There is no such thing as the perfect camera bag. This is a truth known to all photographers, everywhere. Even if such a thing existed, it would be a short lived feeling. Needs change. Gear changes. Like most photographers, I have been through several bags over the years. My first serious backpack was something that Nikon put out. I transported my Canon gear in it. Sometimes I drink Pepsi out of a Coke glass too. Rebel.
As time went on, I moved from a stiff backpack to a more malleable sling bag from Logitech. I bought it again after it, and the camera gear inside, was stolen. Eventually I started travelling with more gear and ended up finding a larger tactical sling bag on Amazon for a cool $29. Two years later, I had come to the conclusion that, while it carried what I needed, it was not at all comfortable for long walks in or out of locations. It had poor weight distribution that became apparent after more than five minutes of walking. I rarely ran into much of an issue because most of the locations I visit are a short walk from parking. I recently took a trip to Pennsylvania and accessed several locations requiring a fair amount of hiking. I’d had enough and vowed that it was time to upgrade.
Looking for a new bag, I had two main requirements. First, it should have good back ventilation. I over heat quickly even in cooler conditions so this was a must for me. Second, it should have good weight distribution across comfortable straps.
I typically carry one body with an attached lens, a second lens and an assortment of batteries and flashlights. I generally like to travel as light as possible to keep things simple so I knew I didn’t need anything too large. When I fly, I like to put my camera bag in the main compartment of my Osprey Nebula bag. This gives me the opportunity to easily deploy at my destination while also being able to transport my laptop, chargers, cables and lesser used hardware in the larger pack as a carry on along with my camera gear in a more discrete way.
Try doing a Google search for camera bags and you’ll be overwhelmed with options. Initially, I thought the best thing to do was to buy a hiking pack or daypack and retro fit into a camera bag. Some people do this and it works for them. Typically they are well ventilated and light. However, accessing camera gear seemed cumbersome and trying to add camera cubes looked to make things worse.
They say you get what you pay for and while this is generally true, every so often you can find the exception. In this case, I was seeing a bag price of around $79, which was very reasonable. Soon after I stumbled upon an even better deal of $49 through BH Photo if I purchased it with a bundle of free accessories designed for video bloggers. For that price, it was worth the risk.
Initial Impressions
The bag has been out for several years so it’s not the newest bag on the block. However it remains a very popular pack and is still in production. The bag comes in two sizes including the 16-liter and 22-liter. There’s also two shades of blue, two shades of gray and a color called “red pepper.” I purchased the bag in slate gray, which is a fairly low-key color.
The exterior of the bag is well constructed, durable and is water resistant. It has a good 
It doesn’t scream “camera bag!” Yes, it does say Lowepro down the front but I honestly don’t think that guarantees camera equipment anymore. I’ve seen these bags being used before for other things including just a regular old daypack. From a distance, it looks like a basic and simple backpack. It’s not covered with an insane amount of outer shell pockets and some other tell tale signs of a photographer’s bag.
Layout
With the camera compartment in the bottom half of the bag, its center of gravity stays low. This seems to work a bit better than other bags I have carried. The thicker shoulder straps help distribute the weight effectively. On my first night out with it, I had finished a shot and had begun walking to a new location nearby with my tripod and camera in hand. I had a moment where I thought I had forgotten to get the backpack off the ground where I had just been. Turns out, I was wearing it and forgot.
An insert cube that can be completely customized with the included dividers occupies the entire lower compartment. Or, it can be removed, which essentially opens the bag
To access the camera area, there is a zipper along the backside of the pack. Up until recently, I never really saw the value in having a back access compartment but its usefulness becomes clear quickly.
Chances are, you’re shooting in a dusty or dirty environment. You put your bag back-side down to access the front and your camera gear. Once you put the bag on again, you’re now also decorating yourself with whatever dirt, dew or grass clumps got stuck to the back of the bag and the straps. With the Lowepro’s configuration, it’s the front of the bag that takes the hit. At no point, does this area come into contact with you or your clothing keeping you clean. And since the front has less going on (no straps, textured foam padding and so on), it is much easier to simply wipe down later. I am not sure I will go back to front loading bags.
With the camera cube in place, the contents of the upper compartment rest comfortably atop the cube. This is where I keep two additional lenses. – a Rokinon 12mm fisheye and a 28-105 walk around. This compartment could also hold a single large lens such as a 70-200 or longer primer.
The front of the bag has a zipped access area that extends the width and length of the bag. In some places this is referred to a laptop/tablet pocket but this would certainly be for smaller devices. Maybe the 22 liter version would more reasonably hold a laptop or full size tablet. Either way, these pockets can be very useful for many other things.
There is a fabric wall that divides this front compartment right down the middle all the 
There are small, stretchable pockets on both sides of the pack. Don’t plan on putting your 32 ounce Hydro Flask inside as neither pocket will stretch that much. However, you could easily hold a can of soda, or a standard 20 ounce water bottle. Or, more snacks!
Who Is This For?
If you’re the type of photographer that hikes in and out of locations over the course of a few hours with one body and a few lenses, you will like this bag. If, like me, you like drive to multiple locations in a single evening and find yourself in and out of your car or truck, this is also for you.
However, if you are a power shooter who carries multiple bodies and a slew of lenses you may be better served by trying the 22 liter version or even something larger.
Conclusion
I’m very pleased with this bag. It’s well built, nicely designed and looks good. It is comfortable and keeps me cooler than other bags I’ve used. If you’re shooting with smaller lenses and one body, or have a mirrorless kit, the 16-liter will be enough for you. As mentioned earlier, you may be able to find the bag for as little as $49.99 but as of this writing I see it in most places for between $64.99 and $99.99 depending on color and size. At less than $100 it’s a good deal. At less than $75 it is a great deal. This will be my primary shooting bag for all my nighttime adventures around Cape Cod and is likely to be my primary kit bag for travel as I typically bring a simple setup.
For me, this bag is perfect for my current situation at the moment.
As of this writing, BH Photo had this bag for $68.99. (Sorry, the bundle special is listed as discontinued. They must have caught on!)
https://goo.gl/Phpbhy
Check out Amazon’s current offering here: https://goo.gl/kGPTXF
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