Lowepro Pro Mag 2 AW or Bob Krist bag - Please help!

Jim Dawson said:

Guy,

I hope my
recomendation hasn't caused you too much grief.

I really think its an awesome bag for $99.00.

Click to expand...

Guy Rehorst said:

Jim Dawson said:

Guy,

I hope my
recomendation hasn't caused you too much grief.

I really think its an awesome bag for $99.00.

Click to expand...

I agree, it is pretty awesome for $99. No grief at all!

Click to expand...

Kharim Hogan said:

A question...is the bag deep enough that you could have your 28-70
with the hood on and not reversed?

Click to expand...

Kharim Hogan said:

Oh, and another question...when the bag is full, does it stand up
by itself when you put it down or does it tend to fall over onto
its side?

Click to expand...

Kharim Hogan said:

Do you know of another website that might have more views of this
bag? I'm trying to get a better feel for it.

Thanks!
Kharim

Guy Rehorst said:

Jim Dawson said:

Guy,

I hope my
recomendation hasn't caused you too much grief.

I really think its an awesome bag for $99.00.

Click to expand...

I agree, it is pretty awesome for $99. No grief at all!

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Bill too said:

The Krist is two inches wider but only four inches deep according
to the specs I just picked off their web site. Four inches would
not accomodate some telephotos with hoods reversed which really
makes me wonder why so many people tout that bag.

Buy with expansion in view because you just know you are going to
be adding more lenses down the road.

Just my thoughts, Kharim.

billtoo

Kharim Hogan said:

Hi,

I need a new camera bag and have narrowed down my choices to these
two bags: the Lowepro Pro Mag 2 AW and the Bob Krist camera bag.
Unfortunately, none of the local stores have this particular
Lowepro model in stock and as I understand it, the Bob Krist is
only available through LL Bean. So I can't see firsthand either of
these bags to make my decision. I'm hoping some of you who own
either of these bags could help me out.

The reasons I've settled on these two models are the following:

• I want a vertical format bag so I can easily access my camera

with whatever lens I happen to have mounted rather than be
restricted to short lenses while the camera is in the bag.

• I want something that will hold all my gear and a bit extra which

both of these bags seem quite capable of.

• I don't want a bag that is wide and hangs out too far. I think

the slimmer format will be easier to lug around especially when
full.

• I don't want something that looks too obvious as a camera bag.

• I need something that is weather resistant.

• Finally, since I do alot of street shooting (often in crowds), I

don't want to have to worry about easy access by would-be
pickpockets etc. while I'm not paying attention but at the same
time, I want to be able to get into my bag relatively easily (i.e.
I prefer zippers to velcro or clips).

Okay, here are the questions I have that I can't seem to find
answers to:

About the Bob Krist bag...

• How much does the Bob Krist bag weigh (empty)?
• Does the Bob Krist bag have zippers or could one theoretically

just reach in and grab something? The top doesn't seem to have a
zipper and those side pockets seem easy to get into from the
pictures.

• How comfortable is the Bob Krist bag when worn as a backpack?
• How weather resistant is the Bob Krist? Could it keep the

equipment dry in a downpour?

About the Lowepro Pro Mag 2 AW...

• Can this bag be worn as a backpack?
• How easy is it to get in and out of?
• Are there extra pockets for things such as wallets, airline

tickets, pens, and other such trinkets?

• Where is the best place to purchase this bag that might actually

have them in stock (none of the stores here have them and it's 2
weeks to a month to get one...I need it by next week and I'm in
Canada).

About either bag...

• Is there a way to attach a tripod to either of these bags?
• Which one do you feel offers the most protection of one's equipment?

Well, those are my most pressing issues and questions. Which of
these two bags would you recommend based on all those criteria and
questions?

Thanks for any help!
Kharim

Click to expand...

--
http://www.pbase.com/billtoo

Click to expand...

Thom said:

Kharim Hogan said:

A question...is the bag deep enough that you could have your 28-70
with the hood on and not reversed?

