( 5 reviews )
-
Posted: 12-26-2008
I've used this case for a few months now (with a digital slr, two lenses, a light meter, and various other accessories packed into it). I had obsessed and agonized over what case to get (reading reviews on Amazon and elsewhere, and finally gulping hard and choosing this) and I made the right choice. For one thing, it's much lighter and more compact than I expected, especially for a case that also handles your laptop. I haven't used it for the laptop yet, but I realized in a flash of inspiration that this kind of case solves the problem of not knowing whether to hand-carry your camera equipment or your laptop on a plane, when you can only have one carry-on. Everything is protected, and there's a nice fold-down bottom panel for the laptop, which can be folded up when this compartment is not being used, thus compressing the overall size of the bag. I love the pullout thingee that holds batteries and memory cards, and the double zipper that gets "pulled" open at the top by a pullbar -- quick access. Note also that the strap takes additional (ordered separately for a fee) add-on's such as a holder for a bottle of water, filter holders, and other such things. I give it 4 stars because of two things: 1) it does not have a "piggyback" strap for attaching to a wheeling suitcase as advertised, and 2) I'm not sure it would be totally totally weatherproof in a real bad downpour -- although it's pretty darn good. If you expect to use it on a lot of hiking and outdoor activity where you're in the wild, you might want to look at one of the cases that have a waterproof cover. If you have a huge amount of equipment, you might want to look at a bigger bag. But for me, this was just the right size for a "medium" amount of camera equipment and a 15+" laptop (not widescreen).
-
Posted: 12-05-2008
I thought this bag seemed like a Good Idea given I fly a lot and need to carry on a laptop and camera gear, and there are (or were) many airports in the world that restrict your number of carry-ons. One thing I didn't fully consider is just how heavy the bag would be packed with all that gear and being carried on just one shoulder. First the negatives: One, the laptop compartment doesn't collapse. That is, on some expandable shoulder/rolling briefcases, you can zip up certain compartments to make the bag smaller--not so with this one. Two, the little pull-out compartment you see in the picture isn't removable, and only pulls out of one side (so if the bag's on the wrong side you can't reach it easily), and the compartment it's in is basically useless for anything else. It's not very convenient for any gear. Three, the bag is pretty heavy and loaded with gear it weighs a tonne. I even used a Domke pad (Domke 725-310 FA-031 U.S. Post Office Shoulder Pad) and it still hurt. Four, I didn't find the "miscellaneous" compartment in the front of the bag very convenient for the typical things I need in a laptop bag. Now the positives: One, the top of the bag is really nice--the "turbo" double zippers are pretty easy to open and close and when open you have complete access to the main compartment. When the bag's on your shoulder and against your side, since it's so flexible, you will sometimes have to use two hands to work the flap but overall it's a really nice feature. It does only open one way, however, so it's a little easier when on the right side. Two, the main compartment is very roomy and will easily hold an SLR with attached lens and 2-4 other lenses. When you unzip the top flap you have easy access to the camera and two pieces of equipment on either side of it. There are several repositionable padded dividers. I change lenses a lot so I really like the easy access this bag provides, however, if you're carrying small lenses and you have them stacked two high, it's actually pretty difficult to get to the ones on the bottom. If you really need to carry a laptop and SLR camera gear in one bag, you should seriously consider either a rolling bag, a backpack (with two straps), maaaaaybe a messenger bag (usually more comfortable than a typical shoulder bag--Tamrac has some but not with the Turbo top and they may not be as comfy as a Timbuk2), or just get a foldable/portable dolly to put your non-rolling or single-strap bag on. And you'll still want an ultra light laptop, like the MacBook Air (Apple MacBook Air MB003LL/A 13.3 Inch Laptop (1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive)).
-
( 1 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: 12-05-2008
I thought this bag seemed like a good idea given I fly a lot and need to carry on a laptop plus camera gear, and there are some airlines/airplanes that restrict your number of carry-ons. One thing I didn't fully consider is just how heavy the bag would be packed with all that gear and being carried by just one shoulder strap. First the negatives: One, the laptop compartment doesn't collapse when empty. On some shoulder bags or rolling briefcases you can zip up certain compartments to make the bag smaller--not so with this one. Two, the little pull-out compartment you see in the picture isn't detachable, it only pulls out of one side (so if the bag's on the wrong side you can't reach it easily), and the compartment it's in is basically useless for anything else. Three, the bag is pretty heavy and loaded with gear it weighs a tonne. I even used a Domke pad (Domke 725-310 FA-031 U.S. Post Office Shoulder Pad) and it still hurt. Four, I didn't find the "miscellaneous" compartment in the front of the bag very convenient for the typical things I need in a laptop bag. Now the positives: One, the top of the bag is really nice--the "turbo" double zippers are pretty easy to open and close and when open you have complete access to the main compartment. When the bag's on your shoulder and against your side, since it's so flexible, you will sometimes have to use two hands to work the flap but overall it's a really nice feature. It does only open one way, however, so it's a little easier when on your preferred side. Two, the main compartment is very roomy and will easily hold an SLR with attached lens and 2-4 other lenses. When you unzip the top flap you have easy access to the camera and two pieces of equipment on either side of it. There are several repositionable padded dividers. I change lenses a lot so I really like the easy access this bag provides, however, if you're carrying small lenses and you have them stacked two high, it's actually pretty difficult to get to the ones on the bottom. If you really need to carry a laptop and SLR camera gear in one bag, you should seriously consider alternatives to this like a rolling bag, a backpack, maybe a messenger bag (usually more comfortable than a regular shoulder bag, or just get a foldable/portable dolly to put your non-rolling or single-strap bag on. And I hope you already have an ultra light laptop!
