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I purchased the Tamrac Evolution 8 with regards to a year ago and I have to say it’s the most utile backpack I’ve ever owned. I call it my Batpack, because it holds my camera, laptop and all my little trinkets with quick access… and it’s black.
DESIGN
As the name implies, the Tamrac Evolution 8 is an evolution in the design of photo bags. There has arrived a general new genre of backpack: the sling/side access bag. There are in a literal sense hundreds of variations of photo bags, and most of them fall into general genres, but from my experience something started happening a few years ago in the bag world: sling bags became their own form. I don’t recognise if this was the firstborn bag to start out it all, but I’m sure the Lowepro Slingshot was the sling bag heard round the world, because of it is immense popularity. Since then I’ve noticed other makers pick up this idea in respective forms. In essence a sling bag is a backpack that you may slide to the side and get access to your stuff/camera without taking the bag off. Brilliant! I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted a bag that could carry more than toploader or satchel, but carry it on my back rather of putting all that weight on one shoulder. The huge three all have forms of sling packs and sling backpacks: Lowepro Fastpack, Kata 3n1 & 123, and the Tamrac Evolution 8 5788.
A quick glimpse at the good and the bad before we dive in:
GOOD
- Side access to camera compartment – means not necessitating to take off the bag to pull out your camera.
- Top compartment holds miscellaneous items or accessories
- Can remove the camera dividers and use the bag as a regular backpack
- Hold everything I need to keep on my person on a trip – laptop, camera, lenses, electronics, documents, snacks.
BAD
- The top compartment is beauteous little – can’t hold a water bottle or big book.
- Only DSLRs without battery grips.
- If you want to take a long lens, you’re gonna have to mount it on your camera.
- No water bottle holder
FEATURES
The Tamrac Evolution 8 holds a 15 inch laptop (I have in truth squeezed in one of the new 17 inch macbook pros also), a DSLR without grip, 2-4 lenses, a flash, respective accessaries in flaps and compartments, it has a rain cover, tripod hook, and may be carried as a sling bag or backpack.
The “three ways to access” your gear is where this bag is interesting. You may put your DSLR in one of the side compartments and sling it up and get access to it without taking off the pack. Also, as I do, you may put a second camera of littler size (like a Holga film camera) on the other side and sling that up to get access to it. This is a big vantage as equated to the Lowepro Fastpack or Kata which only has one side access. You also have access to the gear from the top flap, which is a little little for my tastes, but it does the job.
The Three-Way Harness system is mutual to this and the Kata bags-it allows you to set it up as a backpack with two straps, or a sling bag with a strap over the right or left side. (Depending on which side you want to get at.) Personally I never use this feature as it’s easy sufficient to just slip off one of the straps and sling the bag up to get access. Another boon to that method is you may get at either side of the bag rather of being fixed to one or the other. But you have the option. The Kata does an interesting thing with an X system, whereby both straps cross over you’re chest. I haven’t tried it out, but am fascinated to look into it.
There are two pockets on either side above the camera compartment entry panels that may hold accessories. One holds the rain cover by default, and I keep my Flip-type HD video camera in the other. The flaps on either entry panel holds respective accessaries like flash cards and fliters. Though I’ve found them to spit out my stuff if I don’t pack it carefully. The top compartment I use to hold my flashlight, laptop power supply, Leatherman, batteries in the outer flap (not in truth the best use), pills, protein bars, pretty much anything that is less than 8×8 inches I will throw in there… it gets messy in spite of the mesh holder.
The shoulder straps, while thin, are comfortable and there is a waist strap, which is perfectly necessary on any backpack. Half of the weight, if not more, will have to rest on your hips. And the sternum strap is also a requisite for me, as I am a 6 foot man with moderately wide shoulders.
The bag is available in Black or Brown/Tan.
CONCLUSION
This bag is unquestionably a compromise. If you’re a professional photographer looking for a emplacement bag this is not it. It actually sucks at that. I’m telling you from experience it just doesn’t hold sufficient of the type of gear you need and you can’t get at it speedily enough. Though one caveat is that it’s outstanding for street photography, in particular if it’s raining. This bag is for daily, multipurpose use. If you’re looking for a travel bag, something to hold your laptop and camera and fit int he overhead bin, you might have just found your One Bag to rule them all. This bag works for me because I only use a DSLR without a battery grip, I don’t own any huge lenses (e.g. 70-200 f/4L), and I have a 15 inch laptop. It’s a little light on how much stuff you may put in it, but to me thats a good thing because I’m always attempting to travel lighter. After a year with this bag I may say that I’m unquestionably satisfied. However, I will be looking for another bag to carry more instrumentation for my photography shoots and if I end up getting a camera with a battery grip, I will unquestionably look into the Kata 3N1 or 123.
