Sturdy, doesnt look like i am carrying expensive camera equipment, Ok for daytrips but dont take too much stuff

Just too small for 4 lenses, camera body & flashunit in te lower compartment. no storage for tripod, no rainmac, weak zippers (zip on top compartment needed replacing), no external pocket / netting for waterbottle.

10 years of use for daytrips

comfortable to wear
well made
good for carrying your lunch and a sweatshirt.

No all weather protection
padded camera equipment storage area far too small for DSLR use
waist/chest strap too short (and I am midium build only)
no extenal tripod/monopod storage

Although well made as all Lowepro products, in my opinion this isn't really a camera bag at all. It is a day rucksack with a camera compartment at the bottom and nothing else.
The top section is not much use for camera equipment as it does not offer any protection at all, although OK for a sweatshirt and your sandwiches.
The bottom compartment will carry a DSLR with medium zoom lens, one spare lens and little else.
OK, so it looks like and ordinary rucksack and may not attract thieves, but that's about it.

There are significant design faults too.
First, the waist strap is too short for anyone over a medium build unless you want to develop a strangulated hernia.
Secondly, no external tripod/monopod holder.
Third, in this model there is not a retractable waterproof cover as with other Lowepro models…why?

So in a nutshell, if you want a day rucksack you can put a small amount of DSLR camera equipment in, a sweatshirt and your sandwiches in (no drinks though in case they leak into the camera bit underneath) then this may me for you. I otherwise assess that the Lowepro Orion is an ill though out design and certainly isn’t for me for everyday use. For photography only days, I will stick to my Lowepro Slingshot camera bag, which is a most excellent product indeed and highly recommended.

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Lowepro Slingshot

Carries your camera in a padded pocket. Doesn't immediately look like a camera bag. Fits into airline "hand baggage" no worries.

Small Uncomfortable Slow access

I loved the idea of this bag, it should be versatile and it's not as immediately appealling to theives as a more conventional/obvious camera bag. However, having used it for a year or so, I can't recommend it at all. The non-camera compartment is too small to be any real use (won't even hold A4 paper unfolded), and use of any of the pockets eats into the space further. It has very little stiffness, shape or support making it uncomfortable and sweaty in use. Anyone over about 5 ft tall will find the waist band too high, which only exacerbates the problem. Surprised to read good reviews of the camera compartment, I find that a 35mm SLR and one spare lens fill it completely (OK, you can fit in a change of filter but not much else). It takes seemingly ages to get the camera out - even with a friend to help! I guess this is good for security again, but I've missed a few animal shots while I fought with the zips and buckle. A nice idea that nobody bothered to think through.

Customer Service

N/A

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"Ordinary" (non-photo) backpack

Cheap and versatile. Well padded photo compartment.

Quality is so-so. Stitching on mine has started to come apart after a 2 week trip. Slow access to camera. No attachment straps for tripod.

The product is a compromise. Its great for travelling where there's room for photo gear, travel documents, food, water etc. However room for additional lenses and flash is limited. Longer zooms will have to go into the upper compartment. Weight distribution is far from ideal and not at all comfortable compared to a proper backpack.

-Well made - like all Lowepro gear. -Plenty of room for a small SLR outfit. -Good for travellers. -Extra backpack space is more useful than a larger padded section if you don't have that much kit. -Weather resistant. -Your equipment feels secure from theft and accidental damage.

- Not completely waterproof however few bags this price are. - If you want to carry more gear than I have it won't fit. - Backpack section small but much better than nothing. - No strap for carrying a tripod and can't attach Lowepro's sliplock accessories.

I paid £50 for this pack. I bought this for two reasons - I needed something that would carry my SLR outfit when it outgrew my previous bag and I was attracted to the idea of something that combined a camera bag with storage for other items. So far I haven't been disappointed. It stores my outfit pretty well (A Minolta Dynax 7 with 28-70 f2.8 lens, 70-300 lens and 24mm prime plus filters - this is about the maximum it can store) pretty well. The camera section is padded so your equipment is kept safe from knocks and its water-resistant - not completely waterproof like some of the more expensive Lowepro models but certainly safe from the rain. Additionally its quite ergonomically designed and you can comfortably carry equipment over large distances without much discomfort. So as a camera bag for a small-ish SLR outfit I don't have any complaints with the exception that its hard to get instant access to your camera when the backpack is fully sealed up. This however is a fault common with all photo backpacks. The pack is well made and comes with a lifetime guarantee from Lowepro. The combination of a photo bag with a conventional backpack space is useful. On the downside the backpack space doesn't store a huge amount of stuff but its better than nothing. Its particularly handy if you are travelling as it is useful for airline carry on luggage- you can keep your passport, camera gear and other valuables all safe and in one place and also for travelling. If you are on holiday its hand to be able to store things like a jacket, sunglasses, guide books, food, etc in the same bag - I tried carrying a normal daypack with an over the shoulder camera bag and it was much less convenient than using this believe me. Now I only need to carry one bag which is better for security (less stuff to keep an eye on) and makes it much easier to access both your camera and other stuff. I feel less vulnerable to theft with this backpack than with my old over the shoulder bag - it looks less obviously like a camera bag so is less of a target and it is harder to snatch. The camera part of the back is quite secure with zippers and a catch so I doubt anyone could steal anything without you noticing it. To summarise I would heartily recommend this to anyone who wants a photo backpack and doesn't have a huge SLR outfit - particularly for people who travel a lot.