Click to expand...

It might (would be tight if it does), never tried it, I always
reverse it by habit. I'll take a look tonight.

Click to expand...

Member said:

Member said:

Oh, and another question...when the bag is full, does it stand up
by itself when you put it down or does it tend to fall over onto
its side?

Click to expand...

Not at all ... that's one really good feature, so many of these
vertical format bags to that, not this one ... very rigid and
steady.

Click to expand...

Member said:

While slimmer than the Commercial AW types, it is a two lens wide
bag, so it's not as slim as a briefcase/laptop style bag, but it
only hangs out off your hip about a wide as your D30 can fit
sideways, plus the front compartment, depending how much stuff you
pack it there I find it less problematic than most bags, I keep
it swung around back most of the time anyway.

Click to expand...

Kharim Hogan said:

Hi Billtoo,

thanks for your comments. I wonder though, the Pro Mag 2 seems to
me to be plenty big enough for your lenses. Are you saying that
your lenses don't fit in your Pro mag 1 at the moment?

Click to expand...

Jim Dawson said:

Here is their (Pelican) home page with a shot of all of them on one
page. Maybe that'll help a bit.

http://www.bkaphoto.com/index.cgi?section=pelican&product_list_in_frame=pelican&cart_id=3343094.19441&product_category=Soft+Side+Bags&product_sub_category=

Jim

Kharim Hogan said:

Do you know of another website that might have more views of this
bag? I'm trying to get a better feel for it.

Thanks!
Kharim

Guy Rehorst said:

Jim Dawson said:

Guy,

I hope my
recomendation hasn't caused you too much grief.

I really think its an awesome bag for $99.00.

Click to expand...

I agree, it is pretty awesome for $99. No grief at all!

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Bill too said:

Look carefully at what lenses you plan to own. The Lowepro is 6.5
inches deep and the Krist only 4 which means you are going to be
putting all of your lenses in vertically and some of these lenses
are very wide eating up the width of the bag quickly. The Pro Mag
II is only 11 inches wide with very thick dividers. I have the Pro
Mag I which is identical except that the II is 2 inches deeper. My
point is that a 16-35 and a 28-135 with hoods will eat up the whole
width of the bag. Yes there is some room left over but not enough
for another lens column. In my opinion the Pro Mag II is too small
for the lenses I have (16-35, 50mm, 28-135 and a 70-200 to come).

The Krist is two inches wider but only four inches deep according
to the specs I just picked off their web site. Four inches would
not accomodate some telephotos with hoods reversed which really
makes me wonder why so many people tout that bag.

Buy with expansion in view because you just know you are going to
be adding more lenses down the road.

Just my thoughts, Kharim.

billtoo

Click to expand...

John said:

Canon EOS 1D
16-35mm lens and hood (haven't tried it attached)
100-400mm lens and hood (reversed/storage position)
50mm 1.4 lens
550ex flash
spare battery for 1D
77mm circular polarizing filter
bulb air blower
DeWitt Jones Chest Strap
Sony Viao R505DL notebook computer (in front pocket)
Firewire cable

There is room to spare. The bag has enough give to allow the 1D
without too much bulging. It seemed fairly comfortable to carry.
The bags construction is top notch. I tried attaching a tripod,
but that didn't work out too well. I'll keep experimenting.

John

Bill too said:

Look carefully at what lenses you plan to own. The Lowepro is 6.5
inches deep and the Krist only 4 which means you are going to be
putting all of your lenses in vertically and some of these lenses
are very wide eating up the width of the bag quickly. The Pro Mag
II is only 11 inches wide with very thick dividers. I have the Pro
Mag I which is identical except that the II is 2 inches deeper. My
point is that a 16-35 and a 28-135 with hoods will eat up the whole
width of the bag. Yes there is some room left over but not enough
for another lens column. In my opinion the Pro Mag II is too small
for the lenses I have (16-35, 50mm, 28-135 and a 70-200 to come).

