Lowepro Vertex 100 AW Photo/ 14" Notebook Backpack for Digital SLR & 3-4 lenses - Black

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).

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.

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.

If you have more than a few lenses and perhaps a couple of camera bodies to carry around, a large bag is essential. This one holds a lot and is easy to carry around on your back.The downside is that you do need to take it off to get to your equipment which makes it less convenient than a slingshot case. The thing is though that this holds a lot more than any slingshot case.The bag is very well padded and comes with plenty of dividers to provide the right configuration for your gear.Having said that, I also have Think Tank Airport International V2.0 Rolling Case which holds a lot more and is even easier to take around.PS Either bag, fully loaded, easily exceeds the weight limit for cabin luggage on almost all planes.