Customer Ratings: 
List Price: $89.99
Sale Price: $57.01
Today's Bonus: 37% Off
The Backpack is solid, well built and is good protection for my equipment.
My Nikon D50 with 18-200mm VR Zoom and my speedlight 600 fits comfortably in the camera compartment (with the speed light flipped down). It allows me easy access to get the camera in and out of the bag when the bag is on my left shoulder and slung around to my front. The upper compartment is large enough to hold what ever I might need during a day out.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I like to have equipment options whenever I take my camera somewhere, but don't want to have to carry something that looks like I'm on a combat patrol (I'm a soldier). This bag is it. Sure it's a tight fit, but I like that; forces me to be efficient. I comfortably fit the following in my 100, at the same time:
Nikon D3100
Nikkor 35mm (attached)
Nikkor 18-55mm (stored up top)
Nikkor 55-300 (stored in the lens space next to camera)
Nikon SB-700 in its own case which carries all its accessories (up top)
Gary Fong Collapsible Lightsphere (in front of attached 35mm lens; original divider is removed)
Nikon battery charger w/ extra battery inside (up top, in the black mesh pouch)
Nikon wired remote (up top, in the velcro flap pouch)
Nikon cleaning pen tool (up top, in one of the pen pouches)
Pack of AA batteries (front pouch under the snaps)
SB-700 user manual and other small documents (front zipper pouch)
Best Deals for Lowepro Fastpack 100 - Black
Camera bag shopping is a total pain: every store I find has the same terrible selection and the ones online can't be tested in person.
MY GOALS/EXPECTATIONS: I got the Lowepro 100 at Best Buy because 1) it was a backpack and comfy and 2) it's easy to get the camera into and out of. But after just an afternoon using it, I'm going to return it. I have the 200 on order instead.
PROS:
* QUALITY: Lowepro makes good stuff. This is quality material, nice zippers, good design, etc. Solid bag all around.
* COMFORT: It's VERY comfy on the back. I'm about 6 months preggers, and I find it really light and easy to wear.
* EASY TO USE: Getting the camera in and out is a breeze. I had a 3 Mil Crumpler for about a week and hated it. As a sling bag, I fought to get a Canon Rebel out of it. What's up with that, I ask you? This is on your BACK behind a zipper and it's easier to retrieve the camera.
* HANDS FREE IS AWESOME: I'm a busy mom, so I need to pack up quickly and go, and to get the camera out quickly for photo ops. This works great for both.
* WELL DESIGNED: With room for the dSLR, a spare lens (which I don't have), spare battery and card and manual in the lower compartment, there's room for a little bit of stash up above. A cell holder on the strap is also very nice. The lower part is so well padded that I don't worry about packing my stuff over it.
CONS:
* TOO SMALL (for me): I'm a mom on the go who wants to take minimal gear, but who wants to ALWAYS have the camera on me. My hubby loved the size of the 100, but he packs lighter than I do. In the 100, I can just fit into the outer pocket my keys & wallet. In the upper pouch I can cram in 2 spare training pants for the toddler, a change of pants for her, & a couple of folded plastic bags (toilet training requires one to be prepared, after all). But that's a tight fit. I want just a little more room to grow.
Truth be told, the deal-breaker for me was that the upper compartment was just 1/2 inch too small to fit an 8 1/2x 5 1/2 item in. So I couldn't fit my Kindle and my Moleskein notebook. I don't go anywhere without those two things and I don't trust the Kindle to the tote bag I carry in the car with the rest of the kiddos gear. So I'm hoping the 200 has a little more room for those.
* CONFIGURABLE COMPARTMENT?: I have no idea what they meant by "configurable." You can slightly adjust the height of the pieces in the lower compartment to allow for longer lenses, but they don't really fit in any formation other than the one they come in. Truly, I tried, and I couldn't come up with any alternate. It works for my camera, but it's misleading.
* ZIPPERS CATCH A LITTLE: While the zippers are good quality and they glide smoothly, I find the rounded 90-degree angles of the upper compartment make for weird zipping. A fully rounded top would be an easier angle to zip in one smooth motion. As it is, the corners stick a little, especially if you cram the top full of stuff.
* OUTER FLAP POUCH IS FOR WHAT?: While the outer compartment on the upper part of the bag is perfect for keys and a wallet, the lower part has to be snapped shut so the camera doesn't fall out. That means the little area behind it can only be filled with something small and flat that you're not going to want to access much if at all. For me, I put a travel 1st Aid kit in there. It's definitely a specialized space.
* PRICE IN THE STORE: If you want this bag, GET IT ON AMAZON! Seriously, I got it at Best Buy for over $80, then found it at WalMart for $65, then found it here for...what's the price today? $48? Anyhow, the prices in the stores are appalling. Much better here.
SUMMARY: Not bad, certainly the best bag I've seen yet. It has inspired me to seek out the larger size, however.
