Customer Reviews

Lowepro Nova 4 AW Camera Bag (Black)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've had this bag for about a year and a half, and it's remarkable. As others have said, the movable/removable velcro dividers provide enormous flexibility, and there are plenty of pockets and strong zippers. The walls and the velcro dividers are well-padded and they secure the contents well to prevent most movement and vibration. There's a little pocket in the bottom front that contains a nylon shroud that can be pulled out to help secure the bag from dust and moisture.

It's a good size: large enough to hold the essentials but not so big that I load it with my entire household (and then have to lug all that extra weight). In the main compartment, mine holds a Canon 20D body, a 17-85mm zoom, a 50mm prime lens, a 70-200 f2.8 zoom (BIG), Speedlite 580 flash, plus polarizing filter, battery charger, spare AAA batteries, and a USB cable. There are other compartments that hold another battery charger and extra rechargeable battery for the camera (the speedlite and the camera use different rechargeable batteries), extra flash memory card, various booklets, maps, and guides, airline tickets, and various other odds and ends.

There are loops on the back of the bag so that it could be attached to a backpack, though they don't look like they'd support much weight for very long.

When I'm travelling, I can sling this bag across one shoulder, a notebook PC case across the other, and still carry a modest suitcase. With all my stuff in it it's barely 12x8x10 inches. Strong, comfortable shoulder strap, comfortable handle, rubber footpads that keep the bag pretty much off the surface, and expansion pockets all over the place.

Seconding what another person said about the color: the green is more subdued and attractive than the photo suggests.

Everything about it just exudes quality. I'd buy it again in an instant.

I've had this bag for almost two years and it's been excellent. The only problem I've had with it is that it doesn't magically expand and get lighter as my camera equipment increases. It's definitely not a small bag, but it also isn't so huge that you're embarrassed to carry it on your shoulder in public.

I have crammed probably too much into this thing: A Nikon D200, Tokina 12-24 DX lens, Nikon 18-70mm DX lens, Nikon 50mm 1.8D lens, Nikon 75-300mm zoom, SB-600 flash, memory, camera and AA batteries, cleaner, filters, remote, flashlights, and various small flat things that fit in the flap. Even with all of this, I've done photo shoots with this bag strapped across an opposite shoulder comfortably for hours at a time.

Positives:
1. The main compartment has plenty of room for a good-sized collection of photo equipment, and the front zippered pouch has a lot of room for batteries, tools, cleaner, etc. There are also lots of places all over the bag for extra things, like a zippered back pocket for gloves or docs, belt loops for an add-on belt, elastic side mesh panels on both sides, zippered front pouch that's great for a remote or filters while you're shooting, a thick zippered see-through panel inside the top-flap of the bag. Lots of room!

2. Excellent quality build material that resists scratches and abrasions, and zippers that are pretty satisfyingly heavy-duty where they need to be.

3. Very configurable main compartment with lots of movable velcro'd partitions.

4. Shoulder strap is light and has a good heavy-duty feel, is comfortably padded, and is curved to fit your shoulder, and it stays put. It also has metal clamps that connect to the metal rings on the bag. I've never had this strap come off the bag, ever.

5. Has a cool hidden water-proof cover that you can pull out and cover your bag within a few seconds if the weather turns wet.

6. Large rubber feet on the bottom so your bag material doesn't wear out, and a large rubber-covered handle for a good grip on the bag.

I should note that the green and blue bag colors look much better in person. The colors are much more subdued and normal in regular non-flash light.

I don't really have anything negative to say about this bag. It's awesome. If you're looking for a good camera bag with plenty of room, this is a great choice!

First, the bag arrived in super fast time. I expected to wait at least a week but it got here within days!

The bag easily holds my Nikon D-50 and 4 lenses with an open slot for one more. Many zippered flaps and pouches for those flash cards, extra battery and filters. The bag is very secure in that it has a flap that covers the top (and helps with keeping out moisture) plus two zippers that secure it as well.

The internal dividers are secured with velcro and can be moved to accomodate larger items, even a second digital camera body (would eliminate the space for one of the lenses).

I am well pleased with the bag and it is very well padded and has a shoulder strap that is contoured so it will be less likely to slip from one's shoulder if carrying it by that method. There is also a solidly built handle that provides an alternate method of carrying.

All in all it is a good deal especially at less that $44.00 with free shipping when I purchased it.

It is a nice bag if you are interested in protecting your equipment from the elements. Nicely built, and all compartments are adjustable.

