17th Apr 2011Posted in: Uncategorized 2
Bilora Eurostar ‘Roma’ Backpack Review.

THERE IS A NEWER VERSION OF THIS BLOG-POST HERE.

OK, So I have received the Bilora Eurostar “Roma” camera backpack. First of all, it is cheap – dirt cheap – but after using it for a couple of days, I am happy to say that you get a lot for your money.

My biggest worry before ordering, was whether it was big enough. The advertisement said it had an internal size of 40 x 30 x 12. This would cause a problem with the 1D Mark II camera, as the camera is 15 cm in height. In actual fact, there is no problem fitting the camera in there. There is also no problem fitting the Bigma plus all my other lenses and gear. It is just the right size.

The backpack has a ton of rooms and pockets made from nylon netting. There is absolutely no problem fitting memory cards, USB readers, extra batteries, chargers, power cords, lens cleaners, filters and other bits and bobs in the bag too. There is also room for a big-ass laptop. I don’t have a 17″ laptop, but I am sure it would fit.

The padding is about 1.5 cm thick and is slightly on the soft side. The backpack comes with more (re)movable dividers than you will ever need. One snag is the lack of padding in the laptop compartment, though.

Build-quality is great. The material appears tough and durable, and the stitching on the carry-straps is done with really thick nylon string, ensuring the carry straps won’t fall off, or rip a big hole in the bag, when carrying some heavy gear. There is a rubber handle, so that you can carry it like a normal suitcase. A neat feature is the four straps that can be clipped on around the front. They ensure that all the contents will stay inside, should the main zipper break. The four straps are also able to hold one of the smaller sized tripods.

The only negative thing I can think of, is the fit. The lower edge is very hard and it cuts into my back very badly when I wear it. This may be a show-stopper for some, but in my case, I can live with it. I primarily intend to use this backpack as a carry-on when travelling abroad, and not for long-distance trekking. Glueing some foam on the back of it, would probably solve the problem. I’d recommend a strip of foam like the black stuff used on tripod legs. The bag is just the right size for most airlines to allow you to hand-carry it aboard the aircraft too.

So, what can fit in there:

2 x Cameras:  1D Mark II + Canon 350D.
3 x Lenses:  Bigma + Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 + 50mm f/1.8.
3 x Macro extension tubes.
1 x Teleconverter.
1 x Canon 580EF Flash.
2 x compact cameras (Canon 210SX + Fuji A380).
2 x Extra batteries for the 1D Mark II.
4 x Extra batteries for the 350D and the compact cameras.
8 x Extra AA Batteries for the flash.
3 x Battery chargers, incl. the Awkward Canon NC-E2.
2 x Wireless Flash Triggers.
1 x Eye Piece for the 1D Mark II.
4 x Cords (2 x Power, 1 x USB, 1 x flash cord).
2 x Lens filters.
2 x 50mm Reflectors.
1 x 14″ Laptop + Charger.
1 x mobile phone charger.
1 x UK/Euro power plug adapter.
1 x T-shirt + socks + underwear + summer pants.
Various lens cleaners, rubber bands etc.

When stuffed with the equipment above, there is still room in the pouches on the outside of the bag. If you wish, you can easily fit a water-bottle, a couple of chocolate bars, your passport and airline tickets and some other what-nots too.

When full, the outside size is about: 45 x 35 x 20 cm.

2 Responses

  1. momochii says:

    Terrific work! This is the type of information that should be shared around the web. Shame on the search engines for not positioning this post higher!

  2. Ricardo Camarinho says:

    This is what I call a nice review! Perfectly functional and structural reviews, with a practical sense of what material can be stuffed inside, and with the dimensions! This is what other sites should have! A picture of the backpack would be the nice, but not required!

    Best Regards

Leave a Reply to momochii