Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I primarily shoot sporting events, and recently acquired a 1D Mark IV (amazing camera!) that didn't fit in my Lowepro Slingshot camera bag. So I needed something that could handle the pro body attached to my long lenses. Here's the sports kit: - 1D Mark IV body with EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens attached - EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II USM - Black Rapid RS-Sport strap - Think Tank Hydrophobia 70-200 2.8 Rain Cover - GoPro Hero3+ and selfie stick - Misc stuff - Rocket Blaster, Lens Pens, microfiber cloths, etc I need to be able to carry all of this on my back, and get to it in a short period of time. That's not a ton of gear, but the combination of pro body and 100-400 lens eliminated a *lot* of bags. After a fair bit of research and dimension analysis, it came down to the Lowepro Pro Tactic 350AW or 450AW, and the Manfrotto MB PL-3N1-35 backpacks. Thanks to Amazon's Prime service, comparing these bags was relatively painless and I feel like I owe them a comparison review as a result. Here's what I found: I loved the Manfrotto bag on paper. The bag is attractive. The sling concept has worked great for me in the past, so that functionality was appealing. Also, not all of my kit is cameras/lenses, so I liked its spacious upper compartment; and all those extra pockets are really nice. But, holding the loaded bag made me change my mind. The 1DMkIV/100-400 fit great and came out of the side pocket without any trouble; and the extra padding in the main compartment is very nice; but it's really too big of a bag to comfortably function as a sling. Worst of all, the straps aren't really up to the task - they're woefully underdesigned for a bag of this size. I really can't imagine toting this thing around fully loaded at a football game. A lot of reviews blast the numerous buckles on this bag, but I found them to be very well designed - they enable the bag to be a left- or right-sling bag without dumping your gear out the other side or allowing the zippers to open too far. So I'm not sure what folks are griping about there. Bottom line, I wanted to love this bag but just couldn't once I tried it. On to the Pro Tactic AW bags... the build on these bags is amazing - clearly a notch above the Manfrotto bag. Zippers/pulls are solid; shoulder straps are more beefy; padding against your back is more serious - more like something you'd buy at REI for multi-day backpacking. And they have an armored feel to them - the body of the bag is somewhat rigid, and the top cap is even more rigid. The stitching, zippers, materials are all top-notch. The external pockets are the one knock against these bags - they are tiny. Comparing the 350/450 - the 350 is nice and compact, and holds *most* of my kit without trouble. But, it is a major effort to get the 1D Mark IV out of the top opening, leaving me with the option of opening the back cover to extract the camera - both are just enough of a hassle that I can't see myself enjoying this bag on the sidelines. It gets 5-stars for build quality, but it just doesn't work for my application (not a fault of the bag). The 450, on the other hand, is a tad bigger than I'd like - not as big as the Manfrotto, but just big enough that I wish it was a little smaller. On the plus side, the 1D Mark IV comes out of the top compartment cleanly, and the other gear is not squished into the bag. And it's comfortable to wear with everything loaded. All things considered, the Pro Tactic 450AW is the best choice for me.