First Impressions
There is no doubt that the Primus AW and CompuPrimus AW share a ton of similarities. Both are equally well put together and our long term testing of the Primus AW has already confirmed that the CyclePet material is as durable as any material that bags are made of. Instead of just super-sizing the Primus AW into the CompuPrimus AW, Lowepro did some specific tweaks to make it stand out on its own.
Instead of just slapping on the eight point strap system from the Primus AW, the CompuPrimus AW comes with wider and better padded straps all around to support the added weight from filling this larger bag all the way up. Like the Primus AW, the straps are lined with moisture wicking material for comfort when it gets hot out. A nice touch that came from the Primus AW is the whistle that is integrated into the adjustable sternum belt buckle. This is great for those times you get lost in the woods and need a helping hand and is another way that Lowepro tweaked this series of bags out for the outdoors.
The increase in size also means increases in the size of the camera bodies you’ll be bringing along. While the Primus AW’s quick access pocket was better suited to much smaller consumer level DSLR’s like a D40 or D60, the CompuPrimus AW allowed me to easily access a Nikon D200 with grip and a Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8 lens attached. However, you still can’t put it back in the same way, necessitating the need to flip the bag around to access the main compartment.
Just to further prove that Lowepro didn’t just copy a smaller bag and make it bigger, they even beefed up the handle at the top of the bag with a set of rivets and a larger handle. It’s definitely nice to see that the designers went the extra mile and thought ahead at what things might be important when increasing the capacity of a design.
In order to live up to its “AW” designation, the CompuPrimus AW features Lowepro’s patented All-Weather cover. It’s not particularly pretty, but I assure you that in a torrential downpour, this All-Weather cover will be your best friend.