Review of Lowepro Vertex 200 AW Backpack

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $349.99
Sale Price: $299.99
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I bought this pack a couple days before my trip to Turkey. I had a 15" MacBookPro, Canon 30d, 17-55/2.8 attached, 70-200/4, 30 1.4, battery chargers/power adapters, Gorillapod SLR, filter cases, cleaning clothes and solution, etc. All the stuff photo enthusiasts take on long trips. Overall this pack performed fantastically.

Pros: Despite the previous reviewers comments, I found the Vertex 200 to be very comfortable when it was completely adjusted. But to adjust it for maximum comfort I tightened all the straps very tight. Between the waist strap, shoulder straps and the chest strap, I thought it was about as comfortable as any other way for me to carry that much gear without being a roll-bag. I like that the zippers are water-proof even though I never had to test that feature. The top handle is sturdy and comfortable when the bag is off.

It's well padded and comes with many re-configureable velcro compartment walls for the interior. Shoulder straps are also very padded and comfortable when the waist and chest strap are fastened.

Cons: The laptop shouldn't be in the front flap. I'm not sure I understand the design decision of putting one of the heavier items in the whole pack on the front flap that requires lifting to get to the contents. Then when you want to fully open the pack, you have to make sure your laptop encased in the flap has a flat surface to rest upon. You certainly can't fling it open with reckless abandon.

I agree with the previous reviewer that the laptop placement also tends to make the bag tippy. Luckily my MBP doesn't weigh very much, but I can imagine if my wife's hp 15" laptop were in there it would be more of a problem. On top of that, it levers the weight of the computer further away from the body's center of gravity when being worn.

Conclusion:

The laptop placement and the somewhat useless expandable pockets on the side are the only things preventing me from giving this bag 5 stars. It is obviously very sturdy and protective. It performed great and I walked quite far with it without pain. A considerable feat for someone with bad knees like me.

If I were making the choice again I might look at the Kata backpack more closely as they decided to put the laptop closest to the body of the wearer. But I also preferred the subdued look of this bag.

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Bottom line: a sturdy well-built pack that could use some design improvements.

After obsessing over camera packs I chose the Lowepro Vertex 200 and brought it to Boston for a 5 day photoshoot. It was loaded down with a Canon Rebel body, 17-40 lens, 50mm lens, small tripod, flash, 14 inch laptop and various accessories. Total weight 25.6 lbs (according to airport scale)

For reference, I'm an avid backpacker and have tried on and purchased many high-end packs before.

What I like: It's stylish and built like a tank. (but weighs as much as one) Feel confident your gear will be safe inside. There are dozens of pockets and it is very customizable. Sealed zippers are a nice touch, usually found only on high-end technical packs.

Complaints: The accessory pockets on the front and inside are not wide enough for the manuals. The outer side pockets are not good for much either, I normally stick a water bottle in there. The laptop sleeve is positioned at the front of the bag, which makes the pack very tippy. It would be more stable tucked next to your back.

My biggest complaint is the harness. Due to excessive flight delays at Boston Logan, I wore this pack for 3 or 4 hours walked a mile or two. By the end of the day, my shoulders and back were killing me. Lowe makes some excellent packs for backpackers, which is why I was so surprised at the crappy suspension. It just hangs on your back.

Maybe I'm spoiled by my Atmos 50 by Osprey Packs. I've packed 35 pounds and it feels great. At $229, I expect more.

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I bought this pack just before a 3 week trip to Patagonia. It had no problem carrying all my photo gear and laptop for the trip. Overall it's a good pack, can use a lot of improvement in the comfort area.

This pack, as all backpacks do, suffers from the "take off the pack, put it on the ground, get out your stuff" problem, but that's unavoidable with a backpack. On the other hand, the nice thing about the pack is that the quick access zipper pouches are very nice. All of your batteries, memory cards and filters are very accessible. This is about as good as it gets with a backpack.

The major drawback to this pack I found was that it's not comfortable to wear, particularly on longer hikes. Lowepro is known to make solid, comfortable packs but this is not one of them. A friend and I both had the pack and despite all the adjustment straps we couldn't get the load to distribute comfortably. In fact, in both of our cases, the shoulder straps buckled right where they met the backpack. The pack just didn't fit correctly.

Honest reviews on Lowepro Vertex 200 AW Backpack

I won't go in to too much of a review of the useful aspects of the 200 other than to say for my needs it's great. I love the organizational possibilities, the high level of protection and the weather proof zippers and rain cover. A lot of great attention to detail with this pack.

What I want to focus on is being 6'4" tall and needing a pack that carries well on my back. I tried the Vertex 100 and with the shoulder straps fully extended the waistband still hit me above my naval, by several inches! All I needed was a pair of PeeWee Herman pants and I'm ready to go cover a golf tournament!

The added two inches in length of the 200 made all the difference. The 300 would probably be perfect for fit but the 200 is better for travel as a carry on piece and also to hold my current photo kit. The shoulder straps are well padded and comfortable as is the waist belt. There is a sternum strap to hold the should straps in place and when properly adjusted the pounds disappear as I carry it.

One other feature I really like is the tripod carrying possibilities. The best is down the middle in the back but you can also carry it on either side to maintain easier access to the main compartments but depending on your tripod this may make the load off balanced too much.

From a tall guy, I love this pack.

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First, the good:

It's plenty of room to accommodate most of your gear. I particularly fit the following equipment:

1 Pentax K10D with the battery grip attached

1 Pentax SMC DA* 50-135mm f/2.8 with the hood on (attached to camera)

1 Sigma 400mm 5.6

1 Pentax SMC-M 50mm f/2

1 Pentax DA SMC 18-55mm

1 Pentax DA SMC 50-200mm

1 Vivitar 2X Teleconverter

3 UV/PL filters (67mm)

1 Sakar flash

And there's space for more; however, I consider that there's room for improvement:

Laptop compartment is in the front of the backpack. Meaning that if you lay down the backpack to access your camera and have a laptop in it, you'll have to deal with the "heavy" top as your laptop is in the front flap. Many manufacturers place this compartment in the back (the part that is against you when using the backpack)

I wish the pockets meant as filter holder in the front/left part of the backpack would have been elastic. I have a couple of 67mm filters in their cases and even though the pockets are big, they are not big enough to fit the cases.

-I wish the top part of the backpack would have had a "quick access" system (with zippers or Velcro) to access your camera. This is just a personal observation!

I wish it would have more external pockets, as there's space to incorporate those.

Overall, I like this backpack really much. It is very comfortable and feels very well constructed. My gear feels very safe in it. Its "all weather" construction is a plus.