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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Lowepro is one of the big names in protective camera and video gear for professional and enthusiast photographers. (Something you probably already know if you're reading this review.) :-) This product, the Lowepro LP36358 Scope Photo 350 AW Travel and Field Photo/Optics Backpack, is at the top of their wide and diverse line for a backpack to take on a photographic hike/field trip/event. Below are my impressions and opinions.
It's fairly large ... not as big as a camping backpack but comfortably larger than most schoolbook backpacks. It weighs about 4 1/2 pounds, most of which seems to be padding and support. While this may sound like a lot, it's not ... it's purpose is to protect your delicate gear and to be comfortable to wear over the long haul. If you fully load this with your camera gear, a laptop, and assorted sundries, you're going to be adding a lot more than 4 1/2 pounds into it, so the weight is relative and comfort/protection paramount.
It can hold a lot of camera gear. On the exterior are two flip out pieces that you can use to secure a large tripod. In the zippered "camera gear" section are 5 padded, secured modular compartments that can hold anything ranging in size from a spotting scope to a DSLR to various bits and pieces of gear. (And two of the compartments can be be subdivided to hold two items each rather than one, so you can actually safely secure seven things.) The compartments are velcro-attached to both each other and the backpack itself. You can easily remove compartments that you don't need in order to free up space for other things.
There are two other separate, zippered sections in the backpack ... one well padded compartment, at the back, will hold a laptop up to 15.6 inches. My 15.6 inch laptop fit nicely albeit a tiny bit snugly, but my 17 inch laptop did not (not that I'd ever want to carry that monster around on a nature photo hike). There are three straps in this compartment to help secure your laptop. The other zippered section, at the front, has several pouches and a snap (to hang keys), papers, field notebooks, cell phone, etc. (There are also a couple more pouches to hold things on the "front" of the camera compartment.)
I found the backpack to be extremely comfortable and well balanced between the shoulders and waist when wearing it. The backpad is well padded as are the shoulder straps and waistbelt. I had no trouble adjusting the straps for a comfortable fit, and found it will fit a husky guy. I have a 42 inch waist, and I still had a few more inches of play in the belt. My wife, however, is short (5 feet tall) was not able to get as good a fit as I did, although it was still wearable for her. So if you're about her height, you may want to try it on for size before buying.
It is loaded with clever and helpful features. For example, the chest strap has a whistle built into it. The backpack's material feels somewhat rain-resistant, but there is a rainproof cover in a pouch at the bottom of the backpack that you can pull-over the portions of the backpack not actually against your back to keep everything dry. There are cloth loops on the belt pad that you can use to secure the loose belt ends rather than having them flap all day. There is an external pocket for a water bottle. The backpad has mesh for breathability. And so on ...
What this backpack is not: It is not a camping backpack. It has room for your camera gear, a laptop, a few notebooks, and some miscellaneous items. While you could carry less camera gear to make more room for other things, it really isn't sized or shaped for carrying camping gear. It's not really a text book-and-laptop backpack for college, either, as it's a little on the large size for that role. This backpack is an extremely well designed and built system for carrying a good quantity of sensitive, reasonably delicate, expensive gear around in most any environment.
The only question on this backpack comes down to price. There are a lot of cheaper camera/video backpacks out there, including many made by Lowepro itself. However, this backpack is clearly superior to the less expensive ones I've owned. I guess in my mind it comes down a car analogy. Do you want to drive a midsize car that does most things fairly well at a relatively cheaper cost, or do you want a luxury car that does almost everything very well, although at a higher price. If you have a lot of expensive camera or video gear and you're serious about outdoor or event photography and want to be able to carry/protect that gear, this is a backpack you should seriously consider. If you just have a point-and-shoot digital camera and want to take pictures on a short walk in the woods, you'd be better served buying something cheaper.
But I'm very pleased with this backpack. Outside of it not fitting my wife as well as it does me, I haven't found any negatives. It's well designed, built of good quality materials, carefully constructed, and does what it's supposed to do. Five stars.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I must say I am very impressed with this bag.
First of all, it is very well made. Great stitching, strong, smooth zippers. Just all very nicely done.
It is very good looking, neat and tidy, a bag a man or woman would be happy to use.
