Tough as nails construction. I hike in the rain forest with this.
Comfortable with Waistbelt or Chest hardness.
Can add other bags to the system .
Black, hides dirt well, cleans with a damp cloth
Customizable depending on lens collection.

Waist Belt required caribiners to securely attach to bag, no biggie. The attached Zelcro does not hold well.

I have a few cases and this is by far the best one. I have the waist belt as well as a few lens bags. With the waist belt and shoulder strap it is possible to keep the bag very close to the small of your back; making hiking easier. The main compartment can fit a Rebel Xt/XTi with a 70-200 2.8L IS or a 100-400 L IS with tripod collar, it was a tight fit but I was able too carry that camera for 4 days with rented lenses. I can fit a flash in the side pocket, a few batteries, CF cards, remote, lens pen and a micro fibre cloth. In the lid I may fit a filter if the camera does not have a long lens. My 70-200mm 4L IS fits great with a lens bag attached and a water bottle holder. I'm just attaching bags to the belt as I need them. Even another lowepro bag with a second body and lens. Had it for two years hiked it on the west coast trail with XT and 28-135 USM IS lens and accessories. Even has a rain cover that can be deployed quickly and is useful.

Similar Products Used:

Pelican Cases,
Amvona Backpacks

It's light weight, so it doesn't add noticable weight to the stuff you're carrying. The bag's design and layout is its best feature. You can carry several items in addtion to your camera and attached lens in the main compartment. There are two smaller compartments on either side of where you put your camera and attached lens. I carry my flash in one and a cleaning kit in the other. Your usage may vary. It's also deep enough to carry an extra lens (a 50mm or wide angle zoom) at the bottom in addtion to camera and attached lens. There is also a zippered compartment in the lid. The first thing I noticed about this bag was the huge front pocket. It can be divided into two pockets-- a large one on top and a smaller one on the bottom-- or be used as a single huge one. I keep mine dived and keep my batteries in the smaller bottom one. There's still plenty of room for extra film even in a divided pocket. There's also an inner pocket for pens, a sharpie (*every* bag needs its own sharpie marker), flash cards, chewing gum, smaller cords or whatever. Again, your usage may vary. The price is right too. You can get this bag for around $50 (not counting S&H) almost anywhere on the web. You can carry this bag several ways. You can use the supplied chest harness, the belt loop, or the shoulder strap. You can also put additional cases on either side for lenses, film, an extra body...

The bag has few weaknesses and they amount to chicken feed. The front pocket isn't padded like the rest of the bag. You might want to excercise a little caution about what you put in it. The lid doesn't have a handle sewn on it. Not that it's a big deal, but it would make for a convenient place to put my filter pouch.

Like many on this board, I've acquired a few bags over the years. In terms of construction and material, all of them were good bags. One or another met my needs at the time, but I outgrew them. Another just wasn't the best choice in the first place. And so on... This is simply the best bag I've ever purchased. It's big enough to carry all the stuff I seldom leave home without-- my Elan 7 with Sigma 24-135 and comfort neckstrap attached, 420 EX with Stofen OmniBouncer attached, a cleaning kit, a 50mm lens, spare batteries and film. I should have bought this bag a long time ago. This bag will serve me for a long time to come.

Customer Service

Never needed it from Lowepro. Great service from Adorama.

Similar Products Used:

Lowepro Sideline Shooter-- more of an accessory bag than a true camera bag. A good choice as long as you keep this in mind. Tamrac holster-- a good choice, but not nearly as well designed or thought out. I outgrew mine. Canon shoulder bag-- great for storage and transport.

- Metal D rings and camera strap (nonslip)top quality. 2001 model ones are plastic - hard wearing outer material & thick foam padding - Great value for money, considering the other Topload S&F bags (that are wider but not as long) are more expensive, but have the same features (I think) - Comes with chest strap (though haven't used it) - Has removable and washable foam on back of bag. - Can be used in multiple configurations (on shoulder, across chest, on chest with chest strap, around waist with belt) - AW cover handy with rain and dust/sand

Plastic loops for sliplock attachments weak. Broke one when I was trying to compress a lens bag to the side. Couldn't glue the thing back together, so bought another pair of cinch straps in Australia (for some reason cheaper than in US).

I have the 2004 and 2001 models of LowePro Topload Zoom AW. The 2004 model has the highly useful sliplock attachment loops, which are missing from the 2001 model. Allows for fast access to your camera and its still secure. Fits my 20D with 70-200f4 (with hood reversed)/24-70f2.8 with hood on. Can also just fit a 70-200f2.8L IS. With a battery grip it'd get pretty tight and I'm not sure if a EOS-1 body would fit. Still has room in various zippered compartments to carry spare cards (or 4 rolls of film), batteries, lens tissue, pens, polariser, card & small cloth. You can attach stuff to the D rings outside as well (eg blower brush).

Customer Service

Haven't tried yet.

Similar Products Used:

Lowepro Zoom 1, Lowepro Orion

Well balanced bag Good padding to protect your camera and a spare lens. Strong, dense ripstop fabric. Front pocket will accomodate Canon EOS battery charger and a few ad-ons. Metal clasps. Compression/gear straps on the sides Rain cover

Outside pocket is not well padded so filters must be kept in hard cases.

