Review of the Lowepro Passport (Black) Sling Bag

Revised Review 10/10/2010 below

I just received my Lowepro Passport Sling Bag from BHPhoto. My first impression is that it is a well-made, sturdy bag.

I unzipped the main compartment and thought it looked roomy. Then I took my 5D2 with 24-70 attached with hood reversed and tried to fit it in face down in the insert provided. It fit going in, but then, the bag didn't zip, not even close. So, I took off the 24-70 and put on the 17-40 without the hood and tried that. It was pretty tight. The insert turns out to be just fitting the camera and lens face down or on it's side. I put the 24-70 with caps on the outside of the insert, as there is plenty of room, but I see that it moves around too much, so I will have to put the lens in a magic cloth to safeguard it.

The sling strap is very thick and has a pad that slides around the strap to wherever you need it for cushioning. There are several outside pockets that can fit phones, wallets, notes, etc. There are 2 inside flaps for batteries or memory cards.

One thing I liked was the extra space added when you unzipped the side. Lowepro says it adds 30% more space to the bag, and it does that well. If you have a lot of personal items, this extra is wonderful.

I've been carrying the bag around for about 1/2 hour now doing my daily stuff. It is very comfortable. I originally planned on having this bag for a 2 1/2 week vacation to CA, but it didn't arrive in time. I think I would have loved it since I ended up taking a large purse and a Domke 5XC. This bag would have made it easier to have everything in one bag and it would have been nice to carry.

I don't think my male family members would necessarily mind carrying this bag for me, but I have to admit, it isn't like the Domke bags I own. Not rugged looking, but then again, I don't think the Million Dollar bags look rugged looking either. Where my boys have no trouble holding my green or blue Domke's, they do have trouble holding my purse. So, this bag would be okay to hand over to the 13 year old as I'm snapping away. But I don't think someone who loves the look and feel of a good Domke bag would think the Passport is in the same league. It isn't. I am not a girly girl that likes floral designs on bags, I love canvas and leather, but this bag is definitely in between and with the right accessories, can be very stylish or not stylish at all.

Pictures coming later. Thought I'd put this out there for anyone wanting one.

http://www.amazon.com …TF8&qid=1282744​185&sr=1-1

Hi, would a 50D + 70-200 f4 L is fit into this bag ?

Not in the insert they provided. It hardly fits my 5D2 with 17-40 attached. But if you get a longer insert from another company, make sure it's under 6.5 inches high. I am trying to locate a Domke insert right now to fit the 5D2 with 24-70 attached. Right now I have the lens and body separated.

Ok thanks for the info

Suzie, I've been eyeing this bag for a little bit. Would you mind posting pics when/if you get that domke insert?

Yes. I was going to work on it today. I'll have pictures so you can see how small the insert really is. The sad thing is, they could have put a much longer one in as a choice. I think there's plenty of room for it. Maybe most people who they are targeting have smaller cameras, but for those of use who are pros, we usually carry one camera with one larger lens. So, this maybe something I need to write to the company about.

keeny wrote in post #10912482
Hi, would a 50D + 70-200 f4 L is fit into this bag ?

Good review, Suzy!

I have this bag in mica. The padded box Suzy showed will accommodate my 40D with either my 17-40 or 24-70 attached. You can also carry a longer lens (e.g., my 70-200 f/2.8 IS) upright in the front part (the part that looks like a banana). I carried my 40D w/ 17-40 attached and the 70-200 to a country fair a couple weeks ago. It worked great, and I did not have to unzip the front part for the extra carrying space.

One thing about the bag I also like are the two flapped pockets on the inside. One is big enough to carry an iPhone or Blackberry. The other is small enough to carry my GPS tracker. The bag is also soft-sided, so it will conform to your hip quite readily.

It is quite comfortable to carry around. For women who have a need for keeping personal items in bags, a clutch bag with a strap would do nicely in the extra space. I can't fit my 24-70 in the insert at all with the camera body, so I have to separate the camera & lens. But yes, with a magic cloth, you can fit an extra lens in the bag and a lot of other stuff. There's plenty of room.

Hi would it be possible to re-post the pictures showing the Camera w/ the 24-70mm f2.8 L. I have a 7D & woould like to have this bag w/ my favorite walking lens attached

Revised Review with 5D2 and 24-70 attached

Thanks for linking this thread to your question, JM45. I took my handstrap attachment off the 5D2 and tried it again in the insert provided. It fit, but just. You will have no trouble with your set up in this bag. What I did not like about it was the tight fit. If I was to do some serious shooting and needed to get my camera out quickly, I would go with the Domke F-5XC. The 5D2 with 24-70 fits so well in that bag with a 580 on the other side, I never consider taking it in another bag. But in truth, the Passport is much more comfortable to use. I only take the 5XC when I have men with me and they carry my gear most of the time and it's a more "macho" looking bag for those who care about those things. Even though I am a lady (at least I think so) , I don't like designer bags. Camera gear is camera gear and I carry my stuff like any pro. So, the Passport is more of a going around town bag, not used for pro shoots.

Conclusion: If you are considering this bag for use with the 5D2 or 7D and the 24-70, hood reversed, make sure you don't have anything else attached except the neckstrap and it will fit, but just to allow it to zip.

How are the pockets? MY biggest problem is how the Exchange Messenger collapses in on itself when you start taking out equipment and the lack of pockets for things to carry around. I noticed the Passport as dedicated areas for that and seems comfortable and the whole expansion can help.

On the front and side there are all together 3 pockets, you can tell by the images posted above. They are deep and can hold my little electronics like the phone, the ipods, the wallet, if I am not at risk for a pick pocket. Otherwise, those items are inside the bag. The bag never goes into itself, as the insert is quite stiff and even unzipped the bag stays put around the hip. There are no pockets inside, but I have a long cord pouch I got with my TT bag that serves as my "purse" for things like tissues, lipstick, meds, etc. If I just throw those things in the bag, they could get a little crunched. The bag unzipped for more storage is very useful. I have to admit, the video is very convincing and I like using the bag fully loaded or lighter. It's a great bag for under $60.

Sorry to drag out an old thread, but I'm wondering about the insert... Suzie (or anyone who has it) how tall is it? Would another insert work? Like the Tenba messenger insert, or something like this: http://cgi.ebay.ca …&ssPageName=STR​K:MEWAX:IT - or this: http://cgi.ebay.ca …&ssPageName=STR​K:MEWAX:IT I'd really like to try this to carry my 50D w/ 24-195 and one other lens...