Camera backpacks are a very personal choice. It has a lot to do with how many different types of cameras, lenses and side gear are needed for the trails. I’ve found over the years it takes a few different backpacks to be able to meet my needs. Different photography situations call for changing gear. The Lowepro Flipside Backpack 400 AW III looks like it’s another solid addition to my packing quiver.

Pros

  • Well-designed padded shoulder straps
  • Versatile
  • Lots of padded bits and pieces to configure specific layouts
  • Compartments for computer and Tablet

Cons

  • May be a little small for full frame camera kits with lots of lenses
  • Black zipper and zipper pulls on bag (see below for my fix)
Lowepro camera bag
Backpack comes in the dark grey and and all black colors.

Lowepro Flipside Backpack 400 AW III — Technical specifications

All technical specifications were taken from the Lowepro website.

  • Weight: 3.75 lbs.
  • Total Volume: 20 L
  • Device Volume: 18 L
  • Main Color: Grey
  • Camera Compartment Dimensions: 11.02 x 5.51 x 16.14 in
  • GearBox Internal Dimensions: 10.63 x 4.33 x 3.54 in
  • GearBox External Dimensions: 11.22 x 4.72 x 3.94 in
  • Exterior Material: 600D polyester, 600D polyester ripstop
  • Interior Material: 150D 148T polyester
  • Front Compartment Dimensions: 10.83 x 0.79 x 16.14 in
LowePro Flipside Backpack 400 AW III
Tripod slot for small tripod.

Lowepro Backpack 400 AW III — Ease of wearing

This backpack is designed with a lot of the features of a previous Lowepro backpack I reviewed last year. See that review of the PhotoSport X Backpack 35L AW. This is a solid and comfortable pack. The design makes it easy to slip into and out of. That works well as you access your gear from under the straps. Adjusting straps is a piece of cake to tailor the fit.

LowePro Flipside Backpack 400 AW III loaded
Single full frame camera with drone. Flap holds computer and tablet.

Lowepro Flipside Backpack 400 AW III — Design thoughts

This backpack was solidly put together with handles in convenient positions. The top handle is padded and comfortable even if you load this with lots of gear. Since you open the bag from the back side there’s an extra handle built in there as well which allows the bag to balance from the center flat area. The 10mm YKK zippers pull smooth and hold strong. The front of the backpack (which you place face down to access) has molded bumpers for extra protection. There’s also a side access panel to be set up for quick lens changes without setting the backpack on the ground.

To help see when the backpack is fully zipped I added some tape to the zipper pulls. You can add colored tape. I use glow in the dark tape.
Since I spend a lot of time in the dark photographing the night sky, the glow-in-the-dark tape helps ensure the bag is zipped. It also helps to find the bag and not trip on it when in a really dark sky area.

There are lots of dividers for different layouts for storing gear. The material which the Velcro hooks on allows for a solid connection. Beauty for me is that the dividers can be removed easily as well for redesign as your needs change. On many camera bags I’ve had in the past the Velcro attachment was so strong it was always a PIA to reset for different configurations.

LowePro Flipside Backpack 400 AW III inner pouch
The design includes a zippered bag for holding your bits and pieces.
An outer compartment for quick access to your batteries, bits and pieces.
side door LowePro Flipside Backpack 400 AW III
Small side door compartment for access to a lens or another camera and lens without taking off the pack.
raincoat LowePro Flipside Backpack 400 AW III
The backpack comes with its own raincoat. I recommend practicing deployment before you are in dire need of the protection. It is small and fits back into the attached bag with no problems.

There’s a carrying slot for up to a 15-inch computer. Bonus for me that the space holds my 16-inch MacBook Pro with no problem. This CradleFit™ pocket suspends and protect the computer. There is also an additional slot for a tablet. These features make the Flipside 400 convenient for travel as well as hiking.

Lots of dividers available for multiple configurations. A full rain cover is also included.

LowePro Flipside Backpack 400 AW III — Who this backpack is for

This backpack is perfect for photographers with Micro 4/3rds format or a small amount of full frame gear. Depending upon the amount of kit you wish to take with you at any one time, this bag is not too large. You can configure it in many ways, depending upon your lens selection and camera bodies. You can take this out for a hike with no problems. And, with the extra slots for non-camera gear, this can be a solid travel backpack as well. I ultimately ended up with a setup of three Micro 4/3rds camera bodies, five lenses, a laptop and a tablet.

Here the backpack fitted out with my kit with three micro 4/3rds cameras with five lenses, Platypod base and Handle, extenders along with batteries and such.

Yours in Creative Photography,

Bob