I love my Lowepro Fastpack, but it’s bright red and draws far too much attention then I’d like. Not only do I pack my Pentax K200D and a handful of lenses, but it also stores my MacBook Pro and a couple grand worth of other doodads. My brother suggested I cover the Lowepro logo since NYC thieves are educated enough to know who they are. It’s something I’ve thought about but never executed.
This is probably something Lowepro has heard time and again, so they’ve announced the Classified AW series. It’s a bit more discreet than their normal packs, but gives the same high quality protection you’ve come to expect.

It looks like your normal run-of-the-mill messenger bag, which is a good thing. You can fully customize the innards of this one to suit your needs and comes in four different sizes. Sadly, only the largest pack has room for a 15.4-inch laptop. Major features include: “removable memory card wallet; padded shoulder strap with camera keeper to prevent sliding; removable 3-point stabilizing strap to minimize movement; zippered gusset to customize carrying capacity; full-grain, leather-trimmed divider system to cradle fragile equipment; built-in microfiber cloth to protect LCD screen; and leather handle for added comfort and additional carrying option.”

They’re available in black or sepia and will ship in early November. Full specs, dimensions and pricing after the jump. Read More

The Seattle Sling CA-2001-BLK, the first case produced by Made Products after the Lowepro acquisition, is meant for all you adventurous types. The claim to fame is the case’s zipper-less dry bag center compartment that will obviously work great ’round water, but also hanging on the beach or cruising Dakar by keeping your camera’s dry and dust free. Your gear should stay protected with obviously Lowepro-designed compartments and side padding, along with providing convenient front tripod straps. The Seattle Sling can be thrown over your shoulder and carried, as the name implies, sling-style during rain or shine. Yours for $149 right now either at Amazon or CameraArmor.com

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Lowepro has a metric bushel (you heard me) of bags coming out, new and “new to you.” As always, they look perfectly decent and you know they’re going to be solid. Hit the link below for more info on the new gear.
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Much like its big brother the Fastpack 250, the Flipside 200, has been a great addition to my arsenal of travel luggage for gadgets and cameras alike. The Flipside 200, however, has primarily been my camera bag for the better part of the last three months. My Pentax K200D with battery grip and two extra lenses fit nice and snug into the compartments that are revealed by zipping open the main pouch that’s accessed through the back of the bag. Some might think this is a pain in the rear, but it protects you and your gear from being ripped off if the zippers were exposed. On the exterior of the bag at the base there’s a concealed compartment that can be unvelcroed and taken out to support the feet of a tripod. It’s pretty handy, but it’s not as deep as I would have liked it to be. The Manfrotto tripod I’ve been using wasn’t very stable at times, but it never popped out, thankfully.
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I could have used one of these when I was traveling, although at the time I owned only one lens and no flash, so I suppose my laptop bag was just as good. The Inverse AW beltpack, left, and the Nova AW shoulder bag at right are both weather-sealed and provided with all the little pockets, padded compartments, and accessibility options that a pro photographer could need.

I’m not sure if they’re available to order yet (they were only announced today), but when they are, they’ll be at Lowepro’s site or your local camera store.

I’m really digging on Lowepro’s gear lately. The Fastpack I reviewed a couple months back is still in great shape. I’ve got the Flipside, which is fantastic. I still have to do a formal review on it, but it’s phenomenal.

Anyway, this being Green Week for us, I thought I’d share the Primus AW with you all. It’s Lowepro’s most eco-friendly pack and is geared towards the outdoor photog. It’s made from 51 percent post consumer recycled materials. It’s mostly made from a 100 percent post consumer recycled fabric called Cyclpet. Each of the Primus AW’s contain the equivalent of 22.6 pop bottles, which keeps .0034 cubic yards of landfill empty with each pack. With each bag being made from 51 percent recycled materials, Lowepro conserves 15,109 BTU’s of energy, .002 barrels of crude oil and .12 gallons of refined oil during the production process.

It’s rigged out for pro DSLRs, 1-2 extra flashes or lenses and a seam-sealed All-Weather Cover among other things. A portion of revenue from the Primus AW goes to support Polar Bears International and their continuing effort to save those cute and cuddly bears.

It seems my never-ending quest for the ultimate gear bag has come to an end. LowePro, purveyors of everything camera related, appears to be the definitive winner at the moment. I’ve been testing out the Fastpack backpack over the last couple weeks and it’s been a great experience. It’s meant to be a photographers gear bag, but I’ve found that all the pockets for lenses and flashes are great for all the gadgets I tote around with me while traveling.
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Lowepro always busts out some stylish backpacks at PMA and this year compact and convenient were the operative words in Vegas. In their slim and urban Flipside line, we like the 300 ($57), a slender, lightweight backpack with enough room for a professional digital SLR body and 80-200mm f/2.8 lens attached plus up to four additional lenses or flash units. One of these packs would be great for knocking around the city for a day of street shooting. Plus, the price is hard to beat.

For safety nuts, the backpack has back panel access to your gear, a set-up we’re not always crazy about because it makes it hard to quickly grab the lens you want. However, on a demo of the Flipside we saw at the show, it seems you can use the waist belt to secure the pack and then simply turn it around over your shoulder to give you fast access to the back panel. It’s something we suggest you try out before buying though.

On the other hand, the Fastpack is a more traditional camera backpack
with ample room for all your tech gear. The Fastpack 350 ($99) has a
triple compartment design with space for a digital SLR, a bunch of
lenses or flashes, and a 17-inch laptop computer. There’s also a bunch
of extra pouches for a light meters, an iPod and other camera
accessories.

A 180-degree access panel on the bag makes it easy
to grab a lens or flash quickly without taking the backpack off your
shoulder. A side-entry compartment gives you another way to get to
your equipment. Like we said, at it was all about convenience and slim
style for Lowepro at PMA this year

For more info, check out their website: www.lowepro.com.

Dan Havlik is Technology Editor at PDN Magazine and Editor of DemystifyingDigital.com. For more professional photography news, visit PDNonline.com.