The Krist is two inches wider but only four inches deep according
to the specs I just picked off their web site. Four inches would
not accomodate some telephotos with hoods reversed which really
makes me wonder why so many people tout that bag.

Buy with expansion in view because you just know you are going to
be adding more lenses down the road.

Just my thoughts, Kharim.

billtoo

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Bill too said:

Yup, the Mag 1 is useless if you have more than a couple of lenses.
Oddly enough I bought the Mag 2 first and returned it because I
thought it was too big - ha! The only difference between the 1 and
2 is that the 2 is deeper which allows you to position your camera
in the bag perpendicular as opposed to sideways.

But even at 10 inches high I had trouble with a rented 70-200 2.8
last weekend. I could barely hook the top shut with the buckles and
I don't think I could have closed the zipper. (I have never used
the zipper in the four months I've had the bag. The buckles are
great and fast. If I was traveling I would zip however.)

The Lowepro is a wonderfully made bag and WELL padded. The
shoulder strap is the best strap I've ever seen on any bag (It was
redesigned this year and extra padding added.)

I've been printing out the specs for all of these bags and looking
at them for several months. I keep looking at the Lowepro
Professional Magnum AW. It's REALLY wide (15.5 inches) and DEEP (8
inches) but not as high as most (8.5 inches). This layout means
that your telephotos will be laid out flat and the draw back that I
see is that a D30 with a 70-200 attached wouldn't fit meaning the
lens would have to be removed each time.

This bag thing gets discussed here a lot because it's a big pain
for all. I suspect that anyone who has been "collecting lenses"
for any time has more than one bag (probably more than two).

The real solution is a backpack but then you get into security from
theft while in crowds and the inconvience of having to set it on
the ground to access its content.. ..... And the dilemma continues.

I'm glad I'm having this dialog with you this morning because I was
planning on offering to sell my Mag 1 today at a photography class
but I think I'll hang on to it for the days I want to go out with
just a couple of lenses.

Good luck in your search. Probably the best advice I can give you
is to remind you that whatever you buy won't be perfect for all
situations and it won't be the last one you buy. Having said that
maybe you should decided on two bags, one for lite travel and one
when you want everything, one to buy now and one for next
Christmas.

good luck.

billtoo
--
http://www.pbase.com/billtoo

Click to expand...

Kharim Hogan said:

Called up a local dealer at lunch to see if they had the Pro Mag 2
in stock so I could have a look at it. They didn't have it and
suggested the Lowepro Trim Trekker.

http://www.lowepro.com/pages/Series/Trekking/TrekBKPK/TrimTRK.htm

Was looking at the specs and it seems to be very close in
dimensions to the Bob Krist and hence a little bit longer than the
Pro Mag 2. This may be a bit on the long side, I'm not sure. I
really need to put one over my shoulder.

BUT, it has both a shoulder strap and backpack straps (which look
considerably more comfortable than those of the Bob Krist bag).
It's not an AW so doesn't have the cover that that Pro Mag 2 has.
And, from the pictures, it SEEMS to have a more obvious "camera
bag" look. The Bob Krist really seems to shine in the "this is not
a camera bag" look dept. It also has the tripod straps, like the
Pro Mag 2. Oh, and it's quite heavy at over 4 pounds.

Oh boy, this is really a tough decision. Have any of you had any
experience with this Twin Trekker bag? How would you compare it to
the Krist and/or Pro Mag 2? I'm going to go have a look at it
tonight (the Twin Trekker) so that I'll at least have seen one up
close.

If anyone has this bag, please let me know what you think and if
you think it would be too long for an average small woman.

Thanks so much for all your help everyone!! My short list is
becoming soooo long. Sigh!

Kharim

Click to expand...

