Reviews of Lowepro Toploader Pro 70 AW

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I've been looking for THE holster-type bag eversince I bought my camera last January 2009. I'm the type who doesn't want his camera to be dangling around his neck while not in use. Tried several holster-type bags in stores (around the $20 $30 range) and they just couldn't serve my needs. Some of the bags were too bulky, others are hard to open, and then some felt cheap and were not padded enough.

Then comes the Lowepro Toploader Pro. Note that there is another older model that doesn't have the word Pro at the end which is way bulkier than this one. So I first saw the bag in youtube and was exited to get one after seeing how the bag opens. At the time when I saw the video, the bags were not available yet so I kept on searching for it in Amazon until I was able to purchase it.

Tried my Canon XS with a 55-250 lens attached. A friend also tried his Nikon D90 with an 18-200 lens attached. Both fit perfectely and still enough room for other stuff. A camera with a battery grip could easily fit on it as well. At the top, I was able to put my 500d zoom filter, an RF remote with both transmitter and receiver, an htc touch phone, and a creative zen mosaic player. At the front, I had my lenspen and the canon battery charger. The bottom part of the bag has very thick padding which gives me the peace of mind should I drop the bag on a hard surface. The whole bag is very very well padded.

The bag came right on time, a day before we went hiking. I also bought a lens case (LC1 from lowepro) so I could carry another lens with me. The lens case was attached to the side of this bag so I didn't have to worry about it. This bag was very comfortable, I didn't feel I was carrying it (compared to my fastpack backpack). The strap goes to the opposite shoulder and it comes with a loop that goes behind the carrier to secure the bag in place and avoid it from moving around. I was able to easily take a shot and then put the camera back to the bag. In case there's a nice view that I wanted to shoot again, I could easily open the latch, flip the cover, then grab my cam. This is the main reason why I got this bag. I could now walk around with my camera inside the bag and easily grab it for fast shooting like an on the spot incident that might not happen again without having to wear my camera around my neck. The bag also serves as a leverage for my left elbow when I'm focusing on a particular subject.

One last add on to the bag is the all weather cover which slips out from the bottom. It will cover the whole bag except the back part that is against the wearer. This doesn't bother me at all as the material of the bag is somewhat water-repellant already. With the cover on, you can still open and close the bag. This is a plus when it suddenly rains or when you have the bag on a cruise, boat, or any other water activity.

Best holster-type bag, can't think of another similar product that beats this one. Can't even find one con for this bag. It's worth the price for its functionality and protection.

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After hours of comparison shopping online, reading reviews, and checking internal bag dimensions among several holster/topload brands, I finally decided on the Lowepro Toploader Pro 70 AW. I was unable to preview this bag in person due to local unavailability, but I'm very pleased with the bag. The bag comfortably holds a Canon T2i 550D DSLR with the kit 18-55mm lens or the kit 55-250mm lens. I also chose this bag for the ability to add a grip to the T2i at a later date and still fit the bag. There is about a half inch of extra space below the 55-250mm lens. In order to fit the 55-250mm lens, I did remove the extra velcro divider that comes with the bag in case you are using 2 small lenses. There is still plenty of padding built into the bottom of the bag, so no worries about lens protection. The all weather cover is difficult to put on the first time, mainly just confusion about which slots fit which buckle. Subsequent attachment of the cover should be easy. The cover does allow access to all buckles and loops for continued use of the bag if desired, which I like. The cover buckle openings fit snugly and do not allow rain to pour in very easily. Mild saturation at the cover buckle slots may happen over extended periods of rain, but I'd rather have access to the camera during mild weather and simply store the bag during heavy rains. One other note about the rain cover, it only fits the bag, not the bag plus a lens case attached so plan ahead during bad weather days. In terms of functional pocket use, the pockets are good for slim items. I don't have a flash yet to test fits, but others have raised some concerns depending on which flash and have also pointed out that these new Pro models have smaller accessory pockets than past year models. I wanted a bag that fit the T2i camera with grip and lens as snugly as possible and this is it. If I need accessories, I can always attach another lens case, etc.

I originally looked at the Pro 65 AW model, but that bag would have been too small for the 55-250mm lens or extremely snug, too snug for me.

I also considered holster bags by Think Tank and Vanguard. I had concerns about the expanding bottom portion of the bag in Think Tanks Digital Holster bags. While the idea of always having the smallest bag necessary given the attached lens, I don't think the Think Tank bags padding will be as sturdy when in the extended position when compared to a big that does not extend and is always more rigid. I didn't have the chance to check this out in person, but it concerned me none the less. I would hate to put the bag down and have the force more strongly transfer to the lens than intended. User reviews about the Vanguard Uprise bags were bad in terms of camera and lens fits, often over-promising compatibility. I did not want to risk having to deal with the return process and restocking fees.

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I bought this bag for my wife's Canon 50D with battery grip with 28-135 lens. This bag handles the size and weight of the camera very well. The new shoulder strap secures the bag comfortably and the bag has enough pockets to carry a day's worth of batteries, cards, and even a strobe. I would recommend this bag to anyway wanting a walk around bag.

Honest reviews on Lowepro Toploader Pro 70 AW

I bought this bag to carry my Nikon D700 w/battery grip mated with Nikon 24-70 f2.8 lens.

Overall it's very nice bag but wish that it had little more room for ease of use. I had to take out bottom pad to make a room to put my camera setup.

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Pros:)

Does as what is it for.

Can fit in my 200mm lens with the battery grip.

Can store my purse, passport & phone on the exterior zippered compartment.

not too big, not too small.

Cons:(

it is hard to put back the rain cover to the designated tight opening (slotted) compatment.

it takes time to put on the rain cover. Practice.. practice & practice.