The LowePro CompuRover AW Review
In this post one of our forum moderation team – Sime (check out his blog here)- reviews his new camera bag – the Lowepro CompuRover AW which he gives a rating of 9 stars out of 10!
I have two red sore bits where my hips should be… Not super bad, but red and a touch on the “ouch” side. That’s where the waist strap of my new Lowepro CompuRover AW Camera Bag has been sitting all day… I have had this before with my hiking pack when I didn’t do it up correctly. So, I don’t blame the bag for this, the waist strap is great – very padded, I blame me… I started my day at about 9am, right after breakfast and walked around Palermo until about 6pm so in fairness – the bag did exceptionally well.
Waist Strap
The waist strap is very sturdy, it has more padding than a Sumo wrestler and is very hardy – the click clack snap buckle is well made and the whole unit is well stitched. Oh, and did I mention that it’s detachable? Brilliant huh…
Shoulder Straps
The shoulder straps are good and solid, on par with the indestructibility of the Crumpler reviewed earlier, with a great array of attachment locations for extra add-on bits and pieces sold separately by Lowepro, and a cross chest harness and two D clips, the straps were very comfortable even after walking with the full bag on all day with a half hour stop for lunch [when M "needs to shop" she "needs to shop"]
On the whole, the CompuRover is a top bag. It has been made with great quality materials and the workmanship is very good, with only one minor flaw that I can be bothered to mention, but more on that later…
First Impressions
Michelle picked up the CompuRover AW in New York and dragged it all the way home for me. On first glance at my new “large trekking style camera bag / hold everything bag” I was a touch worried! I wondered how I was going to explain to M that “it doesn’t fit all my gear” and that we’d have to send it back after she’d run around town for half a day getting the stuff I’d asked her for. I sat looking at the bag for a few minutes, all the while holding my new lens, the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L, a new addition to the family that had to fit in this very same backpack with its brothers and cousins, my other lenses and stuff…
Main Top Section
The main top section is brilliant! With a built in memory card holder for as many as ten compact flash cards [I don't have ten, but if someone wants to send me four more, I'd be happy to test it FULLY loaded. 4gb high speed please...ha!] The top section has three different sectioned off compartments around the main open area, the top one is a zip up type job that I guess you could put your toothbrush in if you wanted? I have four spare batteries in there, with room for three more, or, some pens and stuff or a cleaning kit, etc.
The second I was a little confused by, it’s another pocket that’s attached to a small bit of strap so that the little pocket can hang outside your bag, maybe it’s the “cable management bag” not sure… anyway, you could use it for whatever you liked! I have cleaning gear in it. Then there is another mesh type pocket against the back of the bag; I chose to slip a few bits and pieces in there, a tripod plate and a couple of filters. The main top section [non camera] of the bag is large enough for two more flashes [the 430ex and the 580ex II] an Italian Lonely Planet; Michelle also talked me into carrying her purse and her little Ixus 430… A very decent space for carrying a lot of stuff, you could probably go away for a weekend, carry a change of clothes and stuff and only have to take this one bag with you… easy!
Laptop Section
The laptop section that is in between where your back will be and the main compartments of the bag is positively huge – you could fit a laptop from 1987 in there, large.. The 17″ MacBook Pro slips in with enough room for a string quartet playing a Nirvana song.
To top off the “other” storage allowances, there are two extra zippered pockets and two extra mesh pockets on the front and side of the bag for extra odds and ends, very handy for “quick access stuff” that you may need.
Camera Section
Now, the camera carrying section of the bag! I was scared when I first saw it, I had read on the Lowepro website that it was good for a Pro DSLR with a lens attached and 2-4 extra lenses of 80-200mm, well, I have five lenses, 10-22mm f3.5, 50mm f1.4, 24-70mm f2.8, 100mm f2.8, 100-400mm f4.5 – so, I had broken the rules on the Lowepro website and had a lens that reached out to 400mm, I also had the maximum recommended amount of lenses for the bag – was I going to be in trouble?