John said:

Canon EOS 1D
16-35mm lens and hood (haven't tried it attached)
100-400mm lens and hood (reversed/storage position)
50mm 1.4 lens
550ex flash
spare battery for 1D
77mm circular polarizing filter
bulb air blower
DeWitt Jones Chest Strap
Sony Viao R505DL notebook computer (in front pocket)
Firewire cable

There is room to spare. The bag has enough give to allow the 1D
without too much bulging. It seemed fairly comfortable to carry.
The bags construction is top notch. I tried attaching a tripod,
but that didn't work out too well. I'll keep experimenting.

John

Bill too said:

Look carefully at what lenses you plan to own. The Lowepro is 6.5
inches deep and the Krist only 4 which means you are going to be
putting all of your lenses in vertically and some of these lenses
are very wide eating up the width of the bag quickly. The Pro Mag
II is only 11 inches wide with very thick dividers. I have the Pro
Mag I which is identical except that the II is 2 inches deeper. My
point is that a 16-35 and a 28-135 with hoods will eat up the whole
width of the bag. Yes there is some room left over but not enough
for another lens column. In my opinion the Pro Mag II is too small
for the lenses I have (16-35, 50mm, 28-135 and a 70-200 to come).

The Krist is two inches wider but only four inches deep according
to the specs I just picked off their web site. Four inches would
not accomodate some telephotos with hoods reversed which really
makes me wonder why so many people tout that bag.

Buy with expansion in view because you just know you are going to
be adding more lenses down the road.

Just my thoughts, Kharim.

billtoo

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

John said:

Canon EOS 1D
16-35mm lens and hood (haven't tried it attached)
100-400mm lens and hood (reversed/storage position)
50mm 1.4 lens
550ex flash
spare battery for 1D
77mm circular polarizing filter
bulb air blower
DeWitt Jones Chest Strap
Sony Viao R505DL notebook computer (in front pocket)
Firewire cable

There is room to spare. The bag has enough give to allow the 1D
without too much bulging. It seemed fairly comfortable to carry.
The bags construction is top notch. I tried attaching a tripod,
but that didn't work out too well. I'll keep experimenting.

John

Bill too said:

Look carefully at what lenses you plan to own. The Lowepro is 6.5
inches deep and the Krist only 4 which means you are going to be
putting all of your lenses in vertically and some of these lenses
are very wide eating up the width of the bag quickly. The Pro Mag
II is only 11 inches wide with very thick dividers. I have the Pro
Mag I which is identical except that the II is 2 inches deeper. My
point is that a 16-35 and a 28-135 with hoods will eat up the whole
width of the bag. Yes there is some room left over but not enough
for another lens column. In my opinion the Pro Mag II is too small
for the lenses I have (16-35, 50mm, 28-135 and a 70-200 to come).

The Krist is two inches wider but only four inches deep according
to the specs I just picked off their web site. Four inches would
not accomodate some telephotos with hoods reversed which really
makes me wonder why so many people tout that bag.

Buy with expansion in view because you just know you are going to
be adding more lenses down the road.

Just my thoughts, Kharim.

billtoo

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Kharim Hogan said:

Hi,

I need a new camera bag and have narrowed down my choices to these
two bags: the Lowepro Pro Mag 2 AW and the Bob Krist camera bag.
Unfortunately, none of the local stores have this particular
Lowepro model in stock and as I understand it, the Bob Krist is
only available through LL Bean. So I can't see firsthand either of
these bags to make my decision. I'm hoping some of you who own
either of these bags could help me out.

The reasons I've settled on these two models are the following:

• I want a vertical format bag so I can easily access my camera

with whatever lens I happen to have mounted rather than be
restricted to short lenses while the camera is in the bag.

• I want something that will hold all my gear and a bit extra which

both of these bags seem quite capable of.

• I don't want a bag that is wide and hangs out too far. I think

the slimmer format will be easier to lug around especially when
full.

• I don't want something that looks too obvious as a camera bag.

• I need something that is weather resistant.

