Customer Reviews

Tamrac 5273 Expedition 3 SLR Photo Backpack (Black)

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I was finding that many of my activities were going unphotographed because I didn't have a way to safely carry my equipment. Activities such as bike riding, cross country skiing or canoeing have not been a part of my photohistory--until I got the Tamrac Expedition 3 backpack.

The "Expedition" holds my SLR with a 300mm lens, my standard lens, my off camera flash, extra film, standard filters and cleaning supplies, with room left over for my keys and money. Everything is well padded and secure, and the pack is quite small and sits squarely on my back. A sturdy top handle allows it to be carried in hand, and its small size makes this possible without dragging it along the ground as I do so. The materials used are very sturdy; the pack can stand on its own and does not "collapse."

The only down side, and this is true of any camera backpack, is the need to take it off and zip it open to get at your gear. If this would be a concern, you may want to check out the top-loading hip packs, which I passed on since they always feel awkward to me. Years of hauling backpacks make the "Expedition" seem like second nature to me. No longer will my photohistory suggest couch potato-dom; now I can shoot my exploits on trail or river, thanks to the "Expedition!"

This pack worked great for about a week. It handles my STsi along with a 75-300mm lens, a 28-80mm lens, a 2x tele-converter, a hot shoe flash, 8 filters, and assorted other trinkets. The one main complaint is there isn't much room for film. Also there isn't any room to grow with the pack. The pack is very small. If you are the "just bring this and thats it" type then this is YOUR pack. I on the other have bought 2 more lens (35-135 & a 1000) and another body. Not a chance of fitting this into the pack. another complaint is that since it is so small lashing a tripod to the pack is just notfeasable. All in all GREAT pack! Although I have a few complaints it is great to just keep your camera with you and your hands free. And I did order a much larger pack. So enough of my whinning!

This is a nice, well-made, durable backpack.
It just arrived today and I immediately stuffed it with my Nikon D50 SLR, with an 18-55mm lens attached and 2 additional lenses. It was a VERY tight squeeze getting this little bit of gear into the backpack. The bag is bulging at the sides making it a bit of a pain to zip up. If I had it to do over, I would probably opt for something larger than this backpack but for what it is, and the price, it'll do. The good thing about it is that the space constraints can be somewhat alleviated by purchasing attachable lens cases such as the MX5378 and MX5375.

I'm not sure why people are complaining about this backpack being so small since the description and pictures are accurate (though it looks smaller in real life and the scale is not all that obvious).

I easily fit a medium sized camera with a 28-300 lens attached and and an 18-55 lens directly below it. I don't have other lenses to fill up the side partitions of the main compartment, but could easily fit 2 to 4 more lenses (depending on size) in these areas. The sides of the main compartment seem a bit tighter to fit things in, however.

Even being conservative, this pack should fit a camera with lens attached, 2 additional lenses and a flash in the main compartment.

In the smaller front pocket I fit 2 memory cards, compact lens cleaning kit, larger lens cloth, 8 AA batteries, compact charger. A mini-tripod or compact water bottle would fit in the outside pocket/strap.

Don't expect to carry huge amounts of additional things in this pack aside from additional small items like keys, wallet, map, cell phone.

You're not going to be putting your thermos, picnic lunch and jacket in here. It's not even as big as most computer backpacks, but it certainly doesn't claim to be. You might fit some small additional items, but not anything bulky.

The construction seems good and it's reasonably rigid and well padded. It's a good value for the price.

I ordered this bag over a canon bag for my rebel XT and lenses due to reports of problems with the zippers on the canon bags. The tamrac bag's zipper feels quite sturdy, but it seems to get stuck or a little tight towards the top when zipping or unzipping both main pockets.

Otherwise this was a great purchase. There is plenty of room so far, for my Digital Rebel XT with 50mm f/1.8 lens, 18-56mm lens, 75-300mm lens, charger, two batteries, various cables, manual, lens pen, and tripod mount. Theoretically you can attach a tripod to the bag as well, although mine is too large and even if it weren't I'm not really sure it would hold it in an optimum fashion.

The shoulder straps are comfortable and sturdy, as is the carrying handle. There are enough pockets and seperators to hold most of the little knick-knacks that you might need. I'm quite happy with the purchase.

I recently purchased the Tamrac 5273 backpack, and it's a great little pack if you're out shooting for the day and don't have too much (or if you have smaller) equipment. The comparments and pockets are well-organized and well-padded, everything is pretty easy to access, it's comfortable to wear, and it's certainly sturdy enough for all the environments I use it for (nature-hiking, city-trekking, etc.).

But, if you have an SLR with more than two lenses and maybe a few smaller accessories (a filter or two), things will be pretty tight. A previous reviewer also made a comment about the tripod holder being built for more compact tripods - that's definitely accurate. Although, it's not impossible to secure a more "standard" tripod (I've done it without too much trouble.)

Overall, if you're looking for something small-but-sturdy to carry equipment for the day, it's a fantastic backpack for that. If you generally carry more than the "basics," though, I'd recommend something a little bigger.

I don't have a lot of photography gear--SLR body, 2 lenses (1 80mm and 1 300mm), a hood, a few filters--but I needed a good way to haul all of it around. This is a wonderful bag to do that. It is built very well and I believe that it will protect my equipment from injury should an accident ever arise. I still have room to add a few more lenses before I outgrow this bag. I am a petite person and was able to adjust the shoulder straps small enough to be comfortable on my back--a big plus. (Only downside is that I suspect adding my tripod to the mix may be a little awkward, but nonetheless I believe I will be able to lash it somehow to the outside of the bag with minimal trouble since I don't take my tripod along very often.) All-in-all, if you need a convenient and safe way to haul "the basics" in camera equipment around, this is a great, sturdy bag for it.

Be aware that this is a small bag. Realistically, it will hold your SLR camera and 2 lenses, max. And they had better not be really huge lenses.

That said, this bag is perfect if you understand what you are buying. It is well made, protects your camera, and is small enough to ride on your back with perfect comfort. I love mine.

I like the versatility inside - meaning you can arrange the inside velcro panels to fit lenses, etc. I fit my camera body with 28-80 mm lens and a 70-210 mm and a 70-300 mm lens in the body of the bag and still have an extra "compartment" that I fill with film. Cons: 1)Description indicates it comes with the side straps etc for a water bottle or other gear - you actually have to purchase those separately.2) Not much space in the outer pockets. Once I get a few filters in, there isn't much room for my i.d or a notepad/book. 3) Straps are awkward to adjust. Pros: 1)Appears sturdy - its been on 5 planes with me and placed in the overhead bin with no trouble. 2)Doesn't announce that you are carrying a camera. 3) It is compact so if you can travel light it's great. I guess I just want to carry too much stuff. I would consider this pack in a larger size except that this one already gets heavy on long hikes.

There is no way the picture of the bag is the same one they send you. The bag will hold an SLR with a lens, an additional small zoom lens, a flash and a few small accessories. The pictures showing 3 - 4 other lenses and a teleconverter in addition to an SLR with a lens is completely misleading. This backpack should probably be called a backpurse. It is very small compared to ANY backpack you have ever seen. It will not hold what the pictures show. Amazon's description "Capable of holding an SLR body with up to a 7-inch lens attached, as well as four to five additional lenses and equipment, the Expedition 3 is roomy enough to fit the needs of most photographers." is simply not an honest statement. Remember the obscure Pentax 110 SLR? That little known interchangable lens SLR might fit per the description. This bag is the size of a medium sized shoebox.