Hi Keyser -
What's your planned use? Might be a little easier to focus on features of interest to you in particular.
I think the biggest difference is just in the focus of the product. Camelbak makes very good bags, built around the hydration bladder. This means they do a fantastic job of holding the water bag, and a really solid job of everything else. I have nothing but praise for their products overall, and the Talon looks fantastic - I'm very eager to check one out - haven't laid hands on it yet. BFM and Motherlode are very good packs, but haven't knocked my socks off.
Maxpedition, by contrast, has the best-built packs I've ever seen. They're insanely overbuilt - there might be something that can damage 'em, but I haven't yet found it. The ones that have hydration holders do a solid job of holding whatever bladder you put in, but not nearly as good a job, IMHO, as the Camelbak, where the pack is literally built around a particular bladder.
For me, I carry a hydration bladder every once in a long while, and the unique design of Maxpedition's packs, with the focus on compressing the load and holding it close to the body in a very versatile pack, is a much bigger deal. Also the fact that it seems like Maxpedition's designers own the same things I do, and the spaces in the bags end up being a near-perfect match for my stuff - might be a negative if you own different shaped stuff.
If I was looking to carry a hydration bladder full time, I might be more inclined to focus on the Camelbak stuff. Same if it seemed like their bags were a better match for my stuff. I'd never feel bad about recommending it to anyone.
The one negative I always try to remind people about the Falcon is that it's a 3-layer pack, with each layer relatively flat, even when the bag is fully expanded. Great for holding a laptop, a flat-folded coat, books, etc. Lousy for holding a football, melon or anything non-flat. It's also a relatively small pack at only 1500 cubic inches. If you need to carry non-flat or bigger things, one of the others is a better choice. I carry mine specifically because it's a small pack - I don't like 'em big and floppy.
The Vulture is darn near twice as large, at 2800 cubes. If I remember correctly, the BFM and Motherlode are in the 2400 range, and the Talon around 2100. Condor is a bit smaller at 1900. How much stuff do you need to carry for the day/3-day uses?
The Vulture is a big pack, set up in a bit of a 'pancake' so it doesn't extend too far behind you, even when full - very different shape than the Falcon, BFM or Motherlode, which all are much more 'cubical', and extend far behind when full.
Nearly everything else is based on your personal preferences and uses. Happy to answer questions if I can - I've used the BFM and Motherlode for a couple days each, but don't own them. I do have the Vulture and Falcon.
