Lowepro Fastpack

Finally a reliable and dependable backpack. I should have done this a long time ago but I was stupidly thinking there’s not enough value for over 100£ backpacks FOR ME. I was wrong because I haven’t realised what a good backpack feels like. The build quality is very good, all the straps feel strong and comfortable. Can’t comment on long term usage yet. I am using it 4 it 5 days a week every week and it’s going strong. I feel comfortable once it’s filled with 6000£ worth of gear. It survived the typical bad English weather and my clumsiness very well. The waist strap is very useful and comfortable when the backpack is fully loaded. The chest strap is a bit tinny and doesn’t feel as comfortable because I have a big chest. The side pocket is very good and I use the top from pocket for a high visibility rain cover and a small medic kit for emergencies. For storage capacity it’s very good but not perfect, but that is subjective of course. It’s hard to appease a lot of storage and not to big size. My ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo feels very snug and safe in there and on my back, space for my iPad 10 inch in the same compartment. My Olympus E-M1 Mark I fits well with the 14-54mm and Panasonic 50-200mm and there is room for the battery grip fully loaded and more room for 2 medium sized lenses. The top compartment feels smaller unfortunately, after putting the laptop charger and one 500ml container for launch there very little room left for anything else. The additional pockets are plentiful for 2 USB charger, Type A, Type B, Type C and Lightning Port cables, extra batteries, Active Pencils and Memory cards. I only wish there was a pocket on the side flap for extra battery instead of 2 memory cards (why not mix them together for quick access to both and that the bottom of the camera pocket was made of fabric instead of plastic so you can organise the dividers the way you want and not the way the manufacturer thinks it’s best (there are not enough fabric areas to make your own inside pockets).

I don't often make a big effort to write long reviews but due to the hassle I have had over the years finding a decent Photography bag I though I would share some comments on my findings, hope it helps. My basis of requirement: I have had a very many camera bags over the years (Lowepro Prorunner, Lowepro Slingshot, Billingham Hadley Pro, Crumper 5 Billion Dollar house, Crumpler back pack, Lowepro Toploader 75 AW Mk1 & 2 etc...) And I currently have the Lowepro Whistler BP 450 for outdoor and extreme weather activities which is awesome! but quite big and can not be taken on a plane as carry on :( Lowepro Whistler BP 450 Backpack for Camera - Grey Any experienced photographer will tell you there is NO perfect bag that fits all scenarios, so define yours before you search for your bag. However this time I was looking for the following: 1. A bag that could carry and provide easy access to a Canon 5DMk4 + Canon 16-35 2.8L MkIII + Canon 70-200mm F/4L IS inc a 1.4x Teleconverter attached + bits and bobs 2. I wanted the bag for street and travel photography and I did not want to have to unzip the whole back panel and expose my gear to prying eyes or dust/weather. 3. I wanted extra space for a flask/water bottle, maybe a Gortex jacket, filters, wallet, keys etc... 4. I wanted a bag that does not scream "EXPENSIVE CAMERA!!" so semi discret style was preferable. 5. After shelling out 250 quid on the Whistler BP 450!! I set a budget of 150 Pounds for this bag. 6. I wanted a couple of extra pockets for bits and bobs 7. I still wanted a bag with a level of waterproofness if caught in showers etc.. 8. I wanted it big enough for all of the above, but not too big that it can not be used as hand luggage on a plane. 9. Space for my 15" Macbook Pro or iPad (I wanted a pouch to put a Camelback water bladder for hiking when not taking a Laptop, its perfect even the zip is the right orientation.) 10. facility to carry a compact tripod (Gitzo Ocean Traveller) I first tried the more expensive Lowepro Protactic 350 AW Lowepro ProTactic Camera Bag, 350 which is a great bag and well made, However it was too small for the gear specified above, a Full Frame pro bodied camera is too tight and a pain in the ass to get out of the side access , it has very limited additional pockets for storage of smaller items, taking out a second lens meant that I had to open up the back panel, it was heavier, and it looked cool but might draw attention, would really suit a CSC Mirrorless type camera, and although the 350 was on budget the 450 was too big and was too expensive, it just did not meet enough if any of my criteria, so as much as I liked the look of it it just did not work for me so I returned it. Well I am happy to report that the Lowepro 250 AW II ticks all of the above boxes It can easily accomodate a 17" laptop if required my 15" Macbook Pro fits with loads of room to spare, and I am very happy with the bag. Side quick access is fast and easy for camera extracion but secure enough that there is no risk of the camera slipping out, it has a waterproof cover which can be deployed in seconds and its high quality construction with nicely padded shoulder straps and removable padded hip straps. (The straps on this bag are better and more comfortable than the Whistler BP 450 AW) No camera bag is perfect for ALL uses (hence my long list of bags historically), So I would recommend listing what is important to you as I did in this case and try your gear in the bag. this was great with Amazon due to their great returns policy which made this very easy.

