Lowepro Fastpack 250 (Arctic Blue)

Company : Lowepro List Price : $119.99 Amazon Price : $88.95 Used Price : Average customer review :

Features

• Side Entry Compartment provides easy access to D-SLR equipment and accessories, even when pack is being worn
• Triple Compartment Design ensures superior camera protection, notebook protection (fits up to a 15.4" Widescreen), and organizes personal accessories
• 180-Degree access panel with adjustable dividers provides excellent protection in a customized fit that's easy to load.
• Outer accessory pockets provide external storage for other accessories with fast access, including a harness pocket for an MP3 player or Mobile Phone, as well as a Mesh side pocket for a water bottle or other personal items.
• Tough, water-resistant outer fabric protects against moisture and abrasion

Product Description

Specially designed for today's on-the-go technology enthusiast, whether the task is photographing family travels, traversing campus, or taking a day trip around town, the Fastpack 250 has been designed to accommodate a digital SLR with attached mid-range zoom lens, 2-3 additional lenses or flash units and accessories and have a specially designed compartment for a 15.4" widescreen notebook computer, as well as extra space for additional memory cards, cables and accessories.

Customer reviews

great camera backpack!
I have been searching for a camera bag with light backpacking feature for a long time and finally settled on this one. The first impression is that the bag looks bigger than expected. But then once everything is put into the bag, you realize that the bag is the smallest size to fit all the stuff.

The top compartment for backpacking and the bottom compartment for camera equipment are nicely separated with padding. The laptop compartment has very thick padding (an inch of padding with both sides combined) This might have added some weight to the bag and for someone does not need the laptop capability, the Fastpack 200 would be a choice with lighter weight. The top compartment does not have the necessary padding for camera equipment as it is designed for personal items.

Many people are wondering (including myself) whether the bag will fit a 70-200 2.8 when making the purchase decision. The answer is Yes. I have a 30D with 16-35, 24-105 and 70-200 2.8 IS. There are two possible configurations.

First is to mount the 70-200 on the camera with hood reversed. But removing the divider in the center space, it's a nice fit. The other two lens are put into the bottom 2 spaces. Both lens hood can be put into the outside pocket of the top compartment. With the 70-200 in the middle, the top spaces are too narrow for any lens. Even a 50/1.4 is a very tight fit. But it can snugly fit a flash and a 1.4X teleconverter.

The 2nd choice is to mount a different lens on the camera, say 24-105, and store the 70-200 on the bottom space with the divider in the bottom space removed. The 70-200 in the bottom space is a tight fit but it does fit, although the end divider is slightly bulged by the lens cap. In either configuration, the top space is only designed for flash and teleconverter like, maybe a small lens like 50/1.4, but definitely not for any lens bigger. The camera with one the 24-105 mounted and hood reversed will fit in the center space, although it must be reversed (upside down) since the bulging lens cap from the 70-200 is too close. The 16-35 will then fits in the center space with the divider put back on. The hood for 16-35 is too large to fit and can be easily stored in the outside pocket of the top compartment.

There are plenty of small pouches for memory cards, battery, and filters on the pouch outside the compartment. The water bottle mesh pocket strap is nice. Once the bag is put on the shoulder, it feels well balanced. The shoulder strap is nicely padded, wide and comfortable. The waist strap helps balance the bag and distribute some weight off the shoulder. With one shoulder strap released, you can swing the bag to the front for quick camera access.

The bag is not All Weather and it does not have a place for tripod or monopod. That's not a downside since the one with these features would be much higher priced and for all different needs. My only complaint is that the cell phone pouch on the shoulder strap is too small for smart phones like Treo. If only it is designed to be 1/4 of inch larger!

Great bag for my Macbook Pro and XTi
I bought this bag for my 15" MBP, and my XTi. I traveled to Fla., and the bag was great. It fits under the seat, securely holds the laptop, well padded, well made.

The XTi has the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS attached to it, it if fits with plenty of room. (oh, and I also recommend this lens)

My only gripe is that the XTi is a small bodied camera, which can shift around a little. I used a piece of foam that fits perfectly in the camera space, and the camera goes on top of that - no movement whatsoever. (This is not a flaw of the bag though, just a heads up)

This is great!
I Got this to replace my Lowepro CompuDayPack because it was too small -- this is PERFECT -- it fits my macbook pro beautifully, and it fits my Canon 40D with large zoom lens attached, along with all my other lenses and gear -- and its secure and relatively lightweight, as well as comfortable to wear. Believe me, I have tried almost every SLR-COmputer backpack on the market, and this one is just about perfect for my use.

Note that this is NOT designed for heavy-duty hiking-trail type shooting. There is no ability to lash anything to the bag. It is specifically designed to be a lightweight carry-all your gear bag. I found this to be the perfect travel bag for a recent trip to Walt Disney World -- airplane carry-on compatible, lightweight, and allowed me to take all the gear I wanted to safely on board. I found myself not using the bag itself once at the resort, but it sure was convenient and easy to use.

I've also used it on multiple local shoots in the area where I needed my laptop along.

Highly recommended.

vs the slingshot 200
I was considering the Lowepro slingshot 200 and the Fastpack 250, and boy am I glad I went with the fastpack. Here's a quick side by side comparison:

1. Camera storage compartment: pretty much identical between the two models.
2. Ease of Access: Much easier and more comfortable for the fastpack; just let go of the right strap and swing the bag around. The slingshot swings around and ends up on your chest, pretty awkward feeling/looking; the fastpack ends up near your left waist, allowing you to suavely draw your slr.
3. Size: the fastpack is bulkier than the slingshot, though not by much.
4. Price: the same for both models.

Other random fastpack 250 notes:
1. Laptop storage compartment: the zipper opens along the side, not around the whole backpack.
2. Cellphone pocket: my samsung t-629 fits very snugly.
3. I use this bag for school, storing a slim folder in the laptop pocket, and a couple of 8x6 books in the top compartment.

Nice camera access
It's nice to be able to access your camera without having to take off the backpack. I like the side pocket for putting a bottle of water too.

Lowepro Fastpack 250 (Arctic Blue)