Customer Service

N/A

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Lowepro Nova 2

Comfortable to carry, even with heavy things in it. Fits some "extra stuff" in the top compartment. Really good quality (it's LowePro!). Doesn't look like a camera bag (lesser risk of theft).

BIG minus: You can't get stuff in and out of the lower compartment without putting it down or risk dropping stuff. Takes too much time to get stuff out. The lower compartment is a bit too thinly padded, and the upper compartment isn't padded at all. Could really use some external mesh pockets, straps and stuff. Waist strap isn't detachable.

Great bag when it comes to just carrying camera equipment around, not that good when it comes to taking stuff in and out. It's a great bag if you don't need instant access to your camera. It holds all that extra stuff that you always bring with you anyway (cellphone, keys, wallet, warm sweater, water bottle / coffee thermos...). The lower camera compartment can hold a lot of stuff (1 SLR body, 3-4 lenses, flash and accessories), but it's hard to fit bigger things there (such as large lenses). They have to go in the top-compartment, where they aren't very well protected. If you just want to carry camera equipment and have easy access to it, get another model.

Customer Service

For a camera bag? No.

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LowePro Nova 3

The look. Nobody would say that you carry expensive equipment in there. If you are maticulous you can fit a lot of stuff. I have carried: In the bottom: Bodies: N90s and F3HP. Lenses: 35-70 f2.8 D AF attached on the N90; 105 f2,5 AIS; 24 f2.8; 55 f2.8 AIS; Flashes: 1 nikon-sb 16 and the sb-17 At the top compartment: -Nikkor Zoom 80-200 f4 AIS -Cleaning kit; pc cable, a 250 cc water bottle; 25 rolls of film in 5 pack boxes and a self contained waterproof jacket. Of course the little bag is about to explode when I put all that stuff in it....but it behaved really well in a 1 month trip around mexico.

Not much room for extra stuff. The bottom is not very well padded, so be carefull...don´t you drop it! You have to take the bag off and put it on the ground or table to take the camera out; so it is not teh best for the "hurry up" situations. Doesnt stop water very well...actually almost nothing, so better get the lenses and cameras in plastic bags if you wanna go to wet places with it.

The best combination of price space and discretion. Maybe it is not the biggest or the srtongest, but it is perfect for the all around photographer who doesnt need much stuff (usualy the best ones when it comes to people).

Customer Service

I had to saw the little clip that hold the bottom cause it it not designed to resist so much weigth. Not big deal.

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Lowe pro compact AW

Extremely well made. Weather resistant. Great design with the upper compartment for all your "other stuff". Very comfortable to wear. Great size for a daytrip with my digital camera and all its related gear.

Could use a "flop-down" compartment on the outside for smaller items.

It may not be as weather resitant as their AW line, but I would say it should protect your gear pretty well in a light rain. Besides, the price is right- $60 form Photoalley. This is a high quality, reasonably priced bag that is perfect for daytrips. It is not too large or heavy and has plenty of room.

Customer Service

Never needed. Lowe Pro seems to "do it right the first time".

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Several bags. I also own a Photorunner (for the camcorder) and an Off Road (for the N70) from Lowe Pro.

Versatility, lots of storage compartments. Fit and finish is excellent.

None

This is a great bag for traveling. You can keep your photo gear separate from your other stuff. It has many zippered pockets so you can even hide your passport and money. The padding keeps your photo gear very well protected and the straps are very sufficient to handle your load no matter how heavy. I picked this up from Camera World a year ago for under $50.

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Regular Over-the-shoulder Camera Bags

Roomy and comfortable.

None so far

This is a good backpack. It does its job well. I like the extra zipper pouches inside the pack. Great for storing fliters and other small items.

Customer Service

N/A

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None