Rotation 360 Experience?

[nutsnbolts]

Ok, who here has this bag?

I want to know your experience with it and whether your purchase was justified. I know it's a great bag but not having it in front of me is like dreaming it's a great bag.

Do you use it as it was intended, such as, using the fanny pack around and so forth?

Do you find the top portion of the backpack useful?

Did you find it to have provided you all the room you need?

[squiress]

If you do a search here you will find one pretty nice review. I have it and think of the basic bag as a waist or fanny pack with a small back pack and a great harness to hang stuff on, with weather covers for everything and lots of straps for flexibility. I have four lenses and filters in the back pack portion (50 1.4, 10-20 Sigma, 100 macro, 70-300DO) and that's about it. I have a body with lens and extra lens in fanny pack. I bought one external lens holder for a 400 5.6 and am adding a shorter one for the other side. These two nicely balance the pack in the middle and make it a little fuller looking.

All the materials and hardware are first rate. All well designed. I've used fanny pack all by itself, and it's very stout. I think you need to look at adding the accessory bags/carriers to really get full benefit of the harness so another $100-150 makes this bag complete. It holds all my equipment well, but I never have tried to use only just the fanny pack for camera and two lenses and the backpack for jacket, food, etc. I also have a AW NatureTrekkor and this is probably a step up from that, the Rotation being much more flexible with regard to configuration.

If you buy one, check return policy to make sure you're happy with it before you have to keep it. ;)

Stew

[nutsnbolts]

I have read the review but it's a review from one person about the bag. I wanted to get more experience from people who actually used it (not saying the reviewer didn't use it), I'm just trying to get more information like what you have provided, which was great.

Nevertheless, looking forward for more responses!

I do have the lenschanger 75 pop-down and the lenschanger 50 so it will compliment the bag well.

[squiress]

I am getting the 75 non-popdown and that will still allow rotation out that side.

Stew

[JohnJ80]

Ok, who here has this bag?

i do



I want to know your experience with it and whether your purchase was justified. I know it's a great bag but not having it in front of me is like dreaming it's a great bag.

Do you use it as it was intended, such as, using the fanny pack around and so forth?

It is a clever idea. Be careful though, it is a smallish backpack and that can have issues in terms of fit on your body and what it carries.


Do you find the top portion of the backpack useful?

Yes - that is actually the most useful part.

Did you find it to have provided you all the room you need?

Um, yeah, maybe.

I was really hot on it when I got it. However, unless you are wearing it, it can be a pain to get everything out of it - especially the parts in the waist belt part (think about it - you have to unlock it, swing it out, and open it, get the stuff out, reverse the process).

It is also pretty rigid - it is not at all 'squishy' like a regular backpack is. It is rigid because of the waist pack 'garage' part.

I never use it any more. I may use it more this summer but my favorite pack - by far - is the TT Change Up. Much more useful, IMO.

For packs, I'd also give the Lowepro Primus a look see. This could very well be a better choice. I probably wouldn't buy this pack again if I had it to do over.

J.

[nutsnbolts]

i do



It is a clever idea. Be careful though, it is a smallish backpack and that can have issues in terms of fit on your body and what it carries.


Yes - that is actually the most useful part.

Um, yeah, maybe.

I was really hot on it when I got it. However, unless you are wearing it, it can be a pain to get everything out of it - especially the parts in the waist belt part (think about it - you have to unlock it, swing it out, and open it, get the stuff out, reverse the process).

It is also pretty rigid - it is not at all 'squishy' like a regular backpack is. It is rigid because of the waist pack 'garage' part.

I never use it any more. I may use it more this summer but my favorite pack - by far - is the TT Change Up. Much more useful, IMO.

For packs, I'd also give the Lowepro Primus a look see. This could very well be a better choice. I probably wouldn't buy this pack again if I had it to do over.

J.

Oooh. Now we're getting somewhere. Hmmmm.. The changeup does seem to be more of a better choice. Let me check that out. Also the Lowepro Primus.

[nutsnbolts]

Ok, the Lowepro Primus is another backpack that is similar to a sling one that Lowepro already carries.

The Thinktank change up though looks like a buy. Would a chimp cage compliment this change up? As stated before, I do have the 75 and 50 lens changer.

[JohnJ80]

Here is quite a thread on the Think Tank Change Up from over at Fred Miranda. 23 pages mostly about it. Quite a conversation and very informative. Pictures etc...

The Chimp cage would work well with the CU.

I use this with my 5D+24-105 and the 70-200 f/4L IS in it. I've really come to like this bag a lot.

Here is an interesting review on the Primus:
http://www.iseepeople.co.uk/firemonkey/blog/?page_id=167

Personally, I think the concept of being able to get the camera out without putting the backpack down is probably simpler this way and better than the Rotation360. I also think this pack has more room and versatility than does the R360. That all said, I haven't seen one yet so...

As for bags, here is what I do with my Kinesis Journeyman backpack, mounting Think Tank modules inside of it. THis is the "transformer" of backpacks.

http://www.prophotohome.com/forum/blogs/viewblog.php?userid=34252&entry=54

J.

[nutsnbolts]

I'm definately rethinking the 360. I like the changeup which is similar in how my Domke F-3x works. The only problem is, I will be digressing from carrying two bodies with lenses in one bag to now in separate bags. Hmm..

I will have to put more thought to it. As of now, from everyones review, the 360 is an amazing bag, unfortunately, it doesn't work as well as the changeup/chimp cage combo.