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Another bag?
I though my Orion AW was the camera bag for me for a long time to come. Obviously I was wrong. This came about when I was sent to Sydney on a business trip for two weeks. The calendar revealed a public holiday during my time in Sydney so I figured that a three day weekend will give me time to go around and shoot. The dilemma surfaced when I attempted to pack for the trip. I needed my notebook PC but I also needed all my camera gear. I didn't want to carry so much baggage around so I thought that if there was a notebook backpack (I was looking for one anyway) that can be equipped to carry my camera gear around, that would be ideal.
In Sydney, I checked out the websites of several manufacturers and found out about LowePro's Stealth AW. Okay, I underestimated the size again so the Stealth is bigger than expected but nevertheless I placed an order and a week later I have one. Overall, the build quality is what you would expect of a LowePro product, solid and tough. The zippers are a bit noisy but they slide smoothly. They are also coasted with a rubbery plastic so they don't rattle which was a nice touch.
It's a great notebook bag!
The notebook PC is stored in a removable padded pack that can be removed. Additional straps are provided so you actually have two bags in one. I think this is one of the best
features of the Stealth. It fits my notebook (Compaq M700) nicely but you
should check out the dimensions of your notebook beforehand. The notebook pack can carry the power supply and a mouse plus some small accessories. This gives you the benefit of a bigger bag when the notebook pack is removed.
You can see from the photo below of how the inside looks like without the notebook pack.
What about the camera stuff?
There are 3 neoprene pouches above the part where the notebook pack is kept and I can snugly fit the following equipment: EOS 50E (Elan IIE), 24-85mm lens with hood and a 100-300mm lens. I've tried putting a 70-200 2.8 lens and it can also be carried. A strap in each pouch
secures the contents. Two compartments below can be used to carry film, a flash unit (I put a 380EX inside) and spare body (EOS500N/Rebel G) and even a small umbrella. There's a translucent zippered compartment for filters and other accessories.
During my three week trip to Spain, I packed into
the Stealth, two bodies, my EOS 30, EOS 50E, two lenses, the 70-200 f2.8 and EF24-85, my 550EX flash, a Morris mini Slave flash, polarizers, 40 rolls of film, a leatherman tool and a sweater.
That's a lot of stuff and it fit quite nicely.
It can still carry more!
In addition, there's a forward section that can carry a day's worth of clothes or your work documents. I know the Stealth favors Digital camera users since they typically would need a PC for downloads and more
but I think this would work for photojournalists as well who might need to submit a story along with the photos. The pack is comfortable to carry around and we did walk a lot during the trip and but of course do use the
hip-belt if you have quite a bit of gear to spare your back.
Any problems?
A few minor problems came up during my trip to Spain. Without the notebook pack, the bag is basically spineless and tends to fold over. This is especially if you have your camera body and lenses in the
neoprene pouches at the top. I wished it had a small aluminum frame to give it some support. The top half tends to fold over especially when I took my long lens out. In addition, It can't really carry an SLR properly with a mid-sized lens. The neoprene pouches are basically for lenses
but it would be nice to be able to carry snugly a body with mounted lens above the notebook pack. Finally although there is ample padding all round and the neoprene pouches make carrying lenses secure, the bottom could
use with a layer of neoprene padding.
Final words
Although it doesn't carry my growing collection of photo equipment as well as I like it to, it does the job, it carries my notebook PC too (with less camera gear obviously).
It's well built and holds up well to abuse and the All-Weather cover is a bonus. I have to admit it's probably the best hybrid (Camera/Notebook PC) bag yet. It's probably not for everyone but if you
are a heavy digital user, photojournalist, or someone who needs a PC and Camera when you travel, you'll find the Stealth will suit you quite well.
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Highs:
- Well padded and comfortable
- Well built and durable
- Removable notebook section
- Carries quite a bit of gear
Lows:
- Again, its size makes it unsuitable for people with small frames
- Lack of internal frame makes it harder to use without the notebook pack
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Links:
Lowe Pro Website
What do you think?
If own or used the Stealth AW before or considered purchasing it, please share your thoughts with our readers by using our
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© 2000 Eugene Khoo.
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