The design is great and I must say I spent a few minutes admiring all the features. I love that you can configure the main compartment to fit how you want to use it and what equipment you are carrying. It has a great rain cover that fit neatly in a bottom compartment and a great bottom pocket/top strap combo to carry a tripod on the outside of the bag very securely. And beside the big main compartment you have the smaller front one with all sorts of pockets to carry everything from a laptop to a pen, batteries, memory cards or a snack. And it is very comfortable, with a lot of ability to adjust to how you like to wear it.
I can not say that I did any sort of test, like throwing it fully loaded down a hill, but it seems to offer a great deal of protection and still maintain a very reasonable weight and with a top and side handle is very easy to handle
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program The Lowepro Scope Photo Travel(tm) 350 AW camera/optics backpack is everything I expected, and much more! Lowepro has always made high quality camera bags, and this professional backpack is no exception. Attention to detail and build quality are top tier; you'd be hard pressed to find anything better even among the boutique items. All of the seams are even and tight, the zippers are strong, oversized for durability, and work smooth as butter.
Comfort? Holy Guacamole, Avocado Man! Just like all my other Lowepro bags, the straps are so comfortable you can trek through the wilderness all day long and not be bothered. I loaded this bag down with my Nikon D300, a couple telephoto lenses, a spotting scope, hotshoe flash, and a bunch of accessories. Everything was held securely in place, and the seperate velcro enclosed compartments within the main storage area made sure everything stayed in place, even when opening the bag from an upright position. Well done Lowepro! Even with all that weight on my back, it just doesn't feel fatiguing at all, due to the ample soft padding on the straps.
There is room for all kinds of accessories, from a slot for a laptop computer, to tons of pockets for everything from field guides, light meters, batteries, memory cards, keys, flashlight, multi-tool, and still yet you can count on having a place to strap your tripod on too! The nylon exterior is very durable, and the padded compartments are among the best I've seen. It would take a lot to damage anything in this bag, along the lines of extraordinary circumstances.
One thing I really love is the holder for the super-telephoto lens. It only opens halfway down, and sewn closed on the bottom half. This means you can open the bag in an upright position and not worry about your DSLR and $10k optics going tumbling out onto the ground. This is a huge, huge benefit with this backpack, something that gives the photographer a lot more peace of mind when trying to access their gear in a hurry.
There is even Lowepro's famous rain cover built into the bottom of this backpack, so if the weather starts getting ugly, you won't have to worry about your gear getting wet. Lowepro really thought of it all with this bag, it is an excellent solution to the needs of the professional nature/wildlife photographer.
Try as I might, I just can't find anything to ridicule about this bag. It's built to last, of Lowepro's high quality standards. Exceptionally well thought out and designed for its purpose. I couldn't have asked for anything better.
Honest reviews on Lowepro Scope Photo Travel 350 AW Backpack
My husband just got into photography and birding...this gear fits all his tools, Digital SLR EOS Camera, Lenses, extra camera, Digiscope, Tripod, maps, etc...Well padded and very nicely made with lots of pockets. Of course, we hike with it during birding trips and is comfortable enough for 3-4 mile hikes so far. Expensive but better than the traditional camera bags.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I am on the short side (5'4"), and this bag was pretty big on me. More specifically, the "handle" part on the top of the bag digs into my neck because it just hits me too high. (My husband is 5'7" and he did not have this issue.) So, I either have to deal with the bag digging into my neck or loosen it quite a bit. I like wearing packs a bit tighter, but I just can't on this one.
It is heavy without anything in it. Lots of padding, which is great. Much of the padding in the middle compartment can be taken out if you aren't using it. (Or you can take it out with your stuff inside, should you need said stuff out of the bag, but still want some protection.) It has room for absolutely everything. I do wish there was a little more space in it for, say, snacks or extra drinks. Most of the space is used up in that middle compartment with all the camera and lens padded areas. There is very little room in the largest zippered area, but it is big enough for your laptop, tablet, or e-reader. The front pouch has room for your phone (padded), keys, glasses, pens, etc. There is one drink holder pocket on one side.
I like the protection for my expensive stuff. Plenty of places to put camera and accessories. I just wish it fit better and had room for practical items, not just the expensive toys.
