Kata DR-467 vs. LowePro Fastpack 250

As you may recall, I recently posted a brief review of the Tamrac Velocity 7x. The Velocity is comfy, but too small for anything larger than a Rebel-size camera. Plus, I wanted to carry my MacBook Pro and camera gear all in the same bag.

So, I narrowed my list down to two bags:
The Lowepro Fastpack 250 or the Kata DR-467

Summary
The FastPack is bulkier and holds more photo gear. If you’re looking for a camera bag that just happens to hold a laptop, I’d go with the LowePro. The Kata is smaller, more comfortable and a laptop/general use bag. It holds a smaller amount of photo gear and is ideal for commuters and everyday use.

My Daily Gear
15″ MacBook Pro, Canon 40D, 17-85mm EFS, 50mm EF, (see sidebar for camera gear) and misc. gadgets like WD portable HD, eTrex GPS. And usually, a lunch bag.

Size Compared
The Fastpack 250 is much bulkier. If you just look at the numbers, they aren’t significantly different. However, the exterior walls of the Kata 467 are less rigid, so they tend to collapse down if empty (that’s a good thing). The Kata has compression straps to help reduce it’s overall size.

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Kata DR-467 vs. LowePro Fastpack 250

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Side View

Weight
Again, the numbers are pretty close. But the Kata feels lighter. It’s mainly due to the overall bulkiness factor of the Fastpack.

Comfort
Ok, I realize this is subjective, but after wearing both for a couple of weeks, the Kata 467 just feels better. Both have well padded straps and backing. Both have a top carrying handle, but the Kata strap has more padding.

Laptop Compartment
The 15″ MBP kinda gets swallowed by the LowePro. It can easily handle a larger machine. Also, on the LowePro, both zippered sides touch the laptop when inserting or removing. I don’t see any scratches yet, but I wonder if they may appear over time. I’d rather nothing touched the machine. The Kata is much better… the compartment is smaller (still plenty of room for 15″ MBP) and the zippers don’t touch. An added benefit; the straps connect to the main bag, NOT the laptop compartment. So you can lift the bag with the laptop zippers open without the whole bag tipping forward.

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15″ Macbook Pro easily fits in the LowePro Fastpack 250

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LowePro Zippers Touch Laptop

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15″ Macbook Pro in Kata DR-467

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Zippers don’t touch on the Kata

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Notice where the back straps are attached

Camera Compartment
The Kata is slightly harder to open than I expected. You need to unzip it each way, almost all the way, otherwise it doesn’t cantilever out. Once unzipped, you need to pull to get the compartment to open up wide enough to insert or remove the camera. In the field, smaller items in the front two side pockets are fairly easy to access. Items in the back row are fairly difficult. Sitting at a desk, it’s much easier. The size/stickiness of the items also plays a role (e.g. lenses with (rubber) hoods are more stubborn). The bright yellow interior really does make it easier to find things in lower light situations. The LowePro is MUCH BETTER for quick access to your camera and mounted lens. However, access to other lens required unbuckling the security flap and more unzipping. It is probably a tad slower than the Kata in that area.

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To open the Kata, you need to (almost) completely unzip it.

Canon 40D with 17-85mm Lens

Nikon D300 with Grip and 18-200mm Lens

Top Compartment
One reason I wanted an “all-in-one” bag is so I can just throw everything into one place, sling it over my shoulder and go. For me, that often includes a soft-side lunch bag. As you can see from the photos, both bags can handle a standard size bag just fine.

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Kata and normal soft-side lunch bag.

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Lunch bag inside Kata.

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Lunch bag inside LowePro

Extra Kata Features
The Kata has a really cool feature if you travel. The back has an elastic strap that holds your backpack snug on any standard luggage. I used it this week on a trip to Chicago and it worked great!

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Kata bag has excellent strap for luggage handle.

Also, it has a hidden pouch for a water bottle or monopod.

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Other Thoughts
Neither have a place for misc paperwork… except in the laptop slot. With the Kata, you can make a “U” longways and it will fit in the top compartment. But most paper remembers the “U” shape after removed.

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Top compartment view of Kata DR-467

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Top compartment view of LowePro Fastpack 250

Lastly
There is one thing that really bugs me about the LowePro; the waist support belt. I suppose if you are hiking, it is awesome, but for short walks or train/car use, it just gets in the way. The much smaller belt on the Kata is perfect for me. You can zip it tight so it doesn’t get in the way and you don’t even notice it.

Did you find this useful? Support the site by purchasing on Amazon.com:
Kata DR-467
Lowepro Fastpack 250


Ok, now the Nikon D90 is out

I wonder if Nikon had planned on releasing the D90 today, or if it hurried up the release due to Canon’s announcement yesterday.

Either way, it’s out: The Nikon D90 is real. Coming to a store near you in a couple of months.

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Preview at DPreview.com

Preview at Camera Labs

It’s not HUGELY different from the D80, but several cool new features are:

720p Video Capture
GPS Unit Available: attaches to flash shoe

Chase Jarvis has been playing with them for a while now. Here’s a cool video from his blog:

Oh, here’s the press release.

Best Way to Sharpen Photos: High Pass Filter

Are you still using the “Sharpen” Filter in Photoshop to try to improve the on-screen presentation of your photos?

There is a better way!

1) Sharpening is best done at the final output size, so first open your image in Photoshop, and scale it down to whatever size you want. For Flickr, 500 pixels wide is the size for the “medium ” option.

2) Go to the Layer palette, select your Background Layer, Right Click. Select Duplicate Layer.

3) With the new layer selected, goto Filter > Other > High Pass. Set the Radius to (probably) between 2 and 10. If you go too high, you’ll see a halo effect around the edges of your image. Back it down so the halo disappears. Click OK.

4) View your image at Actual size (Command + Option + 0 on a Mac)

5) From the Layer Palette, select Hard Light from the drop down menu. You can also select Soft Light or Overlay to see how those change your results.

6) Change the Opacity until the photo looks good to you. (Typically 25% to 75%).

What’s that in your Background?

I recently read a post by Scott Bourne in which he emphasized the importance of considering your background BEFORE you even start shooting.

It’s not that I NEVER consider the background, but I must admit that I seldom consider the background before the subject. Oh sure, if you’re in front of the Grand Canyon we all do, but in everyday shots with our kid in the foreground, I usually frame her, then move a little to adjust the background.

After reading his post, I find myself approaching every shot by looking 20-100 feet past where the subject will be. Then pick a line based on the view.

Thanks, Scott… good stuff.

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August 23rd: Try a Photowalk in your town

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Scott Kelby has organized a Photowalk on August 23, 2008 in over 200 cities worldwide.

What is a Photowalk, you ask? He has a video on his website that provides all the details, but basically, you meet up with a group of people and take a somewhat planned route through an area of town, capturing as many different photos as possible.

Most groups end up at a coffee house or restaurant to ooh and ahh over each others work.

Find a Photowalk in a city near you.