Tamrac Aero 80 Review

The Tamrac Aero 80 was released at the start of 2008 and 
I’ve been using it fairly regularly for the best part of six months. I can see it becoming very popular with those looking for a bag to carry a small to medium-sized DSLR outfit, that isn’t too large and is available for a reasonable price.
The Aero 80 has three main compartments, each designed as storage for different items, and all are fast and easy to access. The bottom compartment holds your DSLR outfit and is very well padded. Its movable dividers also allow you to customise it for your requirements. This area is reasonably deep and can easily hold your DSLR with standard zoom attached, plus a couple of zooms and accessories like a filter kit or flashgun. A zipped pocket, on the inside of the fold-out flap, is also suitable for memory cards or lens cloths.

The top compartment has little padding and is meant to hold items like a light jacket, maps and food. 
It does have three mesh pockets, one with a zip, that can hold small items securely. At the rear of the pack is a large, padded section that spans the entire height of the backpack and is designed to hold a laptop. Finally, there are a couple of mesh pockets on the sides, which could hold small bottles, and one on the front. The Tamrac is very comfortable to use, even when it’s pretty full, and I really like its design as 
it’s quite ‘clean’ and quick to get into. The camera storage section is of a decent size, while the laptop section is a real bonus. The overall build quality is very good too, so I would expect it to last for a good number of years.

Anyone looking for a compact and affordable photo backpack should give the Aero 80 a try, 
as it's a well made bag with a simple design. 
There are several photo backpacks available for under £100, but this is definitely one of the best if you’re looking for a ‘daypack’ design (i.e. one where the bag's storage area is split to hold photo kit and other items).

VERDICT
This Tamrac is a very useful size for anyone with a modest outfit and is an ideal choice for cyclists, travel photographers or those wishing to travel light.
RATING: 5/5


SPECIFICATION:
Guide price: £80, Street price: £70
Internal dimensions (WHD): 
Top compartment 27x25x18cm; 
Bottom compartment 29x19x18cm
External dimensions (WHD): 32x47x23xcm
Laptop compartment 
(holds up to 17in laptop)
Weight: 1177g
Available colours: Black 
or Rust/Black