Lowepro has taken an industry by storm with their bags. This bag is the 3rd Lowepro bag I've owned over the last 4 years (All upgrades).
I'll just get my details out of the way. In this bag I carry a Canon XTi body with the Battery grip, an attached Canon 28-135mm IS USM, the "nifty 50" 50mm f/1.8 II Speedlight 580EX II Flash and there is room in there for 1 more lens (I've got a Tamron 75-300mm in the mail) and an small omnibounce, cleaning solution and a CF card reader.. I ordered this to have something small and easy to carry on my trips out of state that I could carry on to the plane with me and still have a good compliment of equipment without lugging everything along..
Pros:
Very well built bag, like I had mentioned earlier, this is my 3rd Lowepro bag.. I've never been let down by the quality and this bag does not disappoint.
Security is top of the line as well on this bag with the opening back panel.
The bag holds a variety of equipment while maintaining the "this ain't a camera bag" look..
Cons:
There were a few things that I didn't like about this bag... they are listed below.
The sliplock system mounting straps are very poorly located on the shoulder straps. If one were to use these sliplocks, with lens cases like the 1N and 1W, they would find that the cases sit right on the tops of your shoulders if ya carry the bag cinched down, or over the shoulder if ya wear the bag lower on your back with the shoulder straps extended. These would have been put to better use on the side of the bag where they won't impede view or full range of motion for your head.
The side pocket is very small and very tight.. I fit in a lens pen, a 4 pack of batteries and 2 cf cards and I have a difficult time zipping the pocket closed. Forget about sticking anything else in there.
I wish the main compartment zipper was able to be zipped lower than it is.. As the bag sits right now, the zipper leaves a 2-3 inch well at the bottom of the bag that could be used for a little more room.
Being that I am carrying a XTi with the attached battery grip, the ergonomics with the camera makes it an uncomfortable carry for long periods. I'm not a fan of feeling the onboard flash on the camera pushing into my back.
Pockets could have been a little bigger or the bag could have been designed with a filter wallet sleeve built into the bag. I currently have to carry all my filters on my lenses because the bag will not accomodate the Lowepro filter wallet that I already own.
I hope my review has been helpful in choosing your next camera bag.
-Damien Lowepro Flipside 200 Backpack (Black)
I'm very satisfied with the purchase of this pack. I don't have a lot of equipment or glass, but the small top-loader I had was not cutting it any more. I was looking for a relatively small pack to store a few lenses, flash, chargers, and of course the camera. I tried to like the Lowepro Slingshot, but ultimately wasn't satisfied with the side load design. It's a great concept and I know that it's great for getting those quick shots, but I was concerned with its ability to accommodate a long lens attached to the camera. This bag is supposedly designed to allow you to leave the straps that buckle across your hips connected so you can swing it around and open the pack while standing. I haven't tested this and really have no intention of using it in this fashion, so I can't give an opinion. It was not a factor in my decision, but it may be in yours. Here are the pros and cons in my opinion.
Pros
- Decent storage for anyone with a light inventory
- Typical adjustable configuration using Velcro dividers
- Security of having the zippers against your back
- Clean design
Cons
- Not much storage room for other items
- The zipper can be a bit awkward since they are partially hidden
- Not All Weather, but they may come out with that version
I like the idea of having the zippers against your back for two reasons. The first is security. I really don't have to worry much about anyone trying to gain access to my bag in a crowd. Also, if you're like me I constantly worry about my gear falling out because the zipper was not closed all the way. I've had some bad experiences with standard backpacks that did this when the zipper was not FULLY closed. It wasn't even that I forgot to zip it. The second reason is that I can set the bag down on the ground and not worry about getting the side that touches my back dirty when I get my gear.
In conclusion I like the bag and am satisfied with it for my needs. If you have a lot of items you will need something bigger. Minimalist design with minimal room for extra stuff, but a nice step up from a small top-loader.
For reference I have a 350D, 18-55 kit lens, 50 1.8 II, 24-105 f/4L, 430EX, battery chargers and filters. Will be adding the 70-200 f/4L which is why I would like the room in the bag to leave it attached. - Backpacking - Lowepro - Camera Bag - Photography'
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