So many of my pictures were ruined because of ghosting. I immediately bought a Singh-Ray warming polarizer, and had NO PROBLEMS. But, you need the Cokin filter system to use it so I also bought a Hoya Super HMC polarizer. Plano On-Site Truck Repair

None . .

Lots of room. Built to last. Customizable interior. Cumfy sholder straps. Top of the line bag.

non

I love this bag! I have been able to carry two complete systems in this bag. One film, and one digital, with room for all the extras that go along with both. This bag has tons of room, and is build to last. I have two LowePro bags and they are both top notch in my book. The padding system works very well, and you can customize the interior to whatever meets your needs. I had mine filled with about 30lbs of gear and never once questioned the integrity of the bag. The shoulder straps have lots of padding and are designed for comfort. A great bag in my book.

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Targus backpack

Great build, fit, holds a lot of gear.

Perhaps not the best choice if you don't have a lot of gear. Conspicuous.

I wanted to bring my camera along on hiking day trips. Equipment: SLR, a few lenses, Gitzo 1228 tripod, lunch and spare clothes. I bought the Mini Trekker first, but it didn't feel quite comfortable enough (waist strap too high up), and the tripod holder on the Mini Trekker made the tripod flop around too much (since tripod is somewhat taller than that bag). So I brought the Mini back and bought this Photo Trekker AW (would have gotten the slightly smaller & cheaper Nature Trekker AW, had it been in stock). The problems mentioned above are completely solved. I am 6' and after adjustment it fits great. The neat torso length adjustment system should also accomodate ppl several inches taller than I am. Revi There is of course plenty of space to hold my photo equipment. However - as with all other photo backbacks I have seen - there isn't much space for non-photo stuff. This makes me wonder whether it would have been wiser to get a shoulder bag and place it in a regular backpack (for me, hiking with a shoulder bag is out of the question - not comfortable enough).

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Mini Trekker

Where to start!?!?
Holds lots of gear - Including med and large format
Extremely comfortable strap system
Tons of room
Excellently padded
Made of tough, ripstop nylon
Tripod mount
Expandability
Weatherproof cover that tucks into the bottom of backpack
Can be used as a pack or soft case

Not big enough to carry the kitchen sink, but close!

Cool, I get to leave the first review!!

Man, this bag is feature packed, and well worth every cent. After getting this bag, I wouldn't have minded paying full retail ($249.95).

I shoot mostly nature/landscapes and up until this past January I would load whatever gear I would need into a regular daypack and hope for the best. Finally, I sat down and started looking at other options. After about a month of research and driving all over Southern Cali looking at different backpacks I bought this bag and don't regret it one bit.

LowePro really has done it right with their backpack line. Every other bag I looked at fell short of LP's quality and craftsmanship.

The big selling points on this bag (and all the other bags in the AW line) are:

1) the waterproof rainfly that tucks into the bottom of this bag. I've tested it out and it works beautifully.
2) The ergonomic shoulder and waist straps are thickly padded and very comfortable. I've already hiked over 100 miles with this bag and I cannot believe how easy this bag is to carry.
3) Many of the packs I saw didn't have a tripod mount.. This one does and it works well.
4) Very roomy.. It'll carry 2 bodies, 7-8 lenses, flash, meter, filters, film.. Everything you'll need.
5) The outer of this bag is made with a sturdy, ripstop nylon.
6) The interrior is padded with thick, dense pads.

Now there is one small downside.. The thing weighs in at just under 8lbs (7lbs 13oz to be exact), but as sturdy as this bag is built, it cannot help but be heavy.

You know, I could go on and on and on about this bag. If you are in the market for a new carrying system, make sure you include this bag in your list of possibilities... You won't be sorry!

Customer Service

Never used it, and likely never will!

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Various soft cases. This is my first backpack.

i used to carry the commercial aw bag for my trips. but i said that's the last straw. it's to hard to walk around town. with 25lbs of equipment on 1 shoulder. it was time to buy the bag.
i have the folowing bags:
comercial AW MF
nova 5+4
off trail 2
orion beltpack
all are beautifully made. very strong. it's nice to see all my bags together. they have the same look just different shapes. all black. fantastic thought out pockets and design. i bought this bag at ebay (which was my first buy). they have some camera stores selling stuff online. worth it. i paid $194+10 for shipping. they want $230 at adorama before shipping.
i love this bag. it is big. i have not used it yet. but have psuedo-loaded my equipment in the bag and carried it and it is comfortable and easy to use. i have not tried tamrac's but have there catalog and don't like the design. zippers in wrong place design looks cheezy. especially the outer material.

the tripod holder is too small. it's meant for mini tripods. forget about taking a 6lbs tripod (average size) with you. i have a bogen 3221 w/3038 head, and only 1 leg fits inside. looks like i will get a smaller tripod to take with me . but they should have made it bigger. also they give you a stretch cloth (very cheezy quality) band with velcro on the ends so you can secure ..a big lens (?) from shooting out or moving about. i think they could have invested in the bag some and included more than 1, not to mention the fact that they are black not matching the interior (grey).if you are going to do something nice make it count. including a single strap btw, is dumb. cuz any lens you place inside can fall out if it's opened in a vertical fashion. so i went and sewed up 10 more of them. i made them better then there's!!!
the last minus which i guess can't changed is the weight. quite heavy....empty! i'm a bodybuilder so it's no problem for me, for my wife she will be getting the mini trekker.

it's really sucks to go ahead and spend so much money when you know that it costs the company so little to make considering the products are made in china.
i gave it 2 stars only because of the above note.
overall 5 stars is only for the the design, and nothing else. read my review to see why.

