 I LOVE this bag |
| Review Date: April 23, 2010 |
| Reviewer: J. L. Nando, Seattle, WA |
Why?
- It is (FOR ME) the perfect blending of camera bag, and a carry-around day backpack. It does not look like a camera bag, which is always good. It allows me to put personal stuff, which is just AWESOME for people like me who like to travel a lot, and be able to bring my gear along, as well as personal items (rains a lot in these areas!), and don't want to carry two bags around.
- I don't have big cameras or lenses, so it fits perfectly. I customized the dividers in a way that I can put my Nikon D3000 with lens attached and pull it from the side, and place the other 2 lenses that I have (Nikon 55-200mm VR, 18-55mm VR, 50mm f1.8D) on the other side, and still have some extra room where I can place a flash (I don't have one) but where I currently put the CPL, the 50mm hood, and lens cleaning kit. Then I have the upper area all for myself, light jacket, water bottle, pens, charger, cellphone,etc.
- The vertical pocket where you can put documents (smaller ones, like maps and such) is very handy as well.
- And finally, the tripod holders. I have a very small tripod, that I can easily fit at the bottom with the 2 straps. That has allowed me to use the tripod a lot more than before, and make some good shots. Of course, when you have a tripod (even a small one) hanging from your bag, it kind of gives away the real intentions of your bag = ]
and you can use the tripod straps to put a folded blanket, small jacket, etc.
I was in a trip recently to Vancouver, BC. We walked a LOT! And I mean, miles and miles!! I was carrying the bag with pretty much all items described above, and even after hours, still feel comfortable, I don't know how they do it, but the load is balanced real nicely. We easily walked around in 2 days for more than 20hrs, of course at the 3rd day when I came back I had some slight pain on my shoulders, but disappeared in 2 days. I was pretty happy with how the bag performed, how easy is to access to take out or put away the camera, and also to change lenses.
Of course, is not perfect. The waistbelt could be better (padded or something), also don't like that sometimes the straps are just hanging around, I wished they had some sort of velcro (like the tripod straps on the bottom have!) so you could conceal them nicely. The only thing the waistbelt straps have is an elastic band, where you can tuck in the remaining of the strap, but when you slide your bag from side to side to access your gear, it sometimes get messed up, but no biggy.
All in all, is a really good camera bag for smallish DSLRs+lenses, but has the versatility to allow you to bring personal stuff, and carry like a regular backpack.
Build quality is great, color is great, and internal dividers and zippers are also great. The only zipper I don't like (also mentioned in other reviews) is that of the upper pocket, it could use some improvement, but once you get used to it, is not big deal.
If you have a smallish DSLR, enjoy going on hikes, or travel, and would like to have a multi-purpose comfortable, excellent quality, backpack where you can carry your gear and personal stuff, this is just perfect!
If you are a pro, or a hobbyist with pro gear (say D3s, with 24-70, 70-200mm, etc) this may not be for you. Although, you may not be looking at this camera bag at all anyway =]
Highly recommended!
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Great Bag
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| Review Date: March 9, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Dave M. Jardine, Orlando, Florida USA |
Lowepro seems to be getting better, as this is the best i have seen so far.
The colour Gray/polar blue is a nice combo.
If you like the quick access of the slingshot, this has it.
If you like the comfort of a backpack, this has it.
If you like Domke for its mild padding, this has it. although the lower compartment is heavily padded. Top section has no padding,which is what i like about it. It does not have that boxy look.
It looks like a normal everyday backpack, but is very versatile
One strange thing though, Lowepro claims it is not for a DSLR with grip, but yet my D90 with grip and 17-55/2.8 lens fits comfortably. |
Close to perfect
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| Review Date: February 24, 2010 |
| Reviewer: t.h.monti, |
After trying other SLR backpacks, this one is a keeper. The shoulder straps are strong, yet flexible and nicely contoured. The upper compartment is very roomy. Although there are no built in water bottle holders, you can easily clip on a Lowepro one (sold separately) to the outside spot where the pocket would normally be.
I just wish there was more room for lenses when storing the camera by one of the side pockets. Basically, if the camera is top loaded you have 4 areas for smaller items/lenses. But if it's side loaded, I can barely squeeze 2 in there.
PRO's:
-comfortable shoulder straps
-lots of room up top
-tuck-away rain cover and tripod holder (some bags don't have these and must be purchased separately)
-bag is somewhat flexible, shape looks less like a camera bag
-has compression straps on the bottom for a jacket or tripod
-smooth zippers in the camera area, and has security clips over the zippers if needed
CON's:
-you lose some room when storing the camera by the quick access side pockets
-waist strap isn't padded, and is a little narrow
-can't get the bag to stand upright because the tuck-away rain cover and tripod holder, but this could just be my own doing.
-upper zipper is kind of hard to open, but not a big deal to me.
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A lot of pros but some cons
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| Review Date: November 16, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Kelly G, USA |
I am going to begin by stating I am not a very experienced photographer and this is the first serious camera bag I have owned. I once owned a fairly cheap sling bag so that is my only comparison.
I really wanted a backpack for my new DSLR (Canon T1i/500D), kit lens, and 70-300mm IS USM lens. I did not want a sling bag because my old one bothered my shoulder when wearing it for more than 2 hours at a time. The primary use for my camera bag will be for wildlife safaris in addition to light hiking.
I need a backpack that is slightly smaller than normal as I am a 5'1" female with a slight build.
I have not had the chance to use the tripod holder yet.
