LoweproPhoto Sport 200 AW Backpack for Camera - Black

I was looking for a decent camera bag that would allow me plenty of space for my other non-camera related possessions for when I go away for weekends or even to use as hand luggage on flights.The problem I found is that most camera bags are 90% for camera storage with only a little left over for a few small personal belongings.However, this Lowepro is one of the few bags I have seen that are more designed for those that want to carry mostly personal belongings but safely and conveniently carry their DSLR and a lens or two.There is a small but very secure area for your camera (with lens attached) and a spare lens or two and cleverly there is a drawstring on the compartment so once you have your camera and lenses in you can pull it tight. This not only keeps everything really secure and stops movement but it also frees up more space in the main compartment for your personal belongings.Perhaps a professional would find there isnt enough space for all their equipment - especially with a long telephoto zoom lens. However, for the amateur who wants a bag that they can use on day and weekend trips or to take on holiday as hand luggage with only a few camera bits it is ideal.There are straps on the bottom that I use to carry my tripod and the whole thing looks and feels very well made. It is not a cheap backpack but it certainly fulfilled and probably exceeded my expectations and it was well worth the extra money to get exactly what I was looking for from a camera bag.

If you have a use for this sort of pack it is very well designed and appears very well made. I'm a walker who tends to take a DSLR with him most of the time. I've had a variety of camera cases - mostly Lowe - over the years. Most recently I've had a Slingshot which has been good when I'm not on a real walk and a small padded case which went on my rucksac belt when I was. This pack should allow me to take a little more than just the camera on walks and still allow ease of access to the camera. Trying it out in the home it seems easy enough to get the camera out without taking the pack off.The camera fits into a compression section accessed from the side of the pack. My Nikon D7000 with an 18-200 lens fits in fine and there is space for another lens though probably not a large one. The rest of the pack allows quite a bit of space for other gear. There is a hydration space for a water bladder, a decent zipped side pocket and an open but deep/wide front pocket. There is a zipped lid pocket and a further zipped pocket in the main part of the sack. The main compartment is separated from the compression area however the more you can "compress" the camera section the more space there is in the main part. The camera section is not full width so there is a deep space on the right of the pack in the main area. The area of the main compartment is not large and I guess full winter kit is not going to fit but it should take a fair amount of gear (I'll update this when I've used it on the moors). There are compression straps on the sides of the pack. The hip belt adjusts from the sides not the centre which I think should be far easier than my current rucksack and it has a zipped pocket (useful size) on each side. There is a chest strap. There is also a waterproof cover which comes out from the bottom of the pack and covers it effectively.All in all - well laid out with reasonable space for both camera equipment and gear - it is bound to be a compromise but this looks like a good one. You would have to be using a DSLR in the kind of environment such as walking/biking etc to justify this I think. However if you have that kind of a need this would make a very good option. I will test it out as soon as I can and if I hit any snags (or anything else) I'll update this review.*Updated after some useI've walked with this pack for a couple of days now. I've not fully loaded it as it was not necessary to what I was doing but it has given me more info on how well it works. The pack was very comfortable after I had adjusted it so the hip belt was actually on my hips. The hip belt pockets were very useful indeed. I found getting the camera out without taking the pack off at all was quite easy. Getting the camera back in again was not that easy without slipping a shoulder out. Happy so far.

I am a keen walker and enjoy taking photos with my SLR but, until now, found it a problem finding a SLR backpack that had sufficient capacity to hold wet weather gear and other personal stuff but wasn't too large to make it practical for day trips.The design is quite ingenious with a zipped pouch on one side that, when opened, reveals the two compartments of a soft sided padded casing that encroaches into the interior of the bag; one compartment wide and deep enough to house my Nikon D610 with a 16-35 lens or 28-300 lens attached and the other big enough to house the spare lens. The storage for clothing / personal stuff is accessed from the top; the space within is restricted by the camera casing but is big enough to hold a folded cagoule and over trousers and a lightweight top and it's possible to stuff things down between the sides of the casing and the skin of the backpack. There is a useful small top zipped packet at the top, ideal for storing small things like sunglasses and an interior zip pouch where I store the spare battery and lens covers etc. There is an open poach at the outside front of the bag that's useful for stuffing anything that isn't vulnerable to the elements. A key benefit of the bag is that you don't have to take it off to extract the camera; with the waste belt clipped around your middle, you just remove the straps from your shoulders and swing the bag around with the camera pouch side facing upwards and just unzip to extract the camera. Crucially, the bag has an easy to pack away cover stored at the bottom which wraps around the whole bag when needed to protect the bag and contents when its raining. There's also straps on the bag for holding a tri-pod but I'm not sure if the rain cover would easily fit over a tri-pod and still have enough to spare to cover the bag. This is not the bag for where you need to carry several lenses or you have a large F2.8 70 - 200 zoom lens for example, but it's great for not having to carry a weighty SLR around your neck for long periods - the positioning and construction of the waste and shoulder straps makes you forget that you have the extra weight of the camera.

This is a fantastic product.I use my DSLR for filming mostly, so this review is for the DSLR film makers out there. If you pack this bag right, you can fit all the gear you'll need into it.I can fit:Canon 550DBattery Grip70-300mm Zoom Lens18-55mm Kit Lens50mm Prime lensLens cleaning PenLens HoodMutliple filtersMagnifying Viewfinder (but not one of the bigger Zacuto ones)Small, collapsable rig, such as a Jag 35 Field Runner or a Spider Steady.60cm glide rail.Heavy duty Gorillapod + ball head.Extra memory cards + batteries.Zoom H1.Clip on tie mic.On top of that, a light rain mac, scarf, fingerless gloves, and a GoPro Hero 3.Now all that is a bit of a squeeze, but it fits and it fits securely. Best to strap the small rig securely to the outside of the bag, and the glide rail can be tightly secured in a side pocket on the right hand side of the bag. I recommend covering both with a bin bag to protect from the elements.I would happily take that set up on a hike in the Peak District or a fell run across the moors.If you want to use it for skiing, I recommend not taking the glide rail, and sticking the rig inside the bag to protect it.Whilst not cheap compared to some of the budget Amazon camera rucksacks, it's definitely worth it.The bag is made to a very high standard, the material is highly durable and waterproof, and the seams and connections are very sturdy. It is also very secure to wear, there are numerous tightening straps, including a waist and chest strap. I have happily gone on very comfortable runs with this on my back.I'm very happy with my purchase, and I highly recommend it for the adventure film maker or photographer out there, who needs to protect their gear whilst going to the extremes to get their shots.

This is my best photo rucksack ever. I have used it walking in the UK and on a couple of weeks walking tour in the West Indies and it has performed excellently throughout. It has seen tropical rain in abundance without any problem. It IS a bit hot on the back but otherwise is very comfortable. It sits close to the back and spreads the load well. I usually carry a (smallish) DSLR with a couple of primes and a 55-300 zoom and it all fits in with room to spare. I can squeeze in an 18-55 zoom too, but then it's really full. It's light weight, so I'm not expecting* it to last forever, but it does seem well made and shows no signs of wear yet.Update Jan 2017: The bag is about 30 months old now and I still like it. It has had a lot of use and is still fully functional, but I noticed today that a small hole is wearing into the bottom corner were the back support must rub a bit. As I expected* it is not going to last as long as I would like, but it's still serviceable as the hole has not worn through the lining yet, just the black outer. I wonder what the new (cheaper) version is like?