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15 of 15 found the following review helpful:
 good size for camera with 3 lenses Sep 19, 2010
By Phillip Marsh
The small is actually only 1.5" less is width and 1" less in height and the same 6.5" depth as the "large" version. I opted for the small as it was less conspicuous by a hair and this was why I was buying a messenger style bag in the first place. It looks like a briefcase or satchel and not at all like a camera bag - helpful when dealing with potential thieves and airline gate people.
The 6.5" depth is not a true measurement as there are two internal padded sections to provide for a laptop and this reduces the interior depth for a camera to 5.5" at best. Not a problem with a small DSLR like a Canon 50D or a Nikon D90 but very tight for a full size pro DSLR (which needs a full 6.5 inches).
The small holds a full size DSLR with a medium lens attached (135mm or less) and there is room for one full size lens like a 24-120 or 24-70 lens and one side section that will hold a standard flash or a small lens (50mm prime for example). The interior is well padded and comes in two different colors, a dark gray and a very light gray. The lighter inside makes it a lot easier to find camera items which tend to be black. The large bag is 1" taller and so will do a better job with a 70-200mm lens but on the whole it will not hold much more than the "small" one as it is only 1.5" wider and the same depth.
The bag has a large flap with a lot of Velcro to secure it along with the two buckles. There is a top zipper so you can access the inside of the bag without unbuckling it but it is not going to work with a full size DSLR. The strap is well made and has an offset section that is well padded and "grippy" so it will not slip of the shoulder. As you cannot put more than about 9 lbs. of gear inside for a total weight of 12 lbs. in total these shoulder is quite adequate.
There are several aspects of the bags design that are less than optimum. First is the lack of any exterior pockets large enough for a flash or similarly sized piece of gear. When I want to add a flash to a shot I don't want to have to unfasten the two buckles and open up the bag to get to the inside each time to retrieve it and again to put it back for the moment. It is a waste of time and it provides more opportunities for dust and dirt to get into the bag and into the camera and lenses.
Another drawback is the lack of any provision for a waist or security strap. A waist strap can help shoulder the load, keeps the bag close to your body which helps in both outdoor and urban settings, and a waist or security strap makes it very hard for a thief to grab the bag off your shoulder and run off with it. This is a common oversight and even LowePro will provide waist straps for its junior bags for small cameras but leave them off its Stealth Reporter bags intended for use by pros carrying 15 lbs. or more of very expensive gear.
The satchel has a small amount of material that can be folded in before securing the flap to help keep out dust and dirt and windblown water but it is not going to be all that effective. This is a good city bag but not a bag to protect your camera gear in hostile conditions. Too bad because adding a side section to the cover flap would make a big difference but this is a detail that Tenba overlooked. If you intend to go ahead and get this bag and use it in possibly dusty or dirty conditions it would be worth the expense and effort to have someone sew on the side flaps to the bag using a little coated nylon fabric.
Recommend adding a small flat see-through pouch for all the small items you may want to get to quickly (like a cable shutter release or lens cleaning supplies, filters, etc.) as this bag has none and the exterior pockets are not even big enough for most cell phones.
I looked at a dozen different camera satchel bags by Promaster, LowePro, Tenba, and others and the Tenba was the best, not great but a lot better than the others. I have 4 LowePro bags and the Tenba is as well made as any of them and more reasonably priced.
Be wary of the colors as they are lot brighter than appear in the pictures, especially the "olive" green which is more of a metallic green, and the orange which is also a metallic orange.
18 of 21 found the following review helpful:
Good tripod, flimsy camera bag Sep 08, 2011
By Bryan Barrow
I gave the tripod 4 stars and the camera bag 2, for an average overall rating of 3 stars.
The tripod is solid, holds it's position well. It has a quick-release mount and comes with a zippered carrying case and shoulder strap, essential, as anyone who has tried to juggle carrying a tripod any distance knows. The only shortcoming was the lack of a control to pan the camera, making this an inconvenient tripod for shooting videos, but fine for still photos. Minus one star.
