Customer Reviews

Tamrac 3548 Express Pack 8 (Khaki)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'll be honest and say that part of what drew me to this pack was the appearance. I liked the colors and style. I also knew that Tamrac was a great brand and I could count on the quality of the bag. I have found that the pack is a good size, but for travel the top of the bag could be a bit bigger, but for daily use it is really perfect. The bottom section where my camera goes is a decent size, but not enough room for much extra equipment. I was able to fit my Nikon D40 with my 18-200 lens attached in the bottom and I have been able to squeeze my compact mini dv recorder in there as well, but it is a very tight fit. The pouches on the sides are decent sized and great for putting items that you need to access easily. The front section has pockets for cards, etc, and has the appearance of an organizer wallet. The flap can be a bit of a hinderence, but I knew that going in. There isn't much room inside the flap as you would imagine, but you can fit airline tickets and maybe a couple of magazines in there easily. I have also found that I can manuever around the flap to get to open the top section of the bag to get to my personal items there without having to unclip the flap, which is nice. Overall I'm very pleased with my purchase. I'm very glad that I went with this type of bag in which I am able to carry my personal items in the bag as well and leave my purse behind.

I own and have invested money in cameras for one purpose only: travel photography. This bag is very good for my needs. It is good as a carry-on when you fly because you can easily store all your travel photography items (body, 2 lenses - but being creative I think with 4/3 system lenses I could fit about 4 if I really had to - cards cables charger etc), plus things you might like to have with you on the plane such as a book or two, an ipod, an inflatable pillow, and of course your tickets and documentation. And as a daypack when in your destination you can fit maps, a small bottle of water and some food, or for example even the massive Lonely Planet India Guide fits with room to spare in the upper compartment.

The quality seems good. Zippers are smooth and the camera area seems well padded. It is frustrating to adjust the velcro-attached interior dividers but you should only have to do this once (or only once in a very long while) and it's because each one has 5 attachment points, which means that they they wont be falling out. The camera area also seems (though I obviously haven't had the chance to test this) to be well insulated against the elements, especially rain.

I would say there are only two cons:

1) You cannot adjust the buckle on the flap to tighten it. If your pack isn't completely full it is loose.

2) Due to the fact that the top half is in essence a compartment attached to what would be the top flap of a normal medium-sized camera bag, it must flip backwards in order for the camera to be removed or put inside, meaning you have to take the backpack off entirely.

For me this isn't a problem, I value the comfort of a backpack style, with weight distributed on both shoulders, more than I do quick/easy access. You can also wear it comfortably in the front, if you, like me, travel with a real backpack on your back. The lack of access, however, is something to take into account.

It's true that this looks more like a normal backpack than a camera bag, though it is smaller than a normal backpack, and looks almost petit on me (I am 6'1").

Finally, I should say that although I liked the look of the Khaki more than the Black-on-black, if you plan on traveling to places similar to where I go - developing countries - or if you plan on using public transportation anywhere, I would recommend the black version. In general black is much less conspicuous and much less prone to getting obviously dirty!

I purchased this item for three reasons:

1) It's both stylish and durable.

2) The size and compartment space fit my needs.

3) It doesn't look like a "camera bag"!

I really wanted something that wouldn't stand out as having expensive content. With its low profile, the Tamrac Express Pack 8 can be passed off as a book bag - so I look like a student as opposed to a tourist.

The camera/lens compartment, if manipulated correctly, can actually fit a third (small) lens. It may be a snug fit, but that will create less space for movement. The top compartment is perfect for lens hoods, wallet, keys, and a snack. The front compartment has a pocket that's perfect for an ipod or other mp3 player, and pockets for a couple of memory cards. There's also a zipper compartment inside.

Overall a good quality bag for those who only need a few lenses nearby.

This is an excellent bag for anyone that needs a nice bag to hold their photo equipment. As an amateur photographer I purchased this to hold my Nikon D50 camera and an extra lens while traveling. The top compartment is not very large, but is large enough to hold a bottle of water and a small umbrella, maybe even a book to read while traveling. I wanted a medium sized bag that I could easily carry all day long and not have to worry about my equipment get damaged and this is a perfect fit. The opening of the lower compartment to get the photo equipment takes a little while to get use to and of course you have to take the bag off to replace the camera or take it out. I thought for sure that I would hate this, but you really do end up getting to the point where after a couple of times it is very easy. I would recommend this bag to anyone that will be traveling and needs to carry a small amount of camera equipment.

This is just what I need !

A perfect place for may camera and my 2 lenses... and...place for my personal belongs... just enought! I'm enjoying and recomend this bag!

I also purchased this bag becuase of the looks and style. I wanted something to carry all my camera stuff in one bag and that was a backpack style. I'm new to photography and don't have a lot of extras but I am easily able to fit camera w/ lens, extra lens, 6 filters, flash, film, batteries, small cleaning kit and my handbook on photography. And that's just in the bottom half of the bag! Up top I put my personal items so I can leave my purse behind. I LOVE it while hiking!! The straps are padded very well and are comfortable! I'm very happy with my purchase and recommend it to anyone who travels with their camera.

I wanted a very compact backpack-style camera bag with room for a Pentax K10D (which is to say, a moderately-hefty dSLR). This fits that bill well, and has the added benefit of looking like a normal backpack, not necessarily a trove of expensive electronics.

The bottom compartment is roomy enough, with space for the above mentioned K10D + mounted lens and also two other smallish lenses (like the Pentax "pancake" set) if you organize dividers carefully. The top section is also partially padded, and big enough to fit my submini notebook computer, so I can pretty much take all my gear with me.

The stitching is nice and solid, and the shoulder straps are comfortable for the amount of weight you can fit in a pack this size.

There's some things I wish were better, though. The top flap is kind of weird, and tends to, well, *flap* if you don't buckle it. (Which, as another reviewer noted, you want to do for safety anyway.) It's really too bad the top compartment doesn't have dual zippers, both for quick access and so it could be opened from the top instead of the side at the bottom. And, I wish they'd included a mesh pocket for a water bottle on the side.

Another model, the Tamrac Adventure 6 Photo Backpack, actually addresses all of those complaints (although I'd really like one zipped and one open mesh outside pocket, not both mesh), but it's bigger and not as attractive, and from a practical standpoint the different shape of the compartments doesn't fit my stuff as well.

I got this bag for my Canon Rebel XTi. I like the fact that the bag doesn't look like a camera bag. I don't want to advertise what I have. I also like that having a backpack allows my hands to be free. This is really helpful if you have children. The bag easily holds my camera and a lens with accessories. I think I could fit another lens and a small flash. The top section is very small and I am a little nervous about putting much in it anyway. If you put anything of any weight, it would be setting on your camera. You can easily store your keys and a wallet, however, which is all I really need. I also have to mention that my husband thinks the backpack looks really feminine, like one of those backpack purses, mainly because it is pretty small.

This item is handsome and sized well but not as handy as it looked online. The camera pocket is in the middle so you have to unzip along the middle and break open the bag to access the camera. Each time I wanted in, I had to undo the cover flap and swing it over the back. What's this all about. I'd prefer a bag without the flap and one that had a strap to hang my full size tripod on. I may trade it or give it away after this trip thru asia.

I recently purchased this backpack after finally acquiring a DSLR. I needed to find something that would hold my camera with a couple extra lenses but also have some separate storage for a water bottle or my car keys. I use this backpack every time that I go exploring with my camera. It is small enough to squeeze through some tight spaces, but big enough to hold all of the things I need on my little photo excursions.

I recommend this pack to anyone who wants a comfortable photo backpack that looks stylish but is also highly functional :)