Honest reviews on Lowepro Fastpack 100 - Black
Ive had the Lowepro Fastpack 100 for a month now and just love it! It fits my Nikon D90 just right, even with my longer lens attached. Its a tight fit, but everything fits in the camera section: camera, extra lens, charger. The space on top is enough for personal items, I even put a small traveling purse in there and a light sweater. (If you had another bigger lens in a padded sleeve, you could store it in this top section, no problem). I took it on a trip to Mexico, have taken it on local day hikes, and even on a local camera shoot. I love how compact it is, and its VERY comfortable for long periods of time. The way it has the side opening to get to the camera is also very comfortable and convenient, once you do it a couple times. There isnt enough weight to warrant a waist strap, which it doesnt have.
I struggled between this and the Fastpack 250 which holds a laptop, has an additional waist strap, etc, but the camera space was just marginally bigger. And I dont need to carry my laptop around with me on a local hike, or even travel with it MOST of the time. I am still considering the 250 as a travel pack in the future.
Another thing you can do with the Fastpack 100, is fit it into a larger backpack. Then I can put my laptop in a padded sleeve, along with personal items and use as my carry-on on a plane, if I needed to. Then when I got to my destination, I would have something smaller to deal with.
I need to add that Lowepro makes THEE best camera bags. This bag is so well made, I know Ill have it for years. My husband has an older Lowepro camera bag that is 20 years old and still going. Not a rip, tear or zipper malfunction.
So for me, having something compact that is a backpack, that is comfortable and big enough to carry the minimal gear I have this was the perfect item!
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lowepro Fastpack 100 - Black
I have a couple of backpacks designed for SLR's, including Lowepro's CompuDay Pack, which is OK, but you can't easily access your camera, and it's a little bulky. I wanted a small side-access backpack to take on trips, and the Fastpack 100 was the only thing I found in my price range. Being familiar with Lowepro products, I knew what to expect regarding build quality. After reading some reviews, and watching some video reviews at YouTube, I had a pretty good idea what the Fastpack 100 would be like, and decided to get one.
As expected, construction quality is typical for Lowepro, nicely built, using good quality materials. I really do like the pack's compact size. At only eight inches wide, it doesn't cover my whole back, and there's still a decent amount of storage space in the top zippered compartment. The pockets and holders inside are handy, and this pack doesn't advertise that I am carrying a camera. The straps, and back side of the pack are well padded, and it's very comfortable to wear. The pocket on the strap can hold a small cell phone, but I have a small flashlight there. The small carrying loop at the top should suffice, as long as the pack is not overloaded. There is a net carrying pouch on the right side, although the elastic may not be strong enough to hold up under stress. The pocket on the back, under the flap, is a little shallow, but better than nothing.
There's a decent amount of padding around the camera compartment, so your SLR is protected, but I was generally disappointed by the design of the compartment. I expected to be able to carry an SLR with a battery grip, as according to the listed dimensions, and some user reports, the case could supposedly accommodate one. I found that while my Canon 7D with battery does fit inside, the zipper can barely be closed shut, and removing the camera through the side while actually wearing the pack on your shoulder, is practically impossible, as the opening is too small. Being a slightly smaller camera, the Canon Rebel XSi with battery grip does fit inside the case. So the case can accommodate some cameras with a battery grip.
The pack can accommodate an SLR with a lens up to about six inches in length. The SLR compartment has two Velcro secured dividers, but the setup really doesn't provide much versatility. The dividers shown in the photo on Amazon's product page is a different in shape than what was provided in the case I received. The compartment is actually "L" shaped, and isn't tailored for the lens as is indicated in the photo, which perhaps was a previous design. For a SLR without a battery grip and a short lens, there is a lot of unused space around the camera in the compartment. This could be a good thing, if you have a bulky strap like the R-Strap. Otherwise, your camera could be bouncing around some. Adding another divider at the bottom of the compartment would have helped alleviate this issue. I plan to stick a microfiber towel in there to fill up the excess space. Incorporating a retaining strap for the camera body might have been nice, but Lowepro apparently isn't very big on straps. The additional (optional) small square compartment provides space to carry another lens, up to about five inches long.
I experimented trying to find the best position for the camera and the strap. Your results may vary, depending on the length of your lens, and the type of strap you have, but instead of placing the SLR vertically with the back facing the flap, what can work well is rotating the body so that the camera bottom is parallel to the bottom of the pack, trailing the strap over the back, and then sliding this into the top of the camera compartment on top of the optional square compartment. When you need the camera, you pull it out using the strap. This position is advantageous, if you have a bulky strap like the R-Strap.
The Fastpack is designed for the convenience of those that are right-handed, so you drop the strap off your right shoulder, and swing the pack around your body, and support it on your left shoulder. Removing the camera through the side takes some getting used to, but it is definitely more convenient than having to take the pack off, like the CompuDaypack.
My cost ($52) is a major factor in my four star rating, as I would not have paid $90 for this pack. Workmanship and fit are good, but the design in the most important area, the camera compartment, was somewhat disappointing. Side-access is a clever idea, and I'm sure the process will become smoother as I get used to it. The small size is a big plus, and while can't carry everything I thought I could, the Fastpack 100 is still something I can definitely utilize. It grades out to a solid `B', and is a good buy in the fifty dollar price range.
