Lowepro announces new bags at Photokina for your outdoor treks and air travel needs
posted Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at 3:00 AM EDT
The gear protection folks at Lowepro have announced multiple new products at Photokina today.
Flipside Trek series
The first new bag is aimed squarely at adventure photographers. The Flipside Trek comes in three sizes and offers body-side access, meaning that you can retrieve your gear without taking the backpack off.
Evidenced by its split design – meaning that camera gear and adventure gear can be stored in separate compartments – the Lowepro Flipside is definitely a bag for use out on the trail. Adventurous photographers don’t need just their camera equipment; they also need the necessary gear to get them from point A to point B. Of this design philosophy, vice president of brand and product Tim Grimmer says “Outdoor photographers need more than just their cameras to get the shot; they require a number of personal items to help them arrive on location safe and sound. Flipside Trek accounts for this, offering camera and accessory protection as well as storage and attachment points for adventure gear, to make sure you have what you need for an off-road shoot.”
The Flipside Trek is designed for ultimate comfort as well, utilizing Lowepro’s ActiveZone suspension system which provides easy to use, comfortable straps. There are CradleFit padded pockets for a tablet in all three sizes, although you can only fit an 8-inch tablet in the smallest Flipside Trek and a 10-inch tablet in the larger two. The Flipside Trek also comes with a built-in All Weather AW Cover to protect your gear from harsh elements.
The Flipside Trek BP 250 AW has an MSRP of just under US$150 and is sized to hold a mirrorless or compact DSLR camera, lenses, compact tripod, 8-inch tablet and off-road gear. The medium-sized Trek 350 costs $20 more with an MSRP of $169.95 and can hold a standard DSLR and 10-inch tablet in addition to the same gear as the 250. The largest Flipside Trek, the 450 has some additional capacity and costs around $200. All three backpacks are available for order now.
PhotoStream RL 150
If your “off-road” photo adventures are more of the airport variety rather than on the trails, then Lowepro’s second announcement is up your alley. The PhotoStream RL 150 is the “ultimate carry-on roller for photographers and videographers” and it’s aimed at enthusiast and professionals alike.
The lightweight rolling bag has a 7.5-inch depth and weighs eight pounds while empty, hopefully providing users plenty of leeway when trying to meet the stringent carry-on restrictions of various aircrafts. The bag incorporates vibration-reducing urethane-case wheels and has padded top and side handles.
Of the PhotoStream RL 150, Grimmer says “Without question, a reliable carry-on bag is a necessity when flying with photo and video gear. But packing a bag can quickly become a balancing act. We designed the PhotoStream RL 150 to be the ultimate carry-on roller – photographers and videographers can bring everything they need for a shoot, move quickly and easily when traveling, and still meet airlines’ regulations.”
To protect your gear, the RL 150 has a FormShell molded EVA front panel that offers armored device protection. Having to open your entire bag on an airplane to retrieve a laptop or tablet is a nuisance, so Lowepro has included a hinged CradleFit front panel which protects your laptop while still providing quick access to it.
Inside the roller there is room for 1-2 professional DSLR cameras, including one with an attached 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, up to a combined eight lenses and speedlights, a 15-inch laptop, a medium-sized tripod and additional accessories.
You can purchase a PhotoStream RL 150 now for an MSRP of $249.95.