Mountainsmith Aurora II Lumbar Pack, Small - for Film or Digital SLR Cameras with Lenses, Flash and Accessories (Black)

Comments about Mountainsmith Aurora II Lumbar Pack, Small (Black):

I needed a pack to hold my audio gear while shooting video on DSLR. This bag could barely hold my Zoom H4N. I returned it and went with a Photo Runner 100 which is perfect.

Comments about Mountainsmith Aurora II Lumbar Pack, Small (Black):

I wanted something to easily carry my G-12 and the 320EX Speedlight with room for a small desktop tripod; spare battery and spare cards - without having something dangling around my neck while hiking and roaming the streets looking for fun shots. This fit the bill perfectly. It is comfortable waist pack. A couple of loops for carrying a travel tripod would make it perfect.

Comments about Mountainsmith Aurora II Lumbar Pack, Small (Black):

Fits everything I need into a small pack, which is great because I'm usually schlepping a large pack as well.
Water resistant is great, although it makes the zipper a little hard to work sometimes.
Perfect number of pockets -- fits my Olympus PEN and a telephoto lens, extra card, charger, cable and microphone adapter. Can carry over shoulder or as a lumbar pack.

Comments about Mountainsmith Aurora II Lumbar Pack, Small (Black):

I bought this with the need for a tough, non bulky, quickdraw type protection for my Camera/Gear. The build on this pack is nothing less than I would expect from Mountainsmith. Unfortunately, it does not fit my gear. I have a Canon T1i and it barely fits with the kit lens, so cramped it looks like the slightest shock would cause camera damage. With my Sigma 18-200mm attached, it is an impossible feat to make this bag work. You will not have any room for accessories or other lenses if you manage to fit your camera body and small lens into this bag. I will be returning this item, a Lowepro SlingShot 100, which fulfills my equipment/quickdraw needs (an is very good in the elements, I am in love). I would also recommend a Mountainsmith Tour FX, or perhaps one of their FANTASTIC backpacks, all of which can be found here at B&H with the best prices on the web.

Comments about Mountainsmith Aurora II Lumbar Pack, Small (Black):

Yes, the size is listed as small, but it is quite small. A small Canon Rebel body with the 18-55 lens is very tight. Well made, with good storage spaces aside from the camera compartment. Would recommend the larger size though.

Comments about Mountainsmith Aurora II Lumbar Pack, Small (Black):

This bag houses my Nikon D40x w/18-135 kit lens. With a filter and lens cap, the combo is too snug, not allowing the dividers inside the bag to "suspend" the camera+lens. As a result, when I dropped the bag with the camera inside, from about 2 feet (less than a meter) onto a wooden bench, the rather nice Hoya multi-coated filter broke, and scratched the lens. Argh!

Also, the shoulder strap slips through its buckles far too easily, pretty much always slipping right to its maximum length within a few minutes of carry time. In fact it has -almost- slipped all the way off more than once. For that reason I've safety-pinned it down. Blah.

Otherwise, this is a nice bag. Very well constructed with quality materials and a handy, useful, well-organized design. The main flap buckle works well and the camera is pretty secure even without the main zipper closed, which makes for quick deployment. The mesh side pockets are nearly useless, being just big enough for small change or a lens cap, and very hard to access due to the location and bulk of the quick-release buckles for the shoulder strap. But the internal organization is good, with just enough handy small pockets. The waist belt is relatively comfy and secure, but when "tucked-away" makes quite a bulky lump.

I guess this is a fine small bag for a compact DSLR with small, LIGHT, kit lens, or for a "pro-sumer" point-and-shoot camera like the Canon G series. In the end, I think Mountainsmith can (and will) do much better.