 Great function and value; provides security from theft |
| Review Date: August 4, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Benjamin Lin Photography, New York, NY USA |
I highly recommend this bag because it is my everyday shooting bag. It can hold one camera body, a few lenses, an external flash, accessories, memory cards, water bottle, tripod, and probably a little bit more. There isn't as much room for non-camera items like the Lowepro Fastpack has, so this is more of a dedicated camera bag instead of a hybrid camera-and-other-stuff bag. However, there is a dedicated tripod "harness" that the Fastpak doesn't have. The biggest plus for me is that this bag opens up on the "underside", or the side that is against your back. That means that people can't unzip your bag while it's on your back and steal your stuff. Here is my full list of advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
- very well built
- can hold enough everyday camera gear
- can hold tripod
- has chest and waist harness straps for added stability
- opens up on the "underside" of the backpack, which makes it difficult for people to steal your gear
- can hold some everyday items, like keys, a small sandwich, etc.
- has a water bottle mesh side pocket
- extremely comfortable due to good padding, which also protects your gear
Cons:
- have to take bag off completely in order to access your camera
- not enough room for a lot of other things, especially laptop
As you can see, the list of cons is a short one. I debated for a long time between this bag and the Fastpack 250. I like the side opening of the Fastpack, which would allow me to access my camera quickly. I also liked the ability to carry a laptop in the Fastpack, along with a lot more non-camera gear in the Fastpack's upper compartment. But ultimately, I wasn't looking to lug my laptop around with me everyday, and I needed security more than I needed fast access (fast access also means easier for people to steal your camera). The Flipside has a small compartment inside where I store my keys, extra filters (I have 77mm filters -- not small), a portable hard drive, USB thumb drives and other small things. I can even fit a decent soft cover book, like the Photoshop CS3 guide, on top of my camera. Plus I wanted the option of carrying a tripod. If you want to carry your camera with a few lenses, tripod and accessories, then this bag would suit you well. If you want to carry your laptop, your lunch, a small pack of CDs and a book, but not as many lenses, then the Fastpack would suit you better.
This is what I currently have in my Flipside 300. This is my everyday shooting gear. When I need to do sports photography with large lenses or carry a second camera body, I use a much larger bag.
- Canon Rebel XTi with battery grip
- Canon 24-105mm f/4.0 L lens (attached to XTi 99% of the time)
- Canon 50mm f/1.8mm lens
- Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens
- Canon Speedlite 580EX II (straightened out)
- Giottos Q.ball rocket blower
In summary, if you need a dedicated camera bag with a little room for other things, and also don't want to worry about getting your stuff stolen, then this is the perfect bag for you. If you want a hybrid bag to hold a lot of other things and not as many camera lenses, but still fits an SLR body, then I would recommend the Fastpack.
Jan 7, 2010 UPDATE: I am still using this bag as my everyday camera bag. I use this for 3 to 6 days a week since I got it back in 2008, and it has been rained on, sat on, kicked, dropped, thrown and generally beat up on. Yet it shows little to no sign of wear. Nothing has broken, all of the zippers are still smooth, and the padding is still very strong. This is a very well-made bag.
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Perfect Camera Bag
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| Review Date: May 3, 2008 |
| Reviewer: David G. Boyd, Stafford, VA |
| This bag is not designed to carry every piece of camera equipment you own or ever will own; it is designed to carry what you need for most wildlife photo trips. It easily carries by Canon 1Ds Mark iii, 100-400IS lens, two other lenses, extra batteries, rain cover, a few filters, and sundry other small items. The bag is beautifully configured when you get it, but you can change it anyway you need for your uses. Three external pockets let you carry things you need immediately and because the cover is on the inside against your back when the pack is carried, it is both secure from theft and perfectly arranged so that, when you lay it down to get what you need out of it, the sand and dirt is on the outside - not against your back when you put the pack back on. The waist band is a bit narrow, but it works well and the pack is comfortable. Arrangement of the tripod straps is very good. It has a handy pocket that pulls out when needed, into which yuu place the tripod legs, and then a conventional strap to secure the upper part of the tripod against the pack. And, remember, since the opening is on the back, you don't have to remove the tripod to open the bag. |
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