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- Verified Buyer
1. First of all, it must be clearly stated that photo backpack reviews are going to be highly subjective... similar to whether or not one brand of shoes fit for one person etc...2. With the above being said, I've tried many photo backpacks (Tamrac Expedition, ALL of the other Lowepro backpacks); the Vertex series is the best overall compromise of them all. And it is a compromise. There is no perfect photo backpack. Ultimately, it comes down to for what purpose one is going to need the backpack for, the amount of gear they need to carry etc... With that being said, most serious photographer will have several camera bags etc...3. What I like about this backpack is: a. It is well made, just like all of the Lowepro product (they are the overall best camera bag company) b. The harness is the best of the bunch; absolutely no question about it. Furthermore, the harness system has all of the various straps to fine tune the fit, which is important, the more you carry. c. The bag has enough of the little various pockets that a photographer will require. d. The cpu slot; not essential to me but ok. I would agree with the other reviewers in that if a good quality cpu slot is important, having it out front may be a modest problem. But if you're going to use it to mainly carry your cpu during basic travel; it should be good enough. I'm assuming that most photographers who are going to be hiking through the woods aren't going to be lugging along a laptop... e. The inside has enough dividers to do whatever you want to do with it. I use about 60% of it for my camera gear and 40% for my hiking gear (jacket, food etc...).4. Cons? As most others have mentioned--> size--> ie bulk, yea--> it looks like a photo backpack because it is. ie it looks like you're walking around with a box on your back, but thankfully it doesn't feel like it. And since it's well made--> yea, there is some heft to it.5. Tangent: my fantasy photo backpack would be to have a hybrid backpack, that actually works and fits like this pack. Tamrac and Lowepro do make such hybrid packs, but do not be fooled; it's not the best of both worlds, but rather failed attempt... Until that day happens when the perfect photo backpack comes along--> get the Vertex Series without hesitation.Just got the Vertex 300, as I'm always looking for a way to carry my camera & computer gear more efficiently on the airplane. And I think I found it!This bag is incredibly roomy... especially since it fits within the carry-on guidelines! The harness is super-adjustable, and should make carrying any load a breeze -- I have similar systems on other packs, and as long as you do it all up, the load completely disappears... even 60-70 pounds of it!This pack is incredibly versatile... there is a slip-lock attachment anywhere you could want one, and a very well-engineered "GlideLock" system on three points.Another nice feature is the compression straps on the side -- like the clips on the SlingShot series, these can be used to open the pack enough to pull out your camera, but keep it closed enough to not drop everything else out.The laptop compartment is more than sufficient to hold my Dell Latitude D830, a 17" widescreen laptop. I haven't tried yet, but there might be room for my Mini9 at the top as well.The only disappointment I have is with the filter pockets -- I"m used to using the I was looking for a larger camera backpack for my ever increasing list of kit - Lowepro are always a reliable name and produce good quality products. The Vertex 200 AW is no different, lots of neat storage ideas dedicated to specific uses (ie Tripod holder, memory card pockets etc). Its versatile and swallowed up my Camera (including grip), lenses, filters, cleaning gear, tripod, charging, flashguns, laptops, power cables, business cards etc. The zippers are strong with some being weather sealed, the padding is thick and durable, easily rearranged to suit individuals specific needs via the Velcro anchor points. Exterior materials are hard wearing and seem to hold up well to some fairly tough environments. Overall I'm satisfied with my purchase, however there are a few complaints I have...Personally can never seem to get it 100% comfortable when on my back - it seems to sit too high, resulting in the waist strap not being on my waist but rather around my lower ribs, as such its useless for its designed purpose of sharing the weight of the bag. I've had many backpacks over the years (photo, hiking, snowboarding etc) and never had one that fitted so poorly regardless of how i adjust the straps.In addition it does scream "photography" in its design - fine for most situations, I did opt to leave this bag and subsequently some of my equipment at home on a recent trip to South Africa (instead switching back to my more subtle everyday looking duel use photo backpack).When I purchased the Vertex 300 I was looking out for a rucksack I could carry comfortably all day at an air show or similar event and pack my Nikon 200-400 F4 lens attached to a professional body, plus a 70-200 F2.8, a second body and other smaller lenses and accessories. With careful arrangement of the dividers it accommodates the above equipment with relative ease, but it is only possible to keep the one lens/body combo mounted and the 70-200 is quite a snug fit alongside. Its nice to have a bag where big lenses do not have to be really shoehorned in and many can be put in vertically, which saves lots of space...even a 70-300VR will store like that with ease.I like the soft-lined flashgun pocket inside the main compartment, although it can't really be used with a very large lens in the centre of the bag without