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Lowepro CompuRover AW Camera Bag (Black)

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Average Customer Rating:	4.5
Brand:	Lowepro
Model:	34731
Color:	Black
Weight:	5.34 pounds
Dimensions:	19.1 inches x 13.4 inches x 21.7 inches [Width x Length x Height]

Product Categories

Digital Camera Accessories; Computer Accessories; Cases & Bags; Accessory Bags; Computer Backpacks and Luggage; All Luggage

Product description

The Lowepro CompuRover AW is a three compartment backpack that carries a digital pro SLR with lens attached, 2-4 additional lenses (up to 80-200 mm), a 17 notebook computer, digital accessories and personal gear. But capacity alone is not what makes the CompuRover AW so amazing. It's packed with features that every digital Adventure photographer will appreciate: a drop-down tripod holder, cable management bag, removable waist belt, built-in memory card pouch and the patented All Weather Cover¿. It's more than enough to impress any photographer.

Features

Large Digital or 35mm Pro SLR with lens attached, 2-4 additional lenses up to 80-200mm f/2.8 and accessories.

Bottom camera compartment is fully customizable for your SLR or Camcorder system, and is removable so it can be used as a full backpack

Includes Cable-management system, built-in Digital memory organizer, and built-in tripod holder, as well as SlipLock attachment tabs

Lowepro's patented All Weather cover to protect bag and contents from extreme weather, sand, dirt, etc.

Comfortable and durable contoured shoulder harness and removable waistbelt

Customer reviews

« Functional Camera Bag »

I found the camera bag to be of high quality and functionality. I am very pleased with this camera bag.

Rating: (5 out of 5) @ 2009-12-15

« Very Good, Except Two Major Design Flaws »

Finding a camera bag that fits my needs has been an ongoing challenge. I have a Canon 5D Mark II, 17-40mm, 24-105mm, and 70-200mm f/4 lens. I want to be able to use the bag for two primary purposes. First, I want a bag that I can use to take my camera gear and laptop as a carry-on when I fly. My second and more frequent use is long day hiking and field work for landscape photography.

Overall, I really like this bag for the following reasons:

1) This bag is really comfortable. I recently returned from a week-long photo trip in which I physically wore the bag for at least four hours a day on moderate to strenuous hikes. I have always had a hard time finding backpacks that fit, so I have been surprised at how comfortable this bag actually is. Even when filled to the brim and way overloaded as a carry-on, it was still comfortable. I looked high and low for a bag with a good waist strap and I have been very pleased with how this bag distributes weight.
2) There is ample room for day hiking with all my gear that I typically want to take along. The bag has room for my camera body and three lenses, my Canon G10, miscellaneous camera gear (cards, cleaning supplies, filters, etc), jacket/fleece, food, first aid kit and water with room to spare.
3) The insert for the camera gear compartment will be great for inserting in by backcountry backpack for some double-duty.

There are two MAJOR design flaws, both of which are very annoying in the field.

1) I do not think the designers every actually used the bag in the field. There are three elastic cords that are part of the tripod holder mechanism. These three cords are a pain to use and they get caught on everything - low hanging trees, grasses, things on the ground when I set the bag down. My tripod has the clip-style leg locks and they are constantly getting caught on the cords when I put the tripod in the holder and when I want to take it out. The cords are always getting tangled, too. I do not understand why they did not use a few more traditional straps with plastic clips. I am planning on cutting off all the elastic straps and sewing on straps with clips in their place. Other than these ridiculous cords, the tripod holder is one of the better solutions I have used.
2) The zipper on the bottom compartment does not close easily, even when completely empty. To get the zipper closed, you have to use both hands which is another annoyance when working in the field. The zipper always gets stuck going around corners. I know another person who ones this bag and he has the same issues, so I do not think this is just my model. Access should be quick and easy - not a pain!

I have a few other small complaints. The laptop compartment is pretty snug when the rest of the bag is loaded, which makes it hard to open and close the compartments when there is a laptop in the bag. Also, the bag is a little too big to fit under a typical airline seat when full with a laptop, camera gear, and miscellaneous stuff. I don't want to let my camera gear out of my sight when traveling, so this is a small annoyance (I just need to make sure that I do not stuff the bag). Finally, photo bags are never designed for women, so the straps are a little uncomfortable in the chest area because of their bulk.

Aside from the zipper issue (hopefully will get looser with use) and the cord issue (which I am fixing!), my other complaints are minor and this bag otherwise meets all of my needs and I am very happy. I expect to use it for many years, once the tripod holder is fixed to fit my needs.

Rating: (4 out of 5) @ 2009-11-15

« I want to like it.... »

If I could have looked at this bag in a store for two minutes I would have known not to buy it. I like everything about this bag except opening the camera compartment. I have the Rover AW II, which is very similar to this bag, so I knew you couldn't get to the camera gear fast, but this bag makes it even more awkward because of the laptop compartment. I wish they would put a zippered flap on the side of the bag for quick access to the camera like on the Lowepro Fastpack or Tamrac Aero Speed Pack.

This bag looks nice and seems to be well made, I really want to keep it, but because it is so difficult to access the camera gear I am going to return it to Amazon.

