Tamrac 5577 Expedition 7 SLR Photo Backpack (Black)

Company : Tamrac List Price : $249.95 Amazon Price : Too low to display Used Price : $197.50 Average customer review :

Features

• he Expedition 7 is a large pack that accommodates a full complement of photographic equipment
• Dual Wing pockets feature Tamracs patented Memory & Battery Management System to identify available memory cards and batteries
• QuickClip tripod attachment system holds tripod centered and balanced while Tripod Foot Pocket holds two tripod legs secure
• State of the art harness system features Dual Density Comfort Pads and Air Flow Channels and dual-pivoting waist belt

Product Description

The Expedition 7 is a large pack that accommodates a full complement of equipment. A large front pocket with a water-resistant zipper holds a light jacket or extra gear. The main compartment is completely foam padded with numerous adjustable, foam-padded dividers to protect multiple pro-size digital or film SLRs, a full range of lenses, and flashes. The camera with a long zoom attached is suspended on two vertical, foam-padded dividers that are internally reinforced with rigid plastic. Restraint straps hold the lens firmly in place. Three Windowpane-Mesh pockets inside the front flap visibly organize filters, film and other accessories. A plastic, foam-padded platform in the bottom provides shock protection while a LockDown rain flap protects the zipper from the elements.

Customer reviews

Comfort and Ease-of-Use
The Tamrac 5577, even though you may read of other reviews of this backpack being a bit heavy or large, is an excellent companion to any photographer! My professional digital SLR fits perfectly with its 50mm lens along with the 70-200mm lens, flash, accessories, and even room for my pocket digital! The backpack fits comfortable and weighs about 20 pounds when filled without causing back or shoulder strain by utilizing the waist and chest straps. In addition the Tamrac 5577 is weather-resistant with an outstanding design on the seal around the zippers!

Excellent bag-very happy with purchase
I purchased the expedition 7 bag for a trip to the 3 national parks. This bag protects the gear very well. It is well made and the strap system is very comfortable. I was able to carry this on the plane, and though large, it fit easily into the overhead compartments.

The strap system adjusts in so many ways, I would imagine anyone could get a good fit. (I'm 6' tall and 290 lbs - so no small guy)

I was able to fit my 40d with tele lens, 2 other tele lenses, a 50mm prime, a 70-200 sigma ex zoom, a bogen grip head, filters, hoods for all lenses, a battery charger, 420 flash, remote shutter release, 8 flash cards, lens cloth, dust-off, 16 AA batteries, and attached my manfrotto 055x tripod. I also attached 2 Tamrac water bottle holders and 2 medium accessory pouches (for lunches). Plenty of room for this and more.
The accessory mounting system is excellent with this bag.

The only "con" was that the flap that protects the zipper from rain would often get caught in the zipper when opening and closing.

I would recommend this bag to anyone.

It does say EXPEDITION
Finally, I have a pack that I can take all my gear to the mountains in! I needed a pack to carry photo equipment as well as necessities for long hikes and climbing trips - comfortably. This bag does the trick. I'm 5'8" and used to hiking with a lot of climbing and photo gear. This bag makes the job much easier. A few things I wish it had are mesh pockets, slightly larger outer storage pocket, and a water-resistant bottom (e.g. a rubberized bottom) for the occasional stream crossing.

Tamrac Expedition 7
First, I love Tamrac!!! I have a small bag that I have had for years and love! The Expedition 7 is HUGE and I know I looked at it and it said it was large but it is really big and when you fill it up, it is heavy. I like it a lot and will use it to store and keep all of my equipment safe and all in one place. It won't be as handy as I was expecting, but it is a really nice bag with lots of storage space which was what I needed. If and when I need to take all of my equipment, I will be able to now and I couldn't before. The size is just a little overwhelming at first but a super nice bag.

WARNING: This bag is BIG and pretty heavy
I bought this bag at B&H. When you're in the store, it's sitting next to the larger models and doesn't look very large... well that was my mistake. I bought it, and it only took me until I got home to realize that unless you are actually embarking on an expedition, this bag is entirely too big. The problem isn't the width and the height - it's very similar to a regular backpack in that regard - it's the depth. I am 6'0 and 210lbs, not small, and it still looked huge on me. The interior padding makes any attempt to reduce the thickness completely futile (which is obviously done on purpose so that your things will be padded and protected). In hindsight, a bag that tapers towards the top, such as the Crumpler Whickey and Cox, would have been better in that regard (I didn't pick Crumpler because of their lack of interior and exterior pockets - otherwise they are excellent bags).

Another issue was the sheer weight of this bag. I didn't really realize it when I put it on in the store, but walk a few blocks and you'll be amazed at the load this thing puts on your shoulders when it's empty. The reason I wanted to switch to a backpack was that I wanted a bag that I could put on and almost forget I was wearing - this thing reminds you of its presence at every step. The weight balance is also less than ideal if you carry your camera and lenses toward the top of the bag (which is what your tendency will probably be, since you'll probably want to access your equipment quickly from the top). Several backpacks from both Tamrac and other makers have access to the main camera compartment from the front-bottom, allowing you to better distribute the weight.

One thing that may not be obvious to everyone is that the absolutely ridiculously thick lumbar padding can be removed in sections (there are several pieces to vary thickness). Just FYI.

If you are considering a bag to carry your equipment, say, on a trip to Europe (like I was), it won't be long (about ten minutes) before you regret your decision to walk around looking like you're about to go climb Everest. Not only is it incredibly ungainly, it's also an attention magnet, and I for one don't like to advertise that I'm carrying thousands of dollars in photo gear.

If you need to carry loads of equipment and need to put a camera with grip in it and have no doubt in your mind that it will be protected, by all means consider this model: the padding is excellent, and the weather sealing, with no need for a rain cover, surpasses every other bag I saw except for the Lowepro Dry-Zone. Furthermore, there are many useful pockets and the tripod attachment (though I would have preferred it to be on the side), handled my Manfrotto 190MF4 with no problems. However, you should realize that this backpack is meant almost exclusively to carry photo gear and doesn't have many compartments destined to carry other things (aside from a large front pocket, which I think could fit a small laptop or a sweater). So if you ARE actually going on an expedition, bring a pack mule, because this thing will carry your photo gear, but not much else.

I give it a 4-star rating because for what it is, it's very good. What knocks it down one star is its weight, ergonomics, and lack of versatility for carrying other things / converting to other uses.

Tamrac 5577 Expedition 7 SLR Photo Backpack (Black)