Compact Backpack for Pentax K1 II w/Grip & Pentax 150-450 Lens

Hi,

I'm strongly considering buying the Pentax 150-450 lens for birding in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY.  I live within walking distance although I may often have to hike more than a mile to the good birding spots.

I am looking for a compact light weight backpack that could comfortably carry my K1 II (or K3) with battery grip and the 150-450 lens - all attached.

Any and all recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

-Bob

Bobolink wrote:

Hi,

I'm strongly considering buying the Pentax 150-450 lens for birding in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY. I live within walking distance although I may often have to hike more than a mile to the good birding spots.

I am looking for a compact light weight backpack that could comfortably carry my K1 II (or K3) with battery grip and the 150-450 lens - all attached.

Any and all recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

-Bob

The K1 + 150-450 measures 32cm without hood and 40 cm with hood. I just measured them.

Lowepro makes some dedicated long lens backpacks.

You may also want to consider a holster-style bag for long lenses.

In a pinch, a messenger bag with no dividers will also do the trick.

But you live in NY, why not go over to B&H and you can try them all and pick the one that fits best! That's what I'd do if i still lived in NY. Now I'm on the other side of the Atlantic. Their website is good at indicating the interior dimensions. Don't forget to post what you chose, so i can get it too!

btw, i've been wondering if the Lowepro ProTactic BP 350 AW II fits the K1 +150450 with hood attached, and if i can pull the combo out from the top-loading zipper. Or is the ProTactic 450 is a better fit....

I use a messenger bag as Miles suggests for when I walk with just my k1 and 70-200 (nearly as big as the 150-450 I am told) however I normally use a Lowepro fastpac bag which I have lugged all over Panama, Ecuador and here (NZ) and it is still as good as the day I bought it so I cant praise Lowepro enough if you can find a good fit.

I have the Thinktank Streetwalker, and it’s about as compact as the combination of a mounted 150-450 and a couple of other lenses will allow.

When I bought the bag it was for the lens combined with the K-3 and battery grip, and worked well.  The K-1 plus 150-450 fits OK, however if you want room for mounted battery grip I would definitely recommend the Streetwalker Pro which is an inch+ deeper.

Even after more than about 10 years I still love my Clik Elite Bodylink Telephoto Pack. The combo of a frame that can mount a ballhead and the fact you can open the case from the inside when its spun around as a chest case make it great. Unfortunately while the case is designed to carry a 70-200/2.8 and camera and you can squeeze in a Sigma 100-300/4 with a body and vertical grip it won't fit a Pentax 150-450 and camera.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/786901240.html

But they do have larger bags the have everything but the frame.

PortrayingLife wrote:

In terms of birding, may I ask what you think the 150-450 will deliver over the DA*300+HD1.4TC you bought (per DPR thread) in July 2019?

I'm asking because I have both and know the pro+cons. I prefer the K-1 II+300+1.4 kit

Just curious... M

Good question.  I don't know first hand, but I've read several threads on this forum and the "other forum" (and elsewhere).  I've encountered your opinion and the the opposite.  Maybe not exactly the opposite.  A common opinion is that the 300 by itself has better IQ when that's all the reach you need.  With the 1.4 some say it's sharper than the 150-450, while others (perhaps many others) say the exact opposite, with one person showing 2 shots of the same experimental subject, one with each of those setups - it showed a clearly sharper image with the 150-450.

But the main thing is that the 150-450 is considered by many to have faster and more accurate autofocus than the 300 (with or w/o 1.4) and have at least "close enough" IQ.  Maybe because it is a 2015 issue vs. a 2008 issue with improved AF technology.  (My 2018 [I think] issue 55-300 PLM definitely has faster, and probably more accurate, AF than my 300 F4, but of course not as good IQ.)  So better for fast moving birds.  And of course there's the option of combining the 1.4 converter with the 150-450 for even more reach when needed.  Also the versatility of a zoom is often desirable.

Don't get me wrong, I love my 300 F4.  Another common opinion that it's good to have both.  I plan to do some more shooting in the park before making a final decision about buying the 150-450.

-Bob

miles green wrote:

Bobolink wrote:

Hi,

I'm strongly considering buying the Pentax 150-450 lens for birding in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY. I live within walking distance although I may often have to hike more than a mile to the good birding spots.