I opened up the camera section and was greeted by the Lowepro version of Doctor Who’s TARDIS! – Not only did all of my gear fit in there, I actually think I could fit my [now retired] 17-85mm in there too! It’s sort of like opening the back of a dump truck… everything goes in.
The camera section is divided into six sections with two higher dividers that your DSLR will happily sit on with the lens facing down into the bag – I usually have my 24-70mm attached in the bag and it all fits like a glove. You can access the camera department from the main bag section up the top with the swift removal of a Velcro panel.
Lower Section
The lower section is connected to the top section with what I classify as “the only weak area of the bag” “that ZIP…grrr” The little zip that holds the camera section closed needs to be a slightly larger gauge [is that the right term all you zip connoisseurs?] It’s been a good while now and it’s still stiffer than Bruce Lees bottom lip! – Not a bad thing I guess? Maybe it makes the camera section more “weather proof” but I’d prefer something a bit easier I think… swiftly moving on…
Tripod Holder
The tripod holder on the Lowepro is a little ripper! It’s basic, but it “just works” you unfold the “drop down tripod holder flap thingy” from behind the plethora of bungee cables on the front, your tripod slips in behind the bungee mass and you pop its feet into the holder and voila! A well-held tripod… You can tie one or two of the conveniently located extra bungee straps around your tripod incase you’re worried about it blowing away in a stiff wind – well thought out Lowepro… High Five!
Walking to the bus from our hotel after our weekend away in Sicily, we had about half a kilometer to walk and the rain started, not just garden variety, we’re talking “raining men” rain… raining cats and dogs if you will… I slipped out the cunningly concealed waterproof cover and slipped it over my precious haul in seconds – the lot of it remained drier than my boss’s sense of humor…
Would I buy this bag
Well, I did… Almost no problems with this bag as a trekker, as a day out bag for someone with a decent amount of kit, a weekender or a camper even. I will be taking this guy to Peru shortly for a short walk up the side of a very large mountain and have no doubt that it will out perform me… easily…
Rating
I’ve given this bag the “Nine Gold Star Award”
Get a price on the Lowepro CompuRover AW at Amazon.
See more of Sime’s photos of the LowePro CompuRover AW Camera Bag
13 Responses to “The LowePro CompuRover AW Review” - Add Yours
May 6th, 2008 at 1:15 am
I’ve been using this bag for about a year and I love it. Previously I had to carry a separate camera bag and laptop bag when I went anywhere, so the consolidation was a huge convenience for me.
It’s an extremely well designed bag, if a little bulky. I have only two criticisms I’d offer to your readers:
1. You can’t really take the camera in and out of the bag without taking it off your back, putting it down, unzipping the camera compartment and re-zipping it again (and that zipper has an awful tendency to get stuck, it’s designed with kind of an awkward angle). Not the end of the world, but it makes quick access to your equipment difficult.
2. Once this bag is fully loaded, it gets *heavy*. The bag itself isn’t light, and once you throw in a laptop, power supply, camera body, lenses, and associated accessories, it’s not something you’ll really want to walk around with. Still great for transporting equipment though.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:05 am
i have a lowepro minitrekker AW and it fits all my gear brilliantly… it’s comfortable, all the straps work and my tripod fits brilliantly in the drop down spot.
i just removed the lowepro logos though, so it’s not as much of a thief magnet.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:29 am
I got this bag just before xmas for a ski trip. Although I only have a single lens, making this bag overkill solely for camera equipment, it was extremely handy with all the extra space it gave me to fill with other handhold luggage items (laptop, book, camcorder, chargers I couldn’t do without). It does weigh a bit once fully packed with all that stuff, and it just squeezed into the overhead compartment on the plane.
A second great thing is that the camera section padding is removable, and once the dividing velcro panel is removed (as mentioned in the article) you have a huge space – handy for me when needing to go somewhere that I dont plan on taking my camera, 2 bags for the price of one. However putting all the velcro compartments back in is a bit of a hassle.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Just wanted to comment on the great sense of humor that Sime has.
