From the first internal-frame backpack Greg Lowe invented in his garage in 1967 to the recently developed water proof backpacks, Lowepro products and features have helped to revolutionize the industry - and to keep your cameras as protected and accessible as humanly possible.

Whether you're shooting a rare Spirit Bear in Northern Canada or a Ferris wheel in downtown London, you need to know that your valuable equipment is safe from the elements. That's why Lowepro innovated such unique features as the All Weather Cover™, to safeguard your gear from rain, dust, sand and snow, and the OverLap Zipper™, with its reinforced walls and heavy-duty closed-cell foam, to protect your gear from anything life throws its way.

"We were looking for the Spirit Bear, but we discovered something else. For 11 days in the rough, rugged wetlands of the Inside Passage near Princess Royal Island, Canada, we tracked the elusive Spirit Bear. Unfortunately, photographers Kennan and Karen Ward and I never spotted a single bear. All we really saw was rain. It rained continuously, so we had plenty of time to sit on the riverbanks and talk - and then talk some more. We discussed the fact that Kennan, 6'2", and Karen, 5'3", need to distribute the weight of their gear differently. And we talked about how we could further improve the carrying comfort and the protection for all that expensive equipment. We came up with lots of ideas - many of which eventually ended up on the desks of our design team. As the rain continued, even though we already had the most water-resistant gear available, we set our sights on a system that would be 100% waterproof. “

You count on your gear not to fail, and Lowepro pride themselves on providing products that meet and surpass that expectation. They use superior materials and hardware, and enforce high standards for quality workmanship and construction. And then they test. And test some more. Their products are used and abused all around the world. And even though their equipment gets tossed around a lot, the gear inside often remains in better shape than the photographers themselves.

Photo gear is heavy. You can't change that, but the right pack can make it feel lighter. Lowepro design their packs so that by simply adjusting weight distribution and balance, you can be comfortable in very uncomfortable situations. Well-placed compression straps keep the load close to your body and breathable; and highly cushioned materials assure the ultimate in carrying comfort.

Innovation happens when you're just hanging around. Lowepro work with photographers who like to put themselves and their camera equipment in precarious positions. Over the years, they have been challenged to create products that will withstand various adventures. They brainstormed with our design team to develop the most accessible, comfortable and secure camera gear carrying system out there. The initial result was the modular Street & Field™ System, which has now expanded to the SlipLock™ System.

As many options as Yosemite has peaks. A tsetse fly in Botswana. Tiger Woods at Augusta. The Bornstein bar mitzvah in Cleveland. Every job is different. That's why Lowepro created the SlipLock System. The most sophisticated carrying system out there allows you to customize all the components you need for a specific job.

You can add or subtract components at will. It's that simple. Start with a core system, then add whichever accessories you prefer. Use the SlipLock attachment tabs to fasten the extras to your base product. The result? Maximum accessibility of all of your equipment.

The best designs in the world are just the beginning. To make the best products in the world, the best materials have got to be used. So Lowepro do.

Lowepro constantly research new materials. Test them. Try combining them in different ways. Rate them on characteristics you maybe never thought of - like abrasion-resistance and quiet operation. Because one day, a quiet buckle will make the difference between getting a shot and not getting it. Then you'll see why it's so important.

Lowepro work with over a dozen fabrics including ripstop nylon, two weights of ballistic nylon, TXP™ and TXP ripstop, high-grade leather and special materials like a Nailhead™ for Digital Resoltion, texturized, rubberized, non-slip fabric to keep shoulder straps in place and DryFlo™ , a unique two-layer fabric to help you stay dry in the hottest weather.

What does it take to make a great bag or pack? Not superficial good looks, trendy colors or status quo thinking. Here's Lowepro’s 'secret':

• They are outdoor photographers. They know the "bad stuff" personally. Rain. Mud. Dust. Snow. Cold. Great shots that got away. They design accordingly.
• They listen. To hundreds and hundreds of photographers. They put their ideas into test. They test their prototypes. Result: great ideas in action. Thanks, folks.
• They challenge accepted thinking. They love re-thinking, deconstructing, re-engineering and thinking outside the box.
• They field-test every product personally. No exceptions. Ever.
• They live their beliefs. They are committed to innovation, product quality and the natural world. It's who they are.

Here at DCC we see a lot of ranges of cases, but when you are dealing with hundreds of pounds, if not thousands, of photographic equipment we look to Lowepro.