List Price: $209.99
Sale Price: $127.40
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The Good:
*plenty of storage volume. I could fit a Nikon D80 plus 12-24 f/4, 24-70/2.8, 70-300VR, 18-200VR, SB-600 flash without problem. I can see one fitting a mounted 70-200 f/2.8VR or 300 f/4 without problem. I've also used the bag with a hood-on 24-70/2.8 mounted on a D700, plus a 70-300VR hood-on with room for another hood-on big lens.
*The two straps on the top side of the bag can hold a small jacket in place, the two side mesh pockets can fit sizable waterbottles, plus a tripod holder at the back : how much more do you wanna carry?
*All weather cover for adverse weather conditions.
*As a bonus, one CAN sqeeze a laptop in (I could fit a 14.1" wide screen thinkpad T61 with extended battery pack) after some valco re-configuration effort, while carrying a non-gripped body plus 4 lenses. You don't want to do it often but for air travel alone it is doable (not very comfortable for your back however).
*You can really tighen the waist strap on your body, flip the bag to your front side, and access the content without additional support for the bag. provides a secure platform for lens changes while on the go.
*the flipside design (camera compartment can only be opened from your back's side) is very secure. no by-stander can open your bag without going through you.
*the size is okay for air travel.
The bad?
*it is a bit too big/bulky for daily use. And on heavier loadings (10 pound total weight or more) the bag isn't all that comfortable when i first got it. it was a bit stiff all around. 2 months later and now it gets slightly better. but not at the comfort level of compurover that i tried.
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I took this bag with me on a back packing trip in Moab, Utah. We had a base camp where we slept but we trecked the area daily to see what we could discover. Not knowing what to expect I was able to pack a D300, a 200-500mm f/5-6.3, a 55-200mm VR f/4-5.6, a 17-50mm f/2.8, a 90mm macro f/2.8, a tripod, and accessories. The great thing about this bag is that it made it very easy to change lenses on the move. Not knowing what we were going to walk up on I had the opportunity to shoot everything from my telephoto to macro. I simply took down the shoulder straps (while the bag is supported by the waist belt), and swung it around on my hips. The bag lays flat like a table supported by your mid section. Since the bag opens from the opposite side of most backpacks I was able to change my lenses as I walked. The bag stayed sturdy and made a great table to lay the camera on and switch out lenses. This was great because not everyone I was with was a photographer. I was able to change my set up, talk with my friends and keep up while getting my shots. Another great benefit to the camera compartment opening from the opposite side is that when you set your bag down, the ground touches the outside of the backpack. This helped prevent from dust getting into the camera compartment when opening it. This was an amazing bag to take when you want to bring a lot of equipment. The bag is sturdy enough to support a large amount of weight while still maintaining functionality. I was most impressed that the bag could lay flat like a table and still support all the equipment in the bag with out over extending from my waist. This is a very comfortable, functional and well designed bag.Best Deals for Lowepro Flipside 400 AW Backpack
I like this pack a lot and for reasons others don't seem to mention.What I like:
I can set the bag down in the dirt, wet grass etc and use it as a workspace and keep my gear clean and organized while the back and straps stay clean. (watch out for ticks though)
There is only one way in and out of this bag. This way you can't accidentally leave the other side open as you roll it over or pick it up. Even if you leave the main zipper half done, the flap really would rather be closed and the act of putting it on your back will keep your stuff from falling out. So it makes it faster than the "sling" type bag I was using if I just whip it off my back and reach in the top.
It will hold more gear then I want to carry all day.
Like that it has water bottle holders.
What I don't like:
The hip strap is too high for my average length torso so I have to spool the shoulder straps out quite far to get this bag to sit on my hips and then the shoulders are not as comfortable. This was about the only thing that Clik Elite did right on their probody sport bag.
I would have liked a rubberized outer skin (like Caselogic is doing these days) so it would be easier to clean when I set it down in said grass.
The tripod holder could be way better (although this issue is not limited to this bag), here's why: If you use the tripod holder, the tripod will protrude out the bottom of the pack (all tripods will do this regardless of size). Acting like an extra long leg, the bag will want to tip over and land on the strap side (the part I would rather keep clean). Also, in order to get that useful workspace I talked about above, the tripod needs to be removed first or the bag will want to lay on one side or the other. Besides all of that, it only holds one leg so unless it is a monopod, it will be somewhat floppy side to side no matter how you strap it in.
To get around this I am using carabiners to attach my tripod case to the back straps so it hangs below the backpack. This lets me set the bag face down first and then take the tripod out. Since is is a Benro 5 section Traveler it is no longer than the pack is wide and works well but it is a cluge to get it to work. I have no idea how I would manage something longer like my old 3 section Manfroto.
I think attachment loops should have been added to various places around this pack (bottom, top, sides) for adding carabiners etc. mentioned above so people can customize their layout. Things like tripods are a great example of a place that needs flexibility because of the wide variance in shapes and sizes.
All and all, I have not seen anything better and I have really put a lot of effort into finding just the right bag, but I still think there is room for improvement.
