camera backpacks with more personal gear space..

LowePro Fastpack 350 is what I use for taking a smallish Fuji kit with a Nikon AW1 in the camera section with space for a few personal odds'n'sods in the top. Holds more than our weight allowance on holiday flights. Not perfect for quick access to alternative lenses but the camera with lens fitted can be got at easily. Chest and waist straps to help spread the load.
 
I think Nod is using same one I am, I can't remember if it's 350 or not. I got it in a good deal years ago. It's not ideal, as Nod mentions above but I've not seen any way with a decent sized dedicated 'other stuff' section that doesn't also encroach on camera space - I've wanted to get a different bag for ages but can't find one that suits the 'carry on luggsge' role as well as this.

Mine might be slightly different as it doesn't appear to have the straps, older model maybe'
 
I looked into this at great length a couple of years ago and I couldn't really find what I wanted. In the end I settled on a F-stop Guru with a small ICU (can't remember exactly which one.)

It's not ideal as it's not a genuine 2 compartment bag and minor items sometimes fall/slide through from the top section down the back/front/ sides of the ICU. But the bag and the ICU themselves are very well made. The ICU fits one camera body plus 3 lenses.

There are a few bags I know of which do offer a small gear compartment at the bottom and a larger general kit compartment at the top (eg Lowepro PhotoSport 200 / 300) but they didn't seem to have enough space to hold all my gear. There are of course numerous bags which hold too much gear and don't have enough space for general items like waterproof and sandwiches.

Look also for a Lowepro Rover AW II on ebay. (Dirt)cheap copies of the real thing (which is no longer officially available) but it may do the trick.

There may be other bags introduced since I did my search. Good luck!
 
F stop is what I would recommend. Their internal camera units (ICUs) make it easy to change the amount of gear you carry. The ICUs have some velco straps that secure it the frame of the bag so it's always in the right position. I have recently picked up the Ajna and use it with the Large Pro ICU. It's perfect to carry my landscape lens setup and has a bit of room left over in the ICU for an extra body (with 4 lens and a 70-200 attached to a camera). There is room left over inside the main compartment for other bits too but there is plenty of room in the external pockets. If you want more 'other stuff' space and less camera gear then the medium or small IC may be the right one for you. As the different sized ICUs are able to be swapped depending on your camera/other stuff needs there's no need to have different bags for different things. I can fit the XL ICU in the Ajna but it's better in the f stop tilopa. If I let my long lens go I won't need the tilopa or XL pro ICU so one bag and two ICUs will be a perfect setup for me. You can also you the f stop bags as normal back packs without the ICUs so it's very versatile. With the large ICUs there isn't a bit gap between the top of the zip and the ICU, if using a smaller ICU then there could be a big gap but if I gad a problem I would fill this opening with an L shape of cardboard to stop stuff falling through. It's a shame they done a bit of fabric secured with velco to cover the opening.
 
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Another vote for F-Stop. I have a Loka (predecessor to the Anja) and it's great. The downsides are the prices and availability.
 
T_J_G said:
I had a kata DR467 that may fit your needs

http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-...match=&plid=&gclid=cpp1rmsm8mocfdyy0wodqpkcka
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strumstrum said:
that is pretty much the kind of thing I was thinking of.
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I had the older style 467i which I used and used and used when I travelled for work and it was brilliant, I've been looking on Ebay recently for another one (old style) as I preferred the separate Laptop compartment but that new one for £35 looks a steal frankly, its a shame Manfrotto took Kata over, their bags were awesome!
 
@jerry12953 do you know if the bag you mentioned (copies on ebay) fits airline carry on requirements? (not weight obv, just size) - That might well be the kind of thing i'd get. I like the different way to access gear as i always have to take off my current lowepro bag and put it lying on the floor to get out kit and it always feels a bit awkward, i think the design is meant to mean you can just swing it round to access the kit, but the bag feels like it's half the size of me (as a short lady folk person) so i never do that. altho the 'stuff' compartment has less pockets in it than the one i have. oh woe is trying to find a bag to do all things! :) wonder if it fits two bodies.. hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

no worries if you dont know but just wondered :)
 
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I have the Manfrotto Off Road Hiker 20L and it's great for more outdoors type stuff. Camera section can easily hold a 5D with 24-70 easily and the non camera section is huge. I found the 30L was too big for a day bag and I prefer my Lowepro (I can't remember the version) for going into town as it's less conspicuous.
 
