GroovyGeek
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 p.6 #10 · F-Stop Loka, finally! (bonus: side-by-side Tilopa) | |
Got my Loka (black) with large ICU, I originally wanted the medium ICU but they were OOS and, as documented on this thread, I lack patience. Initial impressions:
The good:
1) The internal frame seems to make a lot of difference to how this carries weight relative to the standard photo backpack
2) ICU is true to size, it was surprising how much stuff you can get into the large ICU, especially coming from LP bags which tend to overstate their capacity. Except for 1" larger nominal depth the large ICU has similar dimensions to a Lowepro Flipside 400AW but will carry seriously more gear, probably too much for my needs.
3) Good number of pockets and compartments for accessories, I wish there were more but what they have is not bad.
4) You can easily access the photo compartment without putting the pack on the ground, this is something I love in the LP Flipside series and is a big plus.
5) Unlike most other photo packs there is a real option to carry a midsize tripod without it flopping around on your every move. I do have a nit in this respect, see below.
6) The sternum strap is adjustable. An earlier poster had stated that it is fixed, but that is not the case. Perhaps the straps were just not adjustable enough to address the specific problem this poster was experiencing.
7) Zippers feel robust. Not as much as a typical ThinkTank, but I feel that those are overkill. The external zipper is sealed.
The so-so:
1) The quality of materials and construction seems only so-so given the cost. When you pull on the seams you can see them separate a bit. Fstop says they offer a 20 year warranty against manufacturing defects, but I wonder how many of the problems that could crop up as a result of weaker seams or non-reinforced attachment points could be considered normal wear and tear.
2) The shoulder and waist straps are sewn directly into the fabric. Except for somewhat heavier stitches there is no apparent reinforcement of the attachment points. I have to wonder how long this will last, particularly since I intend to access the back compartment while the pack is supported around my waist with the waist strap only. This definitely puts a lot strain on what does not look to be a particularly robust attachment point.
3) The rubberized fabric of the top compartment has a cheap feel and look. Some of the stitching in this area is sloppy. Tugging on the seams not very hard results in clear separation and leaves me with the impression that over time the rubberized fabric will tear as you insert and remove items from the pockets.
4) The rubberized fabric at the bottom of the pack does not feel very rugged, it is not obvious that it will fare well if you set it repeatedly and not very carefully on gravel and/or rocks with jagged edges.
5) It would have been really useful to have a cup or some type of detachable reinforcement on the bottom strap that is used to attach the tripod. Fold-way fabric cup similar to what LP does would have been ideal. If such a cup was present the straps could have been used to merely support the tripod in place, rather than carry its weight. As things stand today you have to cinch the straps rather tight to support a Gitzo series 2, and that tends to pull on the zippers and reduce the internal volume
6) The layout of the hooks, loops and seams on the shoulder straps is asymmetric. While that provides flexibility it also precludes you from easily attaching your camera to your shoulder straps. On most other packs I use Op/Tech short straps that attach to the shoulder straps, I then clip the camera to them and secure with the little remaining wiggle with the sternum strap to keep it from flopping around when I walk. This can be done on the Loka, but with a bit of a kludge. I would have preferred if they had two symmetric plastic hoops on both shoulder straps rather than the single one on the left side only.
The ugly:
1) The internal dividers are a hassle and an eyesore, see post 18 of this thread for a look. The grey cover fabric is FLIMSY and does not look like it will last very long. Because it is not attached to the underlying foam positioning the dividers is a pain in the a*s and I feel like removing the dividers is a tear risk on the grey fabric every time you do it, particularly on the ICU walls. Furthermore, since the dividers attach to the fabric only the whole arrangement is not the most robust. For example, if you try to strap down a lens that lies flat in the rather deep ICU, the strap velcros to very thin fabric with little other support to keep the lens from flopping around. This is a really, really big miss, at least for me.
2) The carrying strap is also flimsy, particularly given the weight that this pack can carry fully loaded. Not only is it thin, which is an inconvenience when lugging the pack on/off planes, around airports and transportation hubs, etc, but just like all other straps there is no apparent reinforcement of the attachment points except somewhat heavier stitching.
Overall my impression is positive, but I will have to decide how much item #1 in the "ugly" section bugs me.
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