As I look at Lowepro’s latest outdoor backpacks, I notice there are some distinctive features among them. The Flipside Sport emphasizes camera gear. If you need the most capacity for photography, it’s a great choice. The Photo Hatchback is a fun travel bag for those who are going to end up on the trail. Plus it has a dedicated iPad sleeve. And for the pure day hike experience, I like the Photo Sport 200 AW.

It accommodates both a water bottle and a hydration bladder. The rucksack design allows me to pack my personal gear in a variety of configurations. The bottom buckle straps are perfect for transporting my roll-up ground pad, and the expandable front pocket is where I keep an extra jacket for when the weather turns (not to mention the All Weather cover in the bottom that protects the entire pack). There are four zippered pockets: one inside the backpack, another on top, and two on the waist band. So small items don’t get lost.

And then there’s the cinch-up camera box. I typically carry my DSLR with a standard lens there, then stash a long zoom inside the bag. On the trail, I’ll sometimes move the long zoom to the side mesh pocket for quick access. That way I can switch lenses easily.

So, when I’m off for a day-long hike, the Photo Sport 200 AW is my first choice. It accommodates all of my hiking gear, plus protects my DSLR in any weather condition.

As summer draws to a close and photography students return to campus, they can balance their artistic pursuits with the demands of daily life with a comfortable, stylish, everyday bag. Lowepro offers a variety of carrying solutions, starting with our overall recommendation for 2012: the Photo Hatchback 16L AW.

The Top Choice

How does the photographer/student protect their camera gear while transporting those personal items needed for a busy day on the go?

For many, the Photo Hatchback AW ($99 to $119 US) may be the perfect answer. It comes in two sizes and features a padded camera box with storm-flap closure and grab handles that offer customizable storage for a complete camera kit. And when not shooting, remove the camera box to convert the bag into a fully functional daypack with plenty of storage space. So as your day changes, so can your backpack. Protect you photo gear when heading out for a shoot, or use the entire capacity for personal items.

Backside camera access allows the photographer to quickly retrieve the camera without having to remove the backpack. The dedicated iPad pocket protects a tablet computer, plus leaves room for periodicals and papers. Dual mesh side pockets are designed for water bottles and other personal items.

The Photo Hatchback comes in two sizes: 16L and 22L. Both include an All Weather AW Cover™ that protects bag and gear for times when the climate is less than perfect.

Street-smart styling, versatility, and excellent value all come together in our top pick for the fall season.

Specialty Bags Tailored to Your Individual Photography Style

No two photographers pack the exact same gear. That’s why we design specialty bags designed to your individual approach.

Camera and Laptop

The DSLR Video Fastpack 250 AW ($149)combines dedicated camera storage, secure laptop compartment, and lots of room for personal items.

Pack your gear in the dedicated camera compartment. When it’s time to shoot, grab your gear from the fast-access, side-entry pocket. A separate laptop pocket keeps your workstation within reach. And a Hideaway Tripod Mount™ secures a tripod or DSLR video rig to the side of the pack. Additional features include: a built-in All Weather AW Cover™ to protect gear from moisture; hidden ID pocket; stretch-mesh side pocket; grab handle; and stow-away waistbelt to minimize extra bulk when traveling.

Classic Photo Bag

The Pro Messenger 180 AW’s ($209) durable, yet soft exterior is reminiscent of classic canvas, but it’s actually a modern performance fabric. It’s built to fit pro-sized camera gear in configurations you’ve told us work best. And it has an innovative flap that effortlessly folds in half to quiet your moves and quicken your pace.

Interior dividers are padded and adjustable to fit a variety of pro-sized gear in a number of configurations. A Dual-Purpose Pocket transforms from handy storage space to travel-friendly trolley sleeve with a fast unzipping.
Additional street-friendly features include: a built-in All Weather AW Cover™ to protect gear from moisture and dust; an expandable, zippered front pocket; a detachable, grab handle for an extra carrying option; plus a thickly padded shoulder strap for long-wearing comfort.

