F-Stop Ajna Backpacks

Yes ive had mine since december great piece of kit, loads of features I wouldnt of thought of. The build quality is of a very high standard, I got caught out in the rain last week for a few hours, the pack held up really well no need for a rain cover everything inside was bone dry. Believe paramo still have some for sale
 
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kellett said:
Yes ive had mine since december great peice kit, loads of features I wouldnt of thought of. The build quality is of a very high standard, I got caught out in the rain last week for a few hours, the pack held up really well no need for a rain cover everything inside was still bone dry. Believe paramo still have some for sale
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Excellent thanks

Now how do you decide which ICU to buy?

Basically I have the Manfrotto Professional Backpack and the Manfrotto Off Road Hiker and a small Manfrotto Stile (which I use in the city)

I'd like a large backpack to replace the first 2 which I think the Ajna will
 
I ordered the M slope first but struggled to fit most my gear in. Grabbed a L one now which is deeper and fits everything I need. Paramo only have one left so be quick
 
D750, 18-35, 24-120, lee filters + big/little stoppers, blowers, wireless remotes, filter system + spares. Still loads of space if needed more
 
I also got one in December to replace my old bag. It's so much more comfortable to carry around even when paced to the hilt. I have the large and medium slope which I can swop out depending on what I'm carrying and if I need to pack more non photo gear.

They're expensive but worth it.
 
Another f-stop user here. Great bags. One of them is a Loka which is the predecessor to the Ajna. Canon 16-35 and 24-70 can stand up. Maybe use The Digital Picture to compare dimension with your Nikon lenses? Large ICU will probably take up most of the main space, so if you want to carry extra stuff outside the ICU you probably need to consider how much. Hopefully kellett can confirm.
 
yes Internal Dimensions (cm): 16.5 Depth x 26.7 Width x 35.6 Height (y) (L icu)
 
Satori is quite a bit bigger - 60 litres I think. The updated version of that is called a Sukha, so that's what you will see on the official website. You might want to also look at the Tilopa, which sits between the Ajna and Sukha in the range.
 
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bbg404 said:
Thanks for all the help will get one ordered [emoji106]
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What kit are you planning on carrying? Before you order its worth looking at the ICU compatibility.

http://fstopgear.com/news/2015-10/f-stop-tips-tricks-icu-stacking-and-hatchbacking#.WII_6zZuDo4

There isn't much between the Ajna and Tilopa size wise. They are both a similar height. The extra 10 litres in Tilopa help the large Pro and XL Pro ICU's fit better but otherwise there isn't much in it. I wasn't so happy with the large pro or XL pro fitment in the Ajna, although they do fit I can see why F Stop don't recommend them as I felt they pushed into my back more than the large sloped ICU did and compared to them in the tilopa. The main difference between the Ajna and Tilopa is the harness, the Tilopa has more padding. The Tilopa is great if you are carrying a lot of kit. The heavier the kit you carry and the further you are planning to carry it the better the harness you need. If you are going use the large pro and XL pro then I feel the tilopa is a much better fit.

I'm tempted by the Lotus as a day bag and swap it with my Tilopa BC, the problem is I can't find a medium sloped ICU in UK stock any where and its pointless buying a F Stop bag without an ICU. I'm not sure I want to purchase from their european website after all the problems regarding shipping delays. I recently picked up the Sukha and tele master ICU to fit my long lens. Compared to the european website this combination is currently a bargain at Paramo UK. Its much bigger than I expected compared to the Tilopa BC i already have. For a Lotus I would need a medium sloped ICU but I'm not sure if the medium sloped ICU would fit a 70-200 f2.8 attached to a body. F Stop reckon its 25.4cm high internally and the camera and lens is 28cm long. I've seen photos with the canon 70-200mm f2.8 attached to a camera in the medium sloped so I think it would fit but its a big gamble. If anyone could confirm if it fits or has any idea why I could get a medium sloped ICU from it would be very appreciated.

Another thing I don't understand is why f stop don't do a medium pro ICU as its a big gap between small and large if you need the extra depth.
 
rob-nikon said:
What kit are you planning on carrying? Before you order its worth looking at the ICU compatibility.

http://fstopgear.com/news/2015-10/f-stop-tips-tricks-icu-stacking-and-hatchbacking#.WII_6zZuDo4

There isn't much between the Ajna and Tilopa size wise. They are both a similar height. The extra 10 litres in Tilopa help the large Pro and XL Pro ICU's fit better but otherwise there isn't much in it. I wasn't so happy with the large pro or XL pro fitment in the Ajna, although they do fit I can see why F Stop don't recommend them as I felt they pushed into my back more than the large sloped ICU did and compared to them in the tilopa. The main difference between the Ajna and Tilopa is the harness, the Tilopa has more padding. The Tilopa is great if you are carrying a lot of kit. The heavier the kit you carry and the further you are planning to carry it the better the harness you need. If you are going use the large pro and XL pro then I feel the tilopa is a much better fit.

