I’ve begun to obsess over finding the perfect camera backpack.
Manfrotto sent me their Prolight Multiloader backpack and I tested it in four categories to see if it's worth the investment for you. (spoiler - it's kinda weird).
I've rated it on a scale of 1-10 in
Comfort
Design
Durability
Value
Let's get started.
Comfort
I loaded the bag down with about 20lbs of camera gear and went for a (relatively short) 3 mile hike. About halfway through I came to my conclusion - the Prolight gets a 7/10 on the comfort scale - slightly above average!
So what makes it slightly above average? The shoulder straps are adjustable for your height so you can change how high up the bag sits on your back, enabling you to perfectly adjust it to the size of your body, which is cool. They're mildly padded - not nearly as cushioned as the Nomatic pack that I reviewed - but it's better than nothing. Still, they dug into my shoulders a little bit, even through a heavy coat.
There's also not one, but two adjustable chest straps to keep those shoulder straps together and keep the bag bound tightly to your back. The waist strap is very basic. It's not the most comfortable waist strap I've ever used, but it does help to take some load off your shoulders, which is important, especially when you're going for longer hikes.
As for breathability, there's an inset valley along your spine that allows air to get up through your back, right beneath the mesh. During the summer I'm sure that'll be a very appreciated feature.
Design (Exterior)
Let's talk about design. First off, there's three points of access - the top, the back, and the side. The top access opens up to a separate, smaller compartment. I like to keep my lens filters and other bits and bobs in here. However, if you need more space in the main storage area, the dividing foam that creates this smaller compartment is completely removable, giving you access to the entire bag from the top zipper.
The side access is awesome because it allows me to swing the backpack around my body and reach my camera without having to put the bag down, which is good when you're in a muddy or wet location.
If this is your preferred way of carrying your gear all the time, you can also remove one of the back straps and attach the other one to an anchor along the side, turning the whole thing into a side-slung bag! This is something I've never seen done in a camera bag before and really just ups that level of customization. Effectively, you get two bags in one.
The back access is your main access into the bag where you can customize the inside and reach all of your gear at once. This zipper is on the back of the bag (the side that's pointing away from you as opposed to the side that is adjacent to your back). This can cause some security concerns because it's a lot easier for pickpockets to access the entirety of your bag.
Manfrotto tried to mitigate this security concern with a built-in TSA lock for the zippers, which is a pretty thoughtful solution, but it actually doesn't really work all that well in practice because the length of the wires connected to the zippers are so long that you can still get pretty good access to the pockets just by shifting the zippers around.
There are a ton of straps on the exterior of this bag, each customizable using a loop and anchor system. You can strap water bottles, a jacket, a tripod, anything that you want to the back, then when the straps are not in use, they tuck away into the form factor of the bag so they're not dangling all over the place.
The side pockets are pretty good, but they're quite tight - there's not a whole lot of flex to them. An exterior pocket right on the back is great for storing things like your keys, wallet, or your phone for easy access (of course I wouldn't recommend doing this if you're in a city or other high risk area. This is a really easy target for pickpockets). Finally, there's a laptop compartment between you and the main part of the bag. This comfortably holds a 17 inch laptop, plus it's well padded so you don't have to worry about damaging your computer.
Design (Interior)
The interior of the bag is all right, but I don't like it as much as the exterior. Each of the access doors have mesh pockets on the inside, which are perfect storage for smaller items (batteries, multitool, etc.). I'm always a fan of more storage - that's not my issue with the interior of the bag.
What I have an issue with is the divider system. The dividers aren't the worst I've ever seen, but they can be quite floppy, so gear shifts a bit more than I would like while I'm walking. Check out my review video above to see what I mean in depth.
Design (Overall)
I've got to give the Manfrotto Prolight Multiloader a 7/10 in terms of design because it's very practical and impressively customizable. Unfortunately those floppy interior dividers and the security concern of back access dock it a couple of points.
Durability
Durability is where this bag really shines. It has a water resistant exterior shell that is incredibly easy to clean off. It also has a lot of structure to it, keeping your gear protected by any impacts or crushing pressure. It's not entirely waterproof or rainproof, but it does come with a separate rainfly that can be deployed if you find yourself in a torrential downpour.
It's earned a 9/10 on the durability scale.
Value
At $300, this is not by any means a budget camera bag, but it's also not as expensive as something like the Peter McKinnon Nomatic Daypack. The materials used are high quality and everything you need (straps, dividers, etc.) comes with the bag, so I'm gonna give it a 6/10 when it comes to value.
My Opinion
The Manfrotto Prolight Multiloader camera bag is perfect for photographers, videographers, and YouTube creators who need to go from their home base of operations to a location and want to carry all of their camera gear and their laptop safely in one bag that will be pretty comfortable along the way. However, it's not the best option for hiking or urban exploration.
What did you think of my Manfrotto Prolight Multiloader camera bag review? Let me know in the comments!
Happy creating. See you 'round the Underground.
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