Camera and Personal Items

The award winning Passport Sling ($74) is designed for today’s photo enthusiasts who want to carry an equal amount of camera and personal gear as they explore the world with their DSLRs. Its unique and comfortable shape is unlike a traditional sling bag—it truly conforms to the body and easily moves with the wearer.

On the exterior, two slash pockets and a water bottle pocket provide quick access to books and other goodies. Inside, the sling is equipped to protect your DSLR and a few accessories as well as offer plenty of space for personal items. Unzip the front of the Passport Sling to reveal an expansion compartment that adds approximately 30% more space—enough to accommodate items like a light jacket or lunch. A fully padded camera box (with built-in memory card pocket) protects a DSLR. Remove it and collapse the box when you want to pack the sling in a larger bag for travel.

Compact System Camera and iPad

The Urban Photo Sling 150 ($84) provides 3 wearing options: front, back and side for versatility, comfort and added security. This stylish bag features 2 loading options: top and full panel for maximum organization of camera gear and a tablet.

The modern, streamlined design makes it easy to grab gear and capture images. You can load and unload from the top for easy access or with the front panel fully open for maximum organization. A variety of carrying options allow you to customize the bag to your working style.

For Your Compact System Camera

The Event Messenger 100 ($59) features a Dual-Mode Flap design and Grab-and-Go access. It’s streamlined, lightweight and easy to carry. Get full access to your gear via the wide main compartment. It includes a padded and adjustable divider system to organize your kit in multiple ways. Use the Dual-Mode Flap to go from maximum security mode to quiet working mode by unfolding or folding the hook/loop fasteners.

This modern messenger bag looks stylishly discreet, and is perfect home for your Compact System Camera with an extra lens or two and a handful of accessories.

The Dashpoint 30 ($24) is a multi-functional, outdoor-inspired pouch offers a lightweight, yet rugged carrying solution for a wide variety of electronic devices. It features removable/adjustable shoulder strap with rotating snaphooks and offers comfortable fit with increased mobility.

Its durable EVA padding provides protective, impact-resistant construction and the built-in memory card pocket supplies a convenient place to stash spare memory—right inside top lid.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

Do you have that favorite scuffed-up Lowepro bag that you just couldn’t live without? I do. Two of them. The Pro Runner x350 and x450 rolling backpacks. I use them for storage at the studio, then toss them in the trunk of the car for location shoots. They hold a tremendous amount of gear. I can roll them along the pavement, or pull out the hidden backpack straps and wear on my back across rough terrain.

Let me take you on a short, visual tour of why I like these bags so much. I’ll show you the smaller of the two, the x350 AW.

Inside the x350 I have a Canon 5D Mark II, 24-70mm f/4, 700-200mm f/2.8, 16-35mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.4, Speedlite 580EX, Off-Camera Shoe Cord, Gary Fong Lightsphere, Canon Remote Switch, Olympus OM-D E-M5 with 14-42mm zoom, strobe bracket, filters, memory cards, batteries, and cleaning cloth.

In the front compartment I store my Orbis Ring Flash and Rogue Flash Benders.

Most of the time, I have the backpack straps tucked away in their hidden compartments and I use the x350 as a professional rolling bag.

But if I encounter rough terrain, I can pull out the straps and belly band, and wear the x350 like a backpack. And it is incredibly comfortable.

Yes, my Pro Runner x350 has a few scuffs. But they are well earned. Because this bag has served me well on more location shoots than I can count. Both the x350 and x450 AW are my versatile workhorses.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

Congratulations to our six Lowepro Photographer Dream Bag Sweepstakes winners. Here are the results from the June event.

Grand Prizes

Stacy Horner – Pro Roller Lite 250 AW

Donald Highley – Pro Trekker 300 AW

First Prize

Todd Jackowski – Pro Messenger 180 AW

Second Prize

Kirsten Hunter – Photo Sport 200 AW

Third Prize

Tseuk Sun Chung – DSLR Video Fastpack 250 AW

Fourth Prize

Paul Roth – Flipside Sport 15L AW

Thanks to everyone who participated to make this an exciting give-away.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

How do you take formal portraits of 2-ton, ten-feet-tall subjects who live in the jungle and just won’t stand still for you? And how do you get all your gear to the most remote part of northern Thailand safely and in good working order?

