Review: Kata H-14 Holster camera case

I bought this bag after a lottttttt of online review and after checking out other branded bags in the stores. I knew I definitely needed a bag that would allow me to access the camera with a lens mounted in a quick manner. So I was looking at slingpacks and the holsters. This was the only holster style bag that-

- would allow the flexibility of becoming a sling pack with an optional accessory
- would host the camera face down for quick top access
- would have a designed flexible yet sturdy casing for the camera in the central compartment... separate from the other lens and accessories
- would have two side pockets to keep an extra lens in one plus accessories in another
- and would be solidly built.

I have used it to keep the following at different times:

[Combo A]
- A Canon Rebel XSi + Sigme 70-300mm lens in the main compartment
- A Canon 28-105mm lens + a 50mm 1.8 II lens in one side pocket
- Lens/body caps + battery charger + cleaning kit in another side pocket
- Spare SD card in top sleeve above the camere

[Combo B] (a bit tight, but 50d does fit in there)
- A Canon 50d + Tammy 17-50mm 2.8 lens in the main compartment
- Lens/body caps in one side pocket
- battery charger + cleaning kit in another side pocket
- Spare CF card in top sleeve above the camera


[Combo C] (My current kit)
- A Nikon D90 + 18-105mm lens in the main compartment
- A Nikon 70-300mm VR lens in one side pocket
- Lens/body caps + battery charger + cleaning kit in another side pocket
- Spare SD card in top sleeve above the camera


Bonus: It looks great!!



The only con I found is that the top flap's zipper is a bit too sturdy to quickly open it in need. I think it is by design.. so if one wants a quick access, she/he can leave the zips open but instead buckle the flap up. The bag is also great in the way that you can review pics/change settings/look at back LCD panel without taking the camera out.

A perfect bag for you if you only want to carry a maximum of 2 lenses on a trip/hike: a basic kit lens on the body, and a zoom in the side pocket. Still leaves room for other stuff:-)

I would highly recommend this bag for starters.... you will soon realise that you have spent more than the price of this bag because you switched those generic bags 2-3 times (do the math, you will know). You may rather buy a great bag in the first place.. and it will last a long time too.

Getting the "Nikon" vivid colors from a Canon 40D

If you read my previous post on getting vivid colors out of Canon 50D images using Canon picture style editor, you may be interested in this post too.

I have created a lightroom template file, which tries to vividify the greens/blues/yellows in a Canon 40D landscape image just like a Nikon D90 result.

Here are a few samples:












Updated 02/20/2010. I get many emails every week asking for my custom picture styles, and how to upload them to your camera. Here are the answers:

[1] If you are interested in a copy of the picture styles that you can import to your Canon 50d camera, download them from this link. No catch here, its available for free. I am a big proponent of the "free resources for all" policy:-)


[2] Check this link for how to upload a custom picture style to your Canon camera, provided your model supports it. If it doesnt support it, you can still apply picture styles after you download pictures to your computer.

The zoo trip with a D90 and a 70-300mm VR

Visit here for an index of all D90 sample pictures on this website.