35091 Primus AW Premium Backpack (Black)

I debated a long time before settling on the Lowepro Primus pack. There are a lot of other great packs out there, but this is the one I chose. In hind sight, I may have elected to go with the Lowepro Compu-Treker, but I'm still not sure about that.Here goes:PROS:1. Very very comfortable to wear around.2. Made from recycled water bottles3. Has a tripod holder4. All-Weather (AW)5. Nice large upper storage compartment for water, snacks, jacket, etc.6. High quality zippers and fabricCONS:1. Camera compartment is pretty small. (I can fit my D300 w/ battery grip and the 17-55mm f/2.8 lens mounted on it, plus two additional smaller lenses (i.e. 10-20mm Sigma, Nikon 50mm/1.8, extension tubes, or tele-extender)2. The easy access side door is very small. No way to get D300 w/ batter grip out the side door. It comes out ok without the battery grip, but it's still pretty tight.3. The top compartment is a challenge to get into without unclicking the load lifter straps. It's easy to do, but it's just another step in the process.4. There are a lot of straps on the backpack (this is both good and bad) and it makes it a challenge to open and close zippers with all of the straps in the way.In summary, it is a very good/well built backpack, but it won't carry a ton of camera gear unless you put more gear in the upper compartment. It's very comfortable to wear, but is a little bit of a pain to get into.I'm not sure if it's worth $200, but you're paying a little bit of a premium because it's made of recycled water bottles.For someone who just carries a camera and a lens or two and does a lot of hiking, this is an excellent backpack. If you're looking for something to lug all your camera gear around on the subway or in the car, I would get something different.

Like everyone says there is not perfect camera bag, just the best bag for the person for the application. I have to go along with everyone too when it comes to the size of the access pouch on the side, it is really hard to get a pro body through it.The bag rides really well and you can pack a lot of stuff into it. I keep a pro body, 70-200, 50, and 24-70 in the lower compartment. I actually keep a QTVR lens in the top part along with extra batteries and trail mix.One thing I really like, and has nothing to do with photography is the mesh pocket on the side of the bag...it is the perfect size to hold up to a 1 liter bottle of water and is actually deep enough to hold it in there when you are moving through technical terrain.The bag is great for holding a lot of gear and not being too bulky. You can actually get into rather quickly but it is still not a fast access bag or a drop pouch. I till carry a small bag on my shoulder to drop lenses into when I am really shooting and not using two bodies. The bag is really designed for one body, but you could put the second one in the top compartment if you wanted to.I actually piggy back this bag off of my hiking bag, that way i have a my photo kit protected but easily accessible. Using this bag allows for a lot of flexibility and you can carry a decent amount of gear comfortably and you don't have to worry about damaging it. I also actually like the rear facing zippers, at first I had to get used to them but now I totally appreciate not having to worry about people opening my pack from behind me, or a zipper working open on its own, or getting grabbed by a branch.Like I said the only neg is the size of the side access hatch maybe next year they will make it just a tiny bit bigger, and honestly that is all it would take.

I don't want to jump the gun here, but the Primus AW may be my perfect camera pack. The construction and quality are second to none. This pack is certainly made to be an outdoor pack with every adjustment strap you would find on a back country pack.PROS:- Superior quality and all the features you would expect on an adventure pack- The pack openings are set against the back, providing security and allowing the straps to stay off the ground- The padded hip straps take the weight off your shoulders. Fully loaded, this pack can pack on the pounds- The upper compartment is surprisingly roomy. Room for an igloo lunch bag, extra clothes or small jacket- A jacket can easily be secured to the ingenious outside pocket/flap, which also holds miscellaneous articles- The side access panel allows quick and easy access to your camera without removing the pack. Provides more than ample room for a D60 w/o grip- The tripod securing straps are incredibly convenient and durable- Attached All Weather Cover is an added bonus- Good sized pack, while not oversized. Makes a perfect carry-on item for flights- Side elastic pocket is perfect for a large water bottleCONS:- The pack has a finite amount of space for equipment. It appears to be able to fit a camera w/ med to long telephoto, two short lenses and compact flash, plus 2 memory card pockets and one medium sized small accessories pocket.(Perfect if your inventory is on the small side, or you only want to bring part of your inventory with you.)

