Here are the cons:
1. The backpack is not large enough for multiple, large telephoto lenses. If you want to carry both 70-200mm AND a 200-400, you should look for another bag, such as Lowepro Vertex 300 AW or something. The 70-200 alone will not fit unless you detach the lens. If you don't like doing that, you can buy a separate modulus for about $30 and attach the lens to the belt or the side of the bag, which may or may not be okay with you. But if your lenses are smaller than 70-200, you shouldn't have a problem fitting 4 to 5 lenses in both compartments of the bag. The belt section alone will hold about two lenses, as long as they are not as big as 70-200.
2. It may be heavy for you. (I have friends that complained about the weight, but it's fine with me. The weight of empty bag is about 5 pounds)
3. It may be over your budget.
4. It does not carry laptops.
Well, that's pretty much it for the cons. Except for number 1 and 4, I don't have any problems with it.
Here are the pros. There are too many good points, so I'll pick out my favorite parts:
1. Overall, it's well built: Plenty of padding for the camera and your shoulders, plenty of small pockets, rain cover, attention to details all over the place, it stands upright even when it's empty, lots of places to attach a modulus if you need extra room (at a cost though), ability to attach the camera to the shoulder straps, ability to strap a large tripod to the backpack (and you can still rotate the belt), and the list goes on and on.
2. The rotating part works quite well. You should watch the video on their website, but really, it works. The unlock/lock mechanism also works quite well.
Many of you are probably wondering about the rotating belt part, but I don't know what to say except that it's great. Just watch their video or read the manual and learn how to do it. Once you get the hang of it, it's really great. Oh, and a slight annoyance is that you do not have access to the material inside the belt when it is locked. It's not a big deal though.
Final verdict: Great, great bag, unless you want to carry large lenses or a laptop.
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I purchased this bag about six months ago, and I took it to a few places during my family trips, from snowy Lake Tahoe to sunny Cabo San Lucas. It was able to take all the snow, water and sand. It is a fairly heavy bag even when it is empty. However, as expected, it is also heavily padded, both inside and outside. The padding on the shoulder, back and lower waist areas are very thick and very comfortable. Overall, it is a great camera backpack for traveling and outdoor photo-shoot events.I am a father with a 3 year old child. As you can imagine, it can be pretty chaotic during a family trip. However, to my surprise, this bag does not interfere with our function anywhere.
This backpack is especially good in security check points at airports. It is tough enough that you can just toss it onto the security scanner belt without second thoughts (this is especially convenient when we have to carry a stroller and/or a car-seat through airport security check point). More importantly, it does not look like a camera backpack (unless you attach a tripod with it), so it doesn't get other people's attention. It is also big enough that you can keep your eyes on it easily. Lastly, and most importantly, due to its size and weight, especially with full gears, it won't be easy to take-and-run with it...
BACKPACK:
To give you a rough idea on the size of the backpack main compartment, it can take a Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 (hood reversed) in the center and two Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 (hood reversed) on each side, with some space to fit a MB-D10 battery grip and a couple of smaller lenses (such as 10.5mm fisheye or tele-converter(s) or any 52mm~62mm size lenses). The depth of the main compartment is about the same length as a MB-D10 battery grip.
I was able to fit a F100, a D300s and a MB-D10 on one side, Nikon 70-200mm (in the back) and a SB600 (in the front) in the center, and Nikon 24-70mm, a 1.7x tele-converter, a 10.5mm f2.8 and a 20mm f2.8D on the other side. Everything fits tightly, and yet, they are easy to remove.
You may also attach two other Think Tank camera gear bags on both sides, however, it won't take anything as wide as The Chimp Cage though.
The backpack also comes with a lot of straps for different purposes. You can attach a tripod on the back, sleeping bag at bottom and another camera in the front. In additional, there are additional straps to secure your long telephoto lens as well. In my personal experience, I was able to carry my D300s with battery grip and Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 on the backpack shoulder strap. Not only it took the weight off my neck, the additional straps on each side also secure my 70-200mm f2.8 to my chest. It is very easy and very safe to move around when everything is so tightly secured to your body.
BELT:
The rotation belt system does work, and it is secure. There are five places to secure your belt with the bag, two on the side, two on the back and one in the front. The main compartment can handle a D700 (or D300s/F100...etc) with Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 attached. Alternatively, it can take Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 with its hood reversed. You can also attach a separator on top of the 70-200mm to create an additional space for flash or other small things. However, D2/D3 or any camera with battery grip will not fit in the main compartment on the belt. The small side pocket can handle some small items. It can fit something as big as a 77mm CLP in its case. You can also attach one other Think Tank camera gear bag, such as Lightning Fast or The Chimp Cage, on the other side of the belt. I have attached a The Chimp Cage and it does not interfere with rotation.
One may wonder, do I really need to carry this big backpack all the time? The answer is NO. There's another advantage of using Rotation 360. The belt system can be used independently, without the large backpack. In fact, the belt main compartment has two loops, where you can attach a shoulder strap (i.e., Think Tank Curved Comfort). This will provide an additional support, so all the weight won't sit on your waist. When I am not traveling with all my gears, this will be my usual setup. You can still rotate the belt and still have easy access to everything. If you need more space, just attach another bag onto the belt.
PRO:
(1) Nice padding all over the bag.
(2) Belt rotation system.
(3) Built like a tank, great protection for your camera gears.
(4) Comfortable to carry around.
(5) Allow additional modification when needed.
(6) Able to take the weight off your neck and re-distribute to your shoulder.
CON:
(1) Weight.
(2) Size.
(3) Rather expensive, especially if you want additional parts.
(4) The backpack main compartment is smaller than I like... Would be much better if it is larger (or, rather, wider).
Overall, this is not just a camera backpack to carry your gears. It is a backpack that will help you to carry your gears safely, securely, and efficiently.
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I've received this backpack for my birthday, but anyway it was selection.I've searched all world to get a backpack which would meet my criteria:
easy access to photogear: take in and put back; especially during travel, which I do a lot
flexible, have room for some other than photo gear
sturdy, high quality
help me with my back problems
I must say I am still very happy with it. It's support for camera, which does not put heavy weight on your neck and fact that it distributes waight on both shoulders solved a lot of issues. I can now walk cities easily.
Right now I am looking for a way to use it's belts and expand capacity (for bottles) and I see there are many options.
It's not cheap, but I guess you will not need anything else.
I recommend !!!
PS: Sorry for my English, I don't use it that often.
Honest reviews on Rotation 360 Backpack
I love this backpack. I have had it for almost a year and used it on numerous occasions such as a day at the zoo, in an amusement park or a day trip in the forest. I have even brought this bag to the beach.Typically I will have my camera hanging from the front-straps all the time, which puts the weight on my shoulders and not my neck. Then I will have an additional lens in the lower section and quickly swap lenses back and forth by rotating that part. The main part of the backpack is the used for additional lenses, extra clothes, water and whatever I want to bring along.
Pros:
+ Great build quality
+ Takes weight off your neck (this is really fantastic for a whole day of walking and taking photos)
+ Several smaller pockets and places to put your stuff
+ Can be put down on the ground and will stand straight up by itself
+ Lower section can be used by itself as a belt for shorter trips
Cons:
Normal backpack section not very large (though large enough to fit several lenses, a bottle of water, a flash and an extra sweater)
Rain cover a bit clumsy to put on (but it works)
Sometimes hard to fit in the overhead locker of a small airplane
No room for a laptop (I don't care)
Highly recommended.
