Usage & Testing
Well like I said in the introduction I took this bag to CES with me. I used it as my primary bag too. If you have been to CES you know there is a lot of walking so a functional and comfortable bag is key. Let’s see what all I was carrying with me at the time.
So I had my laptop (Lenovo X200 tablet), a notebook, Seagate FreeAgent Go drive, card reader, extra CF card, DigiMate III digital wallet, iPhone, iPhone power adapter, pens, business cards, EVDO card, iPhone USB connector, and ear buds. Also not pictured is my camera, a Canon Rebel XT with the battery grip and Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 lens. I had no problem getting everything into my bag nicely.
Even with all of that inside of my bag I still had room for more. It really came in handy when all the companies I had meetings with gave me some free stuff to take home with me. Also the laptop compartment was large enough that I could fit both my laptop and the large notebook inside. You don’t have to worry about the laptop compartment being to large that your laptop will be bouncing around inside of it, there is a strap that you can use to tighten the compartment.
I used the Classified 250AW for 4 days straight, at least 6 hours a day. That’s sure a great break-in period! Let’s first talk how easy it was to get things in and out of the bag. The zipper at the top is different from most bags, but it really makes getting things out of your bag easy. I had no trouble getting my camera out of the bag without even having to set it down. This is great if you needed to grab your camera real quick to catch something that is happening right then.
The only real problem I had with the bag was the shoulder strap. Lowepro makes the strap so that the bag does not move around (slide up or down on your shoulder). While this is a great feature, especially if you are at a trade show it does not makes the shoulder strap that comfortable at all. After using the bag for just a few hours my shoulder started to get aggravated. The shoulder strap is removable, so you can purchase another more comfortable one if need be.
Final Thoughts
This is really a great bag for the photo journalist who is on the bag and needs to quickly have access to his camera. CES is the largest trade show in North America, which was sure a great test for this bag and it passed the test easily. I had more than enough room for my D-SLR, laptop, and all of my accessories. I had to problem getting into the bag and getting my camera out without even having to put it down. The bag provided more than enough protection for everything inside, it’s a Lowepro bag so you shouldn’t expect anything less.
The only real problem I had with the bag was the shoulder strap. While it is designed to keep the bag from moving on you, it is not very comfortable. But with most bags you can just remove it and get another shoulder strap of your liking.
With all that said I really enjoyed using this bag and it is my new convention bag for sure. It survived CES and served me well. Overall ThinkComputers gives the Lowepro Classified 250AW Notebook and Camera Bag a 9 out of 10 score and our Recommended Award.
Pros:
– Tons of room
– Great protection
– Easy access to camera and accessories
– Survived CES!
– All weather cover
Cons:
– Shoulder strap not that comfortable
