Photography News Issue 61

Photography News | Issue 61 | photographynews.co.uk

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First tests

Lowepro FreeLine BP 350AW £239

Specs

Lowepro bags and backpacks usually combine style and great usability, and the FreeLine BP 350 is no different. The bag’s exterior is made from super-tough Nylon 66, which is water and abrasion resistant. The finish is a lustrous sheen that probably suits urban rather than country use. I took the bag on a landscape shoot and it got rather muddy, but a damp cloth removed the dirt well enough. On each side there is a deep elasticated pouch, perfect for a water bottle, tightly rolled-up top or a mini tripod. There’s a small external pocket on the lid, too, fine for cards, batteries and lens cloths. A tripod can be attached to the back and retaining straps are fitted. There’s a grab handle on each side of the bag and one on the top, which helps handling. On the back there is a retaining strap for use with a handled suitcase. Accessedfromthetopisalaptopand tablet compartment with a protective flap to stop the two from rubbing. This is a good size, too, with capacity for a 15in laptop and large screen tablet. It’swhat’s in themain compartment, accessible from the top and both sides, that’s innovative. There is a removable QuickShelf that folds flat and can be taken out, making the BP 350 AW a high-quality daysack – but it is this unit with its three Velcro-fit shelves that you can adjust to suit your kit. The top shelf makes for an ideal platform for your camera, which you can get at from the top, while access to the lower shelves is from the sides. It is a clever idea but you have to decide whether it suits your way of working. For a start, it helps if you have a goodmemory, so you can open up the correct side to get what’s needed. On one occasion I packed several small items on one side of the bag, hoping I’d remember to open the other side so that they wouldn’t fall out. I didn’t and they did. (This happened with the bag on the ground, so not a real problem.) Of course this is not the bag’s fault and just user error. Familiarity would obviously help, but I did find this bag – or the shelf system – suited several large items rather than a load of small ones. Lowepro does supply a removable gear boxwith thebag,which is fine for cables, batteries and screw-in filters and that helps, but small prime

Price

£239

Type Backpack

Key features Removable QuickShelf divider system, access from both sides, integrated trolley sleeve, ActivZone back panel, phone pocket, removable gear box Tripod Yes, straps supplied Materials High grade Nylon 66 exterior with water and abrasion resistant Carbonate coating, YKK weatherproof zips, metal clips Colour Black Weatherpoof cover All weather (AW) cover supplied Pockets Four external including for laptop and tablet Laptop/tablet compartment 25x40x1.5cm, accepts 15in laptop and large tablet External dimensions 29.3x20.8x48.7cm Internal dimensions 25.5x18x47cm Top compartment 25x15x15cm Weight 1.87kg Contact lowepro.com

lenses just roll about and I’d needmore dividers to hold them in place. On your back, you can just ease the backpack onto one shoulder, so you can get at your kit from the side without putting the bag down. This does work because it’s usual to instinctively favour one side, so you shouldn’t expect to see your expensive lens rolling across the ground. Walking with a heavy backpack I find a sternum strap priceless for the sake of comfort. This feature on the BP 350isafailforme.Itworkswellenough once in place, but it is a fiddle to engage and I had to look down to find the loop

to slide the buckle into. The tried-and- tested two dangly straps, one fromeach shoulder strap, and a simple push-in clip to join the two together works brilliantly and can be done by feel and on the move, but here Lowepro went for form over function and the result is poor. Nothing wrong with the shoulder straps themselves – they are comfortable and the phone pouch is handy (it is bit of a squeeze for the iPhone X, though). The bag’s ActivZone backpanel does help with comfort so no issues there, apart from the usual sweaty back. WC

Above A high-quality product from Lowepro, as you’d expect – but some crucial details let down the whole, such as the fiddly and counterintuitive sternum strap.

Bottom left Access to the bag’s contents is possible from either side, and while the bag is hanging off the shoulder. Middle Broad, well padded shoulder straps make carrying the BP 350 AW comfortable even for long periods Right This is the QuickShelf set of dividers out of the bag. The shelf concept works well, particularly with larger items.

Verdict

The FreeLine BP 350 AW is a typically impressive and very well made Lowepro backpack that works well and looks the part, and has good capacity. The QuickShelf concept is interesting and works really well, especially with larger items, and it’s fast to customise for different needs so gives the bag great flexibility. For a premium quality backpack, the BP 350 AW is good value and worth checking out. Pros Looks great and cleans easily, fast access, removable QuickShelf concept works well for larger items, comfortable to carry, dual access Cons Sternum strap fiddly to use, dual access can be a liability, QuickShelf system less good for small items

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