I wanted to replace my old Lowepro camera bag mainly because I wanted to have a laptop compartment as well. I am very happy with the purchase. It is a lot bigger than my previous bag (more than expected) and has more than enough space for all my equipment. The dividers in the camera compartment are decent and easy to adjust and there are enough compartments for my camera, few lenses and small gimbal. Very nice material and lots of straps to keep it secured to your body while walking. Overall vert happy, and hopefully will last me a while.

This bag is perfect and was a lot bigger and more spacious than expected once it arrived. It comfortably fits my camera plus three lenses. The compartments for the lenses are nice and tough to keep them safe and secured in the bag. Very comfortable also.

I have a Canon EOS 60D camera with a number of lenses, filters, flash unit, monopod, tripod etc. The reason I mention that is to show that I have a number of different items and provide some context for this review. I am by no means a professional and very often I have found myself with a situation where I have a need for a lense but I left it at home or I need to take a quick shot and cannot get the camera out of the bag in time. I decided to take the plunge and get an upgrade for my Lowepro bag. WOW!! What a difference this bag has made for me. I can drop the right shoulder and swing the bag through under my left arm and the bag opens from the side to reveal the camera section. I can then simply grab the camera and take the shot, before closing that section and placing the bag back onto both shoulders. The bag itskef is very comfortable. It has adjustable shoulder starps and an adjustable hip belt. There is an all weather cover for the rainy days or simply for the unpredictable British weather. Inside the bag there is an amazing amount of space. It takes my 15" laptop, my 10" tablet, my camera with lense, three other lenses (one of which is a telefoto zoom lense), my flash gun, batteries, filters and various other bits and pieces. The tripod clips nicely onto the side of the bag or I can use the pouch for a bottle of water. This is an excelletn bag for the money and I am absolutely loving having all my kit me when I'm out-and-about!

Was looking for a back pack to put my DJI Mavric 4 pro in, after looking round ordered this and please to say fits drone controller and batteries, with room for an SLR camera too

I bought this for my drones and it comfortably holds a Mavic 4 Pro and a Mini 4 Pro, along with the 3 batteries for each in their charging hubs and both controllers in the main camera section. You do need to move the velcro dividers but if you are used to camera bags they are no different to any others and they don't move once in place, the velcro is excellent. There is then a large lunch box sized section at the top for extras or I use it to carry food and drink when going on excursions. You could certainly pack clothes for a weekend in here. There is a large elasticated pocket on the side meant for the tripod feet but it easily stores 2 sports bottles. Also there are 2 other zip sections on the front that can hold chargers, leads, storage cards and hard drives. Alternatively if its for a camera filters would fit in these with no issues. I am a large man at 6 foot 2 and 160kg and the shoulder straps fit me but the waist band is just too short. I wear size 44/46 pants to give you a reference. I am a 56" chest size 20 collar and the chest strap will fasten but is tight on me. I have probably had around 15 to 20kg in this bag for hours of walking and the stitching has been fine. I hope this helps you 🙂

Great pack! Fits my A7IV with a 24-70 lens and a telephoto lens. Could fit another small lens in or some lens hoods etc. Top of the back fits a jumper and a book, some chargers etc or a steam deck and leads with a t shirt or two. Great for day trips where you may need a change of clothes. Fits an iPad Pro very comfortably in the sleeve and an ocean bottle/ chillys bottle in the drinks holder.