Great construction, well designed. Provides quick, easy access to lenses, flash, and accessories.
I didn't take the time to actually pull a measuring tape to figure the actual size, and was expecting something a tad larger. However it still manages to keep the following intact:
1 Canon Digital Rebel Xti with 28-135mm IS lens (mounted)
1 Canon 17-55mm kit lens
1 Canon 50mm f 1.8 Lens
1 Canon 75-300mm lens
1 Canon 70-200 f4L Lens
1 Canon 580 EX Flash
1 Sto-Fen Diffuser
and that's just in the main compartment.
In the pockets, I've got spare batter, CF cards, at least 2 dozen AA batteries, remote, assorted stationery....the list goes on and on.
And there's still a little more space.

I stumbled upon the weatherproof cover by mistake while marvelling at how many pockets it had. (The product description does not properly describe this part) It's located at the front bottom of the bag inside a zipper, and is a weatherproof cover with an elastic rim that can be slipped over the bag for protection.

I'd recommend this bag to anyone!

I have had this bag a little over a month and it has served my purpose very well. I have a Pentax K200D with the kit lens, 18-55, with hood opened and battery grip attached. It fits upside down very good. A longer lens (in my set-up) would not fit, even with lens hood removed. The dividers can be arranged to suit my needs. It holds my 55-300, 2 manual lenses with teleconverter, flash, batteries, wired remote, sd cards, card reader, filters, manuals, cleaning supplies and other odds and ends. I know if I left out the manual lenses, I could fit a beer in their place along with a good sandwich.
In my opinion this is not a bag for hikers or extremely active people. This bag is for people my age (really old) who now take more pictures from their vehicles/boats/planes/atv's/etc. or do not walk more than a few hundred yards to take pictures of their pets.

All in all a great bag for it's price and my uses.

PS: I did not know that rain cover was in a compartment at the bottom of the bag until I read these reviews!

I have a quite a few bags but none were what I needed for a days shoot. They are either too big or two small, or the layout is just impossible to work with. I have recently switched to the Lowepro Commercial aw black bag to carry most of my gear. It is a big bag and is great for taking everything I think I need to a location, but not to carry all day, even if you are a body builder It must weigh about 60+ pounds with what I have in it. I keep about 8-10 lenses, 2 Nikon DSLRs, filters, strobes and more, and there is still room to spare. I was so impressed with the quality and the layout of commercial aw that I purchased the Nova 4aw because it seemed like the right size to carry what I would need for a day and if I cut down to the essentials I could carry most of what I would need for a week or more without sacrificing to much. To my suprise I was right. I just used it to carry a Nikon D300, 18-200 VR dx attached to the camera, a 10-20mm wide angle , a 105mm macro, a 50mm prime, a strobe, spare batteries, two chargers one for the camera batteries, and one for the batteries the flash uses, filters, manuals, a Canon SD850is and much more. It is unbelievable what I was able to fit in this bag. If I had a larger bag I know I would just stuff more gear in it and be back to where I started. Thats why I went with the Nova 4 and not the Nova 5 (If I need to carry more equipment than I will use my Tamrac Expedition 5 backpack). I am just thrilled with this bag. The bag is well padded and all my gear is well protected. I would highly reccomend this bag to anyone looking for a well made and thought out shoulder bag.

The camera bag is as sturdy and versatile as claimed in the description from the company. The rain cover does really protect the bag and contents inside under a little more than moderate conditions. I bought this to use as a replacement while my Tamrac sling back camera bag was being repaired by the company, and I was able to carry my Nikon D200 w/70-200mm F2.8 lens attached in the bag. There was also room for CF cards, extra batteries, etc. Now that I have my sling back camera bag back, I use this bag to carry my Fuji Finepix S2 camera, lenses and accessories.
The strongest feature about this bag is the durability and warranty.

This is my 6th Lowepro bag. Build quality is great. This bag holds my new Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR along with three lenses (see below). In addition, I keep a Canon Speedlite 420EX, batteries, and other accessories in the bag. I'm close to maxing this bag out but I would not have wanted the next larger one.

Lenses stored in the bag:

Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens
Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM Standard Zoom Lens
Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Telephoto Lens

This bag will hold an slr an a couple lenses plus a pocket digi cam,flash and some cables.
I did not want to hire a sherpa so this fits the bill for the grab and go use i need. looks like they are no longer making it so if you can find one at a great price-under [...] bucks then go for it. it does have a cover to keep rain out,but with all of the electronics in cameras today i know that water and electric do not mix so i would not trust entirely.
good sturdy bag!