Customer Reviews

Lowepro Flipside 300 Backpack (Artic Blue)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I purchased this product for my Nikon D300. I have several lenses and other equipment in my photographic arsenal. These include:
* D300 Body
* 50mm
* 70-200mm
* 16-85mm
* 35-70mm
* Speedlight Flash
* Remote cable
* Extra battery and memory card
All fit nicely within the main compartment. I chose this model because I like the added security of the opening being next to the body and not where some passerby can easily get to the contents. In addition I do a lot of nature photography and having the ability to get to my camera equipment by just spinning it around and without having to lay it on the ground is also an added plus. I have seen other photographers needing to remove their camera pack, place it on the ground to get into their pack. While this may not seem like a big deal, when you are shooting desert photography, laying your pack down and getting cactus needles embedded against their back makes for an uncomfortable rest of the day.
I really love my Lowepro Flipside 300 pack and recommend it to others.

I purchased this backpack for a trip to south america and the security of having it only open from the back is a big plus. The pack is rigid and well padded and I do not worry about my gear inside getting damaged. The pack feels as if was built to last with durable materials and solid stitching. I use this pack for day hikes and such and find that it holds all of my necessary equipment (XTi camera body, 2-3 lenses, a few filters, tripod, memory cards and various other accessories), while not be overly large and cumbersome to carry around all day. I would recommend this product to a friend.

I was using the lowepro slingshot 200 before I bought the Flipside 300 and had trouble with the shoulder strap falling off my shoulder when I was hiking. This became quite annoying and frankly the slingshot was very uncomfortable on hikes. I want a pack that is lightweight, small and comfortable but will carry the essential photo gear when I hike. The Flipside rocks. The breast and waist straps keep the weight on the waist and not the shoulders. I love the tripod carrying option as well. It holds my Canon EOS7d with 70-300mm lens attached, 2 wide angle telephoto lenses, a 100mm macro lens and speedlight flash. The removable inside pocket holds an extra battery, charger, 3 polarizing filters, extra batteries for flash and a close up filter. There is also a water bottle pouch and a small zippered section for compact flash cards and a few personal items. Not a lot of room for non photo gear, but I cannot carry a lot of weight on my back, and I manage to tuck small bags of tail mix and dried fruit in the pack. I only want the essentials. This is not a backpackers pack it is a day pack and works beautifully for that purpose. The pack weighs about 20-25 lbs with all my gear in it, including the tripod. That's enough weight for me to carry. There is also the option to wear the camera around my neck and this opens some space for a light jacket or sweater inside the pack. Another nice feature is that is does not look like a photo gear pack and so does not attract attention in that regard. Also it opens from the inside so no one can pilfer without you knowing about it. I have used this pack on many hikes and find it suits all my needs.

I bought this backpack from Amazon almost a year ago. I've since used it many times, and have nothing but praise for both it's design and ease of use. I can fit my digital SLR, three lenses, my small digital camcorder, and there's even room for my wallet and cell phone! It's very roomy! Of course, the more you carry the heavier the bag gets...but still it is so well designed that it feels like you are hardly carrying anything at all. And the best feature (in my opinion) - it only opens from the back, so you don't have to be worried about anyone unzipping and stealing any of your expensive camera equipment :) I can't recommend this backpack enough!

I picked this pack up just prior to a 2 week vacation. I carried a 20D with the 17-40 f4 and 70-200 f2.8. (it will handle a 1D-series body). I also put a video camera in the small pouch inside plus 1.4x converter, spare batteries, chargers and a few other items. Padded panels are easily adjusted to accommodate your gear.
I thought it was very comfortable to carry. The best part is the zippered panel is against your back which is a great security feature.
My only complaints are the zippered side pocket doesn't hold much and the inside pouch for the video camera needs to have a half-moon instead of a straight zipper to increase ease of access.
I would highly recommend this pack. It's a clean design, well made, comfortable and keeps equipment secure.

I've owned the Lowepro Flipside backpack for 2 and a half years and I just love it. I'm a hobbyist who mainly enjoy photography during his vacation time overseas. Its durability has been great so far (I've taken it to very diverse trips like the Jungle-Amazon, Europe, Colombian-Desert, etc). I typically carry a Nikon D40 with 3 lenses on it (one of them a 70-300 telephoto), several batteries, external flash, filters, camera-manual, battery-charger and a tripod. I now highly depend on its design (I feel very safe with it not being open-able from behind) and I've found its ability to open by turning it around my body very useful (it is like a little table-top you can use anywhere... very helpful in the jungle or any other place where you don't have any location to put your equipment temporarily while changing lenses or filters, etc).Highly recommended.

