Vanguard The Heralder 17Z Zoom Camera Bag (Black)

I read a review of this bag in a camera magazine and it appeared to be what I was looking for. Comfortable yet able to carry most of my gear (e.g., DSL, lenses, etc.) and most importantly a separate and removable sleeve foran Ipad. It arrived in short time. However things became disconcerting as I began to open the box. First, when I removed the case from the bubble wrap a manual (guide) for a Nikon D300 fell out. I had no idea how thisgot into the bag and it certainly had nothing to do with it. Second, upon going through the various pockets and sections I discovered a three way, grounded electrical outlet adapter, high quality I might add. Again, what didthis have to do with the bag. Third, there was a very nice camera strap (minus the camera attachment sections) in the bag, and fourth, and most disturbing, the Ipad sleeve was missing. Obviously the bag was returned from a former owner and sold again as new. Granted, the bag was in excellent condition and showed no signs of wear or damage but I was disappointed with Amazon since I assumed Items sold as new are indeed fresh off the shelf. BTW, I sent an email to Vanguard that day and got a quick response indicating that they would put a new sleeve in the mail, no questions asked. It arrive four days later. Obviously they are a quality company and the bag a quality item. Plenty of compartments, and storage, and the Ipad sleeve and the center section are removable so the bag can then be used as a general purpose carryall. Also, a key feature is the ease with which the camera can be removed through a zippered opening in the cover while the cover remains closed. Great for spontaneity and protection. And easy gear upgrade to recommend. I wouldn't hesitate to order another bag from this company, maybe one size larger next time.

You know when you've found the wrong bag a lot faster than when you've found the right one. And it's a lot easier to recommend camera gear than it is a camera bag. As much a matter of personal taste and preference as shooting style and gear used, everything about them from looks to layout is completely subjective.If you're looking here you can count yourself in the minority - while well known for other types of gear, Vanguard seems to be flying under the radar when it comes to carry luggage; in the USA anyway. I've owned very few bags since the 70's, they tend to last me and become second nature. I don't even think about them after a while. That's the whole idea. And, that's what makes finding the perfect "companion" a daunting task. I've looked at the old standby brands (many of which I own), and the newer "trendier" ones available. When looking for this bag, I wanted something to carry most of my gear - and it had to be a shoulder-style bag. The new style messenger bags held interest for their ability to carry a camera with a large lens mounted for easy access.At first I was looking at the Vanguard Up-Rise, which has been awarded like crazy in Europe in the last couple of years. It's a great layout, expandable and still relatively narrow. But, it appeared it would fall just a bit short of my desire to be able to haul most of my gear - a travel bag. So, I turned to the Haralder 33. I don't have a need to haul a large laptop (15"+), and the difference between this and the 38 as far as camera gear carried is negligible.The Vanguard is a perfect hybrid between a regular shoulder bag and a messenger/courier bag. Shoulder bags are great for having lots of pockets and easy access to your goodies, but not so great at lugging around. They're best when they're sitting on a table. messenger bags are easier to cart around, but tend to be short on pockets as quick access to gear is the priority. This is fine when you're only carrying the essentials like a camera and lens - but I lean towards the boy-scout end of the spectrum when it comes to preparedness.The design of this bag is brilliant - and simple. Topside, there is a zippered and snap top flap to access your gear like a regular shoulder bag. On the very top of this "lid" is another zipper to access your camera and other gear in a flash. There is a small magnetic tab you flip out of the way, which prevents the zipper from accidentally opening. You can grab not only your camera this way, but a lens, a flash or whatever you have in the "main section" qiuckly and easily. Additionally, on the inside of this flap are 2 little easy access pockets for your memory cards (CF and SD fit fine). Pretty much anything you'll need can be accessed instantly and silently.I've played with other messenger style bags that had zippered top sections, or places to hold laptops etc. but none were as clever and as useful as this. They've figured out a perfect compromise as far as accessibility and safety.The boxlike "main section" is removable and has the typical Velcro partitions for customizing the shape and size of the interior sections. Outside of this section are other pockets and sections built into the bag itself. Of course there is a padded and zippered removable sleeve for your laptop. This in turn slides into the back section of the bag (the side against your body). It is held firmly in place with Velcro tabs, which is removed quite easily. behind this is yet another zippered section - large enough for manuals, cables, or even a kindle or ipad mini.How big is it? On a recent trip this is what I carried on my flight - I would NOT recommend walking around with this as it did get heavy!Canon 60D with fat Crumpler strap, Canon PowerShot D20 with Olympus floating strap, Sigma 70-200 f2.8 OS with tripod collar and hood, Sigma 17-50 f2.8 and hood, Sigma 10-20 f4-5.6 and hood, Nikkor 50 f1.4, Yongnuo YN-565ex (in case), Canon Speedlite 420 (in case), Toshiba Satellite & charger, Kindle Fire, 2 Trigmaster Plus triggers & all cables, 4 snap-packs AA eneloop batteries & charger, Chargers for both cameras, spare batteries, original 60D manual, lenspen, rocket blower, microfiber cloth, assorted papers, checkbook, pens & pencils, meds, first aid kit, business cards etc.Now, as you've probably guessed this bag was stuffed to the gills at this point! Also to be fair I wouldn't be able to access some things quickly or easily. The camera was carried body only with a cap - and that still threw the TSA. I had to put a lens on it to prove it was a camera. Go figure.On any given day I'll have the camera, 2-3 lenses, 2 flashes, a tablet and assorted sundries. It's quite easy to carry and there's lots of extra room. Plus, it's one of the few bags I could have an f2.8 70-200 mounted to my camera, and still have room for spare lenses without having to stack them.Pros:- Well built- Well padded- Metal clips and rings - NO PLASTIC- Bright orange interior (easy to see tiny black parts)- Easy access top section with magnetic safety catch- Memory card pockets also easily accessible via top zippered section- Useful interior pockets - well placed- Useful exterior pockets- Can carry and quickly access camera with 70-200 f2.8 mounted- Understated elegance - handsome orange details- Ergonomic curved shoulder strap and extra strap to secure to body- Extra padded case for laptop- Extra padded case for P&S or whatever- Removable interior compartment and re-positionable dividers- Heavy coated bottom (who knows what you'll set it on/in)- Tripod carrying harness (cleverly hidden/placed)- Luggage handle securing velcro strap- Rain Cover- Amazing price consideringCons:- Looks like camera bag- ID tag isn't standard business card size- If you have an aversion to the color orange...- Some dividers dark gray, not orange (does add contrast however)- Curved shape of top flap makes zippering difficult (there are 2 tabs to hold that make this easier, undocumented but make a difference)- Big (then don't get this model!)- Small (it will be for some!)- Um...To explain this long-winded review a bit more, I purchased this bag sight unseen. It was based on youtube videos almost exclusively. I handled models by my old standby Lowepro, ThinkTank, Crumpler and Tumbuk2 to name a few, and didn't like any of them for one reason or another. Nobody carried Vanguard locally, so I took a chance. I had no idea the bag would blow those other ones out of the water in so many ways. It's a hard thing to buy a bag, much less one you can't handle yourself.If your needs are the same for a laptop, but lighter on camera gear I'd recommend looking at the Up-Rise line. Other than that - after several months with this bag I like it enough to have written this review. I would not hesitate recommending the Vanguard Bags to anybody regardless of what they're looking for. Well built, well designed and just an all around great bag. Five stars.*** Update 3/12 ***Heralder Series wins TIPA 2012 Award for Best Photo Bag.*** Update 9/21/13 ***This bag has been in constant use and gone to Hawaii twice, seen rainstorms, been dropped, kicked, dragged and then dropped again. It looks like it did the day I got it. There has been zero wear anyplace. Not even a stain. Cleans right up.To update the carry list - for the latest trip, substitute the 60D for a 6D, the smaller Sigma 17-50 and 10-20 lenses for an EF 24-105 and 17-40 (with hoods), the 420ex for a 600ex-rt (and case), one more trigger, an ipad 4 instead of a kindle, 3 filters and boxes, a charger for the eneloops (just a wall type) in addition to 3 camera battery chargers, iPad charger and phone charger - oh, and a sunglasses case. It was actually a bit lighter this time!This is such a fantastic product I'll be getting the Up-Rise 28, either the I or II. The I is a pretty tempting price right now. I'd like something a little smaller for carry around - the II has a harness to use as a backpack. Vanguard continues to impress and innovate.

