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Adding to the review 3/2012: The handle is now nearly unusable. Takes a LOT of effort to get it up or down. I've caught the skin of my finger in it twice now, causing me to bleed at the airport TSA line, which is problematic. Everything else about the bag has lasted (though I never could use the tripod holder feature -it's a stupid design nor could I ever fit my laptop safely in this (the outer pockets are nearly useless)) including the roller wheels. I've taken this on 15 international flights (Europe, US, Australia) and all over location shooting, surf, sand, forests, deserts, just fine. But the problem with the handle has made this nearly unusable for me. I will be purchasing a Think Tank for the next trip later this year. I can't live with a bag that causes me injury and that doesn't have a working handle.
Adding to the 10/2011: I've now used this bag for a year taking it from Vancouver to Helsinki to Australia and all over the US. Not one item has broken and it still looks excellent and clean no smudges, tears and just a bit of wear on the back bottom by the wheels. My chief complaints remain: the handles require two hands to push two buttons to lower it VERY annoying and an unneeded frustration since I am always carrying something else (and they over time they are getting harder to use). That particular issue means I will not be purchasing this case again and will find one with a more user-friendly handle. The other issue is that lack of good tripod holder. The attached cup was pointless and an extra part to get lost. And the front pockets are useless and bulge out unecessarily despite not being able to carry anything (certainly NOT a laptop!). I've had to buy a separate bag for my laptop. In all, if the above issues don't bother you, it truly is a VERY well built case and has gone from road to dirt trail to gravel road with no issues at all.
I bought this bag for the same reason that most did for traveling. I needed a bag I can take on any plane (local commuter or trans-ocean) to transport and protect my gear.
I chose the X100 over the X200 to make sure the bag was small enough to fit under seats or small plane overhead compartments. After 11 plane trips, I can say that the bag was easy to use in every plane. If it didn't fit in the overhead compartment of a Delta commuter 15 seat plane, it did stow underneath the seat quite easily (though it has to go in lengthwise and therefore does take up some of the legroom of the adjoining seat. It was also very easy to remove from under the seat which is not easy with larger carry on luggage (which often required quite a bit of adjusting to get out).
The size of the X100 wasn't too small for my needs. I have 2 zooms (70-200, 16-35), MII body, speedlight, 50mm 1.4, 85L they all fit in easily. The X100 does NOT fit the 70-200 standing tall it has to be laid flat. That lens sucks up a lot of room unfortunately by having to lay on its side. But the trade off is that if the bad was any wider (girth), it wouldn't fit under seats of commuter planes. Perhaps the X200 can have the 70-200 inserted end to end.
One frustration is that there is a LOT of wasted space above lenses or speedlights laid flat. I've seen others buying a think tank low profile set of dividers and I may want to do that. I'd prefer to have my laptop fit over the lenses (I'll just get a top foam protector) rather than in the zippered compartment. My 15" laptop is hard to get out of the zippered compartment and I can't say that I feel it is very protected there. For the last several trips, I keep it either inside above the lenses or in its own carry case. Which kind of defeats the purpose of the zippered compartment in the x100.
The bag comes with a LOT of accessories and extras. Too much really and I couldn't use the tripod accessories at all, which is frustrating. I don't really see a need to have extra pieces you have to put together just to get a feature to work as with the 'cup' and loose straps for the tripod. The cup is too bulky to store in the bag and it means I won't have the tripod available to use with the bag feature on the spur. There's a front pocket above the zippered laptop that is just useless I think it is where the tripod should go if you put the tripod on the front of the bag (heaven knows I have no idea from the lousy instructions the bag came with). This is one of the overengineering issues I have with the bag. It would have been better to just put velcro loops on the side to hold my tripod and not give me useless pockets everywhere that can't even be used for storage.
I think the biggest issue I have with the bag is weight. At 12 pounds, it is already very heavy. With a few lenses, I'm risking having the bag being forced to be checked in to meet carry on weight limitations or even being charged extra because it is overweight. I know that the bag needs padding and strength to protect the lenses but this is far more of a concern than size on the plane. I have to pray I don't get it weighed if I have my full kit in there.
The handle is just ok. It is annoying to have to use two hands to telescope the handle (two buttons on either side). I wish there was one button hidden under the handle rather than at the sides. This is another of those overengineering issues I have. I rarely have two hands available just to raise or lower a handle. It's a few extra seconds of fumbling with the stupid bag while irritated people are waiting behind me to get on/off the plane.
The rear 'stand' is iffy. I've tried it twice but wasn't impressed it does hold but feels like cardboard and the bag tips easily (it's exactly like the kind of stand you get behind a free-standing picture frame). I'd rather two small aluminum prongs came out rather than a cardboard feeling "picture stand".
The bag is VERY sturdy when upright. It is the only carry on I've owned that no matter how full, does NOT fall over.
The wheels are sturdy and I've taken the bag on rocky paths through trails as well as gravel and grass. I feel that is one of the greatest strengths of the bag it easily goes from plane to location. As of writing this, I've taken it to 5 countries around the world and it has not had one issue I get quite a bit use out of it since I am an outdoor shooter.
