Product Listing

Review: The Lowepro Fastpack BP 250 AW II is a bag for your camera and personal gear

By Alvin Soon - 17 May 2016

Introduction, Design and Handling

 

Looking for a backpack to carry both my DSLR camera and personal gear

I recently went on a trip to New Zealand and wanted a new camera bag to go along with me. I love my Think Tank Retrospective 20 to bits, but I was planning a few day hikes, and a shoulder bag — with its lopsided weight — would just add extra punishment to the exertion.

While shopping for a new bag, I had a few requirements in mind. The camera bag:

  • Should be a backpack, to reduce strain
  • Should have fast access, so I can retrieve my camera quickly for a shot, and store it just as quickly
  • Should have a weather cover, in case it rains
  • Should have a side pocket for my water bottle
  • Should have an open space to store my jacket

I finally picked the Lowepro Fastpack BP 250 AW II as my next travel companion, and the bag proved itself over the course of two weeks walking in New Zealand, as well as a work trip in Shanghai marching through convention halls.

 

Design & Handling

The Fastpack BP 250 AW II is firm and sturdy, holding its shape even when empty. The backpack does looks a little lumpy, with a bottom-heavy shape. I had to take more care while walking, as I could bump into things with its thick bottom if I wasn’t careful. Otherwise, it has a clean design that doesn’t attract attention, and a look that can fit in the country or in the city.

The backpack is divided into two compartments; the upper compartment is open with space for personal gear and it’s roomy: I could still stuff a jacket, as well as a scarf, beanie and gloves into it (more on how to layer for cold weather). There’s plenty of pockets for organization, my wallet and iPhone went into the webbing along the back wall, and my passport stayed hidden inside the zipped compartment. There’s one obvious strike against the bag in here, while the outer zips are metal, the inner zips are made of cheap plastic for some reason.

The upper compartment comes with plenty of room for your personal gear.

Sample carry: An L-size jacket, a beanie and a thick scarf. I could still fit my gloves in there as well.

Another front pocket in front of the camera is a good place to stash snacks and miscellaneous small items. I wished Lowepro didn’t make its logo so obvious on the front of the pack — not everyone wants people to know they’re carrying expensive gear — so I covered it with a patch of my own (this one is from Langly, a company that also makes camera bags).

A front pocket lets you hold miscellaneous small items, like a protein bar. I covered the Lowepro logo with a custom patch.

The compartment below stores a DSLR, plus two to three lenses and a flash. I didn’t pack that much gear, but the 250 AW II comfortably held my Nikon D750 with a 24-140mm lens attached. I can see it holding another prime, as well as my external flash, with ease.

While the padding inside the camera compartment can be rearranged, the padding separating the open and camera compartments are fixed. Some might prefer a more flexible arrangement, but I prefer this one, as the divider is more stable, and I could place my slightly damp clothes into the open space, without worrying that water would drip through cracks onto my camera.

Sample carry: A Nikon D750 and SB-910 Speedlight. I can comfortably stash a mid-range prime next to the camera, and possibly squeeze a telephoto along the bottom.

The fast access side panel works as advertised, and let me get my camera quickly while on the move. If you want to access the rest of your gear, you’ll need to set the 250 AW II down and unlock the front panel to free up the camera compartment zippers. Not only does the front panel hide another front pocket, but it also prevents the camera compartment from being opened by accident.

The fast access panel let me get and put away my camera while on the move.

There’s a laptop compartment on the other side, which has a secondary pocket for smaller tablets. The padding here, as well as in the camera compartment’s, is thick enough for me to casually place my bag down on the floor or in a car boot.

The side pocket holds a water bottle comfortably, or a travel tripod. It doesn’t fit any tripod any larger than a small one though.

The side pocket held my water bottle fine. It even fit my massive Nalgene 0.95l bottle.

Like so many camera bags, the 250 AW II is not light. When empty, it weighs 1.8kg. I was carrying an average of 5-6kg on my walks, and I found that the padded straps fit comfortably across my shoulders, and the (removable) waist belt helped to distribute the load on longer hikes.

The 250 AW II isn’t weather resistant, and the zips don’t seal fully. The zip for the laptop compartment feels especially loose, and I can easily imagine water leaking into the bag in a downpour. The bag stores a weather cover at the bottom, but I was lucky enough not to have to use it, so I can’t comment on this one.

The zips are not water resistant, and rain will likely seep through the cracks in a downpour.

The 250 AW II does have a weather cover built-in, which is handy for those times when you can’t avoid bad weather.

If there’s one other complaint, it’s that the back of the 250 AW II doesn’t allow air to circulate very freely, and I discovered my sweat wouldn’t evaporate as my back pressed against the backpack. That made for some clammy moments when I took it off in the cold outdoors. To be fair, the 250 AW II doesn’t claim to have breathable suspension, so I can’t ding it for that.

Join HWZ's Telegram channel here and catch all the latest tech news!
Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.