After an extensive search for the perfect camera bag, if there is such a thing, I chose Lowepro’s Stealth Reporter D400 AW to house my DSLR equipment. I’ve been using this bag for 18 months now, and while it’s a really nice-looking and well-built camera bag, it’s not what I would call a great bag.
The Stealth Reporter D400 is a fairly roomy camera bag. I can get two bodies with lenses attached, two additional lenses, two strobes, a couple of small reflectors, a couple of LumiQuest bounce cards, and some miscellaneous accessories into the bag. This is a pretty tight fit though and makes for a heavy package. There is ample padding and enough dividers to keep everything separate and well-protected.
The Stealth Reporter comes with some features I like. The memory card wallet is a nice touch, although it’s a little too big to shove into any pocket other than the designated one. The weatherproof access zipper at the top of the bag makes getting small items in and out easy but forget about quick removal of a camera body with a lens attached.
Unlike most bags, the Stealth Reporter does not have a sewn-in handle on top. A handle would get in the way of the easy access zipper. The alternative Lowepro offers is a short strap that attaches to the D-rings with the shoulder strap. It works, but I don’t really care for it. I would eagerly give up the zipper on top for a nice sewn-in handle.
The Stealth Reporter’s shoulder strap has a massive shoulder pad, which has proved to be nothing but a hindrance to me. The pad is constantly slipping off my shoulder and just feels too big and bulky. I would like to remove it entirely but haven’t found a way to do it without destroying it. Luckily, the pad is free-floating on the strap, so I just slide it to the back of the bag. The bare strap is a lot more comfortable and doesn’t slip as much.
The Stealth Reporter has the AW designator on it, meaning it has an All-Weather cover built into it. This cover pulls out and wraps around the front and top of the bag. It’s a nice feature only if you don’t plan on doing any shooting. The cover prevents any access to the pockets and main compartment. Lowepro has the Nova series with a 360-degree All-Weather cover which does allow access to the main compartment. I wish they would have put the same 360-degree cover on the Stealth series as well.
Finally, there are a few design issues with the bag that I find troublesome. First, regardless of what the name implies, this bag is far from stealthy. It’s a big black padded bag with the Lowepro name all over it and just screams, “camera bag.” Second, this bag is very tall. It is 11 inches high with only a 14.4 by 9.3-inch base. When loaded with a camera, lens down, it is very top-heavy and will roll around in your car if not secured.
Would I recommend this bag? If you are a wedding or events shooter or someone who just takes family and vacation photos, then yes, I would recommend this bag. It has a very nice look, will protect a lot of equipment and give you many years of service. In fact, you will probably replace your camera body sooner than you will replace this bag.
If you are a photojournalist, wildlife photographer, or just the adventurer type, there are much better bags out there for you. I would recommend a classic Domke bag for the photojournalist and something along the line of a backpack or beltpack style bag for the wildlife/nature/adventure photographer.