The camera case, while light weight and adaptable to various configurations with adjustable velcro dividers, didn't seem durable enough or padded enough to adequately protect gear, especially larger, heavier lenses and such. I wouldn't trust it with my expensive gear.
21 of 25 found the following review helpful:
 Gets the job done (mostly) Jan 19, 2010
By Tom Long
"Author of the Juice of Life"
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R38WR9ZYVQQDDN The canvas exterior is rugged. The number of pockets and sleeves are adequate. But unless you have a slimmer laptop computer than my Toshiba, you won't be carrying your camera gear and computer at the same time. The emphasis in this bag is on functionality and ruggedness of construction. Style-wise, well, there really isn't any style is there? With the camera insert it is a fine, but expensive, camera bag. Without the camera insert it is an overpriced messenger bag. The good news is that it can be your laptop bag instead of carry-on when traveling. Once on site, one must decide whether this is a photo shoot day requiring your top shelf camera gear and the camera insert or whether other gear is necessary and a smaller camera such as a point and shoot will suffice.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
 Great Quality, Great Size, Good Features... Apr 12, 2009
By Joshgoreworks
But I bought the wrong size. I chose the small because my laptop was 15.4in. Which fits great, but when I got home from my trip to Hawaii and bought a battery grip, my Canon 300d started to be a tight fit when packaged with the laptop. That being said it does still all fit even with the battery grip, but the depth could be increased by an inch, and I would be happy.
So moral of the story, I guess one size doesn't fit all, and subsequently why they have more than one size. I love the bag regardless, everything does fit, but its abit to cozy for some of my most delicate electronics. This is not there fault so my star rating is independent of that.
Josh
21 of 26 found the following review helpful:
Light, Stable, Easy to Set Up and Take Down, Well Priced May 27, 2011
By Conspicuous Consumer
"$$"
Benro A0570F Aluminum Tripod w/Benro BH0 Ball Head and Tenba LE 15" Messenger Bag
Benro A0570F Aluminum Tripod
Folded w/head - 23"
Extended w/head (leg length) - 51.5"
Weight - 2.5 lbs.
Load - reportedly supports average weight gear
Top of the line tripod and head duos can cost up to $1000 so $200 is considered a good price to pay for reliable equipment. Benro (and its sister Induro tripods, owned by Mac Group) get good reviews at Amazon and are even more popular outside of the US, particularly in China. Serious photographers often say they prefer Benro to the better known Monfrotto tripods because they are more compact and stable.
The selection of an aluminum tripod over a carbon fiber one depends on how you will use the tripod and how much you are willing to pay. Carbon fiber is lighter, has less vibration, stays warm in very cold environments, and is more expensive. Aluminum is stronger, more stable (weight is good in windy situations), stays cooler in hot environments, and is less expensive.
I thought weight would be an issue because I'm not that strong and I sometime carry around a tripod for a full day. Although I have two lighter carbon fiber tripods, 2.5 lbs shouldn't be a problem to most people, including me.
The legs loosen and tighten with only a half screw making the tripod quick to set up and take down. Per the manufacturer, the design of the legs makes them resistant to dust and moisture so that you can use them in adverse conditions. I was unable to get two of the smaller legs to lock down in the collapsed mode so I'd appreciate if someone would tell me if there is a trick to it. Because of the carrying case, though, it's not really an issue.
BH0 Ball Head
You can see a closeup of the head here at Amazon (Benro BH0 Single Action Ballhead $47). My camera mounted and dismounted easily, way quicker than on my other heads. The leveling bubble will be particularly useful to me as I have a tendency to take photos with a slight tilt.
Tenba LE 15" Messenger Bag
The bag's fine; larger than I really need for my gear but that's a personal choice. I will say that the shoulder harness is so well made that I wish that Tenba would consider making shoulder harnesses for string trimmers. I make actually take it off the bag and use it on my new Echo.
This is my fourth tripod and will be the one I use.
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