Photokina: Cologne, Germany — The just-announced Pro Roller Attache x50 is one of the most ingenious products I’ve seen for camera transport. It’s a roller, yet it’s compact enough to fit in an overhead compartment when traveling. It’s wildly stylish, yet a very easy case to work out of. You can roll it or remove the insert and work with a shoulder bag. And for short trips, it also serves as your carry on luggage for clothing and personal items.

The Lowepro Pro Roller Attache x50 is as functional as it is stylish.

To fully appreciate this transport system, spend a few moments on the product page. I also recommend that you watch the video. Every time I think I know this bag, I discover something cool and new about it.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

Photokina: Cologne, Germany — Lowepro announces the new Street & Field system that includes modular components to customize the perfect solution for your shooting style. Shown here is the technical vest with belt and just one of the many equipment pouches. We’ll be reporting much more about the entire system in the coming days. I just wanted to give you an early peek.

Shown here is the technical vest with belt and one of the many pouches.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

Lowepro Pro Trekker 300 AW packed and ready for travel.

After some deliberation, I settled on the Pro Trekker 300 AW for the trip to Germany to work the photokina event. My itinerary from San Francisco to Cologne involved a few stops, putting the portability of the Pro Trekker 300 to the test. I kept records of each stop to help you make the best decision possible when traveling with this “bag that inspires confidence.”

Before I get to the play by play, I should share how I prepared this bag for air travel. I left the removable belly band at home because I wouldn’t be hiking on this trip. The backpack fits in tighter quarters without it. The final weight for the fully packed Pro Trekker was 27.2 pounds. I can carry on a maximum of 40 pounds on US Airways flights. But other airlines very, so be sure to check weight as well as size. OK, let’s see how this plan worked out…

Inside view of the Pro Trekker 300 fully loaded.

Car to Airport: Segment 1 — In terms of storage, this is the easiest leg of the journey. I tossed the Pro Trekker in the trunk of the car. Since it has handles on three sides, it’s easy to grab while unloading.

SF to Philadelphia: Segment 2 — I boarded an Airbus A321 (183 seats). I lucked out on this flight and was comped a first class upgrade. (I’m a Silver Preferred flyer with US Airways, and they upgrade us for free sometimes.) Needless to say, the Pro Trekker fit easily in the overhead compartment. At this point, I’m just cruising.

Philadelphia to Munich: Segment 3 — For the trip across the Atlantic, we board a bigger plane, an Airbus 332 (258 seats). I didn’t get a free upgrade for this flight, so I’m parked in the economy section. Quarters are much tighter here. Fortunately, once again, the Pro Trekker 300 fit without issue in the overhead compartment.

Airport to Hotel, Munich: Segment 4 — My friend Oliver who lives in Munich was able to pick me up at the airport and drive me to the hotel. Another easy leg of the journey for both me and the Pro Trekker. I spent the night in Munich and went to Oktoberfest. That’s another story I’ll report later…

DB BAHN from Munich to Cologne: Segment 5 — The last thing I wanted to do was get on another plane the next day, especially a small one. So I booked a seat on the high-speed train. It’s a 3.5 hour ride, and much less restricted than airplanes in terms of luggage. I just carried everything onboard. No problem at all.

The good news now is that I have my complete camera rig with me as I work the photokina event. And because the Pro Trekker is so rugged, I was not concerned at all during my journey to Cologne.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

Here at Lowepro we are always looking at how we can expand our partnerships with not only photographers, but like minded companies as well. In the U.S., we have just partnered with Pictage. Pictage is a great solution for serious pro photographers who want to keep their business moving forward (want to focus more on shooting, and less on those pesky business details….).

You will be seeing some exciting news and offerings from this partnership in the near future. If you are one of those serious pro’s, you may want to check them out. On a personal note, well before my time here at Lowepro, my wedding photographer used Pictage’s service and from a customers perspective, we were really pleased with the results! This is just one of the many partnerships that we are working on so stay tuned. How many of you use or have used Pictage’s service? We would love to hear from you.

The Lowepro Classified Sling 180 AW is stylish with many nice touches including leather accents.