Rating: (3 out of 5) @ 2009-07-11

« A Photog's Travel Bag »

This bag is by far the best bag I have seen in real life. I own the Lowepro MicroTrekker, a Targus bag, and I have seen more than 5 of the other similar Lowepro backpacks, as well as some from Tamrac. There are a few bags that may look similar to the Rover AW, like the waterproof one, but this bag is the best choice.

The build quality of this bag is astounding. I bought mine in March of 2007 and still shows no signs of wear. The stitching of all the components is done with heavy duty thread. The outer shell is made from something similar to DuPont's Cordura (if it isn't actually Cordura). The Velcro pieces are definitely high quality and will last a long time.

The bag is comfortable and holds all of my gear, which includes 3 lenses, 2 flashes, 2 Canon bodies, and lots of misc gear. Plus the built in tripod holster makes it simple to transport it all at the same time. And when I'm not using my bag as a camera bag, the removable modular storage area and shelf make for a huge open bag to store all of whatever.

The portion of the bag which holds the laptop is very well padded. Not just on the front and back, but on the BOTTOM, which is most important since that is where most of the impact is likely to occur. It is rated for 15", but I have fit 17" laptops in there with minimal effort. And when you're carrying that, plus camera gear, plus whatever else, the removable waist strap and sternum strap make load bearing bearable.

There are only a few slight design flaws that I have noticed with this bag.

First, there are pockets on the outside which seem like they were designed with something very specific in mind. I haven't been able to figure out what that is yet. the zippered pockets are triangular with a taper upward. I can fit a wallet and a passport in one at the same time, but that is it. Nothing is triangular. The lower pockets are made of mesh with an elastic band at the top to keep things in. This kind of pocket is very common in backpacks, but again Lowepro went with a triangular shape, this time with the taper downward. I can fit a very small cell phone in one pocket, but nothing else. I have no idea what they deigned it to carry.

Secondly, although the design of the tripod holster is perfect, the design of the cinching elastic bands at the top and bottom are impossible to figure out. I have scrutinized them to no end and still cant figure them out. There is a squeeze and slide device, and a buckle, and the elastic band, but they are not setup in an obvious manner. I end up just wrapping them around my tripod and making sure the center band is very tight.

Third, the rings on the shoulder straps were poorly designed. Though their triangular shape may make for a stronger design with just plastic, the small size and straight edges make it impossible to fit any kind of carabiner on the rings that can carry any serious weight. And of course the straight edges of the rings make an awkwardly small carabiner into an awkwardly small in the way carabiner when you are walking. Thankfully, they included 4 loops of nylon fabric on the waist strap and 1 on each of the attachment points for the tripod so that people like me can carry larger carabiners. This problem could have been avoided if they had used circle rings instead of triangular ones.

Lastly, this bag is definitely not for the quick draw. The shape of the zipper for entry into the bottom compartment is such that you have to fight to get it open and closed when there is gear inside. And if you are carrying a tripod in the holster, forget about it. You may as well take everything out before starting and leave the stuff for later inside the bag.

Overall, I would recommend this bag to anyone. I have recommended it to 2 other people and when they looked at mine in person they were sold immediately.

Rating: (5 out of 5) @ 2009-04-07

« Probably the last camera bag you'll need to buy »

My favourite camera bag of all time has been the Lowepro Rover, which I've used for many years but (a) doesn't have a AW cover, and (b) is too small for camera gear and a laptop.

I've spent some time in my quest for the perfect bag, although most have ended up having an outing or two and then being relegated to storage duties. I still really like the Lowepro CompuTrekker Plus AW Camera Backpack (Black) but it's just too big unless you need to transport tons of gear. The Lowepro DryZone 200 Camera Backpack (Yellow) is a great bag for harsh conditions (including sea swims) but isn't very practical for day to day use.

The CompuRover AW has ended that search.

It has everything my old Rover does: a good sized compartment for cameras and bodies, and a general compartment for additional gear. For example, in the bottom compartment (with some room to spare) I have:
* Canon 1Ds Mk 3 body
* Canon 24-70 2.8L lens
* Canon 16-35 2.8L lens
* Canon 580EX II flash
* Wolverine 250GB portable HDD
* CF card holders, flash head cover, polariser

While the top compartment doesn't seem as big as for the original Rover, I can still fit a Canon 70-200 2.8L lens, sunglasses, a good sized paperback, power cables, and other odds and ends in there.

One of the big plusses for me is the dedicated zippered laptop compartment, which sits at the rear of the bag (the side which is against your back when you have it on). It's very roomy and could probably fit a 17" laptop. You don't feel the laptop when you're wearing the bag.

Overall, this bag design is very solid and well thought through: it's kept the really useful features from the original Rover and added some useful touches. I love the little zipped side pockets, which are useful for adapters, lens cleaner, iPods, etc. The standard Lowpro tripod system works well, although the bungie cords have a tendancy to snag on hooks, etc. The shoulder and waist straps have been bulked up, making them even more comfortable to wear.

I have three (minor) complaints I have about this bag: First, the side mesh pockets aren't very deep and I kept expecting to lose anything I put in there (the original bag's pockets were much more substantial). Second, the bottom compartment zipper opens across and then diagonally down (compared to straight across for the original Rover). The whole compartment then "hinges" out. This makes opening and closing a little fiddly. Finally, there a few smaller pockets in the top compartment for accessories but I found them too small to be really useful.

Do yourself a favour and go out and buy this bag: it'll probably be the last camera bag you guy (until the next revision of the Rover of course!).