I am looking for a compact light weight backpack that could comfortably carry my K1 II (or K3) with battery grip and the 150-450 lens - all attached.

Any and all recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

-Bob

The K1 + 150-450 measures 32cm without hood and 40 cm with hood. I just measured them.

Lowepro makes some dedicated long lens backpacks.

You may also want to consider a holster-style bag for long lenses.

In a pinch, a messenger bag with no dividers will also do the trick.

But you live in NY, why not go over to B&H and you can try them all and pick the one that fits best! That's what I'd do if i still lived in NY. Now I'm on the other side of the Atlantic. Their website is good at indicating the interior dimensions. Don't forget to post what you chose, so i can get it too!

btw, i've been wondering if the Lowepro ProTactic BP 350 AW II fits the K1 +150450 with hood attached, and if i can pull the combo out from the top-loading zipper. Or is the ProTactic 450 is a better fit....

Upon ispecting the specs, the Lowepro ProTactic BP 450 AW II is deeper and will fit the grip, the 350 won't.

I like the fact that it's top loading, it's very inconvenient to have to take the pack off and lie it down in order to take the camera ou and take a picture.

This might be practical as well, as the combo will ready to grab at all times:

Think Tank Photo Digital Holster 150

Bobolink wrote:

Hi,

I'm strongly considering buying the Pentax 150-450 lens for birding in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY. I live within walking distance although I may often have to hike more than a mile to the good birding spots.

I am looking for a compact light weight backpack that could comfortably carry my K1 II (or K3) with battery grip and the 150-450 lens - all attached.

Any and all recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

-Bob

I'm using a LowePro FlipSide 400 AW II, and there's quite a bit of extra room besides my K-1ii and 150-450 (I don't have a grip, but that shouldn't be an issue).

I could fit the camera and attached lens, barely - and perhaps not with a grip - into a FlipSide 300.

Alex

So I use the Peakdesign Everday backpack as my primary bag which definitely fits the setup and I recently picked up a first gen sling bag of theirs on sale which fits this combo (barely). It's a sweet bit of kit, enjoy!

it is the most compact i used for K3/K1 + sigma 150-500mm, also cheapest

it can even fit 150-600mm zoom for other brand, the model is called BL-0012

https://www.amazon.com/Waterproof-Shoulder-Messenger-200-500mm-150-600mm/dp/B07BDJPDJS

Shivaess wrote:

So I use the Peakdesign Everday backpack as my primary bag which definitely fits the setup and I recently picked up a first gen sling bag of theirs on sale which fits this combo (barely). It's a sweet bit of kit, enjoy!

Can you tell me the model numbers for the Everyday backpack and sling bag that you have?  There are several different models of each on their site.

Thanks!

-Bob

Bobolink wrote:

Hi,

I'm strongly considering buying the Pentax 150-450 lens for birding in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY. I live within walking distance although I may often have to hike more than a mile to the good birding spots.

I am looking for a compact light weight backpack that could comfortably carry my K1 II (or K3) with battery grip and the 150-450 lens - all attached.

Any and all recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

-Bob

Bob,

Cullmann Ultralight 2in1 Daypack 600+ is my favorite camera backpack.

Bobolink wrote:

Hi,

I'm strongly considering buying the Pentax 150-450 lens for birding in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY. I live within walking distance although I may often have to hike more than a mile to the good birding spots.

I am looking for a compact light weight backpack that could comfortably carry my K1 II (or K3) with battery grip and the 150-450 lens - all attached.

Any and all recommendations are greatly appreciated.

You appear to have received good suggestions; my suggestion may be over-the-top.
Here it is anyway!

VEO SELECT 49 - GREEN BACKPACK/SHOULDER BAG FOR DSLR/MIRRORLESS

It can be carried rather like suitcase; or as a back-pack; or as one-shoulder pack.

It is highly configurable! I "encroached" on a separate compartment on the right to get the lens with hood fitted in. 
(It comes with lots of dividers which I removed to show an un-cluttered view).

Veo Select 49 with Pentax K-1II and battery grip plus Pentax 150-450mm lens with lens-hood on.

I have the 20L v1 everyday backpack and the 10L v1 everyday sling