The backpack that you can remove from the luggage case is fine for trekking but honestly, if you have the bag full of equipment, it is HEAVY. You'll only want to use the backpack for very short distances since the handles are not ergonomic or padded in anyway. Which perhaps defeats the purpose and becomes another 'gimmicky' feature. I've never used it even once, so again, it feels like a gimmicky overengineering thing that sounds better than it is in actual use.
Is it worth the money? I'm honestly not sure if I'd rather just buy a $20 carry on and buy a square foam insert that I can cut up inside for my use. I'd then have a lighter bag that wouldn't scare me won't go through check in. But this does ensure my equipment is protected and after all the travel its been through, it's still clean and fresh looking (surprising considering it is out in rain and snow and mud).
In all, there are a LOT of gadgets and whistles in the description of the bag that honestly sound more appealing on paper than in actual production. I feel they are more a selling point (trying to get you to buy their bag over someone else's) than something you'll actually use when you get the bag. For professional appearances, this bag is great. But for private travel, I will probably just put some foam inserts into a regular carry on so I have more versatility and a lighter bag. Before the X100, I traveled with a small backpack inside my carry on and that worked just fine (and left room in the carry on for other items such as a change of clothes).
As a final though: I bought a LowePro Slingshot 100 several years ago and had the same problem with that bag that I do with this bag: Lowepro seems to overengineer their bags to the point of being gimmicky to get you to buy. They sound so good on paper or in videos but when it comes to practical application, they are often very hard or frustrating to use and perhaps not worth the investment. In all honesty, I've lost faith in the Lowepro product line after two consecutive and expensive 'less than expected' equipment purchases. The x100 is durable and a good product but when I end up with a lot of gimmicky items, it makes me feel like I have overpaid for the product. Especially with items like the tripod stand which ended up being unusable (and sadly I NEED that feature to work).
I do give it 4 stars because it is well constructed, sturdy, lives up to the promise of protecting your equipment, and does fit in all airplane situations that I've been in. 1 star less for the issue of unadjustable divider profile height, unusuable or annoying parts like the zipper compartments, baffling extra items, poor product guide (couldn't understand anything from the BW pictures still not sure I'm using the bag right), really poorly thought out tripod attachment gizmo, and gimmicky feel of many aspects of the bag.
In the Amazon customer images area for this item, I've included photos of the x100 and my gear in it for reference.
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After traveling with a Lowepro Backpack for the last two years, I finally gave in and decided to get a rolling bag. I should have bought one years ago.The Lowepro X100 is a fantastic piece of equipment for someone that travels a lot and doesn't want the hassle of having to carry all their gear in a backpack. Going through airports is a breeze and being able to just toss it in an airline overhead compartment is a big plus.
I recently returned from a trip to San Francisco and packed the bag with the following equipment:
1D MIV with a 70-200 f2.8 L II lens attached
1Ds MII body
24-105 f4
16-35 f2.8
100 f2.8
580 EX flash
2 additional batteries
I just wish that there was a little more room for my laptop to store it in the bag itself instead of trying to squeeze it in to the front compartment. This could have easily been accomplished if they had shorter dividers similar to what Think Tank produces.
Overall....a fantastic travel companion and highly recommended.
Best Deals for Lowepro Pro Roller x100 Camera Bag (Black)
This bag has the internal compartments to keep your camera and lenses safe when you travel to the next job. It's a little pricey but you can't beat the protection. If you are lugging your $3000+ camera body around in a regular suitcase, you should really upgrade to this bag. It is very good quality and the internal padding/storage compartments are cheap insurance for your investments. I used to use a regular suitcase and things would knock around a bit. This keeps everything in its own compartment without a lot of additional bulk.Honest reviews on Lowepro Pro Roller x100 Camera Bag (Black)
I have been through dozens and dozens of cases, bags, etc in my lifetime. I am not a professional but have been active in photography now going on 70 years since my first camera. I speak from tons of experience. I have my favorite small carry case and an almost favorite medium one but never had a favorite that was large enough to carry much of what I need on a normal photo outing. Now I do.Plenty of space that you can design at will. Easy to load, wheels work perfectly, lifts easily to the trunk of my car. Not a shoulder bag of course although it has an untried back pack built-in. I never was a fan of back-packs although I have had a few. The front opening coupled with the pop-out angular support is really nice in the field although I tend to just let it down on its back.
I bought the smallest of the 3 models which accomodates a Panasonic G1 and extra lens, a Panasonic DMC-FZ35, lots of accessories, 3 removable shoulder straps and a chest strap type that holds 2 items, s small flash, Nikon Monarch binoculars(for birding), extra batteries, tri-pod head for monopod, tripod attachment for binoculars, reading glasses, bug spray and lots of little stuff with nothing getting lost or jammed.
My only complaint is that the pocket in the front supposedly for a small notebook computer, isn't really large enough to handle even papers without problem so it has gone unused except for my jamming a small collapsable monopod into it with some still sticking out. Luckily carrying a computer is not a requirement for me otherwise this model would not be right. The key however is how easily it pulls or pushes on rough terrain and it does that job well. The only thing I could ask for as an improvment for my purposes would be a set of larger and wider wheels for use in places that were not as civilized as airports or well-worn pathways.
Other than those comments, I really like this bag, the way it handles, the quality of the zippers and the really neat TSA approved locking system. I would buy it again and unless you carry more than I do, the size is perfect.