putting a lot of pressure on the flash unit. For anything less than a big, exotic lens a flash will fit easily.I have used the bag at several air shows and other events in both hot and wet conditions. It has proved very comfortable to wear despite the inevitable and considerable weight when laden with pro-grade kit. It looks well made with heavy fabric and tough zips and shrugs off dirt with a wipe from a damp cloth. It seems to have good rigidity and padding and to be protective for kit too. The weather resistant zips and all-weather cover kept gear dry on a wet day and the external straps and tripod/monopod carriers have also proved useful.The laptop compartment has served well carrying a light lunch and a small fleece or waterproof. The two accessory compartments are useful for memory cards, filters, remotes, cleaning cloths, cables etc.Plonked down on a table or bench it presents a stable platform for changing lenses etc.So far I cannot really fault the bag. Yes it gets heavy and my shoulders will ache after a long while when its heavy, but the waist belt takes a lot of the weight and is nicely articulated so it moves with your hips. Make sure you pull-in the trim straps to pull the pack closer to your shoulders...a huge difference.Overall a great bag and good value when you see the price of some big packs.Many people have reviewed this product very well, so I will try to fill in some gaps. This is not a 'pretty' rucksack, but we didn't buy it for a fashion statement did we? This bag was bought for function (at least by me), to carry all our kit a long way with as much ease as possible.Let me dispel one novice myth straight away. When you walk with any bag with this much kit, it's going to be heavy. With this one though the weight is distributed across the straps very nicely the padding is just right and the support across the back to disperse perspiration is also good. It's not the best rucksack I have ever carried, but they didn't have the lenses with associated padding that this bag has and this bag is still well up near the top with them.It will last, good stitching on all the load bearing points and good fabric. It also has a riveted and stitched rubber/nylon carry handle.Last the tripod, I have seen conflicting reports on this and I think that some reviewers may not have seen the third 'top' strap on the bag. This strap feeds from between the shoulder straps, through the carry handle and round your tripod. It must be used with the hip strap to control the load, but then it is quite capable of taking my full size tripod ( Swarovski) over rough ground. I hope my review helps.This is a truly fantastic piece of kit, which can easily accommodate a pro sized body (think Nikon D3, D3X, EOS 1D, D300/700 with battery pack etc) with telephoto attached and leave space for another 4 lenses plus flash, batteries, memory cards, cables, filters, cleaning cloths etc, etc. It's quite rigid and very well padded. I use it in my home to keep all my kit together when I'm not travelling. The best part is that it fits into the overhead baggage compartment on a plane (even the smaller jets) and if you travel British Airways, they no longer have a weight allowance for hand baggage, so you can take all your camera kit without having to worry about having to have it weighed. You just need to be able to lift it un-aided into the overhead locker. Very comfortable in use, and holds a midi sized tripod with no trouble at all. I use a Velbon Sherpa 600R. It's weather resistant, so no worries about getting your equipment soaked, and the zip is large and chunky, so less likely to fail than some of the smaller ones. It's a little bulky when squeezing past people while browsing in shops etc, but you should be too busy out taking photos to worry about that! I wouldn't be without it. Only downside is that getting your camera out will require removing the pack, laying it down and unzipping it, but this is a small price to pay. I generally keep my camera slung around my neck/chest in my Toploader 70AW when I'm out & about anyway, which is another excellent purchase for a pro sized camera, and nicely complements the Vertex 200. Highly recommended.the space you get in this bag is great for my gear i recently went on holiday and wanted a bigger bag to hold my gear than my billingham Hadley pro, and also wanted a tripod mount. the bag has sufficient space for gear and the dividers protect your gear really well, the three spot tripod mount helps if you need more than one tripod or some walking equipment to cary with you. with me i carried:canon 5d mark iicanon 24-70mm f2.8canon 50mm f1.4canon 28mm f2.8 FDfujifilm x20fuji instax 210instax film 2 boxescanon AV-1 with 50mm f1.8 FDcarbon tripod9stop ND filtermacbook pro 13inch retinavarious chargers and batteriescanon 430EX flash the only problems with the bag are placing the tripod on the back it hangs off slightly and pulls the bag backwards and it pulls on your back (this may depend on what tripod you have if you have this problem). also there are alot of dividers in the main compartment and you will have to takes some out an its just clutter you may not need. the are a lot of straps on this bag which helps with the weight spreading on your shoulders and back but there are odd straps that dig in your back if your not using them, some people cut them off so not to have to put up with them. overall its a good bag and holds your gear and protects it really well. the only problems may be the price is a little expensive and if your only looking for protection and not portability i would recommend saving a little more for something like a pelican 1510 case. others are too many straps and dividers but it can be good thing