I personally have the Slingshot 200 AW and it’s a great bag. It has quick and easy access and plenty of room for lenses and other accessories. The only problem is that it holds your camera, extra lenses, a flash, and absolutely nothing more. Shoving in a pad and a pen would be difficult because the bag isn’t that wide, and the top compartment is small. This bag, possibly with an R-strap or something of the kind, would seem like an excellent day bag.
Again wonderful review!
May 7th, 2008 at 12:19 am
Lowepro makes good stuff, I’ll have to check it out
May 7th, 2008 at 3:41 am
Good review. I bought a Tamrac Aero 80 laptop + camera bag and love it. Its VERY lightweight (2 lb and some oz). http://www.flickr.com/photos/armughan/2425675091/
May 7th, 2008 at 8:22 am
I also use the Compurover AW. Great bag, but the same issues that Eric has: 1. Bag is heavy fully loaded and 2. the camera section is a little difficult to get into while wearing the bag.
A few more notes: 1. the bag is bulky if you want to wear it in a city. Subways and buses are difficult to maneuver with it on without bumping someone with it. 2. The bag will fit in full sized overhead compartments on airplanes. However, it will not fit in the overhead for smaller commuter planes or Regional Jets, nor will it fit under the seat.
Overall, a great bag.
May 7th, 2008 at 9:52 am
This works out very well! In the past, I used to pack lots! Now I try to pack less and less. This would be a neat bag!
May 9th, 2008 at 2:22 am
I used this bag for the first time during my trip to Europe last December and absolutely loved it. It has plenty of storage space for camera gear and personal items like food, water and whatever you pick up on the road.
It does get quite heavy when fully loaded, but I managed to tour for 2 weeks rather comfortably whether it was full or just toting camera gear.
The fold-out external compartment for the tripod was extremely helpful on the road and during air travel. I carried a travel tripod that collapsed to 17″, so it was a perfect size for the bag. Anything bigger would probably be inconvenient for stowing away in the overhead cabin compartments for air travel.
I read some reviews that said the laptop compartment would bend the laptop screen and cause damage, but didn’t experience that problem at all.
The adjustable camera gear compartment with Velcro separators in the bottom section was helpful to secure lenses, flash and camera body tightly. Cushioning was great, too. Zipping it up was probably my main hassle since, once full, it doesn’t exactly glide shut and I was afraid the zipper would jump off track or break — but it didn’t.
I’d definitely recommend this backpack to anyone traveling for long periods of time looking for something to store their camera, lenses, flash, etc. and any personal items or trinkets you pick up along your journey. There’s plenty of room, but again, it does get very heavy when fully loaded — so pack wisely, especially if you plan to be on your feet for long periods of time.
May 9th, 2008 at 10:56 am
I’ve only every bought one bag and this is it and I thank the salesman for pointing out all the advantages. This bag is to a photographer as fishing jacket is to a fisherman. I have accesses to all my equipment without having to lay anything on the ground. You can just imagine how important that is when taking pictures at a beach as sand is a cameras worst enemy.
May 10th, 2008 at 2:38 am
I took this bag with me to Antarctica from Nov to Dec of last year. We hop out of little planes to camp out, for a week at a time, in remote locations to fix science instruments. Kept the camera and lens safe and dry at all the field camps, even in blowing snow.
It got heavy at times, but it was basically holding and protecting everything I needed out in the field for a month, including portable hard drives, power bricks, notebooks (the paper kind), some small tools, and a laptop.
The bag is solidly constructed, as routinely hung the fully loaded bag with a carabiner onto a hook on the science rack or tower.
Only annoyance I found was the camera compartment zipper, like Eric mentioned. When fully loaded, the compartment deformed/sagged a bit, so the zipper is really really hard to zip up with one hand. I had to constantly take off the gloves and put the pack down to put the camera back in and zip it back up.
May 10th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Wow! That’s quite a testimonial JC! You should be picked up by LowePro for a product testimonial on their website.
May 15th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Well, I’ve since picked up a “flipside 300″ a good bag, but in terms of comfort, not a patch on the Rover for a long day… I have decided that the Rover will be coming with me to Peru this Saturday, I really hope I don’t regret it – based on your feedback here, I’m sure I won’t! – Thanks all.
Sime.
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