An All-Around Durable Bag That Carries Everything You Need: The Lowepro Fastpack IV Review

Most camera bags in recent years have been made to be dedicated travel bags, everyday bags, or work bags. But Lowepro's Fastpack backpack line has always offered bags that can be used for almost anything without compromising the experience.

The Fastpack line is one of Lowepro's and, in fact, the entire industry's most reputable bag lines, offering high-endurance material that protects your camera gear from exposure to the elements while giving you a quick and easy way to reach in for what you need. The previous iteration of this bag had unique side access that extended all the way around the front to the opposite side, giving quick access to the entire compartment depending on how much you pulled the two-stage zipper door. The fourth generation of the Fastpack bags takes a totally different approach.

The Lowepro Fastpack IV comes in three different sizes. The smallest is the BP 150 AW IV, which has a 16-liter capacity, while this review mainly focuses on the BP 250 AW IV and the BP 450 AW IV, which have 22- and 28-liter capacities, respectively. Across the three sizes, the exterior makes use of weather-resistant 600D solution-dyed polyester and recycled 420D ripstop nylon with a carbonate coating that makes it resistant to wear, the elements, and the effects of constant movement. The interior uses recycled 200D polyester. True to Lowepro's promise that was made a couple of years ago, these bags are mostly made up of recycled fabric for the sake of sustainability and are also packed in such a way that they reduce the necessary carbon footprint in shipping.

Exterior

The front surface has thicker, rugged, coated fabric on both the top and bottom panels. The top part opens through a zipper that surrounds the edges of this panel in order to open into the top (non-camera) compartment. In front of this panel is a thinner front accessory pocket that opens with a horizontal zipper. This pocket is perfect for anything relatively small that needs quick access, such as a wallet, passport, keys, or the like. Right above that, of course, is the main top handle, which allows for easy one-handed carrying and handling.

On both sides are flex pockets that can be used to hold long objects like a tripod or a water bottle. However, the one on the left is smaller because it is connected to the edges of the quick-access side door that allows the user to easily get whatever piece of gear they decide to place there.

Rear Panel and Door

At the back is a thick, padded, yet breathable EVA foam rear panel that protects the gear from behind, as well as the laptop that sits within the rear panel, while also giving comfortable support for the user's back. This is made possible as well by the heavily padded shoulder straps, the adjustable chest strap, and the included waist strap for long periods of carrying. The Fastpack BP 250 AW IV comes with a relatively thin waist strap that can be tucked into a pocket on the rear panel, while the Fastpack BP 450 AW IV comes with a much thicker padded waist belt that can be stowed away when not needed.

The main compartment is accessed using a zipper that goes around three of the four sides of the rear panel. This opens up not just the main compartment but also the laptop sleeve that holds up to a 16-inch laptop for either size, and additional pockets for passports or phones right behind the top compartment. While this main access opens up the entire bag, it does not give access to the top compartment, as there is a divider that closes that part off. However, the horizontal divider between the top and main compartments can be flipped down in order to combine the capacities of both compartments, especially when larger objects need to be made to fit in the bag.

Capacity

For the sake of this review, we'll stick to the gear capacity that can fit inside the main compartment with the divider in place, but know that if one needs to carry even a super-telephoto lens vertically inside the bag, then taking that divider down makes that possible.

The 22 L version can hold 1-2 camera bodies and 3-5 lenses, depending on their actual size. Horizontally, it can hold a standard 70-200mm telephoto zoom attached to the camera. While testing this bag, I was also testing the new Sony FE 400mm f/4.5 GM OSS, and it also fit with the camera body in a horizontal position.

Meanwhile, the 28 L version basically has an added horizontal layer that can fit either two extra camera bodies or 3-4 lenses. In total, that would mean about 3 camera bodies with up to 7 lenses inside the bag. Again, if necessary, the divider can be opened to make room for more, especially if the user has extra dividers. Safe to say that these bags can carry more than what most photographers would realistically carry when traveling or out on a work assignment.

User Experience and Application

While the low-key design of the Lowepro Fastpack IV series makes it look like a dedicated urban bag, the reality is that this bag can be an all-around carrying solution, especially because of the thick padding, durable fabrics, and included all-weather covers. Shoulder straps, chest straps, and waist straps provide significant comfort, especially during long periods of carrying. However, it would have been great if the shoulder height could also be adjusted for weight distribution.

While the bag's exterior easily hides them, it actually has a lot of subcompartments that make it easier to organize small accessories and personal items. This includes the additional pockets within the main compartment as well as the dedicated hidden AirTag or finder compartment within the lining of the front panel.

More than anything, the capacity of these bags allows the user to carry so much gear if and when necessary without having to hold multiple bags and cases. While carrying 3 bodies and 7 lenses on a long hike is not advisable, if the user can endure it, then the bag can definitely keep up. At the end of the day, this is an all-around bag that offers outstanding durability and capacity for almost every kind of imaging creative.

What I Liked

• Large capacity and efficient use of space
• Durable material made of recycled fabric
• Adjustable compartments

What Can Be Improved

• No shoulder height adjustment
• No built-in lock system