Customer Reviews

Lowepro Toploader 75 AW SLR Holster Case

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I like Lowepro's toploading bags, they make it easy to get the camera in and out quickly and since the lid opens away from you it's not in your way and you can leave it open. I bought this one so I could carry an SLR and a long lens without having to reverse the hood--this bag accommodates that and then some. But it has some quirks.

It comes with a padded horizontal interior divider and two vertical interior dividers. It can hold an angle finder or small lens in the very bottom and still have room for a large DSLR, vertical grip, 200-300mm lens and hood (without reversing). There's a small amount of space on either side of the vertical dividers--I was able to just barely slide in a Minolta CD-1000 pop-up flash diffuser on one side and some anti-fog wipes and a Lenspen on the other. You could probably fit a couple of filters in their cases on either side...or batteries, or memory cards...but they wouldn't be very accessible. There's a see-through pocket on the inside of the lid that's a good place for memory cards, maybe a filter, a lens cloth, etc.

There's a large outside front pocket that's big enough to hold a second camera body (but not a huge one, and the pocket's not padded so a camera body wouldn't be very well protected in there), and this pocket contains the All Weather cover attached with a fabric strap--not a very convenient place for it. A second, smaller outside front pocket is beneath that and is about the size of 2-3 rolls of film. There are no side, back, top, or bottom pockets at all. There are, however, accessory loops on the two sides meant for Lowepro's accessory lens cases. The AW cover doesn't fit if you have anything attached to the sides, though.

The handle is an unpadded fabric strap attached to the top of the backside--not nearly as convenient or comfortable as other Lowepro bags that have them on the lid. There's a belt slot, but it's pretty much useless as it's so far down on the backside of the bag. The shoulder strap loops are similarly too far towards the front of the bag, and too big, and get in the way of the main compartment a little bit. One "feature" is some kind of moisture-wicking material on the backside, but it only covers about half the surface and it really seems pretty much useless to me.

I like the speed and convenience of the top loading bag with top loading lens cases on either side and top-opening front accessory pockets...but this bag seems unnecessarily bulky and heavy and has a few annoying quirks. I'd recommend the Lowepro Topload Zoom AW instead. It still has some of the same quirks but it's nearly the same interior size yet costs a lot less.

I have dumped other bags and now only use Lowepro's. I have found them to be of excellant quality in construction and wear. I like Lowepro's toploading bags, they make it easy to get the camera in and out quickly and since the lid opens away from you it's not in your way and you can leave it open. I bought this one so I could carry a Canon 40d with Battery grip and Canon's 70-200mm lens attached. A perfect fit even with a large shoulder strap attached to the camera.

The pockets/compartments: There are two on the front. The front bottom compartment is good for a couple of small items that can stand a knock. The Upper compactment I use to carry a few protected filters and small items. Neither are padded. Inside camera compartment the flap/lid also has a small inside compartment. Good for flash cards etc.

Overall the rig is very rugged and very strong zippers, (a fault on many bags) and this rig will stand a lot of rugged use.

I rate this as 5 stars because it's a great carry bag for the camera and the misc camera gear you might need for a shoot.

A previous reviewer observed that the bag "..has issues." I disagree. If you have a large camera and lens, it's the way to go. If you use a small body camera and short lens, it's overkill and way to large. Go for one of Lowepro's smaller toploaders. Like the Zoom 1, Zoom 2 or Lowepro topload Zoom mini.