Manfrotto Lino Collection: Pro VII Messenger Bag (Black)

The black Lino Collection: Pro VII Messenger Bag from Manfrotto is a durable, stylish and multi-functional "stow-and-go" type bag. With this bag, you can be up and out the door, ready for that international or cross country flight. With a more than respectable gear capacity of a DSLR with mounted 70-200 lens, plus four other lenses, laptop, standard and pocket tripods, flash and general accessories, this is a bag to be reckoned with for anyone who needs a multi-functional, weather-resistant bag. But why is it multi-functional? Not only is it a well-designed shoulder bag but it can also leave you hands-free when setup as an over-your-shoulder sling-type bag. The included buckle and strap that change the bag from one style to the other provide extra carrying support during longer durations.

The bag is made from rugged, weather-resistant, high-quality nylon along with a lovely touch of stylish Italian leather. No need to be worried about being caught in various weather conditions since a fold-out rain protector is included to protect you from unexpected rain, wind or snow. Water-resistant zippers are coated so that no moisture will seep in. The outside of the bag is affixed with tripod connectors that eliminate the need for a separate, standard tripod bag. And, if you use a pocket tripod, the inside of the bag contains two integrated pockets that are perfect for fitting both sizes of Manfrotto pocket series tripods.

Let's look inside and see what the bag offers. Not only is it spacious enough for your DSLR with a mounted 70-200 plus 4 other medium-sized lenses, flash and numerous accessories, but no photographer these days travels without his laptop. The Lino Pro VII Messenger Bag is rated to hold a 15.4" (39.1cm) laptop as well as most Apple 17" (43.2cm) laptops -stored in its own, separate padded compartment. Needless to say, the bag will also accommodate computer support accessories like cables, batteries, cards and more. The central gear compartment is equipped with Manfrotto's touch fastened Flexi-Dividers that permit you to sculpt the bag into whatever configuration you prefer. That 70-200 I mentioned earlier is held firmly in place by Manfrotto's "L" Camera Bracket that supports the camera and lens in a face-down, secure and ready-to-shoot position. For pens, maps, business cards, iPhone and similar small-sized items, there is a handy separate slip-in style storage pocket compartment.

This is also an excellent shooting bag. The "wow" feature is that you can open the bag from the top without having to unzip the entire system exposing it to surrounding, curious eyes. Merely unhinge the touch fastened top panels and you'll be able to withdraw your mounted 70-200, get the shot, slip the camera back inside, close the flaps and keep going.

For ease of carrying, the Lino Pro VII Messenger Bag comes with a comfortable shoulder strap containing an over-sized, padded cushion. Dual hand carry straps are also provided for when you need to quickly grab the bag from your car trunk. Best of all, a special buckle and strap are included that change the Pro VII into a sling-style bag. If you're using the bag in a shooting mode, this feature permits you to remains hands-free - so when you pull your camera out from the top of the bag, you won't have to be concerned about the bag getting in your way while working.