Chrome has come up with an interesting bag for the DSLR-wielding crowd. The Niko is a sling bag that has been built for holding DSLR cameras and accessories. Just like many “pro” (or at least enthusiast) photo bag, it has internal separators that lets the photographer create compartments. This allows for a better management of the internal volume of the bag, but more importantly, your gears aren’t pulled down by gravity at the bottom of the bag. Also, it will prevent things from being tossed around if you run (think: bear going for your leg) or move the bag.
As with any good sling bag, the photographer can slide The Niko from the back to the chest to grab or drop stuff. The bag is big enough to carry a camera body with a few lenses and/or a Flash and a bettery charger. There’s also another compartment for your ID and keys. Yet, it is smaller than most commercial backpacks. I haven’t had my hands on it, but from the photo, the bag seems to be built with quality material.
Usually, I simply use tactical bags to carry my photo gears. They are very solid, feature plenty of pockets and can be extended with additional pouches and straps. The downside (for some) is that they do have that “tactical look”, and none of them has an internal volume that can be configured in small compartments. The Niko sling bag is interesting, and it would be even more so if there was enough room to store a small 11″ laptop in there (hint). I simply don’t think that digital photography and computers should be separated, but maybe it’s just me.