I have always been a huge fan of Lowepro and their various series of camera bags. This last week, they officially announced their new Slingshot Edge series of bags in two flavors: the 150 AW and 250 AW.
I have had a chance to play with these bags for well over a month now, and I am here today to give you my full review on the latest bag from Lowepro.
[RELATED: Lowepro Slingshot Edge Bags Announced]
Having used one of these two bags as my daily camera bag for the last month or so, I can say without a doubt that these two bags perform as advertised. They hold that ‘just right’ amount of gear for me on my day trips and still have some extra room for accessories and my iPad mini.
The 150 AW is the bag that I was most interested in as it is labeled as the bag for mirrorless shooters, and being that my primary camera right now is the Sony A7 II, I figured I would give it a shot. The camera itself fits fine, and the majority of the lenses that I have fit in the lens slots too, but bigger lenses like the 24-70mm or 70-200mm would not fit in this bag. When they say mirrorless, I think they are mainly referring to the M4/3 or APS-C variety. Regardless, it works for my A7 II, and I could not be happier.
The 250 AW is more for DSLR and larger lens mirrorless kits, and it was also a treat to carry my gear around in on the occasions when I needed to carry more than the 150 AW could accommodate. Overall, both bags perform as advertised, and honestly exceeded my expectations given their slim appearance. For that, I am giving them a 5/5.
The features on these bags are exactly what you would expect from Lowepro for a day trip/use bag. You have enough room for your gear and some accessories, as well as a tablet, and a place to carry your tripod, if you have one. Overall, the feature set is pretty standard.
The one thing that I am disappointed was missing from the larger 250 AW bag was a laptop pocket/sleeve. I often found myself wanting to go out with that bag and my laptop, but due to it not having a place to carry it, I ended up having to go with another bag. This may not be an issue for many of you, but for me, I just found myself missing the laptop spot, so I am giving the bags a 4/5 on features.
I have to say, I really like the new style and design of these Slingshot Edge bags. The black exterior with the orange accent line around the top pocket zipper makes for a really clean and minimal, yet appealing, design.
The only thing I wish was available was the option to choose from a couple different accent colors. But I totally understand sticking to one as well. Still, it would have been a nice touch. 5/5 on the Design from me.
The materials used in the construction of the Slingshot Edge 150 AW and 250 AW is fairly standard. I don’t mean that as a negative, just pointing out that there is nothing notable or special in my opinion about the materials used; they are good quality and get the job done.
The reason for the 4/5 stars on the quality rating is the gear compartment dividers. They are sufficient to protect your gear, but they just left me wanting more customization options. There is really only one or two configuration options with these bags, and that could be a negative for some of you.
Coming in at $89 for the 150 AW and $109 for the 250 AW, these Slingshot Edge bags offer a great bang for the buck. They are not the best deals around, in terms of price for this style or type of bag, but their quality, features, and usability add up to a great value in my opinion.
Overall, I am very grateful to Lowepro for providing me with these review samples ahead of the launch. It has allowed me to get some valuable time with these Slingshot Edge bags, and I can honestly say that I have grown to like them more and more every day since receiving them.
These aren’t huge full featured bags for multi-day hikers or traveling photographers, but these are the perfect day bags for a weekend hike or a trip to the city center. They will protect your gear from the elements, drops, and other dangers, and look great too. If you are in the market for a nice day bag, I highly recommend these are something to look into at the very least.
If you would like to get your hands on either the Slingshot Edge 150 AW or the 250 AW you can find them over on B&H, here. If you would like a chance to win a 250 AW make sure to enter our current contest, here!
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