Discount Lowepro Pro Runner x350 AW DSLR Backpack (Black)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $329.99
Sale Price: $187.06
Today's Bonus: 43% Off

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program

QUICK SUMMARY: See my video review! Excellent, professional-grade photographer's DSLR travel bag is rugged and tricked-out to the max. Aside from it's rather heavy weight and high cost, there's not much to dislike. Recommended!

WHAT I LIKED:

Tricked-out to stow lots of camera accessories, including even a nice 15" laptop sleeve (which I didn't show off in my video review) and pouch

Shoulder harness permits toting photographic equipment wherever wheels won't roll

Weatherproofed so expensive equipment won't likely get water damaged, even in a downpour

Versatile and customizeable to fit your unique travel needs

WHAT I DISLIKED:

It's heavy enough that, once fully loaded, it would be difficult to stow this bag in an airplane overhead bin

The tightness of the zippers can make it difficult to zip/unzip around the bag's corners

I disliked the spring-loaded, extensible handle which I fear will spring out of the bag unexpectedly

CONCLUSION:

I'm not a professional (or even semi-professional) photographer, but if I were, this travel case would be a terrific investment to safely stow and move my equipment to various shooting locations. But it won't replace a very lightweight, compact camera case that you'll also need and want.

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First let me say it's a good bag and 3 stars is pretty harsh, it has a great build quality, a little fiddly, but here's why it lost the stars:

Lost one star because it's only going to qualify as carry on with a few airlines. It's diameter of 28.5cm runs pretty close to many of the domestic and budget airlines which have a 24cm, it's over an inch too much. Not much but enough for the stricter airline staff to be a pain and create problems, especially if you use the laptop part for other bits that aren't a nice flat laptop.

Lost another star because it lacks a few external pockets. As a full time photographer/videographer i find myself needing a place to put a bunch of keys, quick access to batteries, memory cards etc, it would be great if like a few other bags it had these, specifically i'm thinking of the Tamrac 5587. Basically i need a Tamrac 5587 with wheels and slightly less 'expedition' straps.

The way i work especially at weddings is a bit of city (wheels are great for this) then a bit of beach, forest, stairs (rucksack is great for this), it's ideal but i wish they would stick some external pockets on it and how about 2 tripod holders, one on either side. Now i'm being fussy, but most photog's i know use a monopod and tripod.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I have a Lowepro Vertex 300 AW Backpack which easily holds two bodies, a lot of lenses and a lot of accessories but it doesn't have wheels. The Lowepro Pro Runner x350 is small by comparison. It's adequate for a single body, a flash, a couple of lenses and strangely enough a l5.4" laptop.

This product can either be rolled or used as a conventional backpack. There is some padding between the backpack and your body which makes it more comfortable. The three piece telescoping handle is sturdy. When you're not using the backpack straps they can be secured behind the padding and are almost not visible. The interior is configurable to accommodate your needs.

OK, there is one thing that concerns me. I just got back from a trip and compared the depth of the Pro Runner x350 to my normal carry-on luggage. The manufacturer claims it is 13" deep which is fine; however, if you fill it up, the depth is over 14" (which exceeds the airline's maximum depth). On a 737, this will be a very tight fit in the overhead compartment when fully loaded because the opening is about 14".

The construction is excellent and the materials are top quality. There are heavy-duty zippers and Fastex straps to secure the main compartment. The laptop bag fits my Dell 15.4" laptop perfectly. You're still going to have to remove the laptop for the TSA agents. BTW: They confiscated a can of tuna saying that it was a liquid -Geniuses! They also took my insect repellant claiming it was a poison (TO BUGS -Hello). But I digress...

I'm used to a larger pack so the Pro Runner X350 seems a little small. If you need more room, take a look at the Lowepro Pro Runner x450 AW DSLR Backpack (Black) which is considerably larger and not that much more expensive.

Honest reviews on Lowepro Pro Runner x350 AW DSLR Backpack (Black)

This bag is perfect for me. It holds 2 Canon 5D bodies and multiple lenses and flashes (plus all the batteries, chargers, CF cards, etc) and fits my Macbook Pro (15 in) as well. There is an inner cushion zippered pocket for the laptop so it feels safe/secure and I like that the laptop compartment is in the front so at airport security I can just whip it out quickly. It rolls well and fits into the overhead compartments just fine (I was worried about it because it is pretty thick.) I loved the backpack option for when you have another bag with you and need freedom of your hands (and for the bus, shuttle, taxi, etc.) I'm a 5'7 female so it does feel quite bulky on my back but it's not horrible for short term. I was debating between this and the ThinkTank Take-Off and I'm glad I saved myself $70 bucks plus some shipping because this works out perfectly for what I need.

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I originally bought this because I have a backpack now, and wanted something I could roll too. Not many people make the combination so I was excited to try this.

Once I got it, I instantly realized this would be terrible to carry on your back since it is so heavy, even without anything in it. The rolling part is OK but I feel the handle is a bit weak. So if I was going to be rolling it all the time and not carrying it on my back, I would rather get a better roller bag and drop the backpack part all together.

I returned the item for this reason alone. Aside from the backpack / roller part, this bag is the good quality you would expect from Lowepro. A lot of space, good compartments, etc. I just wanted to give my input on the whole rolling bit.