Having the right camera bag can make a huge difference to how you operate. Choose one that's too small or difficult to access and you'll find yourself not bringing enough gear or not wanting to change lenses. Choose one that's too big and you'll find that you don't spontaneously bring it with you as often as you should. Choose one that's just right, though, and you'll be a happy camper.
My first camera bag, the Lowepro Rover AW II, was exactly what I needed when I needed it. It held my camera and a few lenses, wasn't heavy and was something that I could take on hikes. It had some room up top for a jacket or some food and held my water bottles on the sides. It did what it was supposed to do and did it well.
So how about a little more detail? The bag is essentially a backpack. It looks like one your kid might wear to school, but just a little bigger. It's not big and boxy like some camera bags. The top section (upper half of the bag) is just an open compartment, exactly like a backpack. You can put whatever you'd like in it: books, food, jacket, camera gear, etc... I've fit magazines in it, but they get a little beat up, so that should give you an idea of the size. There's also a little zippered compartment inside here for small stuff you don't want to lose.
Moving down the bag, there's a zipper that goes around the middle of the bag that unzips to open the lower section which holds your camera gear. There's a center section for your camera and 4 smaller sections for lenses. These can be reconfigured if you need more room, but I never bothered. Depending on what I was shooting, I could fit my camera body with an smaller attached lens (up to a 55-200mm) and 4 additional lenses or flashes.
On the outside of the bag there are a few small zippered compartments that I used for filters and memory cards. There's a bungee-type strap that can be used to lash a tripod, umbrella or jacket to the outside of the bag. There are a few mesh water-bottle holders on the sides, but you could use them for lots of other things instead of water bottles. When it comes down to it, this bag holds a lot of stuff.
So what happens when you fill this bag up and then have to carry it? It's actually pretty comfortable! The shoulder straps are soft. They're not big and bulky, but that also means they're not super padded. They work just fine for a bag this size unless you really overload it. There is also a chest harness that takes some of the load off of your shoulders, but my complaint about it is that I could never get the harness where I wanted it and keep it there. The buckles kept sliding down the shoulder straps! There is also a big padded strap that goes around your wait and puts more of the load on your lower back. This is great for hiking or lots of walking, but it's really bulky and inconvenient if you just want to carry your bag a short distance.
Although this bag is all weather (that's the AW in the name), I never really got to test it in the rain. I took it in the snow pretty often and nothing ever got wet. It got sprinkled on with no loss of gear, but (thankfully) I never got drenched while wearing it. There's a big flap covering the zipper that accesses the camera portion of the bag, so I'm sure that would keep water out, but I wouldn't want to risk taking this bag to a really rainy area without an exterior shell.
Sadly (OK, not really sadly), I outgrew this bag. I had too much gear that was getting spread across multiple bags. I also added a laptop to the mix, which would be physically impossible to carry in this bag. It's still a great bag after 2 years of use and I don't plan on getting rid of it. It will still come with me on hikes and street shoots where I need to travel light and not carry much gear. It did it's time and served me well. Thank you, camera bags, for all that you do!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment