Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Bought this bag 2nd-hand in like new condition for $100. I use it to carry 40D+24-105 and 5D+ 100-400, and a Sigma 8mm fish or some little prime, or similar arrangement. This is one of the few bags that allow two body + two long zoom attached face down in the bag. So my choice is limited.
Pro:
- Extremely light weight for its capacity!
- Capacity to have 5D attached to big L zoom face down in the bag ready to shoot
- Looks like a cheap laptop bag
- Very reasonable price buying used
- Reasonably good quality
- Useful rain cover. I listed this as "useless" before and now after a trip to the snowy Lake Tahoe I changed my mind. This cover turned out to be really useful and effective. I ignored the light snow for a few minutes which almost killed my 5D camera. As the snow got heavier the bag starts to get dangerously wet and then I realized that I have this cover hidden inside the bag. It worked!
Neutral:
- Some cute but not so useful gimmicks in the bag - a rather large and bulky card folder (too large to be useful for me), a complicated (spells useless to me) body strap of some sort, two key links in the front pockets, two attached LCD wipes in the main divisions... I could do without any and all of these.
Con:
- Uncomfortable shoulder belt (immediately replaced with my own taken from a laptop bag)
- The top open zipper is of so-so quality, hard to open and close when the bag is loaded, must use both hands.
- The pockets in the front are hard to reach. The front flap is hard to open once locked.
- 5D+big zoom can fit in 1 of the 3 vertical partition but not easy to taking it out or putting back in.
Bottom line -
This bag does serve my purpose, but rather awkwardly with little elegance. The design was great but executed poorly. The original shoulder belt was designed for carrying on one shoulder only, which is odd considering the weight this bag is to carry. But the combination of stealth look, the extreme light weight (for its capacity), and the very reasonable price easily earn this bag a 4 star.
P.S. I've been using Tamrac System 6 and 12 in the past. Tamrac has far better shoulder belt, much easier access to the equipment (despite of the big top/front cover), and far more functional and accessible front and side pockets, even the zippers are better. But the Tamrac bags are simply not deep enough to carry big DSLR with big zoom mounted, which I love to do. I forced them in these bags in the past with a few close calls. Then the other day my 40D mounted with a Tamron 18-270VR (not even a big zoom) finally fell out from the bag with the front buckle still locked, damaged my lens. I have to switch to something deeper. So now I'll see how long the Lowepro will last.
After a few extended trip with this bag, I am happy with it. The zipper is not easy to work with, but I got used to it. With the camera+big lens in ready mode is really a big plus for this bag. It's pretty big, bigger than I originally thought. But not that heavy and not too wide like the System 12. So I can get around in a crowded elevator more easily.
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