Owner contribution
his is the mid-sized Shoulder/Messenger bag that is part of the new Vanguard Up-Rise series. The name Up-Rise comes about from the fact that they`ve cleverly designed the bags to increase in size in order to accommodate more gear. A quick unfastening of a zipper that runs around the sides and bottom of the back allows it to expand about an inch in depth. Another cleverly designed aspect of this bag is that it has a ingeniously placed zipper at the top of the main flap that allows easy access to your camera without having to unbuckle and lift the flap, something that is a bit of a problem with shoulder bags. The messenger type bag is my preferred style of camera bag due to a number of reasons. Firstly I live and work in a big city, and so I`m security conscious and I also like to fit in with what other people in the city are using. The up-rise 33 ticks both these boxes, it looks like any other black messenger bag so it does`nt stand out as a camera bag. Another reason I go for messenger bags is because they are more accessible than backpacks, which require you to put them down to remove your camera. Slingbags/backpacks do solve this problem a little but usually add weight to one shoulder which can be tiring. The shoulder bag can be easily swapped from shoulder to shoulder quickly. They also allow you to change lenses relatively easily on the go. I also like to use my bags to carry other things apart from just photo gear and this bag allows the camera compartment to be completely removed and also having a laptop/notebook compartment makes it useful for work. I`m really impressed with this bag, I can`t find any real faults whatsoever with it. It looks good, holds plenty of gear and has some very nice features I have`nt seen in other bags of this type ,such as the up-rise feature and the zippered main flap to allow quick access to your gear. The price is also competitive when compared too similar bags from Lowepro , Crumpler and Tamrac. The only niggle is that the waterproof jacket is`nt as easy to fit as i`d like. A few minutes of head scratching at first and then I realised how it works and afterwards it wasnt too much of a problem, but its not as quick and easy as how the Lowepro AW bags work. None the less I love this bag, this along with my Kata 3n1 and Lowepro TLZ bags , it feels like I now have a bag for every situation. I have been through quite a few messenger bags over the years by Lowepro, Tamrac, Crumpler and Naneu but I`ve yet to find a bag that is so full of features as this bag and yet still looks good as an everyday bag. Now I have to be honest I didnt know much about Vanguard before seeing the Up-Rise 33 bag. I knew they made cases but wasnt up to date on the rest of their range. Like many people when looking for a new bag I tend to go for the major brands like Lowepro, Tamrac, Crumpler,etc but I implore everyone to checkout Vanguard bags. They are extremely well made, designed and decent value for money. Highly Recommended.
What works
Zipper on top of flap, The up-rise expansion feature, laptop/notebook compartment ,lots of pockets, price, does`nt look like a camera bag, waterproof jacket.
Room for improvement
Waterproof jacket tricky to fit.
