Lowepro Stealth Reporter 650AW Review

For anyone considering purchasing the Lowepro Stealth Reporter 650 AW it's worth taking a look at this brief review of the original Lowepro Stealth Reporter 600 AW. The bag in the image below is ten years old and still in daily use. There are numerous improvements which I will review as soon as I can get my hands on one!

Lowepro camera bags should be looked upon as an investment, whichever one you buy, it will give you years of service backed by an excellent no quibble warranty.

Lowepro Stealth Reporter 600 AW

This bag is one of the original Lowepro Stealth Reporter bags from 2000/2001. I bought this bag just after they came onto the UK market about ten years ago and is testament to the longevity of Lowepro bags. It has been in daily use since I bought it and I see no reason to buy a replacement.

Close-up of the padded non-slip shoulder strap

These days I use it as man-bag in which I carry my Mac Book Pro and the various accessories for working tethered on location, together with my personal gear. What attracted me to this bag originally was the build quality and the number and placement of the pockets. Tucked deep inside are security pockets and single skin pockets for all manner or accessories and general cr4p!

Inside the loop material liner for the computer and gear is still going strong; the Velcro™still performs well

The front outer pockets a capacious with provision for pens and keys etc. There are pockets for memory cards or in my case card readers, USB leads, spares and earphones.

Close-up of the trim and strap fittings

As you would expect with a bag that has been in daily use for ten years, it does not look pristine but does  the job it was designed for. The metal fittings for the shoulder and hand straps show no signs of corrosion, which I guess means they are made from brass or the like. The stitching for the edging around the top of the bag has failed in places but this in no way detracts from use of the bag.

The seam on the shoulder strap has now failed, but again, this does not affect performance.

Sturdy nylon material

The material from which the bag is constructed has scuffed and is worn in places but has not holed. The wear is superficial, nothing else. The bag looks distressed which just adds to the character!

There is a nylon weather cover for the top flap together with the AW (All Weather) cover which over ten years have not deteriorated and still keep the bag and contents dry or dust free - don't forget that the AW cover is not black for a reason, they can be used as reflective protection in dusty environments.

There's a good reason why Lowepro bags are used by top pro photographers, they are an investment, as is any quality piece of kit, not a cost. They are built to last and perform under a variety of conditions.

The design of these bags has been improved in the new Stealth Reporter D650AW

Long live Lowepro!

Photography Notes:

12 x 12 inch Rosco Litepads HO top front key light with 7 inch off camera Halo HO ring light as fill. 200 ISO, Canon G12 compact.