• Finally, since I do alot of street shooting (often in crowds), I

don't want to have to worry about easy access by would-be
pickpockets etc. while I'm not paying attention but at the same
time, I want to be able to get into my bag relatively easily (i.e.
I prefer zippers to velcro or clips).

Okay, here are the questions I have that I can't seem to find
answers to:

About the Bob Krist bag...

• How much does the Bob Krist bag weigh (empty)?
• Does the Bob Krist bag have zippers or could one theoretically

just reach in and grab something? The top doesn't seem to have a
zipper and those side pockets seem easy to get into from the
pictures.

• How comfortable is the Bob Krist bag when worn as a backpack?
• How weather resistant is the Bob Krist? Could it keep the

equipment dry in a downpour?

About the Lowepro Pro Mag 2 AW...

• Can this bag be worn as a backpack?
• How easy is it to get in and out of?
• Are there extra pockets for things such as wallets, airline

tickets, pens, and other such trinkets?

• Where is the best place to purchase this bag that might actually

have them in stock (none of the stores here have them and it's 2
weeks to a month to get one...I need it by next week and I'm in
Canada).

About either bag...

• Is there a way to attach a tripod to either of these bags?
• Which one do you feel offers the most protection of one's equipment?

Well, those are my most pressing issues and questions. Which of
these two bags would you recommend based on all those criteria and
questions?

Thanks for any help!
Kharim

Click to expand...

Kharim Hogan said:

Hi,

I need a new camera bag and have narrowed down my choices to these
two bags: the Lowepro Pro Mag 2 AW and the Bob Krist camera bag.
Unfortunately, none of the local stores have this particular
Lowepro model in stock and as I understand it, the Bob Krist is
only available through LL Bean. So I can't see firsthand either of
these bags to make my decision. I'm hoping some of you who own
either of these bags could help me out.

The reasons I've settled on these two models are the following:

• I want a vertical format bag so I can easily access my camera

with whatever lens I happen to have mounted rather than be
restricted to short lenses while the camera is in the bag.

• I want something that will hold all my gear and a bit extra which

both of these bags seem quite capable of.

• I don't want a bag that is wide and hangs out too far. I think

the slimmer format will be easier to lug around especially when
full.

• I don't want something that looks too obvious as a camera bag.

• I need something that is weather resistant.

• Finally, since I do alot of street shooting (often in crowds), I

don't want to have to worry about easy access by would-be
pickpockets etc. while I'm not paying attention but at the same
time, I want to be able to get into my bag relatively easily (i.e.
I prefer zippers to velcro or clips).

Okay, here are the questions I have that I can't seem to find
answers to:

About the Bob Krist bag...

• How much does the Bob Krist bag weigh (empty)?
• Does the Bob Krist bag have zippers or could one theoretically

just reach in and grab something? The top doesn't seem to have a
zipper and those side pockets seem easy to get into from the
pictures.

• How comfortable is the Bob Krist bag when worn as a backpack?
• How weather resistant is the Bob Krist? Could it keep the

equipment dry in a downpour?

About the Lowepro Pro Mag 2 AW...

• Can this bag be worn as a backpack?
• How easy is it to get in and out of?
• Are there extra pockets for things such as wallets, airline

tickets, pens, and other such trinkets?

• Where is the best place to purchase this bag that might actually

have them in stock (none of the stores here have them and it's 2
weeks to a month to get one...I need it by next week and I'm in
Canada).

About either bag...

• Is there a way to attach a tripod to either of these bags?
• Which one do you feel offers the most protection of one's equipment?

Well, those are my most pressing issues and questions. Which of
these two bags would you recommend based on all those criteria and
questions?

Thanks for any help!
Kharim

Click to expand...

Jamil Abbasy said:

-Jamil

Kharim Hogan said:

Hi,

I need a new camera bag and have narrowed down my choices to these
two bags: the Lowepro Pro Mag 2 AW and the Bob Krist camera bag.
Unfortunately, none of the local stores have this particular
Lowepro model in stock and as I understand it, the Bob Krist is
only available through LL Bean. So I can't see firsthand either of
these bags to make my decision. I'm hoping some of you who own
either of these bags could help me out.

