When everything feels right

When your gear feels right, your work goes more smoothly. This idea inspired the design of our new Pro Messenger AW series, launching worldwide today and live at PPE in NYC. Its 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.

But don’t just take our word for it. Watch Australian pro shooter Jack Atley’s day out with the Pro Messenger AW in Sydney, Australia and get highlights of the three-bag series. And read pro photographer Catherine Hall’s review of this new and discreet messenger in her blog.

There’s more to come on our new Pro Messenger AW. So stay tuned.

We’re very pleased to unveil the new
DSLR Video Fastpack AW series.
We like to think of it as “mobility redefined”
as it helps you move more efficiently with your gear. It builds on the award-winning design
of our original Fastpack backpack and
incorporates flexible options for today’s multimedia photographer.

What did we add to this fast-access pack?
More storage options—including dedicated space for audio equipment.
Secure ways to attach a tripod or rig mount—ideal when you’re shooting stills
or video. Plus, a built-in All Weather AW Cover™ to protect your gear from
the elements.

We asked visual journalist Max Morse to work out of this new pack while he was shooting in San Francisco. After spending some time with it he said, “For everyday shooting with a couple of bodies, a couple of lenses and my audio equipment, it’s really unparalleled.”

Watch his video review and find out why the new DSLR Video Fastpack AW truly is mobility redefined.

Editor’s note: The Lowepro team is fortunate to have Sports Illustrated photographer Robert Beck visiting us today while he’s in the San Francisco area on assignment. He sat down with our design colleague Luis to talk about a few of his go-to Lowepro bags (like the Pro Runner 450 AW) and help us shape some design ideas for the future.

“Meeting an amazing Sports Illustrated photographer like Robert Beck is one of the highlights of designing at Lowepro. On any given job, he’s making dozens of fast decisions, easily working 9 different cameras, including his remotes. His work proves he’s doing it right. He’s broken down a lot of complicated decisions and lessons learned into what he casually refers to as ‘routines.’ What’s routine for him is pretty extraordinary for many of us. I spend every day developing ways to improve the photographer’s workflow, and talking with him, hearing his stories, has got my brain spinning with new ideas. I’m shadowing him at a local football game tonight and I’m pretty excited to see him in action.” (Luis)

Pro shooter Craig Pulsifer knows how to create an adventurous video. You may have seen his day out with our DryZone 200 in waterfall country on a trip to the Phillipines.

Now he takes a turn as director of a Western-inspired SlingShot AW drama. Spend a little over a minute with it and see how to impress photo subjects with the smooth moves of shooter and his trusty sling backpack from Lowepro.

Lowepro Flipside 400 AW

The Flipside 400 AW is a high-performance camera backpack designed with large capacity, premium security, all-day comfort, plus protection from the elements with our unique All Weather cover.

And, it’s the selection for this week’s Free Bag Friday. Just add a comment to this blog about how you’d use the bag if you won. We’ll randomly select a winner on Monday, June 6. The winning comment will be posted here and on our Facebook Fan Page.

Good luck everyone… and happy Friday!

Maki Kawakita recently got a new Pro Roller Attaché x50. She evidently loved it because she shared this diary entry with us. Check it out!

“Wow, what a nice new gear I have, Pro Roller Attaché x50!

There was a photoshoot right after I got my Lowepro Attaché x50, so I wanted to try it out right away. I first of all I love the size! The shoot was in New York City, and moving around in the big city with equipment isn’t an easy thing to do. Attaché x50 was small enough to take it everywhere…even in subway or bus if I needed to.

 I love how one bag fit into another bag. This is a space saving for me! The smaller bag had removable separation in it, so I put my two cameras, two lenses, meter and other related equipment in it.

 The location was narrow and small, a typical problem we have in New York City. With a few assistants, model, manager and so on, equipment can get bumped and fallen. Attaché x50’ was perfect not making the already-crowded-space more crowded. So far, I have less than 24 hours of relationship with her, but I like it very much!!!”

Thanks for sharing your diary with us, Maki. And keep us posted on your upcoming projects!

Sam is the PR and Photographer Relations Manager for Lowepro’s Worldwide Marketing team.

We traveled to the Florida Birding and Photo Fest to test our new Scope Photo Travel 350 AW. Among those giving us feedback was Melissa Southern of Next Step Photography Workshops based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Here’s a short movie of Melissa with the Scope Photo Travel.

The camera she uses in this bag is a Nikon D300s. Also, as you’re looking inside the Scope Photo Travel, keep in mind that the design allows you to open the bag in dusty or wet conditions and retrieve a piece of equipment while the other pieces stay clean and dry in their individual compartments. Melissa begins the video by showing you the bag configured in “travel” mode (airlines, etc.). The still image at the end of the movie shows the Scope Photo Travel reconfigured for “working” mode with the camera now in the center compartment (with zoom on) and the scope out for use. There are many interior design options with this backpack.

We anticipate the the Scope Photo Travel will be available in late June 2011 for around $249 US. I’ll keep you posted on our Facebook Fan Page.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.