Lowepro S&F Audio Utility Bag 100 for Photographers

This turned out to be perfect for field recording with the Zoom H4n. I am taking audio production in college and have a ton of stuff to carry around when field recording. I use the bags in a carpenters format, zipped together on a belt and hanging in the front like a carpenter would where a tool belt /bag. The bags can also be unzipped from each other so you can have one with studio cables etc... and the other for field work with a super cardioid shotgun mike. The shotgun pocket on the side is pretty cool but haven't needed it for that yet. Bags are really well made, super nice ring pulls on each zipper, straps well made and can be removed to use the bags on my ThinkTank photo belt!

A bit on the pricy side but very well worth it Definitely recommend this setup to other audiophiles!

simple, functional, really good quality and easy to access. You can use them for cameras, lenses and flesh lights and small camcorders...

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Very Happy with the Design and material quality comes with a strap that can be used as a belt or shoulder strap would this wrap around a larger type person maybe maybe not but there is an extension available for the larger type person sippers and clips rear strap to utilize it with the lOWEPRO TECHNICAL BELT it also has side pockets for neccessary additions the bags also have an interior bag for cables or other necessary tools nice addition has external rain cover the cover is built in so no loss ideal for climate or other uses one important thing cable exit holes are in the right places lowepro got it right

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The bag arrived today. I was impressed by the overall layout of the bag with its compartments, external headphone hook, and attachment rings, however the zip-together feature of this bag was the instant deal breaker for me. After looking the bag over (hadn't even pulled the tags off yet) I decided to zip them apart. The first time I attempted to seperate the two bags, the small metal bottom tang of the zipper came right off of the fabric! This is the part that's crimped around the fabric, that you fit into the bottom just before you zip it. As you probably know, there's not a lot to be done once that happens, except to replace the whole zipper, which was impossible without ripping the side seams out of both bags. Attempting to reattach the tang would have only worked a short time, and would have come off again. It's not like I was rough with it either, so it was an accident waiting to happen. Another thing I noticed was the belt loop tabs seemed like they were cheap nylon covered flexible plastic that velcroed at the bottom of the bag with an overflap. This would be very clunky to attach to my belt and remove while wearing it, and I certainly would not trust expensive gear to its security without also using the shoulder strap. Overall, the outer ergonomics of the bag really failed me, not only in quality and comfort, but also in execution. I suppose if you didn't use that breakaway feature much it would be ok, but why not just get either a single large bag, or a harness/belt multibag system. This bag tries to answer both but accomplishes neither, owing to the way it goes together. I think I would have used quality snaps or clips and sewn nylon tabs for both the interconnect and the belt attachment.

Back to the zippers. I suppose early failure may have been a fluke, but the other zippers on the bag were not smooth operating, either, unlike say a YKK or Talon, etc. You had to hold the outside of the bag, prying back the zipper's overflap, to make the zipper open and shut without it hanging up. And if you have audio meters or record light that you want to keep an eye on during a shoot, simply leaving the zipper open will not give you a good view inside, unless you hold or prop the bag open. A zipped flap top would work much better, like on a bike bag. Say, that gives me an idea...

My takeaway impression the poor quality of the zippers in general, and the use of a zipper for separating the bags specifically, is the achilles heel of the entire design. I certainly would have used Velcro or external snaps with d rings for bag interconnects, as they are a major stress point. Mind you, I was not wearing the bag, nor were they filled with gear when this happened. Shame on Lowepro. You can do better. I am giving this three stars overall, as most of the rest of the bag seemed fairly well thought out, and the zipper problem may be a fluke, but I don't think so.

Not to rail on the subject, but poor quality control in manufacture is an unfortunate outcome of outsourcing and working to a price point, and you really DO get what you pay for. I will likely just pony up and buy something serious for my audio gear, like a Petrol or Portabrace bag. Ten years from now, my audio bag will be barely broken in, and the others will all be long forgotten.

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