The reasons I've settled on these two models are the following:

• I want a vertical format bag so I can easily access my camera

with whatever lens I happen to have mounted rather than be
restricted to short lenses while the camera is in the bag.

• I want something that will hold all my gear and a bit extra which

both of these bags seem quite capable of.

• I don't want a bag that is wide and hangs out too far. I think

the slimmer format will be easier to lug around especially when
full.

• I don't want something that looks too obvious as a camera bag.

• I need something that is weather resistant.

• Finally, since I do alot of street shooting (often in crowds), I

don't want to have to worry about easy access by would-be
pickpockets etc. while I'm not paying attention but at the same
time, I want to be able to get into my bag relatively easily (i.e.
I prefer zippers to velcro or clips).

Okay, here are the questions I have that I can't seem to find
answers to:

About the Bob Krist bag...

• How much does the Bob Krist bag weigh (empty)?
• Does the Bob Krist bag have zippers or could one theoretically

just reach in and grab something? The top doesn't seem to have a
zipper and those side pockets seem easy to get into from the
pictures.

• How comfortable is the Bob Krist bag when worn as a backpack?
• How weather resistant is the Bob Krist? Could it keep the

equipment dry in a downpour?

About the Lowepro Pro Mag 2 AW...

• Can this bag be worn as a backpack?
• How easy is it to get in and out of?
• Are there extra pockets for things such as wallets, airline

tickets, pens, and other such trinkets?

• Where is the best place to purchase this bag that might actually

have them in stock (none of the stores here have them and it's 2
weeks to a month to get one...I need it by next week and I'm in
Canada).

About either bag...

• Is there a way to attach a tripod to either of these bags?
• Which one do you feel offers the most protection of one's equipment?

Well, those are my most pressing issues and questions. Which of
these two bags would you recommend based on all those criteria and
questions?

Thanks for any help!
Kharim

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Peter Sills said:

LL Bean has a wonderful return policy, I wouldn't hesitate to buy
from them and return it if you don't like it. However, I don't
think you will need to.

Peter

Kharim Hogan said:

Called up a local dealer at lunch to see if they had the Pro Mag 2
in stock so I could have a look at it. They didn't have it and
suggested the Lowepro Trim Trekker.

http://www.lowepro.com/pages/Series/Trekking/TrekBKPK/TrimTRK.htm

Was looking at the specs and it seems to be very close in
dimensions to the Bob Krist and hence a little bit longer than the
Pro Mag 2. This may be a bit on the long side, I'm not sure. I
really need to put one over my shoulder.

BUT, it has both a shoulder strap and backpack straps (which look
considerably more comfortable than those of the Bob Krist bag).
It's not an AW so doesn't have the cover that that Pro Mag 2 has.
And, from the pictures, it SEEMS to have a more obvious "camera
bag" look. The Bob Krist really seems to shine in the "this is not
a camera bag" look dept. It also has the tripod straps, like the
Pro Mag 2. Oh, and it's quite heavy at over 4 pounds.

Oh boy, this is really a tough decision. Have any of you had any
experience with this Twin Trekker bag? How would you compare it to
the Krist and/or Pro Mag 2? I'm going to go have a look at it
tonight (the Twin Trekker) so that I'll at least have seen one up
close.

If anyone has this bag, please let me know what you think and if
you think it would be too long for an average small woman.

Thanks so much for all your help everyone!! My short list is
becoming soooo long. Sigh!

Kharim

Click to expand...

--
Peter Sills
Digital Focus
http://www.digitalfocus.net

Click to expand...

Kharim Hogan said:

I love that you got all that in your bag John. Thanks for the
report. Can you put it all back in your bag then put the bag on
your back with the backpack straps to tell me how you like carrying
it this way?

Thanks,
Kharim

Click to expand...