Reviews
Spacious, resilient, weatherproof, comfortable to wear, space for a lot of equipment, great!
Adapted to my photography equipment, I give it 5 stars out of conviction because everything finds its place, is stored in a shockproof and weatherproof manner and the padded straps allow me to carry the backpack easily. Yes, and then there is one detail that particularly impresses me. I also have it in a much smaller backpack, the "belly shop", more on that in a moment. There is nothing in itself that I have to seriously complain about; I would only resolve tiny details slightly differently if I could influence them. It's an unfair comparison, but it's very important to me personally, the LowePro Flipside 200, because I've been using it for 12 years. It is significantly smaller, I use it for a camera with 2-3 lenses and few accessories. It does it perfectly, but why the 20l K&F Concept camera backpack for me. Well, a second camera joined my equipment and I take it with me more and more often, so I have to store 2 full-format cameras with 3-5 lenses, as well as the travel tripod, batteries and a few filters, as well as the previous backpack pretty worn out after 12 years. No problem, it was hardly different, this 20l backpack holds everything and more, so I could add a little more to my equipment. I find the product description and its pictures very successful and meaningful; they made an effort to present the backpack in the best possible way, but not to over-gloss it over. Its details are clearly visible, so I don't need to go into more detail about it. 2 things are very important to me personally, firstly the very flexible interior division in the camera compartment and the side access to it, there are also generous Velcro room dividers included, but I also particularly appreciate the "belly shop". So what is the “belly shop” as I call it? Yes, I carry the backpack in front of my stomach and fold it down. It then hangs in front of me like a tray and I can easily remove and stow the camera and lens and change the lens on the camera very easily, and the backpack doesn't get dirty on the floor. My very old LowePro doesn't have straps when it hangs in front of my stomach, it just hangs on the hip belt. This would be unthinkable with the K&F, because it is heavily packed and heavy and needs to be supported. K&F Concept has come up with something very clever here: two attachable fixation straps. I put the backpack on over the straps at the front of my stomach, not at the back of my back. If I now open the large camera compartment with the all-round zipper, I can fold it forward about 50-60 degrees and it then hangs on the two straps. Brilliant, I don't have to put anything on the ground and I always have my equipment to hand. But the concept has one disadvantage: in direct comparison to my old LowePro, I can no longer support the K&F Concept on the hip belt while slipping my arms on the shoulder straps, turning it forward or backwards. The backpack is too big and too heavy for that. Maybe this could be optimized a bit, but I have no idea what it should look like exactly. I give these points 5+ stars, the backpack is brilliant and fits my needs perfectly. However, I give 5 stars for the room dividers in the large camera compartment when looking at the details, so I deduct a minimal amount of points. It results from the fact that the room dividers can be a little more padded, more flexible, but some may also like them rather rigid. In any case, a sufficient number of them are supplied so that the camera compartment can be divided according to needs. I no longer use classic large SLR cameras, but two of them, each with a lens on them and an additional lens or flash, would fit well in my backpack. My full-format viewfinder cameras are much more compact in design, and their manual lenses are also comparatively compact, so I have a lot of space available, almost more than I need. But there are enough little things to fill the room, be it a table tripod, filters, batteries, a bean bag, the external light meter and other small parts. All of this can be stored well, nothing slips and there is sufficient shock protection. I find the side access to the camera compartment particularly clever. Please see the detailed images in the product description. Do you also know that you don't always want to carry the camera in your hand or on a strap, only use it specifically and would otherwise rather transport it in a backpack, also and especially because of the weather protection? This is exactly what the compartment is ideal for, because if you adjust the shoulder straps a little wider, i.e. carry the backpack loosely, you can pull it forward a little to the side and take the camera out of the compartment from the crook of your arm and then push it back in there. I really appreciate that, but you should be clear that it's just this camera with this lens. To get to the other camera or other lenses, put the backpack down or carry it in front of your chest and open the “belly drawer”. The K&F Concept is very versatile and, with a volume of 20l, makes sense for extensive equipment, but less can be more. I often only take one camera and not all lenses with me, because the backpack also offers space for a fleece jacket, rain jacket, a snack or something like that. No space is wasted inside for a tripod; if you take it with you, which I sometimes do, you can click it crosswise on the loops provided on the outside. This suits me very well because I use a quite compact and light travel tripod, it is about 45cm long. I previously had a "large tripod" with a pack size of around 70cm. I wouldn't want to hang it horizontally on the backpack. I prefer a vertical tripod mount, which the K&C Concept unfortunately doesn't have. Please keep that in mind if you want a larger tripod use. Now finally to the quality impression. I generally don't rate prices, they don't factor into my reviews, but for the current price of around €150 I expect quality, so the backpack is in the middle price segment of this size and should stand out in terms of quality from cheap products and I can say it does it also. I don't find any manufacturing defects, all seams are correct, straight and resilient, the zippers are easy to grip and move smoothly, the straps are resilient and the straps are well padded, as is the back. The outer material, yes, how should I put it, looks to me like a satin-matt artificial leather, hand-flattering, soft and flexible, and also weatherproof, not to be confused with waterproof. I really like the material, much better than the common nylon fabric that my old little backpack that I praised so much at the beginning also has. The smooth surface of the backpack is much easier to clean than nylon fabric, so wipe it down rather than intensively brushing it out. However, there is one external detail that doesn't really appeal to me: it's the locks on the lid, the two aluminum hooks. Maybe I'm just too clumsy, but I find them very fiddly. On the one hand, the small bumps at the end of the hooks prevent them from opening on their own, but it also makes it harder for me to open them and, above all, close them. I'm thinking about filing down the bumps, or at least reducing them significantly with the file. It wouldn't be so bad if the shutter opened on its own, I wouldn't lose anything. If I had to decide as a manufacturer, I would attach normal clips here, maybe even magnetic ones. In conclusion, the backpack is very pleasing, which leads me to a 5 star rating, well maybe a 5 star rating because of the fasteners, but these are just a matter of taste. I am very impressed with the backpack's flexibility and performance and there is plenty of room for my equipment in it. When it rains heavily I can put on the weather protection hood, but so far this has never been necessary. The backpack can handle light rain well. You get what you order, the item description is well done and presents the backpack clearly. Even if I don't rate it, I think that for currently around 150€ the backpack is a bargain, comparable backpacks cost far more, it might be like the brand name be owed. The K&F Concept is visually rather inconspicuous and that's a good thing, its shape is similar to that of a classic knapsack, the side bottle holder as a pocket is flattened almost invisibly by an elastic band when not in use. I am convinced of it and therefore give it an unreserved purchase recommendation. You always make compromises, but I only make very few here and maybe that will work for you too. Thank you for your attention in reading my review. If you would like, please give me feedback, I would be happy to hear it.
17/04/2023