I have been using this for quite some time now and have travelled around the world with. I cannot over emphasise how usefull and perfectly practical it has beeen.The rucksack is very robust. Great quality, thick material that is shower proof. if it rains heavily, just pull out the rain protector which does its job very well. The straps are VERY comfortable, the body-strap being great for taking strain off the shoulders. The rucksack feels like a very expensive travellers rucksack. I have worn it for entire, long days, comfortably.The camera section is plenty big enough for decent size DSLR and lens, spare lens, filters, batteries and bits and bobs. The compartment is also adjustable. The top compartment is great storage for food, books, clothing - whatever you need on your hike. Plenty of space in my opinion.On the outside of the bag is external compartment and pocket. ideal for storing you waterproof or jacket; especially when you wish to keep wet stuff outside of your bag. The pocket can carry books or be used to carry your platypus / hydration system. There is also the easy access zip on the side which has been useful on several occasions. Plus water bottle pouch on the other side of the rucksack, which I also use to attach my tripod (there is dedicated tripod carrier but I prefer this method).And one final bonus; the rucksack fits nicely into the overhead lockers on planes. No problem keeping your valuable equipment with you.I really do recommend this product. Its worth paying a little extra for

Haven't had chance to use this bag "in the wild" yet, but I'll give my first impressions.The camera section is well padded and has compartments for a body with a reasonable length zoom attached, plus a couple of other compartments for other lenses, flash, whatever. It's velcro lined, so you can resize these compartments to suit. The main access (to both this section and the upper "general storage" section) is from the back of the bag, so it's quite secure if you're walking through a crowd, etc. There is a side access panel which, in theory, allows you to take out your camera body with lens attached without removing the bag from your shoulders. In practice, I think you have to be quite agile to make this work - I'll probably be taking the bag off one shoulder when I need to get to the camera. The access panel isn't too big - I've got a 400D which fits fine, but larger bodies may struggle. Best to take your own body to a shop and have a play, then order it online (!). There's also room in this section for your memory cards, batteries, etc.The upper section is not massive, but certainly big enough to get your sarnies and a small flask in, plus a map or notebook and other sundries - it's a useful size.There's an outer section in which you can get your jacket, fleece, etc, but this is an external section and is not fully protected from the elements (nor is it secure), but it's certainly practical enough for trips out in the country. I'll certainly be making use of it.The straps are well constructed and allow for a wide degree of adjustment for comfort and fit. There's a waist band too, as you would see on a regular "hiking" rucksack, which helps to distribute the weight of the bag & contents.Underneath the bag is a pullout rain cover.There's a strap to carry a tripod or monopod on the front of the bag, which includes a pull-out section to hold the head - a nice touch. I've read elsewhere that it may be difficult (or impossible) to deploy the raincover if a tripod or monopod is attached, but I've not had chance to try this out.Overall I think this is a very practical camera bag, both in terms of carrying capacity and comfort, and ideally suited to the needs of most walkers who are also photographers. It's not the perfect bag (hence 4 stars), but it's a very good attempt that should suit most people looking for this kind of bag. I had also looked at the Lowepro Slingshot 200, similar price range, but decided there was not enough room for non-camera items and also teh design is probably not as comfortable for longer walks.P.S. I think the reviewer who gave the bag 1 star just because his camera body was too big to fit through the side access panel was not making a fair judgement. There are plenty of high-street stores that stock these bags, so he could have gone to one of them and checked the size before ordering. I think the 1 star is a review of his particular requirement for the bag, not a review of the bag itself.

I bought this pack for day walks with camera, couple of lenses and a carbon fibre tripod. It oozes quality and innovation with the ergonomics and fit very well thought out. Perhaps the harness and adjustments are a little over-engineered for a day-sac but then I've not been out with the thing fully loaded as yet. Camera protection is excellent and full access from the back of the pack (i.e. the part closest to your body) a good idea. Space for other storage is more limited than I had hoped for partly because it is shared between a fully enclosed compartment and a large pull open pocket. I wasn't mad about the latter. It's obviously designed for quick access but it leaves your gear open to the elements and with potential for things to fall out. Good for maps maybe but a very large space to sacrifice just for this. The system for mounting your tripod is nice with a tuck-away hanging pocket at the base of the pack and a click-fit strap half way up the pack. Unfortunately this alone is not enough to secure my Giottos MT8246B which still hangs away from the pack at the top. I've cured this by using two of the top straps to hold the head in place.A great product though you might want to look at one in the shop so that you can get your head round the innovative design before splashing out.

This bag is exactly what I had been looking for. I was after something to carry my (three) cameras around on long walks in Europe, plus have space for water, food and waterproofs. It does exactly that. The DSLR and Video fit in the bag, and the small DC clips to the straps. It also carries my tripod and monopod if I want it to.My only complaint is that in reality you have to take the bag off to access the equipment. There always has to be a compromise

Excellent bag at a great price,very comfortable to wear when walking and leaving hands free.camera stored in the bottom and jacket or jumper in the top.Large camera can be quite a tight fit.can hold my Canon 30D with grip with 70-300mm lens and hold a couple of other lenses.also has storage for accessories.