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I'd just like to mention that I've had some time using my LowePro Primus AW backpack and am very happy with it.
Recently I had a week skiing in Japan and used the Primus AW as my backpack for the trip, carrying my Canon 7D with 17-40 F/4L and 70-200 F/4L with various accessories and non-camera gear. Very successful.
The backpack is very comfortable, easily capable of substantial hikes and very comfortable for carrying around airports after 24 hours of travelling.
My concern about it being hard to get the camera in and out the side pocket, as reported by many reviews on the web, turned out to be an asset. After only a little practice it's easy to get the camera in and out without removing the backpack from your backat all. The reason it can be tricky at first is a small padded flap and the size of the zip. What these two combined to do is to keep the pocket door closed even when not zipped up. This means if you forget to do up the zip (or think you have but actually haven't) the camera can't fall out. I skied for a few KM with it like this over bumpy terrain one time, nothing fell out.
My concern about it not holding all my camera gear is realised, but it depends on the usage as to if this s a problem. Travelling it's brilliant, holds just what I need. With either lens on the camera it all fits easy, and changing lenses without removing the pack is easy. But for shorter dedicated photography trips with my other 2 lenses, extension tubes, doubler, etc, I am having to put my extra lenses "lose" in their leather pouches in the top compartment. This is less than ideal, but it's a fair compromise. They are still well protected, just not easily accessed.
As expected the pack doesn't look anything like a camera backpack - unless you know LowePro make camera backpacks you woudln't guess it contains camera gear. That is, unless you have the tripod strapped on the back of course. And the gear is very safe, it would be very hard for anything to be stolen while it's on your back due topositioning of the zips.
Oh, and one last thing, having a design where the contents are accessed from the back not the front has already proved useful. I could put the pack down in the snow and just unzip the back. The harness would stay completely snow free, sitting up out of the snow. Also makes it easy to access the inside when the rain cover is on.
The pack's non-camera gear compartment is a good size for travelling. And the overall size of the pack is good for airline carry-on luggage. It also works nicely having somewhere to sling a jacket.
There are of course improvements that cold be made, but I have realised there is no perfect pack. Imrovements - more practical internal small pockets (existing ones need elastic to expand), ability to zip up the full height front pocket used for slinging jacket, camel water pack, etc.
Anyway, just thought I'd finalise the thread in case someone searches and finds it later.
A couple of pics of it on me, attached.
Roger.
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