CONS:
1. Like the previous reviewer stated the upper zipper compartment can only be used two handed instead of single handedly. I would prefer the ability to zip and unzip the compartment with one hand for the sake of ease and time.
2. I like the sternum strap and as long as I have it tightened as much as it can go the straps do not rub too much. I carried my bag around for 8 hours in 90 degree heat last weekend and I had a swollen, sore spot where the backpack strap rubbed against my skin when the sternum strap was not tightened all the way.
3. The backpack is a tiny bit too long for my frame size and it doesn't fit quite right even with strap adjustments. I doubt I will find a bag that is perfect for my frame where I can fit all my personal stuff plus camera equipment so I think this bag was a smart purchase for me.
4. I wish the top "personal" compartment was either a bit smaller (so there would be more room in the bottom compartment) OR the personal (top) compartment was as heavily padded as the bottom section. If it was more heavily padded I could put extra lens in it without worrying about the safety of them.
5. The bottom section when unzipped fully opens but if you don't have the top section fully zipped or if you have pens in the pen holders stuff will fall out of the top. It happened to me multiple times because I was too lazy to take the time to zip the top compartment fully. This "con" is probably just operator error.
6. I wish the memory card pocket was on the inside wall of the bottom section of the bag. I was on a safari last weekend with my bag and in order to switch out cards I had to open the bottom section of the bag fully because the pockets are rather tight. If the memory card pockets were on the inside wall instead of the "ceiling" of the bottom section the swap would be faster and easier.
PROS:
1. With the exception of the bag rubbing my skin on the 8 hour day walking around it was extremely comfortable and never bothered my back or neck. I added about 15 pounds of gifts to the top section and the backpack was still comfortable.
2. I love the accessible pockets for writing utensils, cell phone, and other small items.
3. I had to use the All Weather cover at Victoria Falls and it worked extremely well. I do not rely on the AW cover 100% but for the times we walked through the mist it worked like a charm.
4. I love the inside mesh pocket in the top compartment; it is perfect for storing my camera manual.
5. If I remove and change the set-up of the bottom compartment I can fit my camera with 70-300mm lens attached in the bottom section which is the lens I use 90% of the time.
6. The backpack by itself is fairly lightweight and feels comfortable to wear.
7. In a pinch I can use this as a laptop bag by removing the section that divides the bag into top and bottom halves. The top half is not padded but if you're careful a laptop would be safe. Our laptop measures about 16.5" diagonal.
I realize there is no existing "perfect" bag. I do not expect a perfect bag. I will possibly look to invest in another bag for the long safaris I plan on going on but for everyday use and 5 day or less trips I love this bag.
If I can figure out how I will post pictures with my review to make some of my cons more understandable.
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Another very good backpack from LowePro
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| Review Date: November 6, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Harry M. Shin, Livermore, CA USA |
1. There are a few things that I'd like to put out there prior to getting into my overall impressions of the versapack:
a. There is no perfect photo backpack (or camera bag)
b. Since there is no perfect photo backpack, trying to find the one perfect camera bag is a futile exercise.
c. If you accept the above points, then you'll realize that one needs multiple photo bags, based on the gear you need to carry for the particular occasion.
2. With the above being said, the versapack is a very good photo backpack with the following pros / cons:
a. Pro: it's made by lowepro--> ie very good construction and it's comfortable. Furthermore, unlike the other similar products (ex: that sling type bag or... quick type backpack; sorry I forgot the official names), this pack has a waistbelt (very important in my book) and a sterum strap (also very important to have)... AND, it has a fairly decent tripod holder. I know most folks don't need the tripod holder, but it may come in handy once in a while.
b. Pro or Neutral Feature: for me, I wanted a pack that would enable me to quickly access my camera and thus this one has the ability to open the side pouch and grab the camera without having to take the entire thing off. Unlike the lowepro fastpack, the versapack can be opened from either the right or left side; ie some folks might have a preference over which should to sling the bag, with this thing, you choose. With the fastpack, you can only do it via the right shoulder. As far as getting your camera out of the slot, it works fairly decently. Anytime you're dealing with this type of system, it's going to take some getting used to. There are always going to be trade offs etc...
c. Pro: Carrying Comfort: Compared to the slingshot (which I've used) and the fastpack (which I've also used), this bag carrys a load much better, especially compared to the slingshot.
d. Pro or Con: the actual photo carrying capacity is limited, but this is to be expected. The overall bag size is perfect; not too big, not too small and it's fairly light. As a result, this bag is for those folks with a smallish DSLR (ie, not for those with a full frame camera or an APS-C DSLR with a batt grip etc...). obviously everything depends on your particular system, but I have an Olympus E620 (ie pretty small DSLR) with 12-60mm (fairly decent sized zoom). This bag will easily hold that camera / lens, + extra smallish zoom, + flash or whatever else.
e. Pro: the extra open compartment above is nice, where you can put extra photo gear if so desired or whatever else.
f. Con: the only or main negative I have with this bag is the how the zipper opens to the main open compartment. I suppose based on the overall atypical design of the bag, they had to do it this way, however because of the design (you just have to check it out in person), opening or closing that zipper is a two handed affair. I just wish that they used a more traditional design, like the rover series. Now why didn't I get the rover? The rover doesn't allow for the rapid access of the camera etc...
3. Anyway, sorry for the longwinded analysis. Bottomline, this is probably the best camera backpack IF you require rapid access of your smallish DSLR AND want the most comfort and stability. Very good job Lowepro. Next time, get the zipper deal right. |
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