In the world of cars, how often do you hear the phrase, “Hey, it’s just as nice as an Audi or BMW”? Seldom. Apparently the world of camera bags is different. I’ve been seeing more references to our products by other manufacturers lately. Take the Lowepro Classified Sling 180 AW, for example. It’s one of the most elegant, functional slings I’ve used. For me, the Classified 180 is the luxury sedan of photo urban gear. So I’d like to take you for a quick spin so you can get a feel for it too.

The Classified Sling fits *comfortably* over my right shoulder, easily holds my Canon 5D Mark II with 24-105mm L attached, plus room for my 70-200mm and the 16-35mm L. I keep an iPad stashed in the roomy front zippered slash pocket. I stow camera batteries and the Camera Connection Kit in the top zippered pocket, plus pens and model releases. And there’s still room left over.

When working in an urban setting, the Classified Sling never leaves my body. I have fast access to all of my equipment by simply sliding it around and opening the compartments via the leather zipper pulls to quickly grab the camera, lens, or computer. Once I get the shot, slide the bag back and keep moving.

Inside I have plenty of room for my Canon 5D Mark II, tele zoom, wide zoom, iPad, and accessories.

There are plenty of hidden compartments to safely stash documents and other sensitive materials. You can reveal the Hideaway Tripod Mount if you need to bring your sticks, or pull out the All Weather cover if the climate turns against you. Need to grab the bag on your way out the door? Use the loop handles on either side of the Classified 180.

Does your assignment require you to use your 70-200mm f/2.8? Not a problem. Remove the padded dividers with suede tips and keep your camera-mounted long zoom handy, but safely out of sight inside the sling bag.

In my opinion, the Lowepro Classified Sling 180 AW is the perfect example of exceptional design: discreet, functional, and very stylish. And if you follow what’s going on, it’s the design that others are trying to imitate. But why not just go with the original?

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

Yesterday saw the annual Gear of the Year awards hosted by Bauer Media take place in London. Drums rolled and Fireworks went off as the winner of the Best Camera Bag 2010 was announced. Needless to say we were absolutely blown away that the Pro Trekker Series won this mighty accolade!

Since launching the Pro Trekker series earlier this year, the 5 star reviews and awards have rolled in from all corners of the globe. It has simply been called ‘The Ultimate Expedition Camera bag‘.

Here in the UK it has become the industry standard and staple choice for the leading Landscape and Outdoors Photographers including Colin Prior, David Ward and David Noton.

Please note: Whilst this image shows the Pro Trekker 600 AW carrying an expensive bottle of Champagne, we do not recommend you carrying it into the field as it may effect your focus!

One of my favorite features of the Lowepro Pro Trekker is the removable waistpack. Depending on where you reside, this device goes by many names, including: fanny pack, belly bag, and my personal favorite… the bum bag.

Regardless of what you call it, this mini-pack fits comfortably around your waist and can be very useful once you’re on location. If I’m dashing out for a quick bite, I’ll drop in the pack a camera and maybe spare lens, just in case a good shot presents itself. While working, it’s perfect for holding a lens or two, extra flash, and other photography paraphernalia.

Front view of waistpack (top image) and padded back (bottom image). This is actually the lid for the Pro Trekker that transforms into a useful fanny pack when on location.

As you can see from the illustration, the waistpack design is probably the best you’ve ever had in a bum bag. Features include mesh-covered back pad, wide belt, secure buckle, two pockets, splashguard zippers, and even key clip. When you’re traveling, the waistpack serves as your backpack lid, adding a little extra security and weather protection. But once you arrive, it’s like having an extra gear bag.

One of my favorite tricks is to use it as a waist stabilizer while hiking. Why? Well, I often remove the thick-padded belly band and leave it at home when traveling by plane. The padded belly band is great for rugged backpacking, but it’s not very “overhead compartment friendly” on some planes. What many people don’t realize is that you can use the waistpack to stabilize the Pro Trekker once you’re on location. Just clip it into place at the bottom of the bag. There are matching buckles to make this easy. In this configuration, it doesn’t take weight off your shoulders the way the padded bellyband does, but it helps keep the Pro Trekker from swaying. I find this is important when I’m in situations where I want to maintain my balance.

Once the trip is over, return the waistpack to its rightful place as the lid for your backpack. I think it looks stylish that way too.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro. Photo by Derrick Story.