Customer Reviews

Lowepro Fastpack 200 (Black)

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

So you just bought your first DSLR and you're looking for THE bag to protect your hard earned money.

Unfortunately for me, I bought a tamrac (expedition 3) in my haste to have a bag for my DSLR. Wrong decision as it was too stiff. Although my camera will be well protected, I was worried all the time that my camera LCD, camera body, lens, and other stuff would get scratched by its velcro lining (really stiff, scratched the back of my hands while moving the compartments around). Not to mention the zippers that are really a pain to open/close. I'm the type who puts his camera back in the bag instead of settling it on a table when not in use even though I know I'll be using it again in a couple of hours. So it was really tedious to open/close the whole bag just to get the camera.

I have a friend with a Lowepro flipside. I like the accessibility but I didn't like how it looked, triangular like a pigeon hole. Plus the fact that it looks like a camera bag (too flashy) and a sling-type, it would be really uncomfortable to carry it around when you try to squat or bend. That is why I just settled for the tamrac.

After a few days though, I stumbled upon the Lowepro Fastpack via youtube. I saw how great it looks (just like an ordinary backpack) and with the easy access design as well. I didn't think twice anymore so I immediately ordered it.

The bag is well designed and VERY comfortable. The back part of the bag is well padded and has a plastic cardboard underneath, perhaps to keep it upright at all times. The straps are really comfortable and one of the straps comes with a pocket for your phone, money, or other things you might want to have access on easily that will fit in the pocket.

The bottom part of the bag has the easy access area where the camera is kept. It has an inverted type zipper, instead of the metal side of the zipper, the cloth side is exposed so this helps (in a way) in sealing off the compartment and preventing splashes of water or rain from going in. As with the advertisement video, there are buckles to prevent the zippers from opening fully so you will be able to get your camera quickly without worrying that your lenses would fall out. The paddings are adjustable to fit your needs and the velcro is strong enough to hold your stuff in place but soft enough to not scratch anything, even your skin =).

As for the upper part of the bag, the zipper is installed in a regular fashion but the bag has flaps to cover the zipper. There are several pockets all over the bag that you can use to put other small items.

What I like about the bag, aside from the easy access, is that I have the upper compartment for other personal items. With the tamrac, it's purely a camera bag so there's no room for me to place my wallet, phone, keys, extra shirt, etc.. Also, if the lower camera compartment is not enough, the upper part will accommodate extra accessories such as flash guns, telephoto lens, and other accessories that comes with their own pouches.

Just to give the readers an idea of what's inside my bag. Bottom part has the camera with 18-55mm lens attached, big flash gun, 55-250mm lens, lens hood (around 3 inches deep for the 55-250mm), body cap, lens cap, camera battery charger, and AA charger. The upper part has 2 lens pen, blower, and remote receiver with transmitter. The pocket in front of the bottom part contains the AA batteris, and the foot of the flash gun.

Overall, I really like this bag. The build, comfort, and easy access makes this bag THE bag for me and will plan to keep it until it wears out or I simply have more stuff that the bag will not be able to accommodate.

Note though that the easy access opening is on the left side when worn on the back. If you're right handed (like me), it will take some time to get used to swinging the bag from your left side instead of the right. At first I thought that this would be irritating but when I actually used the bag, I realized that it's great that the easy access is on the left. I went to the zoo one time to try out my new long lens. After I was done, I figured that I would also take a shot of the entrance but my long lens couldn't capture the whole sign without me backing up. Unfortunately, there was no more space to back up so I decided to switch to my short range lens. This is where I felt the ease of having the easy access opening on the left. Since I was right handed, it's normal to swing my camera on my right side so it's more comfortable to have my backpack swinging from my left side. This gave me the ease of opening the backpack without my camera blocking the way. I was able to switch lenses right then and there without having to juggle between my bag and camera. Perfect!

This backpack is very well designed for its purpose: casual travel or street photography. It keeps one camera easily accessible, looks like a regular backpack, and safely holds a moderate amount of gear.

I've previously traveled for weeks at a time with a traditional Domke shoulder bag (J-1 or J-3). Here are the pros and cons of the Fastpack compared to a traditional "journalist" bag:

Pros
-- More comfortable to carry for long periods.
-- Doesn't look like an obvious camera bag.
-- Once zipped up, your gear is well padded on all sides; it can sit sideways, go in an overhead compartment, etc.
-- Leaves plenty of extra space for your water bottle, guidebook, sunglass case, lunch bag, whatever.

Cons
-- Obviously less convenient during a shoot. Your camera is pretty easy to get to. You could maybe get to one more lens with the bag still on your shoulder. But that's it.
-- Layout of the main compartment is not very flexible; the dividers can only be positioned pretty much as shown in the photo (though they can be removed).
-- No D rings or straps for a tripod, etc.