Honest reviews on Lowepro Flipside 400 AW Backpack
I shoot a Canon 40D and carry a 400mm f5.6, 17-40mm f4.0, 50mm f1.8 with accessories and various gadgets. The pack rides well and I have hiked for hours and it still feels comfortable. The weather cover works very well as I have been caught out in the rain and had to deploy. I did have to remove the tripod and carry seperately in order to cover the pack. That is the only reason I did not rate 5 star.I do like the ability to keep the pack attached with the waist strap and rotate to access the camera storage area. All in all a good pack for camera gear in the field or around town if you need to carry more than camera and one lens.
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The design of this bag is brilliant!! If you haven't noticed yet, the main compartment of this bag opens from the side that touches your back when you are wearing the bag. At first I didn't know if this setup would truly be better than a more traditional setup but after using it extensively for a couple of weeks I am convinced that this type of 'back-opening' bag is definitely the way to go and lots of obvious and also unexpected benefits. All other things being equal, I would easily pay double the price for a bag with this design over a typical bag (I really find it that much better). I also have a 'sling-type' bag with a single diagonal strap that has much of the same functionality as this bag but the single diagonal strap across my chest gets really annoying on long hikes since it doesn't symmetrically distribute the weight it carries on your body. The 'back-opening' design of this bag leads to the following benefits over a typical bag:-Safer-
The only way for someone to steal any gear from the main compartment while you are wearing the bag is to take it out THROUGH YOUR CHEST! Seriously though, you could be getting slammed around in a subway car or in a mosh pit with this bag on and have no worries about anyone getting to your gear unless the bag actually comes off your back. This benefit alone is reason enough to buy this type of 'back-opening' bag.
-Easier/quicker changes to gear-
To get to the main compartment you keep the waist strap fastened, pull your arms out of the shoulder straps, then swing the bag to your front and let the top of the bag fall away from you as the rest pivots on your waist strap. It becomes like a small table in front of you that allows you to make changes to your gear without having to completely take off the bag. The area where the waist strap connects to the bag is strongly reinforced in such a way that the bag will only fall away from you until it is parallel with the ground (you don't need to hold it, see the customer image by Antonia, it actually works like that). This means you have TWO FREE HANDS to use while changing your setup. I have changed lenses WHILE WALKING with the bag swung to the front. I would never dare to try such a stunt with a regular bag since I would need at least one hand to somewhat hold the bag and have to juggle everything else with my other single free hand. This is a great benefit especially if you are traveling with other people not taking pictures as it prevents them from getting sick of having to stop and wait for you every time you want to change a lens.
-Keeps gear/bag cleaner-
You never really need to set this bag on the ground while in the field since you can change gear while wearing the bag. This drastically reduces the amount of dust and other particulates that could get into your camera sensor or lenses. Additionally, the all-weather covering that is stored in a pocket at the bottom of the bag can be pulled out and used WITHOUT preventing access to the main compartment. Yes, that's right, you can keep the protective covering on the bag and still get to your gear without taking the cover off! I know for a fact that I took more pictures on my latest trip because this bag made it so easy to get to my camera in the rain. I could justify quickly jumping under some overhang, flipping my bag to the front, slipping out my camera, shooting a couple frames, then throwing my camera back in without having to mess with repeatedly taking off and putting on the all-weather covering. With a regular bag I know there would have been some opportunities for shots that I would have passed up simply because I would have been so tired of repeatedly taking off and putting on the all-weather covering every time I wanted to get out my gear.
The bottom line is that this type of 'back-opening' design is outstanding. The build quality of this bag is very good all the way around (like other Lowepro bags) and it doesn't scream out "I'm full of expensive camera gear, come steal me." I would strongly recommend this bag to anyone in the market for a camera bag. There are plenty of other benefits that the other reviewers tout and which I agree with (tripod holder, side pockets, etc).
I have listed below the main negatives some of the other reviews list and what my personal opinion is of each potential concern:
-Too small I can vertically fit my D80 with teleconverter and Nikon 300mm f4 attached (which pretty much maxes out the vertical length) so if you want more room that that, I would recommend a bigger bag.
-Needs to have waist strap removable This would be a nice option although I don't know how often I would actually take it off since it would prevent you from flipping it around to the front which I find to be a very useful feature. The waist strap is considerably padded which does make it somewhat bulky but this bulk also means more comfort. I have been able to fit it under an airplane seat and (of course) in the overhead compartment without issues.
-Waist strap connection should be different for better support while flipped down I have found that if I fully pack (over 15 pounds of gear) the bag and unzip the back zippers all the way down it will not fully support itself on my waist. However, I have not had this problem with less gear in the bag. I have also found that only unzipping the bag 2/3 of the way open is usually enough to get the gear out and prevents a heavy load from flipping open too far if I have it jammed full of gear.
-Upper chest strap is flimsy The top chest strap does seem too small for the overall bag setup. I wouldn't say this detracts horribly from the bag but anyone at Lowepro reading this should take note and double the width of this strap in future models. Mine hasn't broken or anything but I've been somewhat careful with it after reading the other reviewer's issue with it breaking (thanks for the heads up).
-Bag is uncomfortable (too stiff) I haven't found this bag to be too stiff or uncomfortable at all. It is well padded both on the back and on the waist/shoulder straps. I have literally worn this bag all day on back-to-back days with no comfort issues.
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