A professional photographer needs to be able to grab their camera and any equipment at a moment's notice, and Kata has been producing camera bags with this in mind for years. For its newest lightweight bag, the company seems to have taken some inspiration from a style of handgun, to produce a backpack that can help swap lenses much more efficiently. The Revolver-8 PL backpack stores a DSLR camera and dispenses up to five lenses from a rotating internal chamber that can be readily accessed through a side opening.
The Revolver bag was designed so that a photographer could easily switch lenses without needing to set the bag on the ground or fumble through various pockets, which could risk damaging the contents in some locations. To change lenses, all you need do is unzip a side opening and cycle through the lenses inside until you reach the one you want. The revolving chamber has five slots for storing lenses of varying sizes, though it was designed more specifically to house a 70-200 mm, 16-35 mm, 50 mm, and 100 mm macro lens. Any slot could also presumably fit other accessories.
The revolving chamber is a novel idea on its own, but Kata's bag has a few other useful features. A DSLR camera equipped with a standard lens and grip can be kept in a separate compartment at the top of the backpack for quick retrieval. A padded pouch on the back can hold and protect a 15.4-inch laptop, while a small pocket on top stores a cell phone, wallet, keys, and other personal items.
The Revolver-8 PL backpack also comes with straps for carrying a tripod on the front, and a covering sheet that protects against rain and deflects heat in extreme weather. Finally, a foam Spine Guard on the back, along with padded shoulder straps and clasps for the chest and waist, make the bag more comfortable to carry, even when filled with gear.
Kata's unique backpack won both the Red Dot 2012 Design Award for Product Design and the Bronze award for Personal Accessories in the 2012 International Design Excellence Awards.
If you want to pick up the Kata Revolver-8 PL backpack for yourself, it just began shipping in late October and is currently available for US$249.99 through select retailers including Amazon.
Source: Kata Bags