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Does anyone have any suggestions for a decent, inexpensive backpack that can hold some stuff in addition to camera gear, and for around $100 or less? I've narrowed my bag selection down to the Lowepro Fastpack 350 and Versapack 200 AW. I'm basically looking for a backpack that can hold a 40D, Tamron 18-50, Canon 70-200 f/2.8, a medium-telephoto prime, and a flash, plus other personal doodads. The laptop compartment in the Fastpack is nice as I sometimes take my camera bag travelling and would prefer to be able to put everything into one container, but the Versapack seems much better for everyday shooting, and I also like the the weather cover, tripod holding capability, lighter size, and slightly lower cost. I am pretty sure though that the Fastpack will accommodate all my gear plus a laptop, however, and that the Versapack at best will only be able to hold a netbook, and will probably not be adequate for all my stuff if I go travelling. Any suggestions for my situation? Is the Fastpack too big for everyday use, or is the Versapack not big enough, or is there anything else I should look at?
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May 18, 2010 05:45
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| # ¿ May 3, 2024 11:07 |
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I just received my Lowepro Fastpack 350 (paid about $100CAD), and my first impression of this thing is its sheer size; it will easily swallow a gripped body with a 70-200mm f/2.8. http://products.lowepro.com/product/Fastpack-350,2087,14.htm Just for fun, I decided to see how full I could pack it, and I managed, in the camera compartment alone: 40D with grip and a Canon 80-200mm f/2.8L (same size as the 70-200mm f/2.8L non-IS) Tamron 17-50mm Canon 10-22mm Canon 50mm f/1.4 Canon 60mm f/2.8 Sigma 150mm f/2.8 The depth of the compartment is clearly designed for gripped pro SLR bodies. To fit the two shorter primes, I put them in the same division and separated them with a cloth, but otherwise the compartment zips up just fine, and things do not feel too tight inside. The depth of the bag is enough that the Sigma 150mm can stand vertically in its own division. In the upper compartment, I put in my flash bracket (a Stroboframe knockoff) with a 430EX mounted, and it zips up fine as well with room to spare. The harness of this bag is great and quite comfortable, though I'll bet wearing it for long periods fully loaded like above is asking for back problems; a laptop in there will make it even heavier. There is a hip harness as well as a sternum strap, but there's no provision to stow either if you're not using them; you can tie back the sternum strap a bit, but the hip harness is big enough that it might get in the way even if you tie it back as much as you can. The side access is only available from the left, which is fine if you're right-handed, but maybe not so much if you're left-handed. I found I needed to undo the hip harness to comfortably turn the back around, but access was otherwise quick and convenient. I part of me does kinda wish it had access on both sides, so I could stow the camera on one side and access lenses in the other, but I'm not sure how well that would work in most cases. The bag doesn't have provisions for a tripod or monopod, but I was easily able to mount a monopod on the side in the water bottle pocket and securing it to the top hand strap with a velcro strap. The bag also doesn't have a rain cover, but I don't expect that equipment will get wet unless the weather was exceptionally bad, and if I did need a cover, I'd probably be able to find a generic one that would fit. My only real personal gripe is that this bag honestly might be too big for some people; it's a good 20 inches high and 10 inches deep, and I only bought it over the 250 because the difference didn't seem too extreme on paper, and because the 350 is supposed to comfortably hold a body with a 70-200mm mounted (which it does, with lots of room to spare). I'm looking forward to fielding this bag and seeing how well it works, but I'll probably spend a bit of time trying to optimize it for lens changes as well as camera access. I'll post a trip report when I field this bag in the next little while.
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Jun 19, 2010 04:28
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benisntfunny posted:I hate this backpack. Fast? Sure if you're going to pull my shirt up and around while I whip the bag to the side. And talk about crappy weight distribution. The whole left side is way heavier. Maybe I pack like a retard but I certainly never enjoyed using this bag. Plus it's ugly. I usually keep my shirt tucked in and the waistbelt slightly loose, so I haven't had any problems with the pack pulling up my shirt when I sling it to the side to access the camera. This may be more of an issue in the winter when I'll be wearing a heavy jacket, but in the summer I had no problems in this area. I haven't noticed any problems with weight distribution; do you keep a fast telephoto in there and do you pack it horizontally or vertically? I agree with you that it's an ugly pack; it's certainly not a casual and stylish urban trekking bag like most Crumplers are. However, I found that carrying 10lbs of gear all day in a shoulder isn't much fun, and that carrying 15 or 20lbs in the backpack is much more comfortable for me than 10lbs on one shoulder. It's only if I'm going really light with one lens and/or a flash that I might use a shoulder bag, and even then I might try to wing it with no bag at all if I think I can get away with it. I bought the bag with the expectation that I'll be travelling and probably flying with it, and while I don't expect to have my laptop in there all the time, it is nice to be able to put all your carryons in one piece of luggage instead of spreading your stuff across a few pieces.
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Nov 30, 2010 01:08
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