In size, the 200 model is a good fit for a Canon 5D (or 50D) without battery grip. A 5D with grip or a 1D would barely fit. Regarding lenses, a 70-400 f/4 will fit mounted on the camera or in the space below, barely. For smaller size L zooms (such as a 25-105 f/4 IS) you could fit four (one on the camera, one next to it, two below) and still have room for a flash.

Note the 200 model has exactly the same space and layout inside the camera compartment and top compartment as the 250 model; the only different is that the 250 adds a laptop compartment and a waist strap.

This is a good product overall, but I was very disappointed to find out that it does not have a waist belt. I did a lot of research to ensure whatever camera bag I got had a waist or chest belt to alleviate the weight that goes on the shoulders. The video for this product on Lowepro's website shows a "comfortable light-weight harness" as they call it. But after receiving the product I see that it does not have one. I contacted Lowepro and it turns out that the product video is for the whole Fastpack series and this harness is only available on higher models...no mention of this exception in the video or in the product description/specs.

My husband and I had the Lowepro Photo Runner first for when we went to Hawaii a couple of years ago so that the camera would be easily accessible. The only problem was that he had to carry it most of the time because I was pregnant so it wasn't very comfortable. We also had to take a backpack to carry our personal items. We decided for our trip to NYC that we would get the Fastpack because I prefer two straps (as opposed to the one strap on the SlingShot). We also liked that it seemed to have more storage for personal items than the SlingShot. We went with the 200 instead of the 100 because in some of the reviews it said that the 100 was too small. We wanted to carry our Canon Rebel camera with its lens, an extra zoom lens, and our JVC Everio video camera. We first thought it would be too big because we ended up with extra room so we just moved the partitioners around to make it fit snugly. It ended up working out well. I was also able to carry it this time, even though I was further along in this next pregnancy. We also never really worried that anything would be stolen out of it so that was nice and we didn't feel like we looked as touristy as if we had taken the Photo Runner.

I have a Canon Xsi with the kit lens, the 55-250 lens, and a flash. This bag is perfect for the camera. And if I decide to get the 50mm fixed lens, that will fit in the bag no problem.

The backpack portion at the top isn't huge but it's big enough for a coat and a few supplies. Plus, because the bag isn't huge, it doesn't get very heavy, even when it is full.

I do like the side opening to get at the camera. However, you really need a place to set the bag down if you want to get at all of your gear (and that's why it's four stars instead of five).

And, I wish the bag was a bit more weatherproof. On vacation, I left the bag in the room on a day when very heavy rains were forecast all day.

The bag itself doesn't look like a camera bag, it looks like a backpack. And that is great because the bag doesn't invite any unwanted attention.

Overall, I am very happy with this bag.

Got this for my D40 as a daypack. I don't have a lot, but I can fit my tripod (one of those tiny flexible ones, just in case) the D40 with 18-55mm VR, my 50mm f/1.8 AIS, a lenspen, and a canon sd770 (which I'll probably carry in my pocket, but I like having room for it). I was worried at first because the D40 is actually a little small for the space, but it doesn't move around. In the future, I'll be able to carry at least two more lenses, and just move the miscellaneous stuff to a different pocket. Also, more than enough room to keep putting other stuff I need--spare battery, the grip if I get it, hoods, etc.

If your longest lens+hood+filters+camera is less than 11", it will fit without disassembling it. This will leave you two roughly 7.5x2" rectangular compartments on each side of the lens, which you can further divide into two more compartments with different combinations (from about 4x2" to about 6x2" for the larger compartment in each).

The top compartment is roughly 12" high, 8" wide, and 6" deep at the base. It stays at about 6" maximum depth until 6" high. so if you can fit your other junk in a 12"x6"x6" space, you'll be good.

I was worried that the top pocket wouldn't be big enough for my laptop (8.9"). I love being able to take it, since I can stop and type up a page if I'm feeling inspired. I used to carry a notebook but it literally takes me an hour to read my handwriting and retype it. I can also plug in a mic and take audio notes as I shoot if there's something particular I want done with a shot, or just to record my thoughts. Weird, but nice. Anyway, this bag is more than big enough for the laptop in its padded case, and I have a lot of space to spare.

The pocket on the top front is roomy, and can ALMOST fit my 8.9" laptop. Not quite though. Actually, it would probably fit, but the zipper would tear it to pieces so I don't wanna :-)

The bottom front pocket (which is covered by the security flap) is decent sized. You could fit a good paperback novel, user manuals, etc. I'll probably use it for my wallet/papers.

Definitely no room for textbooks, which I might have liked, and the bigger "camera" bags are much more expensive. I also found mine a bit cheaper than the one listed here.

Overall, a really great camera bag that fits my needs perfectly.