Tamrac Black Expedition Laptop Backpack
The Expedition 8x is Tamrac’s greatest pack for the most extensive collection of photo equipment. The main compartment is totally foam padded with a heap of adjustable, foam-padded dividers to protect multiple pro-size digital and film SLRs with lenses attached, a full range of lenses, and flashes. A foam-padded front pocket with a water-resistant zipper holds most 17″ screen laptops. Two “wing” accessory pockets with water-resistant zippers coordinate and provide quick access to crucial accessaries without disturbing the photo gear. These “wing” accessory pockets also feature Tamrac’s patented Memory & Battery Management System that uses red flags to discern available memory cards and batteries from ones that have been applied up. A tripod is carried amongst these pockets with Tamrac’s QuickClip tripod attachment system. Inside, the camera with a long zoom lens attached is suspended on two vertical, foam-padded dividers that are internally reinforced with rigid plastic. A restraint strap holds lens with resolute determination in place. A Dual-Hinge Divider System allows a second SLR to be carried with a lens attached. Three Windowpane-Mesh pockets inside the front flap visibly coordinate filters, film and other accessories. A plastic, foam-padded platform in the bottom provides shock shelter while the LockDown Rain Flap protects the zipper from the elements. The state-of-the-art harness scheme with Dual-Density Comfort Pads provides greatest or most complete or best possible carrying ease while Air Flow Channels aid keep you cool and arid for the duration of extended use. The pack is likewise equipped with a BioCurve dual-pivoting waist belt and an expandable sternum strap. Internal Dimensions: 11W x 6.25D x 20.5H. External Dimensions: 13W x 13.5D x 22H. Weight: 7 lbs. 6 oz.
Tamrac Black Expedition Laptop Backpack Pic
Tamrac Black Expedition Laptop Backpack Picture
Tamrac Black Expedition Laptop Backpack Picture
Tamrac Black Expedition Laptop Backpack Pic
Most helpful client reviews
38 of 41 humans found the following review helpful.
 A disastrous introductory impression was all that took to return the backpack to Amazon.com
By Hyun Yu
I got this backpack as a Father’s Day present. I’d been looking for a huge backpack to combine the camera gear and the laptop, and this seemed like an idealisti bag to carry all my stuff for the weekend getaways.
Unfortunately, my experience with the backpack did not survive the initial encounter. I loaded the backpack up with my camera gear (2 D/SLRs, 5 lenses, three flashes, batteries and PSD and other gear) and the laptop. The total weight including the backpack itself was 30.2lb. The firstborn time I tried to heft up the pack to wear it, the top of the left strap started out to tear from the bag. That was it. That was all it took to convince me to return it to Amazon. I’m sorry, if something as rudimentary as the shoulder strap of the backpack can’t hold the weight, then I have no selfconfidence in the durability or the workmanship of the pack.
For those interested, I’ve uploaded a photo of the damaged strap.
9 of 9 humans found the following review helpful.
 Camera Backpacks are largely a matter of preference
By DigitalMan
Like alot of things humans buy on Amazon I think camera bags and backpacks are largely a matter of preference. If you buy a Lowepro, Tamrac, Kata, Think Tank or any of the other well known brands you will get splendid quality. They each have their amount of energy and differentiators that genuinely depend on how primary those things are to individuals. I have tried various backpacks and ultimately settled on the Tamrac. It is a huge bag, and when it’s packed it is heavy…but then again anything in this size class will be; it’s a tradeoff among weight and not wanting to get caught in the field having made a tradeoff and leaving something home that you ended up wishing you had. I found this bag not rather as huge and bulky as the Kata that I originially ordered and returned. It has good build quality, is very customizable, and may carry alot of gear (meaning I could get all the gear I own in it, including my Macbook pro). I have both a D80 and D700 body, the 14-24, 24-70, 70-200 and 105 f/2.8 lenses as well as the 300 f/4 (all bulky and heavy). Then I have a 50mm, 2 teleconverters, two SB flashes, various filters, batteries, charger and miscellaneous accessories. I also found the tripod holder more functional, secure and to have better weight distribution and remainder than a great deal of of the other bags I tried. Fully loaded with tripod on board I am at 36 pounds with this bag.
This bag likewise fit my frame better than the others I tried. One thing I highly commend is to go to a local camera store and undertake the bag on before you order it on Amazon. Make sure it fits you well because these things are bulky and highpriced to ship back if you want to return it. A return will speedily offset the significant cost savings you find on these bags on Amazon over reatil store prices (can be as much as 25% for less than retail).
I commend this bag. A couple of minor things I would change, accordingly the 4 stars, but for me this bag works well and meets the need.
7 of 7 humans found the following review helpful.
 Great Bag, Holds a LOT of stuff, and protects it well
By BCinDC
I have the Expedition 8 (not 8x) but the only divergence is that the 8x adds padding in the outer pocket for a laptop (I have padded sleeves from my laptop so I don’t miss that).
In the main compartment, I store two D300′s with battery grips on, with a 70-200mm f/2.8 on one and an 17-55mm f/2.8 mounted on the other, along with 3 other lenses, a TC, 3 extra battery packs for the grips, bulky (Black Rapid and UPstrap) straps, 2 speedlights, and I STILL have galore room I haven’t used.
On the inside of the huge flap that covers the main compartment, there are 3 rows of clear pockets that hold all of my accessaries – filters, expodisc, demb diffuser, rocket blower, lens pens, gels…..
Finally, on the outside of the pack there are two long pockets that hold a ton of batteries (easily 48) & a heap of memory cards (there are four little pockets in each side that could effortlessly hold 3 CF cards each, so that is 24 CF cards…or perhaps galore more batteries). Between these two pockets there are straps that may hold a tripod, with a bottom pocket/pouch to help the tripod. There are likewise straps on the sides of the pack to attach further and added M.A.S. (or LowePro, or Think Tank) modular components.
The shoulder straps and waist belt are well padded, very durably constructed (IDK what happened with the guy who’s strap tore, bad luck, I’d assume), and very comfortable.
The only drawback I may see to it (assuming you need a bag this big), is that it doesn’t come with a rain cover. The main compartment zipper has a rain flap to go over it, but I would have liked to have an integrated rain cover like galore of the LowePro and Think Tank merchandise do. You may by a discerned rain cover to add to it, however.
Overall, an magnificent very huge back pack.
See all 13 client reviews…
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