ranarama said:
I have the Manfrotto Off Road Hiker 20L and it's great for more outdoors type stuff. Camera section can easily hold a 5D with 24-70 easily and the non camera section is huge. I found the 30L was too big for a day bag and I prefer my Lowepro (I can't remember the version) for going into town as it's less conspicuous.
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I also have this backpack and have found it very useful, admittedly the camera compartment isn't large but I have also been using the zipped part behind the water/tripod net to hold another lens in a padded lens pouch for more flexibility. There is also a dedicated strap just to hold your camera to your chest which is very useful if you're just using a standard neck strap, saves it swinging about into you! psst which colour did you get? Mine is the green/grey combo
 
dan_yell said:
@jerry12953 do you know if the bag you mentioned (copies on ebay) fits airline carry on requirements? (not weight obv, just size) - That might well be the kind of thing i'd get. I like the different way to access gear as i always have to take off my current lowepro bag and put it lying on the floor to get out kit and it always feels a bit awkward, i think the design is meant to mean you can just swing it round to access the kit, but the bag feels like it's half the size of me (as a short lady folk person) so i never do that. altho the 'stuff' compartment has less pockets in it than the one i have. oh woe is trying to find a bag to do all things! :) wonder if it fits two bodies.. hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

no worries if you dont know but just wondered :)
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If it's the same as the genuine Lowepro bag I used for several years.....well I always used to take it on as a carry-on, but as I haven't flown for several years now I couldn't be sure it still would. It sits on the ground and your (photo) gear is in the bottom compartment. There's a horizontal zip 3/4's of the way round and when you open that the top section hinges backwards and reveals your photo gear. The general gear section is accessed from the top, preferably when the bottom section is zipped up. It always seemed to be a good arrangement to me. There's no side access to your gear as far as I'm aware and you can't swing it around.

The truth is there's no single ideal bag. My Guru holds my landscape gear but my other body + long lens is kept in a separate "pouch" which goes over one shoulder. I carry with me when I'm not going too far.
 
I got a Loewpro fastapck 350 its a big i always seem to come back to, the non camera compartment is not huge but a decent size, normally use the laptop section to put waterproofs in (handy if they are wet). Ideally could do with a slightly larger camera compartment although I can squeeze a Nikon D810 with 16-35 attached, 24-120, 70-300, 50mm f1.8 and a my little info red Fuji xe-1 with the 14mm f2.8 on it but that is a tight squeeze. It does mean I have to put my filters in top compartment.
 
jerry12953 said:
The truth is there's no single ideal bag. My Guru holds my landscape gear but my other body + long lens is kept in a separate "pouch" which goes over one shoulder. I carry with me when I'm not going too far.
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I've been looking for that ideal one bag fits all but like you say it's difficult to find when kit varies from landscapes (2-3 lenses and a camera) to a long lens. I find the f stop tilopa or ajna a great size with a large ICU. It fits everything I need to to except the long lens. I'm thinking it may be a case of keeping the Ajna setup for landscapes/general stuff. (It fits 16-35, 24-120, 70-200, 2 dslrs plus other bits like filters, binoculars etc and jacket/fleece in the front pocket). I'm thinking of using the case supplied with my 200-400 (if I don't sell it) to carry that separately only when I need it. If I'm using it I'm likely not going to be carrying the other stuff.
 
mag1882 said:
Big fan of f-stop/mindshift myself, the only issue with them being the cost.
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Some of that Mindshift gear looks very well thought out! They've really increased their range in the last couple of years.

I see that they're available through premier Inks in the UK but look at those prices! Almost 1$ = 1£ conversion rates!
 
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@jerry12953 yeah I don't need side access to gear, bags of the size to hold decent amount of kit are too big in comparison to size of me to be able to swing round, which is why I don't use that feature of the lowepro bag I use at the moment so the top access of the bag you describe looks more useful to me as at the moment it's annoying to sling it down and get kit out. Thanks for the tip, might give this one a try :)
 
dan_yell said:
@jerry12953 yeah I don't need side access to gear, bags of the size to hold decent amount of kit are too big in comparison to size of me to be able to swing round, which is why I don't use that feature of the lowepro bag I use at the moment so the top access of the bag you describe looks more useful to me as at the moment it's annoying to sling it down and get kit out. Thanks for the tip, might give this one a try :)
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You can't really go wrong for about £40.......
 
What's the quality like of the China supplied Lowepro Rover AW II?

Obviously not genuine at the prices listed, but are they pretty decent?
 
Well i've taken a punt on one.

£35 delivered from China - will update once it arrives.
 
studioworks said:
My favourite rucksack bag has always been my Tamrac Adventure 9, it's the only one I've never sold. This it's discontinued now but they pop up time to time and very hard wearing so easy to find one in a good condition.

http://www.techradar.com/news/photo...eras/best-camera-backpack-10-tested-1074762/8
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Funnily enough, that is the first camera rucksack I bought and I still have mine. Loads of others have come and gone in the meantime. Only thing I don't like is that the camera compartment isn't as quick access as some. Very rugged though.

I also have one these which I think is fantastic as long as you only need to carry a couple of lenses

https://www.parkcameras.com/p/93602...ogleShopping&gclid=CLbLzL-8_MoCFfEV0wod8IkN6Q
 
Dan_1981 said:
Well i've taken a punt on one.

£35 delivered from China - will update once it arrives.
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Turned up over the weekend.

Pretty impressed with it to be honest - pretty sure it's a fake due to the poor quality cardboard labels attached to it.

However the bag itself is good quality, stitching all seems strong & good.

For £35 it seems bit of a bargain.
 
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