I really liked my Lowepro Compudaypack which is no longer made. After 8 years, I have worn it out and needed to find a replacement. Let me start by saying what I was looking for in a bag: a bag that will hold business stuff (laptop and files and business cards), and an occasional DSLR plus a lens or two.I did a lot of searching for the perfect bag. Most of them, though, are a lot of camera gear with a slot for a laptop. As I mentioned, I want a laptop bag with a slot for a camera."The Heralder" seemed like it might work. I wanted to love this bag. I really did. It is really well made and seemed heavy duty enough. It'll hold my laptop and my camera, but that's about it. It's not made to hold a ton of gear. But after trying it out in my living room, I came to two conclusions. 1: It was a little too much "camera" and not enough "laptop." and 2: It didn't have much in the way of organizing small things, like business cards and pens.Because of these two things, I sent it back. It did seem very well made, and it did seem like it would last a long time. I also really like the orange interior, but it really didn't fit my needs. If they added organizational dividers in the front slot, it would be a help. Also the front slot is narrow and difficult to get into. That could be made wider, or zippered. That would be a huge improvement. Vanguard take note!

The bag is roomy with many compartments and adjustable dividers. The bag is very well made with heavy duty zippers and metal buckles - no plastic which will break. Seems like it will handle anything I will be using it for!

This bag is huge. Easily accommodates my two nikon full frame bodies i.e. D750 and D800, 70-200 2.8, 15-30 2.8, 35mm 1.8, 24mm 1.4, 105mm 2.8, 85mm 1.8, two flashes, audio kit etc. I still have room for two more lenses. This also fits my ASUS 15.6 ROG Series laptop perfectly well.The trolley is super smooth and I essentially wanted something which had a carry on feature like this one. A point to be note , this bag is for those who would use the trolley more than use the backpack. The bag is heavy and hence if you're planning to use the backpack very often it might not be the bag for you.The bag is very well built , looks much better than in pictures, the trolley handle is also top notch. Very pleased with the purchase.

Definitely for my dslr and its gears. But why in your app the original price is shown as around Rs 40k or so? The price tag shows it 14k +. I feel deceived by the discount shown in your app. Impression goes wr

Good product. Enough space for 2 camera body. 2 small lenses and 1 telephoto lense. Very Happy with the product

Very good camera bag with 4 wheels. I use it for my expensive cameras and lenses.