The Sabi Super (SS) is built as if made to military specs. The fabric is heavy duty 1000 denier Cordura nylon and is double stitched with heavy duty thread throughout. It has a single concealed YKK zipper and reinforced handles. The attention to detail is certainly there and I have to say the workmanship is top rate. It should be mentioned these bags are ‘Made in the USA’ and the quality is fantastic. Accompanying the SS was a small placard listing the features and tips as well as the following statement: “Your Sabi was proudly made in the USA and is covered by a lifetime warranty. We designed the Sabi to stand up to years of enjoyment. If it breaks, we’ll fix it or replace it regardless of the cause.” When is the last time you saw something like that from a manufacturer?
Test: I took the SS to the field to shoot greater sage grouse. I put the bag on the car’s window ledge, put the camera and 500mm lens on it, found the balancing point (once there the camera/lens seemed to ‘nest') and fired away. There was a solid, firm feel to it all, it just worked. In all I shot several hundred images and found the bag never collapsed, deformed or shifted. I honestly thought; 1) wish I had this before, and 2) could I shoot any better other than having a tripod? The answer to that is a No, I don't think so. I could feel an improvement and this was confirmed once home with the images on the computer.
I've used the SS on both on the hood of the truck as well as the bed rail. As expected, same result - stability when shooting, and the bag stays where you put it. I also quickly found it makes a great place to put the camera/lens when traveling, especially on bumpy roads. Put the bag on the seat, nest the camera and head on down the road. It’s certainly more secure than just laying the camera on the seat.
Conclusion: The Sabi Super works great as a shooting platform, offering tremendous flexibility with it’s twin pillow design and the quality is top notch.