This is the challenge Bay Area photographer Carol Stevenson has every time she travels to the Thailand to continue her multi-year project documenting the rescued street elephants at the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation. The solution – build an open air studio in the jungle and rely on Lowepro to carry the kit.

“Each trip is a bit different, depending on the time of year and the weather conditions, so the location of the studio varies,” writes Carol. “We use a bamboo framework and stretch a 38′ x 20′ foot white backdrop across the frame. With the help of the mahouts (and a passing elephant), we erect it right in the jungle. With the harsh light of the tropics, I shoot just after sunrise, usually with only an hour of good light to work with.”

“My Nikon D3 is amazing in low light conditions, and I sometimes add battery powered strobes to replicate the look of an indoor studio. Apart from the backdrop, we have to set up and break down each day, and the shoot can last for 30 days, so there’s a lot of work hauling gear around the jungle on a motor scooter and in a tuk-tuk (Thai 3 wheel taxi).”

“We also shoot in the field during the day to capture the elephants in their natural environment. So not only does the studio gear have to be easily transportable, I need on-the-go bags when I’m trying to keep up with the elephants.”

“I rely on Lowepro for three transport needs: the long haul, the daily studio schlepp, and for the ‘ease of use in the field’ shoots.”

For the long haul, the bodies and lenses go in a Pro Runner x450 AW in the cabin with Carol. The more robust equipment is in cargo in a Pro Roller x300 AW, which has accompanied Carol on more than 40 flights with no damage to her gear. The Pro Roller x300 also does double duty for the jungle studio. And she uses the Passport Sling for quick one camera/lens shoots, or a Versapack 200 AW for heavier duty field work.

“The Sling and the Versapack give me unique flexibility,” adds Carol; “if I HAD to pick a favorite, it would be the Passport Sling because of its fast and quick access to my gear. And with two Pasport Slings, one does double duty as a banana bag (for elephant bribes)”.

Carol is featured as one of our Loweprofessionals. To see more of her work, visit www.elephantphotographer.com. More details about her gear can be found at www.carolstevenson.wordpress.com.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

The Lowepro Urban Photo Sling 250 is your companion as you move from home, to office, to street shooting. This stylish bag can accommodate a pro DSLR with 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom attached, plus spare lenses, flashes, personal gear, and an iPad.

And it might be yours.

For your chance to win the Urban Photo Sling 250, post a comment below answering the question: “What’s your favorite city?” We’ll randomly select a comment next week, and notify everyone on our Facebook Fan Page and here.

Deadline to comment is midnight PDT, Sunday May 13, 2012. Contest is void where prohibited. One winner will be selected and receive a Urban Photo Sling 250.

Good luck!

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro

The Flipside Sport technical backpack can be deceptively simple in appearance. Even though it’s light and compact, the smaller of the two models can hold enough gear for a day’s work in the field. When I watched this video by adventure photographer Trevor Clark, I decided to experiment with packing my 10 liter Flipside Sport, then seeing how much it weighed. But before we get to my “alternative rig,” let’s take a look at how Trevor packed his 15 liter model.

As you’ll notice in the video, Trevor used the hydration system and tripod sleeve. Both of those features seemed essential for how he was shooting that day.

In this alternative packing, I put my hiking essentials in the hydration pocket (first aid kit, knife, snacks, lip balm, etc.), and a REI jacket in the tripod holder. Inside the backpack there’s a Pentax K-5 (great all weather DSLR) and two lenses. Plus I have stowed around the camera box: bandanas, stocking cap, and ground cloth. I carry a separate water bottle, and I use a Leki Photo Trekking Pole for a monopod as needed. The entire 10 liter kit, without water, weighed in at 8 pounds.

Two different approaches. And I’m sure there are a dozen more. So then the question is: how will you pack your Flipside Sport?

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.