Customer Reviews

Tamrac 3380017 Aero 80 Photo/Laptop Backpack (Black)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this backpack for a recent photographic assignment to India where I had to carry my laptop with me at all times. Overall, I am very impressed with it - and several people I was traveling with were also impressed enough that they were planning to buy the same backpack when they got back to the States.
The main reason I chose this product was that it would be able to accommodate my DSLR with standard zoom lens, two spare lenses (including one 300mm telephoto) a small video camera (with five tapes), spare batteries and filters, power cables etc., and my laptop as well as providing some space for other items such as sweaters, papers etc.
It certainly has the capacity I needed and the lower section of the backpack that accommodates all the camera gear is easy to access, easy to organise and generally very well designed. The only complaint I have is that the upper section of the rucksack is quite difficult to access - not so bad that it's unusable, but I did end up simply stuffing things in there because the design of the opening is such that the flap doesn't really fold down. I managed to fit in a down vest, a flashlight, a couple of energy bars, some papers and my sunglasses but I had to pretty much empty the whole compartment to find anything I wanted. The laptop sleeve, on the other hand, provides plenty of space and you can store papers, magazines etc in there along with the laptop (as long as you can stand the extra weight!) The two side pockets are perfect for water/soda bottles, too, which is good because you wouldn't be able to get at them in the main compartment!
I didn't use it in the rain, so I have no idea whether its weatherproofing works. It certainly looks like it should, but the rubber strips on the laptop sleeve zip do make opening and closing that compartment a little fiddly. None of these issues would prevent me recommending this backpack though, as it really does do everything I wanted it to do. I didn't hike with it for any distance but it certainly performed well being thrown in and out of trucks and buses and seemed to provide excellent protection for my gear in some pretty uncomfortable environments.
One other note - if you're a bit of a contortionist, you can access your camera without removing the backpack. It's probably not advisable unless you're sure the rest of your gear won't come tumbling out when you open the flap but it does add a little extra functionality that you might need.

I like this overall. I'm a pro photographer and needed something that fits easily in overhead bins in planes. there's enough room for 2 bodies, laptop, 2 hyperdrives, 5 lenses (med size), all my chargers, lots of batteries, a flash head, and some misc stuff. you have to get creative but you can get quite a bit in there. it's probably not meant for what I use it for (primary bag) but it works well

I bought this simply for the fact that I can carry my laptop along with my camera equipment. First off, it must be said that you can carry one camera body with a mounted lens and battery grip, two more lenses and a flash unit. You might be able to squeeze one more body, depending on the size though. Other photographers may find this limiting. But the other accessories like your cd's, power supplies, batteries and other lenses and such will fit in the other main compartment. I do wish however that one of the inside pockets did not have a stitched divider. I would have prefered a larger section to place larger items, but those items fit in the other areas. The laptop section is nice and you can squeeze the electrical power cord in the same area. The main reason I bought this is that when I travel, I no longer have to carry a seperate laptop case and camera equipment case on a plane. When I had these two items, I had to sacrifice a personal item in which I would carry snacks and other items. By combining a laptop case and camera case into one, I know can have a persnal carry on item on the plane again. The only drawback some photographers may face is that there is no tripod slot. But other than that, I'm happy with this back pack and would definitely recommend it to my fellow photographers.

On a recent trip to New York I figured I would order a new camera bag and get rid of my old Samsonite shoulder bag, which has been through all the rigors associated with Photojournalism in the Caribbean. I have switched my occupation to a far less intense photography experience and just wanted something small (ish), lightweight and capable for carrying around my camera (s), lenses, flash guns and macbook, with charger and accessories.

Ok first the bad.

The bag is a heck of a lot smaller than I expected and cannot hold my EOS 30D with 70-200 F4/L lens attached. This is not a huge deal since I normally mount an old 28-70 F/2.8L, but still, sometimes it would be nice to just whip out my camera with the longer lens attached.

Now the good.

The bag is good looking. It is sturdy as ever, and I manage to fit two flash guns, three lenses (albeit the 70-200 does not go in the camera section with the rest of the kit and gets bunged in the main bag with the flash guns) Two camera bodies (30D and 20D), a Macbook 13" laptop, charger, mouse, headphones, cables, and granola bars and the shoulder straps, and top handle don't ever feel like they are going to give way under the weight.

Additionally this is a great bag for travelling and fits very easily in front of you under the seat or in an overhead compartment. For my purposes this was more important than having the extra space for more kit and having to worry about whether I have to check in my camera kit.

So if you are looking at this bag, be aware that there are better, more spacious bags available, but ensure that if you travel a lot, they will not impede you from overhead compartments on the airlines you tend to use.

If your looking for a great bag that you can carry your laptop, slr with -2-3 lenses, and some additional accesories look no further. I especially like that the bag when placed on the floor can stay upright and not fall over like most other bags. Laptop and SLR sections have their own compartments each well paded.

This backpack is indeed water resistant, the camera and camera accesories are very good protected inside with several pockets an resistant exterior.

I received this back pack a couple of weeks ago and took it with me on a trip to Vegas. I was very pleased with the construction, quality, and craftsmanship of the pack. The overall design works very well, and should provide plenty of equipment space for the average family photographer. My 17 inch laptop fit in there quite comfortably and the upper portion of the pack provided plenty of room for the power cord and few extras that I normally take along with me. I travel quite often and can safely say this bag will be my primary carry on from here on out. I highly recommend it.

The only cons I would have are that you're not going to access your equipment without taking off the pack and laying it down. I gathered that before I purchased this item and it wasn't really a factor for me. The upper storage area of the pack isn't huge, but it more than suited my needs. Even with the power supply for my laptop in the upper portion, I still have room for my Ipod, cell phone, and a few snacks. You could also cram, (and I mean cram) a lightweight jacket in there if you absolutely had to, but it'd be snug.

This bag is one of the only ones I could find with padded compartments for cameras and a laptop and does an exceptionally good job at both. There are 3 main compartments - 1 padded area along the back for a laptop (easily fits my 17" Mac); the top half of the front is an open compartment, decent size (but not too generous) could fit a change of clothes; and the bottom half of the front has multiple padded sections for a large camera, external flash, extra lenses and plenty of cables. My dad has had this bag for over 2 years and it has held up extremely well. I'd highly recommend it - it is a bit heavy even with nothing in it because of all the padding and durable fabric but is quite comfortable when on your back.

Good for a short person--fits comfortably on shoulders and not too long on your back. Sturdy material, lots of options for storing photography equipment with numberous velcro straps and dividers. The rust color is a nice alternative to all black. The compartment on the top will hold a jacket and a snack for a hiking excursion, but not much more.

I needed something that would hold two camera bodies and a few extra lenses and a laptop. This bag is perfect for that. I love the amount of space it has, it holds everything I need it to hold. If I get more equipment though, I'll need more room. The only thing I've noticed that I don't like is the zipper on the laptop compartment. It's so tough to open. I like my zippers smooth! Overall this is a great buy! It's very sturdy and feels like it's protecting my equipment.