Tamrac Expedition 5?

mrbez

mrbez

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Hi Guys,

I am looking at one of these bags as an upgrade to my Lowepro 200.

Anybody on here have one? Any good?

Thanks.
 
Can't fault the quality and comfort.

I've a Tamrac Expedition 5 and it's a perfect size (not too big) for hillwalking when you don't want all your kit.
 
I used to have one and was very pleased with it. Was very well built and felt solid. Very confident whatever you put in itwould be very well protected
 
I picked a used one up from here, LOVE it! :)

As mentioned, has plenty of space in it (depending on what kit you have), but i squeeze in a D90 with 17-55 2.8, 70-200 2.8, grip, battery charger, flash gun, all my AA betteries + charger, and cards...I like the see through zip compartment inside for batteries/cards - a nice touch :)

As mentioned, its a very well padded bag, and can weigh a fair bit when fully loaded, but is quite comfortable to carry.
 
I havnt used the expedition series but ive had the adventure 6 and 10, both very well made bags and i cant imagine the rest of tamracs line not being the same.
 
Okay great.

I will hopefully get one for Xmas then as my Slingshot 200 has become too small.

I want to fit a 40D, 17-55 2.8, 10-20, 70-200, flash and a 50 1.8

The expedition should take all of this shouldn't it?
 
MrCraigBerry said:
Okay great.

I will hopefully get one for Xmas then as my Slingshot 200 has become too small.

I want to fit a 40D, 17-55 2.8, 10-20, 70-200, flash and a 50 1.8

The expedition should take all of this shouldn't it?
Click to expand...

You should be able to get that lot in there...you dont have a grip do you...your kit looks similar to mine, but i dont have a 10-20 yet.....forgot to mention, my 50mm gets in the bag too :)

Plus you got the pockets on the front too for nik naks! :)
 
No grip for me Vish.

I have small hands....They make my lens look bigger ;)
 
I looked at the expedition 7 when I wanted a new bag/rucksack last year.
The only thing that put me off, along with many other bags was the weight,
even when empty I think the expedition 7 weighed in at about 3Kg.
In the end I went for a Lowe Alpine carry on TT40 this is not a dedicated photographic bag, but with 10 quids worth of Foam from Efoam I now have a large adaptable rucksack which is half the weight and half the cost of the expedition 7.

Davol
 
MrCraigBerry said:
Okay great.

I will hopefully get one for Xmas then as my Slingshot 200 has become too small.

I want to fit a 40D, 17-55 2.8, 10-20, 70-200, flash and a 50 1.8

The expedition should take all of this shouldn't it?
Click to expand...

Craig

Should be fine

Mine takes 50D with grip. 100-400, 70mm Macro, 18-50, nifty fifty, 70-300, flash, assorted batterys, cables, cards, card reader, filters and holders etc
 
When I was looking for yet another bag, I found the Tamrac's aesthetic appeal, along with good workmanship and quality materials, to be an enticing combination, although due to my arm/shoulder injury, apart from walking around in the house to test it out, it has remained unused.

The bag has thick padded shoulder straps, padded back, and chest / waist straps which all make for the “expedition” look. I think its ideal for backpacking / hiking trips, but might be a bit large for walking around the city, and though deeper than some bags, isn't unwieldy plus it meets an airlines carry on requirements.

To test it in the house I loaded the bag with a Canon 50D plus battery grip and added several long length lenses, UWA plus macro lens, flashgun and a small laptop in the front padded compartment etc which it swallowed with ease. It felt surprisingly light to me and well supported across my back, the pads on the back of the rucksack have an air gap in between them which will allow any excess sweat to escape. This means that your back should stay dry if you are on a long hike.

Strengths: Large capacity, lots of divider panels (they are quite rigid); deep enough for a pro model camera or body with battery grip and a very long lens. Lots of pockets, compartments and accessory attachment points, the 2 wing pockets on the rear are good for CF cards / small accessories as you do not have to open the main compartment. If you need extra storage, the optional packs attach to the main bag through loops placed around the body and straps. You slip the attachment straps under the backpack’s loops and they clip back to the packs via a snap button and Velcro.

Despite its camera/lens devouring dimensions, it's a very comfortable bag to carry due to an excellent ergonomic design. Straps are contoured and well padded, and the top handle is nicely padded as well. The tripod attachment system is functional, a shorter tripod with four-section legs might suit this size bag better to avoid it poking significantly over the top of the bag.

Weaknesses: Some of the zips appeared a little stiff to operate, but this could be due its newness (or my weak arm) and they may loosen up after use. The main zip also has a rain flap that can be pulled over to protect the zip, but can then get in the way of the zip and some of the toggles.

But this is a very minor point and does not detract from the Tamrac Expedition 5 being a very functional and comfortable bag to use. Just wish I could.

Hope this helps.
 
Hi there,

Any of you who have the expedition 5, are you able to fit a 15inch macbook or similar laptop into it?
 
Breney said:
Hi there,

Any of you who have the expedition 5, are you able to fit a 15inch macbook or similar laptop into it?
Click to expand...

I can just (fairly tight fit) put my Elitebook in the front compartment which is 12" x 9", so would say you are out of luck - you should look at the 7x series to accommodate your 15" Macbook.
 
lostsoulal2 said:
I can just (fairly tight fit) put my Elitebook in the front compartment which is 12" x 9", so would say you are out of luck - you should look at the 7x series to accommodate your 15" Macbook.
Click to expand...

But there's a huge price leap from the 5 to the 7, and 7's tend to not go second hand on ebay as much as 5. Ah well! It was worth a try!

Does it fit in the main compartment?
 
Breney said:
But there's a huge price leap from the 5 to the 7, and 7's tend to not go second hand on ebay as much as 5. Ah well! It was worth a try!

Does it fit in the main compartment?
Click to expand...

Have a look here, it will give you the dimensions of the bag and at the bottom there are links to other Tamrac bags in the Expedition range.
 
Darn, the macbook's 14 x 9.5 inches, so I think out of the question I'm afraid.
 
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