There is a lot to like about this bag. I originally bought the non-AW version for half the price but took it back as I figured I needed a bag that would survive and be useful for backpacking, cycling, and other outdoor quests. Besides holding my Rebel XT within easy reach, it is an extremely well balanced bag with a comfortable shoulder strap that holds the bag on your hip without it boucing or swinging while you walk. I was able to strap a SLIK tripod to one side and it was still very easy on the shoulder. Material and assembly look good as well and I know from previous LOWEPRO experience that they'll hold up to travel wear and tear.

Customer Service

NA

Similar Products Used:

Other LOWEPRO bags

LowePro quality. Rain cover. Chest harness. Lots of room.

none

This is another top notch bag from LowePro. When I think about new camera bags, LowePro is my first stop. I used this bag with a Canon Rebel G, and two lenses. 50-80mm and 80-200mm. I was also able to fit a small tripod inside the bag as well as extra batteries, film, cleaning kit, manual,some zip lock baggies, and more film without a problem. The chest harnes was the main reason I bought the bag. It was for a backpacking trip and I needed something to secure my gear to my chest for easy, hands free access. This bag did the job it was intended to do without a problem. The rain cover has come in handy on several occasion, and worked great.

Good quality. Very functional. Big front pouch. All weather cover.Chest harness, sholder strap, and carry handle.

$74.99 retail, but who pays retail?

I already owned a Lowepro Micro Trecker 2000 which I like a lot so when I shopped for a Topload zoom case I headed right to the Lowepro display. First I tried a less expensive model which was ok, but when I saw the Topload Zoom AW I knew it was the one. It is a little more roomy for my Canon 10D and 75-300 IS lens with room underneath for "stuff" and inner pouches on the sides for "stuff", but what got me was the front pouch. It is a two section zipper pouch but you can move the padded velcro devider and use it as one big compartment which my 550EX speedlight, in it's case, slides snuggly into. The zippered laminated mesh pocket in the lid holds batteries and CF cards ie "stuff" and when you use the topload chest harness everything is right there in front of you. I can put the camera strap around my neck, leave the weight of the camera in the case with the lid unzipped and quickly have camera in hand. I can also use it with the Micro Trecker 2000 backpack and carry a lot of gear and still have my hands free and no straps cutting into my neck.Both cases are pretty compact yet together they hold a lot of "stuff" and protect it nicely. The AW means there is a fitted all weather cover with elastic to protect the Top Loader Zoom and your gear in case of rain.I haven't used it yet but it's nice to know it's there.It is big for a holster case but every bit of that bulk is useful. It also has a slit in the padding that you could slide your belt through and carry that way. I haven't tried that either because I think the weight would pull my pants down.lol.

Customer Service

none needed.

Similar Products Used:

various camera cases.

Well Designed. Can fit most of my gear into it.

none.

This bag is dope. I love it.I wish it was just a bit longer like one or two inches.but thats alright...i can fit everything in it...my 75-300mm telephoto with my camera with a 28-90mm attached to it..Plus lots of room for filters and lots of other accessories and film. and it fits into my back pack and i can access it quickly...

Similar Products Used:

Lowe pro TLZ-1

Durable, well made, well padded, roomy, can be carried either with a handle, a shoulder strap or a chest harness, all of which come with the bag. It also has a water proof bag that covers the bag when it rains.

bulky, but that is really not the bag's fault. It is designed to carry a big, heavy camera, so it is also big.

I bought this bag because I needed something to lug my camera, with 80-200 2.8 zoom attached. TLZ stands for TopLoad Zoom, and AW stands for All Weather. The bag opens in the top like a holster, and when you are ready to take a picture, you pull the camera straight out. The bag will hold my camera (an Elan II with BP-50 battery pack), the big 80-200 2.8L zoom (with lens hood extended), and with a heavy, padded neckstrap attached. The bag will zip up with all this stuffed in there. There are two pouches in the front of the bag, in which I can carry a 220EX, a 50mm 1.8 and 8 rolls of film. The bag also has little internal pouches that can carry 72 mm filters, cleaning clothes, more film, etc. There is a rain cover that comes with the bag that you can pull over it when it rains. The bag comes with a strap and chest harness, both of which work well. This camera lens combo is heavy as hell, and is not pleasant to carry around under any circumstances, but the bag makes it easier. It is sturdy, well constructed and heavily padded. For $58 at Cameraworld it was well worth it.

Customer Service

not used

Similar Products Used:

Tiffen bag

Spacious, Definately accomodates my EOS 3 (w/out power booster) and medium size telephoto lens. The padding on the bag makes any long trek bearable, and the accompanying chest harness makes backpackers life a cinch!

"Fat" even though it's a holster, it can be a BIG obstruction. The AW hood takes a minute to deploy which also makes the bag inaccessable while the hood is on- but it kept my bag dry on the log ride at six flags! (like i'd leave my camera in those cubby holes!). Zippers jingle like bells, if stealth is in order, electrical tape the pull tabs.

Excellent bag, Does the job (light around town bag and backpacking holster) A far cry better than it's budget counterparts, unlike the aforementioned it deserves the Lowe name.

Customer Service

not needed

Similar Products Used:

Topload 1

Virtually water proof.
Superbly comfortable when wearing with shoulder harness.
Easy access with lot's of places for extras.

None

An extremely well made product that is easy to use, especially when hiking or biking where mobility is a must

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Canon Stock Bag