gear
Review: Lowepro Classified Sling 180 AW
Well a couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to get my hands on the fairly recent release of a lowepro Classified Sling 180AW rucksack. I say lucky because I actually won a competition to get hold of it. I was in the market for a new bag so it’s been a most fortunate turn of events. I’ve had it for a few weeks now though so thought I’d share my thoughts on it.
This is pretty much my first Lowepro bag. Well that’s not true It’s my first lowepro bag big enough to put a DSLR in. I have a small pouch designed for a compact which I sometimes just use to carry a film camera or a flash. I’d also like to make it clear I am in no way affiliated to loweproUK who I won the bag from. This review is my honest opinion.
First impressions were very good. The build quality is top notch, rugged fabric on the outside and soft finishes with plenty of padding on the inside to protect your gear. Each buckle and strap is well made and stitched and the zips have nice leather pull tags on them.
Sizing the bag up for the first time I really didn’t think it was much bigger than my current crumpler rucksack but I was wrong. It really is quite the tardis. On the outside it looks reasonably small and it holds quite a slim profile which is nice as I don’t find it’s bashing on walls and people when I’m walking through the sometimes busy streets of Weymouth. On the inside though it holds an almost ridiculous amount of kit! The main compartment happily holds my D80 and 3 lenses (1 attached to body) and my sb600. That doesn’t sound like much but I still have room for approx another 2-3 lenses! which is fairly impressive for a small bag which is the right size for carry-on luggage.
Above the main compartment is a long pocket which runs the length of the lid. This quite happily stores a bunch of gels, two sets of AA batteries and a spare camera battery. It also has several specific slots for memory cards which are really handy and so easily accessible. There is also another pocket at the top of the bag which happily fits a mobile phone, wallet, notepad, pens, business cards etc. The front of the bag has a netbook pocket. It’s certainly big enough for that but I currently don’t have one to fill it. Instead I use it for a compact film camera, six rolls of film, a magazine, 500gb hard drive, leads, ipod, keys, filters, snoots and anything else I happen to find lying about. Yes it really is quite a big pocket!! and YES I really am impressed by this bag….but whats more impressive than both the size and build of this bag though is the design. › Continue reading
Camera Junkie: “I Just Need One More…..”
Surely everyone NEEDS one of these, right?
Stu’s recent discussion about the trials and tribulations of being a flickr addict got me thinking about all of the other things I find myself obsessing over and with, in relation to photography. I’m rapidly being led toward the conclusion that photographers are, in general, extremely obsessive individuals…
One of my most recent and over-riding addictions (and one that I know I’m not alone in suffering from) is buying second hand cameras. I don’t know why, but I can’t seem to get enough of them.
I find myself searching on eBay for neglected bargains, convincing myself that by buying this one I’m plugging a gaping hole in my current collection. The trouble is, there’s always a gap in any collection – the holes get smaller but more plentiful, the larger a collection becomes.
I love cameras. Especially film cameras. I love the way they look and feel. I love the history they carry with them. Pick up a camera from the 50s for a few quid – what sights has that lens seen? Isn’t there something inherently romantic about cameras and photographs? I think there is… (watch Stephen Poliakoff’s incredible TV drama Shooting The Past if you disagree – and you’ll soon change your opinion!)
But I’m starting to think… will I ever have enough of them? Will my appetite ever be sated? Will my collection ever be complete?
At least I’m not just sitting them on a shelf though – like some sad collector – every single one of my cameras gets used (although maybe only once if the results really suck!!). And, at the end of the day, surely there are far worse things to be collecting? I mean, at least I gave up train spotting when I was 13. 
There is a (pseudo) scientific name for this condition: Gear Acquisition Syndrome (or GAS, for short). As you’d expect, there’s also a flickr group to go with it (Camera Junkie) where you can share your latest treasures and pick the brains of like-minded individuals. And while there are lots of people on there hoarding and coveting digital equipment, it seems that the need to acquire old film kit is the most telling trait of a camera junkie.
Maybe we’re all rush-buying, afraid that the bottomless well of secondhand analogue goods will one day run dry? That this might be our last chance to pick up an Olympus Trip35, a Yashica Samurai or a Canon A1.
Hmmm… speaking of which, excuse me – my spider senses detect an imminent auction ending…
Got the Camera. What Do I Buy Next?
So you’ve finally got that DSLR that you’ve been waiting months, maybe years, for – doesn’t it feel great? Only problem is, now you have it, your eyes have suddenly been opened up to the astounding plethora of accessories, add-ons and gadgets out there all pleading with you to buy them. All trying to convince you that your photographs will only ever be good if you acquire them. But beware, some of those little trinkets, they be liars! They promise the moon on a stick, when in reality they can’t even deliver the stick.
Before you part with those hard-earned greenbacks, here’s my advice on which bits of kit you should consider adding to your shopping list (and which you definitely shouldn’t) along with the reasons why…
Something To Put It In...
High Priority (Essential Purchases)
Camera Bag: Well, are you going to carry it around your neck all the time? I think not. The number of bags out there is quite astounding. Try to focus on the style of bag you want: rucksacks are good for distributing weight, shoulder bags provide fast access, messenger-style sling bags are a halfway house between the two… A little tip, always buy something that’s a bit bigger than you think you need. You’ll be running out of space before you know it. Bags are one of the few camera accessories it’s quite tricky to buy online, without actually seeing and holding it – they’re never what you expect when they arrive!
Insurance: I know – boring, right? But not as boring as being without a camera if you drop yours off a cliff-edge (I’m sure it’s happened before). You may receive certain levels of cover from your Contents Insurance – but dedicated photographic equipment insurance is something I would highly recommend. I use these guys – and although (touch wood) I’ve never had to make a claim, it’s something I wouldn’t be without. And make sure you keep your kit list up-to-date with your insurer – every new item you buy (with a value you can’t afford to write off) – add the details to your list (with photoguard you can do this online). › Continue reading
Photography…..It’s My Bag Baby
ok photography is my bag! I absolutely love it but this post is actually going to be more about what’s in my bag. I thought it would be an interesting idea for some discussion. I’m going to list below what the items are in my bag on a daily basis and go into a bit of detail of why they are in my kit bag. Then you peeps (yes you) (and you at the back there) (yes and you Darren) are going to take a photo of the contents of your kit bag and post them to flickr with descriptions and place a link here in the comments so we can all be nosey and take a look…..sound cool? excellent! (you folks are the best……you really are).
the inner components of my bag!
I’ll start by saying that I think I pack pretty light (prove me wrong). The main reason for that is this all fits into my smallish crumpler rucksack which I take everywhere with me….and I mean everywhere. The last thing I need whilst completing my day job (which isn’t sadly as a photographer) is to be lugging round kit that weighs several tonnes, most of my travel is done on foot or public transport so travelling light is essential. The other reason for lack of kit is because I don’t own much anyway. I have light stands and tripods etc but I don’t take these out everyday. Just slows me down. I have excluded my small plastic lunchbox….didn’t think it important.
I’ll work my way round from top left to bottom right.
1. Wallet- Mainly so I can buy coffee and donuts on the move….hey I have my figure to maintain! but could also come in handy to bribe people in positions of importance or prove my identity if questioned.
2. Olympus XA2 – Just the cutest bestest pocket film camera a guy(or gal) could want…fits in the pocket, nice sharp lens…brilliant!! This is usually in my pocket and it gets rotated with my other 35mm cameras. I try to limit myself to carrying one at a time. › Continue reading
