I bought this camera bag just over a year ago to hold my astrophotography equipment with equipment for piggyback as well as prime focus imaging. This amounts to ALOT of equipment & accessories. So far I have put the following in the bag: 2 cameras (Canon Digital Rebel 400D & Imaging Source DBK-21 video camera), 3 lenses, 3 power supplies, a multitude of telescope & camera adaptors, 2 barlows, telescope/camera piggyback adaptors, filters, a dew heater, right angle finder, memory cards, extra batteries, 2 battery chargers, manuals for all of this stuff, & what seems like a million camera & computer cables. I also carry 2 magnetic compasses, a red LED flashlight, cell phone w/ 2 chargers & a level as I travel to dark sky sites. It easily holds all of my things. Despite all of this stuff, I still have room for more, which is good since I just bought a full-frame astronomy ccd camera w/ a built in filter wheel, 2 large prime lenses, 2 power supplies, & 5 dew heaters!!
This bag has proven to be very durable. It has more than adequately handled the weight of my equipment, which is very heavy. None of my equipment has incurred any damage whatsoever.
As a matter of fact, I'm getting ready to buy another one of these camera bags as I have decided to separate my daytime photography equipment from my astrophotography equipment. I also purchased another Canon Digital Camera with 5 zoom lenses & other related accessories (memory cards, batteries, etc) for daytime wildlife/nature photography.
I plan on adding photos showing all the stuff I can pack into one of these bags when I get the chance. Ape Case Pro Backpack SLR/Video Camera Case ACPRO2000
I have had the Ape Case Pro Backpack for about six months. I pack (3) Canon camera bodies with battery grips, (3) lenses, a flash unit, extra batteries and accessories.
The bag fits and protects everything very well. The only problem I've had is the top seam started to separate. I brought the bag to an upholstery shop and they sewed it up as good as new.
Other than not being able to handle the shear weight of all the equipment it is designed to handle, the bag has been extremely reliable and I couldn't live without it. Shooting over 30,000 images per month, I need to be prepared for whatever my assignments require, sometimes on a moments notice.
Quality is high, heavy-duty designed for and internals are very convenient to be arranged and adapted for camera, lenses, chargers, etc. In small planes it will not fit in the top compartment, I would no check-in this bag with my equipment inside.
It worth's to be used, many pockets, quite heavy but it is due to the great protection it offers; for my SLR (Nikon D80), lenses and lap-top it pays back, too much money to risk just, better to carry slightly heavy than loosing every thing because of using lighter bag.
I searched a long time before deciding on this product. It has tons of room and features. Being modular, you can fit any combination of lens and cameras. Plus, it holds a 15" laptop with room to spare. It is well padded and has a rain fly that hides away in the bottom of the pack. I highly recommend this product to anyone looking for a rugged and versatile camera backpack.
First off, I don't give many 5 star reviews, or 1 star reviews for that matter. I believe few things are worthy of either.
First, my only real "cons" for this backpack/suitcase.
1) It is HUGE! I didn't expect it to be quite this large, but I am personally glad it is.
I put con in question marks because there is the 1800 for a smaller case, and this doesn't make itself out to be a small case.
As far as the 4000 goes, the only difference is it adds the roller which is 70 bucks????? Kind of a rip off for the upgraded model.
2) It is also hard to get into, but that is also a good thing b/c of the protection of your equipment. You just need to make sure that you are aware of it beforehand. Get a sling if you want quick entry from lowenpro or caselogic if you want that and then pack it in here.
For anyone out there that is looking for more room, remember that you don't need a whole lot more size than a regular backpack.
What you really need is the extra depth. Once your lenses and stuff can go vertical, you pretty much double your room.
So, I would say for a dedicated camera bag for anyone other than a pro, the 1800 should be good enough.
If you have a lot of gear and want to throw some extra stuff in there too, then go with this guy.
As far as taking it on a plane, I would say that you would technically have to check it at the gate when you board.
I'm not saying you couldn't get it on, but it IS over the carry on size limit. If you are on a smaller 3-4 seat per isle plane, you may not even get it in the stow bin.
Now for the pros.
1) It is HUGE! Isn't that great, it's a pro and a con. :)
2) I thought the yellow insides was a bit gimmicky, but it actually is really nice. Your stuff just pops out at you. It makes a world of difference from my old bag.
3) This bag will protect all of your gear. The main bag comes out and it very tightly secured in place with velcro. This bag alone has enough padding to protect your gear. Then, you put that bag in the main bag which has even more protection all around.
4) Storage Everywhere! There are essentially 3 fronts to this thing, and they all have their own storage cubbies with plenty of zippers and segregation. You can store a tripod on the bottom, or the foldout tripod caddy.
. . . . . I have my Canon EOS 60D, 3 lenses (18-135, 70-200, and a 50), a cheap video camera with underwater protection case (in seperate spots), my Canon Vixia HF 10, wide and telephoto lens to add on to it, all the cables and gear and extra batteries for everything, hdmi cable, and a flash in here. The main compartment is about 80% full and the rest of the bag is pretty much empty.
5) Integrated rain cover. It actually took me about 5 minutes to find the rain cover in the bottom of the bag. It is made so well, the zipper was completely hidden. This was one of the many reasons I bought this. I know that eventually, I would take out or loose a non integrated cover.
6) Seals up tight. All the zippers are very well covered. I would feel comfortable with this in a light rain for a fair amount of time and there are still 2 separate layers for water to get through anyway.
7) Laptop storage area which I also like because it has a thick protection sleeve for both sides of the laptop which serve as even more protection for your gear.
8) Misc. This thing has little loops and buckles everywhere to add stuff on to it, and it is as comfortable as can be expected for a bag of this size with the shoulder strap and waist straps.
In short, if you need a very large bag that will protect your gear, then get this guy. - Ape - Slr Bag - Photography - Slr Backpack'
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