I have surveyed the market and find this backpack to be the best in the price range (The Kata is very good but at a higher price point with the accessories). At present, I have structured the pack to hold a Canon 60D with a 17-55/2.8 (+hood), a 70-200/4 (+hood), 2 small primes, a 580EX speedlite, 2 filters, tripod/monopod and a rain hood (purchased separately). It has a small pouch for various accessories inside the main compartment and an outside pocket for small accessories. A pouch for holding water bottle. When compared with a sling bag, it has much more room but a little less convenient access. The bottom strap works as advertised for access to whole bag. I just have to strap it on and swing the pack around, and can have opened up the whole bag with it resting on my stomach. When it is opened up, I can access all the equipment in the pack. For a sling bag, you can only access the equipment thru that tiny opening. The backpack is also good for distributing weight on two shoulders rather than one. The backpack is very very padded and well built. I would highly recommended this backpack.

Here's a list of what this bag will hold of mine:
digital SLR with 300mm lens (with hood reversed)
two additional professional lenses, wide angle and standard zoom
hot shoe flash
extra pouch where my battery charger sits and cleaning kit resides
extra open slots for filters
At that point she's basically full!

On the outside I have my Slik U9000 tripod attached. One reviewer said the tripod mount was worthless. His review is worthless, this thing handles a small tripod with ease, as well my monopod of course, but not both at the same time. Two of the tripod feet (folded up) sit in this pouch that peels out, and there's a strap with latch to hold in place. When you set the "backpack" down the tripod slides up since the backpack will set vertical on it's own, kind of nice!
Has a pouch on the onside with zipper for extra film cards, phone, writing utensils etc.
Elastic pouch on other side for keys I other more bulky items.
Carry handle as well as hook loop for hanging on wall on top.

You access camera from back of backpack so you cannot access it while walking.
This is really not a hiking pack, but a camera bag that you carry over your shoulder or both shoulders for longer walks like when on vacation or on just a walk. A hiking pack you'd expect to haul more junk than just your camera, but this is a bag that I will leave with my camera stuff in, and just grab and go, tripod included!! Very, very slick, and for only $80, I love it.

Good looking, well constructed. I have expensive lenses in this and I'm satisfied they are well looked after. I have been carrying multiple straps around for years because I don't like most camera cases because they are not good for any long walk. This is a much better solution by far. Even with the tripod attached to the back most people don't even think it's a camera case, but a backpack with a tripod attached for some reason. Silly yes, but it just doesn't look like an expensive camera case,but it is

Downside of tripod attachment is you have to rest bag on tripod to access camera, so it rolls around unless you first remove the tripod, which you can do because it's easily and quickly removed. Sort makes you go though, "Well, maybe I'll just leave the tripod off" Sure is nice to have the tripod with you when you need it. Nice at any rate to have the option, but it does come at a cost.

Accessing the camera from the back is a blessing and curse. Makes you leave camera around your neck a lot. But I'll give that up for the extra security it offers when you are in areas that are packed with people. I'm not worried at all that all of the sudden my camera will be missing right off of my back!

I'm not a hiker that needs lots of gear. I want a camera bag, and for me this thing holds all my gear essentially, with the exception of my monopod, and I can throw it over my shoulder, or both for a long range hike. It's also a handsome piece of luggage I must say. I'd pay double and it'd still be worth every cent!

After reading many reviews was having difficulty deciding whether the 200 or the 300 model would be best for my needs (Nikon SLR, 18-70mm, 70-300mm, filters, etc.). In the end, saw that the 300 was about 1" longer and wider than the 200 and decided the additional flexibility offered with the 300 was worth carrying around something slightly larger. Bag is very solidly constructed and it is easy to access my equipment with the smooth operating zippers (some reviewers said they had some difficulty with the zippers). I have not yet swung the bag from rear to front as it's designed to do as I prefer to put the bag down as long as I'm not in a crowd. Very comfortable to carry around for long periods with the 2 shoulder straps or for shorter periods using just one. Very satisfied with this purchase.

Pros:

Takes a Nikond300 with 70-200 lens comfortably. I can fit in a 1.7xTC and it can still squeeze in. Space for extra lenses. Just about right size for hiking. More comfortable than a sling bag.

Easy to change lens in the field.

Secure design with zips safely against the back when in use.

Cons:

No rain cover.

Useful addition for the next edition:

Pouch for a netbook.