap extends away from the rest of the bag, giving an opening of up to a 63-degree angle, allowing the entire interior to be revealed and made easily accessible. This is when the inner strap being fastened onto the top hook becomes handy, as it will prevent unnecessarily opening the bag even if it was not entirely zipped up.

The main camera compartment is similar to the camera cube found in Nomatic’s McKinnon camera backpacks that act as a solid container with movable dividers. It is lined with light brown/tan-colored fabric that provides perhaps the only semblance of contrast for the bag’s all-black exterior. It comes with two velcro-lined dividers that span the height and width of the compartment but can be folded in half for a more partial division.

The main compartment can virtually fit one full frame camera body with an attached 24-70mm or 24-105mm zoom lens and potentially an extra small-sized lens. If with the lenses not mounted, it can potentially fit two medium-sized lenses with the body placed on its shorter side. Alternatively, if used with a compact APS-C or smaller format body, it can comfortably carry three lenses along with it.

On the outer side of the main compartment are two relatively large flex pockets with an elastic top rim that can be used to store anything close to the size of a lens cap or lens filter. On the other side (the inner surface of the front flap) is a zippered mesh pocket that spans about half of its surface and can store small items that need to be kept secure, such as keys, cash, or even a small wallet. On the other half of that surface are two flex pockets perfect for carrying extra camera batteries or anything similarly sized, and three smaller pockets perfect for storing SD or CFexpress memory cards for quick access. Between these two inner surfaces, larger items can still be stored, such as a small notebook, passport, or other similarly thin items.

User Experience

The Nomatic Mckinnon Camera Sling 8L is a great bag for everyday casual shooting and even long shooting days with minimal gear. It can be used as a stand-alone bag for when the user only intends to bring one or two lenses along with a couple of extra batteries and memory cards, or as a walk-around lens-changer bag in a professional shoot with more gear kept in a larger bag somewhere in the venue.

The water-resistant exterior and the seamless zippers allow the user to feel more comfortable shooting even in unfavorable environments, and the attachment loops allow the user to carry extra accessory pouches whenever necessary.

What’s most remarkable about this bag is the efficient use of space. While movable dividers are pretty much the standard in camera bags nowadays, the value of that becomes more apparent in small bags such as this one. More than that, the wide opening of the only access point allows every surface of the bag to have small convenient compartments tailored for typical small photography accessories such as filters, batteries, and memory cards.

While it does maximize the space, this bag obviously has its limitations in the main compartment. This is not necessarily a bad point but instead is just a matter of matching the bag with an appropriate use or workflow. As of testing, this was the only size available for the Nomatic McKinnon Camera Sling however the brand did just announce the availability of a smaller 5-liter version and a much larger 13-liter messenger bag. Personally, since I would want my sling bag to carry a little bit more gear for on-the-go shooting and at the very least an iPad Pro, I would have to take a peek at the new 13L messenger as it might fit my style a lot better.

What I Liked:

• Sleek minimalist black design
• Water resistant exterior
• Efficient use of space

What I Didn’t Like:

• Accessory straps not included
• No tablet compartment