Pentaxian Registered: May, 2016 Posts: 3,726 | | Review Date: September 2, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $120.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Versatility | | Cons: | Versatility | |
I've been using this bag for over a year as my main bag to go to work and on all sorts of trips. For that it excels: one camera with lens attached and another lens fit in the two pouches, then food and other stuff goes at the bottom and I can also have my laptop. It's not perfect, there are times when it feel cramped, but overall it's a very good compromise between versatility and size.
I've also been on hikes with it, same deal except (obviously) no laptop. The bottom compartment is enough to fit water bottles and snacks. The padding on the straps and back is very comfortable for a non-hiking backpack, I've hiked up to 8 hours with this bag without issues. It lacks hip straps, but it's small enough that you don't really need them.
Camera-wise, what applies to the "pro" version is true for this as well. apsc dslr (k3ii) + da limited lens very nicely, with a 16-85 zoom it's tight but it works. The other pouch is large enough for a medium zoom or for two da limited if you're creative with the spacing (or if one of them is the da 40). The tripod straps are fine but I've mostly used them with a mini tripod (joby); a full size tripod doesn't balance too great because it's heavy and is too far out, but still much better than side pocket solutions.
It's a jack of all trades and a master of none, and I like it for that. I'm taking a point off because the pouches seem to waste a lot of space around them, could have been symmetrical and the "pocket" divider for the lens pouch could have been more efficient and allow 2 small lenses more easily. Why get this instead of the pro version? It's cheaper and the bottom compartment, not having extra pouches, makes it easier to store stuff, so it's better when carrying camera gear is not the most important function.
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