Customer Service

they are great! very happy people! i told the rep that he should read the reviews at photographyreview.com so you can see what people dis/like about your bags. they said they do once a week. i also suggested that they have some person wearing the bag or holding it in the catalog so that people may see the actual size more or less.
when i first got into photography i called for info about the bags i was interested in fot eh equipment i had. the local store didn't stock all of the models . i thought the rep could tell me what cameras would fit or wouldn't. all they kept telling me was:"i don't know sir, it says that it will fit a pro camera with grip". that didn't help me much. by luck i got the right bags. i think they should know what does and doesn't fit in these bags. if you're not a photographer you have no business working there. i've also had a problem with getting a catalog to my vacation home which is overseas. many times i wrote emails to the country rep without answers. after getting frustrated for so long i wrote to lowepro US and after 3 weeks i received a cheap mini booklet version of the large full catalog, year- 2000 nonetheless.
i was expecting to get the big catalog.
another thing i would like to add is that my wife flew to HK 3 weeks ago and could not find many lowepro bags (they are made in china).i gave her many addresses so she would know exactly where to go. i contacted the rep in HK who said he would check what stores have them in stock and would let me know. never heard from him again.
http://www.lowepro.com/pages/Distribu.htm#

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all my bags are listed above

design, durability, quality of construction; this pack will carry all the gear you need if you're not staying out overnight

?

This is a very strong and efficiently designed pack. The design really helps me to work to my maximum when I'm out. The size of the pack allows you to carry plenty of gear, but it distributes the weight quite comfortably. I think the tripod pocket works just fine– just one leg fits into the bottom pocket, but that is all that is needed; straps keep the tripod in place. I'm very impressed with the overall design of this pack.

Customer Service

no experience

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smaller canon pack, domke shoulder bag

Size: It carries EVERYTHING, including my Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 in its monster CL-43A carrying case. I didn't think that was possible.
Comfort: Despite the weight of the bag (it's no lightweight), it is very comfortable - even when fully loaded.
Padding: Provides excellent protection for your expensive gear.
Fits in Airline Overheads: You look at it and you say "No way." Measure it - it works. Stuff it in the carry on compartment - it works. I carry a little card in my wallet that compares the bag's dimensions to the airline rules just in case I run into an aggressive flight attendant. (By the way, it doesn't make it with the tripod attached.)

I never could get the hang of the Lowepro tripod straps. I always feel like an apprentice juggler at the circus. My Bogen 3221 with a 3047 head just doesn't feel right back there. I finally bought an Op/Tech tripod strap ($20 or so)and just throw the tripod over my shoulder.

The perfect bag for me. I almost went for the Nature Trekker. Glad I didn't. The bag is always packed and ready to go. I grab it and "organize" in the field. When I'm not carrying it, I use it as my primary storage unit.

I used to own a Mini Trekker. My wife "moved it," and broke the eyepiece on my primary camera. The Photo Trekker AW has proven to be spouse proof.

At first I thought that the bag was a little pricey. Now that I own it and use it, I feel that "quality costs." If Lowepro didn't already make this bag, I'd be bugging them to invent it.

Customer Service

Never used it. Hope I never have to.

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Lowepro Mini Trekker

Large, deep, high quality, every thing you dreamed of in a photo backback and more (including a top zipper pouch for passport/tickets/sunglasses). Carries an amazing amount of gear, and seems to always have room for one more lens. Wonderfully comfortable straps, and a handle in the perfect place when the straps are zipped in for air travel. I like the tripod holder for my Glitzo G1228. Perfect! One side pouch is padded for quick access to a lens, the other isn't padded and holds my water bottle. The integrated All Weather cover is an absolute requirement, and is much lighter than the backpack covers I've had to carry around for years.

Well it could be somewhat less expensive.
I'd like a velcro pull off for the LowePro name, so it doesn't say "Rob me" in Narobi.
If I had a CF pouch on the strap, I'd think I'd died and went to heaven!!

If you need a large comfortable world class backback for a lot(!) of equipment (that will still fit in an airplane overhead), this is it. Buy it. It cost less than any single lens I carry, and protects them all very, very well.

Customer Service

not needed, but a really wonderful web site to help sort things out!

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Numerous backpacks and camera bags which wore out my shoulder and skinned up my cameras.
Lowerpro Minitrecker (Well build, but gets crowed with too many lenses.) I'll never give it up for short trips!