I'm tempted by the Lotus as a day bag and swap it with my Tilopa BC, the problem is I can't find a medium sloped ICU in UK stock any where and its pointless buying a F Stop bag without an ICU. I'm not sure I want to purchase from their european website after all the problems regarding shipping delays. I recently picked up the Sukha and tele master ICU to fit my long lens. Compared to the european website this combination is currently a bargain at Paramo UK. Its much bigger than I expected compared to the Tilopa BC i already have. For a Lotus I would need a medium sloped ICU but I'm not sure if the medium sloped ICU would fit a 70-200 f2.8 attached to a body. F Stop reckon its 25.4cm high internally and the camera and lens is 28cm long. I've seen photos with the canon 70-200mm f2.8 attached to a camera in the medium sloped so I think it would fit but its a big gamble. If anyone could confirm if it fits or has any idea why I could get a medium sloped ICU from it would be very appreciated.

Another thing I don't understand is why f stop don't do a medium pro ICU as its a big gap between small and large if you need the extra depth.
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Thanks for that link had a quick read and looking maybe I'll need the Tilopa just to be on the safe side

Basically I want to be able to carry a combination or all of D750 d500 16-35 24-70 70-200 I'm also planning on some wild camping/ photography it'll just be 1 night stays but a tent and sleeping bag will have to be strapped on the top or bottom and a tripod oh and I've got a Lee filter pouch
 
bbg404 said:
Thanks for that link had a quick read and looking maybe I'll need the Tilopa just to be on the safe side

Basically I want to be able to carry a combination or all of D750 d500 16-35 24-70 70-200 I'm also planning on some wild camping/ photography it'll just be 1 night stays but a tent and sleeping bag will have to be strapped on the top or bottom and a tripod oh and I've got a Lee filter pouch
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Sounds like a large pro ICU will be needed. I sometimes carry a similar setup and it fits in the large pro quite well. I put the filters in the top as I like to keep a spare space for the 70-200 when its unattached. They can be kept in that space (shown where the flash is in the photo below).

All Photos-919 by Rob Cain, on Flickr

There is some spare room on top with the large pro in the tilopa but its not a huge amount. If you can find somewhere you can see them it may be worth it specially to size them. If you are thinking of wild camping with tent, sleeping bag, food, stove etc then its going to be the tilopa or such.
 
I've had F-Stop bags for a few years now. Great bags but still not as comfortable as a dedicated hiking bag if you're planning on carrying gear on your back for long periods of time.

I've had the Satori EXP but found it just a bit too big, especially with the large ICU, so went down to the Tilopa BC to stop me over-packing it.

I split my gear across three ICU's, choosing which two suits what I'm shooting;

- Small - D4s, D800E, 14-24mm and one other lens (24mm, 35mm, 85mm, depending what I'm shooting)
- Small - 70-200mm, Syrp Genie Minis, Pan & Tilt bracket, one other lens (24mm, 35mm, 85mm - as above)
- Medium Slope - Full Syrp timelapse set up - 1 Syrp Genie, 2x Syrp Genie Mini, Nisi 150mm Filter Holder, Timelapse+ VIEW, lots of cables to connect everything, plus one other lens (24mm, 35mm, 85mm - as above)

It gives me great flexibility as I always have the two bodies and two lenses in the bag, then depending on what I'm shooting, can add further gear, if needed.

one thing to be bear in mind - order only from a shop that has stock. F-Stop have serious problems fulfilling orders, with some items taking 6 months to arrive, yet they take the money immediately. There's plenty of info out there about how the CEO runs the company (or fails to), often using company money to fund travel for him and his buddies, whereas they cannot seem to afford to keep warehouses stock and items available.
 
Firstly thanks to everyone the help and advice has been brilliant especially when it's a hefty purchase and it has to be right!

Secondly I've ordered the Tilopa and Ajna just to see what I think and have 30 days to return one.
I've took some rough measurements of lenses and actually think I'll be able to have 1 bag with possibly a medium ICU for hiking days and a large ICU for just photography.

One thing I didn't mention as I don't think it was possible was I've got a d500 with 300 2.8 which I had planning on buying a Long lens bag later down the line but I think with the Large sloped ICU I'll not need to as my rough measurements mean it'll fit!

So thanks again for the help just need to get my hands on a Large ICU now
 
Why did I have to find this thread! After struggling for years trying to find the right bag, I've just discovered these and am now contemplating selling my Think Tank Retro 20 & Lowepro Flipside Sport 15L to help fund it
 
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