One of the most important accessories for any photographer is a photo bag, which not only stores equipment, but also makes transportation easy and safe. A bag should be convenient, practical, spacious and beautiful to some extent.
Choice of a bag depends on what you plan to use it for. Speaking of my experience, there is no ideal bag, therefore we usually have to own multiple of them. That is exactly the case for me. A bag cannot be not so big, not so small, spacious, outdoor, rugged, soft, nice and presentable all at once! So at the end of the day I decided to buy a dedicated backpack for hiking.
Choice of outdoor photo backpacks is not huge. As a loyal customer of Lowepro, I first looked at their backpack line and spotted Photo Sport BP series. I was lucky to get it as a present last November and had a chance to test it a few times.
It is a high quality backpack, but turned out to be much less spacious than I needed. So I had to look around for alternatives and found Manfrotto Off Road Hiker, which looked very promising. I pulled the trigger again and now as an owner of both backpacks, I decided to write this comparison review. So, I start with comparing them "on paper".
Basic Specifications
Backpack Construction
Lowepro
Backpack really lacks sturdiness. There is no frame, which is very sad. When upper section is filled with personal items, backpack loses shape. Weight balance also deteriorates.
Manfrotto
It has a frame, which makes backpack sturdy. Weight balance is good and backpack does not deform whatsoever. Backpack features transpiring back system with padded nylon mesh to help wick-away moisture, maybe not completely though, speaking of my experience. Manfrotto has an edge in overall construction.
Photo Compartment
Lowepro
Photo compartment has a side access door, which is secured by zipper and stretch c which is not only more safe, but also convenient. The side-access UltraCinch chamber allows to tighten the camera compartment from outside of the pack to stabilize gear while in motion. Photo compartment holds a DSLR with 24-105mm lens or equivalent attached, one additional lens or flashlight. It DOES NOT hold a DSLR with 70-200 mm f/2.8 lens attached! While you can store the lens and body separately, it is really not the best case scenario you would expect from such backpack. To me it is very strange that even the largest size in line is not intended to hold that popular combo of camera & lens. Also, the camera compartment is permanently attached to the backpack, which is not exactly a drawback, but would be good to have.
Manfrotto
Just like its counterparty, Manfrotto also has a side access photo compartment which is secured by zipper. But unlike Lowepro, the compartment is much bigger and it is also removable. So it becomes a regular shoulder bag, but only has a nice handle and lacks shoulder strap. Backpack itself converts to a full size outdoor bag after the photo compartment is detached.
Capacity is much better: easily holds a DSLR with 70-200 mm f/2.8 lens attached and also additional lens and a flash. There is not enough space for a DSLR with battery grip attached though, but no big deal for such backpack. Camera compartment has a nice red fabric which I found nice and easier to spot small pieces.
Overall, Manfrotto has an edge here as well.
Other Compartments
Upper section for personal items
Both backpacks are spacious enough in this regard, but Manfrotto is bigger. If your priority is being compact, go for Lowepro, otherwise Manfrotto is better.
Exterior Pockets
Both backpacks feature side pockets. Manfrotto has an additional zipped side pocket, which could potentially hold a map or something like that. Honestly, I do not find it useful at this point. Both backpacks have front exterior pockets and here Lowepro has an edge as it is bigger and stretchy.
Water Reservoir Compartment
As long as Manfrotto does not have anything like that, point here goes to its counterparty. Not everyone uses water reservoirs indeed, but Lowepro still leads here because... You will see in the next section.
Tripod Holder and stufff...
Well, both of them feature something that is intended to hold a tripod or tracking poles in place. They say so at least. Even their marketing images show how genius those chords are. But that is a big fat lie. Anyone who has ever been hiking would know that such tiny straps never keep anything in place. I can clearly see how they rip off after a day of hiking. Case is even worse for Lowepro as it does not have a fixed frame, so everything moves all the time.
I would personally hold a tripod in the side pocket. Of course this means a sacrifice of water bottle compartment, but at least a tripod would hold still there, given there are other thick straps to secure it in place as well.
And exactly here the Lowepro water reservoir compartment comes to the stage. While Manfrotto owners would have to dedicate extra space in the personal items compartment for the water bottle, Lowepro owners will enjoy water supply from the dedicated pocket.
The Remaining Details
One major difference between the two backpacks is that Manfrotto has a fixed frame construction and its flat bottom makes it very easy to stand it on any surface. Lowepro has a raincover pocket right under the backpack and given its bad construction, standing the back still on ground is a headache, even impossible sometimes.
That being said, both backpacks come with a nice rain cover.
A few words regarding the waist belts. While both backpacks feature "adjustable" belts with pockets, adjustment can only be done by front straps, while the pockets are in fixed position. And the position is not very easy to access, especially in case of Lowepro. So you have to twist to access any of the pockets on the waist belt. Far from ideal, but Manfrotto is slightly better.
Closing Remarks and Conclusion
As I said in the beginning, there is no ideal bag. That statement is reinforced throughout this review. Despite the fact that none of the reviewed backpacks are essentially "bad", they are also pretty far from ideal.
That being said I think Manfrotto has a better chance to become a top pick if the producer listens customer feedback.
I hope this review was helpful and answered some of the questions you had. I would love to hear from you, if there is any comment you have, please leve it under this blog in the comments section.
Yep, indeed this was helpful. I wanted to buy lowepro 200 or 300, but after review also looked to manfrotto.
I’ve bought 20L variant of manfrotto off road rucksack.
I like back system of 30L version more (adjustable shoulder straps, waist support), but it’s to big and heavy for me. And the camera compartment also is too big as I have small Pentax DSLR with standard zoom and couple if small primes. I wish smaller 20L version would be more longer with the same wideness and has the same back system as 30L version.
Have filing that bigger version is better for longer trip, but will see. 20L-one is looking more accurate.
Thanks again for the review 🙂
How is your opinion now about the backpack?
I have tested both backpacks in number of occasions now.
Manfrotto – I am very happy with its durability and ease of use. When fully loaded with heavy gear, weight is equally distributed across and does not give you a pain in the back. I am happy for my purchase and would easily recommend to anyone.
Lowepro – I ended up using it every day in the city, as I really like the look. I could fit my 13 inch Macbook Pro in the water reservoir compartment, so it turned out to be a stylish daypack. I would not want to take it for hiking though.
thanks a lot for the review
I am glad you found this helpful!