Customer Reviews

Lowepro Nova 3 AW Camera Bag (Navy)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I can't comment on the other Nova bags, but the Nova 3 has a very rugged strap attachment. It's a metal D-ring and a metal clasp. Zoom in on the photo and you can see it. Overall, this bag is very well constructed and has lots of adjustable internal dividers to customize it for your equipment. It may be larger than you need for a small camera, but I think it's just the right size for my DSLR (Pentax K10D) plus battery charger, cables, and a short telephoto. There is still room for one or two additional lenses or an external flash. Overall, a good buy.

Looking for a small bag for your SLR? Well I'd suggest a Nova 1 bag instead, as this will be too much for your uses.

Looking for a large bag for two or more SLRs? Well this bag is too small.

If you however have a SLR, 2-3 lenses and a flash, it's just right. I carry my Nikon D70s (with a battery grip attached), 18-70, 70-300VR, and 50mm lenses as well as a SB600 flash in this bag. Any of the three lenses can be attached, and the other two can go along for the ride. The flash cannot fit attached to the camera, but it fits when you disconnect it. I even can throw in the AC adapter, extra batteries, extra compact flash cards, and a memory reader. All of this fits with the top securely zipped shut. The whole setup is a rather large and heavy affair, but it works well as a carry on. It seals well, so it's very weatherproof as is, but there is a raincoat thats stowed in the bottom that covers it even better (I don't think I want to be in a rainstorm that necessitates that). The one thing that can be an issue is that this bag is too much if you're just taking a camera and one lens. I still have a Nova 1, which serves this function well, and the dividers that came with the Nova 1 came in handy, as this bags allotment was sufficient for most uses, but not mine.

Don't let the 4 star rating fool you. This is a really well-constructed camera bag with lots of room for storage, but may be too much for the amateur photographer that may not be carrying multiple lens and several catridges of 35 mmm film. I bought this for my wife to hold her Canon EOS XT and it does a dandy job of it but is really too bulky for traveling. It went with us to Hawaii but was too difficult to carry around when sightseeing and taking pictures (not to mention having it as a carry-on when flying). In it I was carry an extra battery, battery charger, several extra flash cards, and that's about it. I ended up getting a Lowepro Topload Zoom1 Camera Bag after this bag and it has been fantastic for my needs. It was much easier to travel with and enough room to carry what I needed.

Initially I was looking for a separate bag for my Nikon D40 and my Panasonic SDR-H18 video cam. I saw a Nova 2AW at the store and I thought it was good enough for both cameras to fit in. But then I have another zoom lens that I need to carry with me. The Nova 3AW is just perfect for my gears. I can fit those three with one more room to spare for another lens. It was really designed for bigger DSLR but I was able to secure the D40 just fine with the included dividers. It's got plenty of pockets too for extra batteries, chargers and cleaning accessories. There's also a room for my Elph. The two side pockets are also handy for my cellphone and pocket books or map. There's also a pocket in the back for other stuff. So basically, here's what I was able to fit in the bag:

1 Nikon D40 w/ 55mm attached

1 compact video camera

1 200mm lens

1 digital compact camera

3 chargers and cables

3 spare batteries for each camera

The bag is also designed to be used as a waist belt bag but I thought it's a little big for this purpose. I also like the plastic lock in the front because I can secure the bag without closing the zipper for the cap-like cover. Overall, I am very satisfied with this bag and I highly recommend it to someone wanting to use it for their DSLR and video camera.

This is my 3rd Lowepro bag and even though it's small, it maintains the high quality of its larger siblings. I currently fit a Canon 20D with grip, a 28-135 IS, an 80-200 L and a Sigma EF500 Super flash plus all the batteries and cards I need. It took a little work but everything fits, albeit a little tightly. Overall, I can easily recommend this bag!

Very nice bag. Holds my Canon EOS Rebel, 70-200 mm and 28-75 mm leneses. 3 Lenses filters, charger. It's a hair bigger than I would like but to hold all my items I needed this size. Very well constructed and has ample padding.

The bag is pretty cheap, it is large enough for my XSI, kit lens. 55-250mm IS, 50mm 1.8, and 580ex Flash.

I would recommend the bag, although the zip is not very well designed.

I really like this bag as it is versatile, and allows me quick access to my gear. The bag comes with a number of dividers that you can use to partition the bag to your own liking. There are more than enough of these dividers for almost any configuration (i.e. you'll probably have some to spare), which is a nice thing.

I'm using this bag configured for a Canon 450D (with a 17-55 lens attached), 2 additional lenses (a 50mm prime, and a 100mm macro), and a flash. There is still enough space left for a couple of 58mm filters in the main compartment. A field lens cleaning kit, additional batteries, and computer interface go in the outside pockets. The bag is high enough to hold Canon lenses of up to 100mm while attached to the camera, but is too small to hold my 70-200mm zoom even if not attached.

The bag is designed to be opened from the top, which is really nice, as you can easily access its contents with one hand while holding the camera with the other. During rain, this is a bit of a disadvantage, as water can easily get into the bag while the top is open.

Even though you could attach this bag to your belt I have found that it is a bit too heavy to cary it that way when loaded with a camera and three lenses. Luckily, the bag also provides a shoulder strap (I have use the shoulder strap to carry the weight, and belt leash to keep it in place. It works well that way), and has a handle on top so you can pick it up like a normal carry-on. I mostly use the bag slung over the shoulder. With the top open it is sufficiently deep to prevent anything from falling out accidentally during movement, and the top flap, even unzipped, can be brought down to sufficiently close the bag to prevent unwanted access. Although this is a nice feature, it becomes a slight hassle when you quickly need to open the bag blindly or with only one hand to change the lens or filter.

The bag's outside walls sport nice padding (which, importantly, extends to the bottom, so you can safely store the camera with lens attached, lens facing down). The top opens after you first release a clasp, and then open a zipper that runs all the ay around, and provides a convenient seal against light environment. Should the rain become too hard, the bag also provides a poncho you can drag from the bottom over the whole bag while still allowing relatively easy access.

I like the fact that all clasps (except the front flap lock) and zippers are made from metal, making the whole package very rugged. Revealing just how much design went into this is the small leather flap that hides the metal of the inside zipper to protect your camera and lenses from contact with it.

After some unsuccessful rummaging with one hand during shooting trying to find a particular filter I have realized that this bag is simply too big to be used that way. Initially I tried to place the filters in the (nice) elastic webs that are on the outside of the bag, but that simply never felt right. I now have a separate small quick-access belt pouch (from Op/Tech) that holds my filters, and use the bag itself only for the camera and lenses. That way I can quickly access filters and lenses with a minim of hassle.

All in all I'm very satisfied with this bag, and can recommend it to anyone with a DSLR and more than one lens. The only thing I wish this bag had were lashes to strap on a small tripod.

This bag is a great value for the price! It holds all my camera gear with room to spare. On a recent trip to the far east I was caught in a rain storm - the camera bag's built in rain cover worked perfectly! The quality and workmanship are superb.

I can't argue that the dimensions were available, but it seemed as though it would be large enough for a day outing with a camera and an extra lens. Not so. My 50D, battery grip, 17-55 lens nearly filled the space. I was not able to add another lens in the bag while the camera was in it. A flash would fit in the remaining space, and some small items such as batteries, filters, and the like. It's a sturdy little bag, and I think it will serve some use as an accessory bag (with a couple of smaller lenses - forget a large zoom) if I don't put a camera in it. I like the construction, etc., and will keep it - perhaps also purchase a larger bag from Lowepro. I certainly cannot fault their quality.