OH wanted to add another concern I initially had. I thought the side compartment might be a security risk--well, if you're not interested in the "fast access," you can simply move the zippers of the side access under the security flap. This means that you can't open it easily, but neither can anyone else :-)

Well, I bought this to protect my Nikon D40. First the complaints:

CONS: Having a D40 it's too big for the camera. I have a the stock lens and a 55-200 DX lens. I still have a lot of space available. Too much space that I will have to buy additional spacers. Right now I insert my camera with the lens pointing up so that the camera doesn't shift too much.

PROS:

1. This bag has gone through 2 tests. We had a Kids Weekend Cabin Camp and a trip to the beach. First, it is very comfortable. I never experienced any fatigue or pain even though I was wearing the bag the whole weekend taking pictures and hiking through out the woods with some 70 plus kids. I did sweat a little on my back but it quickly dried when I took a rest.

2. Having the phone and an accessory loop was very convenient. I used it for my cell phone (Blackberry 8100 - fits perfectly) and the accessory loop for the a small walkie-talkie. Great placement right under the shoulder.

3. Went to the beach, a strong wave went up and got to our stuff including the bag. All contents was dry and safe. The bag was a little wet but the camera was safe.

4. The extra space is great for all kinds of stuff. You can fit a small camcorder. I put my small point and shoot in the mesh pocket and old Sony DSC-W1 but it still fits. Also I LOVE the water bottle pocket on the side. It can accommodate all different sizes of bottles.

Conclusion. A GREAT buy. I already had my investment back just the fact it protected my camera and was very useful. I'm 5-6 so the bag is a bit big or looks big. Also styling isn't too great looks like an awkward school backpack but it's a camera backpack so who cares. I'm fully satisfied.

I was looking for a good hiking daypack that would carry some supplies also help safeguard my camera at the same time. I've only had this for a month or so, but I've taken it up and down a few mountains, through some thick brush, in a cloud, and through both rain and snow (gotta love Alaska weather ;) ). Short of dropping it in a lake, or taking it through a rain forest this sucker has proven itself to me.

The 200 size is perfect for day hikes, I almost got a 100 but after seeing the 100 in person I knew it would be too small. So far I can fit my XSi, 18-55mm and 55-250mm lens in the pack with room to spare for (hopefully) upgrade lenses someday, or food/supplies for now. The top is fairly room with enough room to fit a light jacket, long sleeve shirt, and winter hat and gloves. Lots of little pockets and loops here and there to put accessories, cards, cords, flash, charger etc.

I hiked for a few hours straight in a cloud on the side of a mountain, and through some rain and snow another day, and while I was nervous at first the pack held up perfectly without letting any moisture in to touch the camera or equipment. I try to treat my camera gingerly, but lets face it, that's an impossibility if you hiking outdoors with it. I haven't had any serious drops or falls with the pack, but a few light tumbles and drops haven't shown any damage, and the pack has protected the camera well.

I think the only gripe I have so far is that the side access pouch or zipper is on the left side, and being right handed it seems like it would be easier if it was on the right. The side access concept was the reason I bought this, cause it allows me to get to my camera fairly quickly without opening the whole pack.

Over all I love this pack, and foresee myself taking it on many many hikes and climbs to come in the future. Its a great daypack for hiking and climbing camera enthusiasts, I would recommend it to anyone.

Bought this backpack specifically for an Alaska cruise. Wanted to be able to easily pack all my gear for touring around in the different ports we stopped in.

Was able to easily fit my Canon Rebel XT w/ 18-55 attached, additional zoom lens, a point-and-shoot, Canon Vixia HF100 camcorder with Canon wide angle lens attached, and a host of cables, filters and extra batteries and cards. Also was able to pack a rain coat, binocs, and a few other small items in the top compartment. I also added a LowePro card case to the accessory holder on the shoulder strap.

This pack is very well built and while not rated as waterproof, in and out of pretty heavy rain, all of my contents remained dry.

Only issue was it could use some d-rings on the outside to lash a small tri-pod to it.

This pack was almost a five star item, but I could only give it 4 stars. I needed a backpack for my Canon 40D, with a 24-105 mm lens with lens hood--attached, plus two extra lenses (a large telephoto 70-200, and a Canon 100mm macro) so I could comfortably carry everything in the field or on walks through the city. Well.....no matter of rearranging will allow all of that with ease. You can make it fit, but it's a job. It's like it was designed for smaller lens than the ones on the market. (If you took off the lens hoods it was closer, but who wants to spend the time to do that, since the idea is 'fast & easy'.
Other than that, it's a great pack. If I just pack my camera, and one extra lens, it fits fine, and there is room for an extra jacket, some food and water.... it is everything they say: comfortable, easy to access the camera, somewhat safe, because of the way you get into the pack, and good looking. It looks to me, more like a nice regular old backpack, and not like a camera pack. I like that. It IS a quality piece of equipment....very well made, just like all Lowepro products I've had or seen.
If you don't plan to overload this backpack with lenses, you will not go wrong with "the fastpack" I would buy it again, but I do wish it had a strap or something to hook a mono- or tripod to the outside. I will end up making my own.