Review of the bag Lowepro Nova 180 AW

Features of the side camera bag Lowepro Nova 180 AW
Parameters	Values
Interior dimensions	250mm long x 150mm large x 200mm high
Nombre de poches	9 (14 with the divisions of the main): The main pocket (which can be divisible by 6), an inside pocket under flap, 2 memory card slots, one outside pocket on the flap, one outside pocket under the flap, a pocket on the back and two pockets sides.
Protections	Protection all times along with a rain cover. The zippers are protected and the interior of the bag is protected too.
Weight	~730g
Construction	Cordura 1000D and 600D to the outside, steel for the strap clip

Photo bag... almost as important as the camera body. A history to find a product that fits what you are looking and was quick to take too big, too weak, poorly arranged... If you take too big, we'll fill it with things and other to ultimately be unable to move more than 30 minutes. Too fragile, the strap will break at the slightest shock, will pierce the bottom or other parts from the bag to shreds. If it is poorly designed, over time we will go out and store equipment.
At first, how to choose a camera bag ?

Firstly, we can watch what we want to carry. At first, we want to take a lot ''in case of''. After several years to add many things, lenses, flash, etc... I found myself with a camera bag as big as a gym bag, which I do not even used half each time. So I made a selection. I have my camera with my main lense (a trans-standard), a bright lens for low light cases, a telephoto lens (with my second camera body if necessary), a polarizing filter, a flexible trigger, some batteries, SDHC cards, my report book, my papers, pen, business cards (you never know, sometimes a squirrel ask for one of them), a piece of string, a small Swiss Army knife and my keys. All of that can deal with all common and some less common situations of photo. So I do not need a huge bag, but a little room anyway.

The type of cyrrying is also important, whether in backpack, side bag, slingshot or a Combined. Each type has its good points and its bad.
- The backpack is great for carrying a heavy load for a long time and have a well distributed balance; however, access to the material is not the fastest or simplier.
- The side bag allows very quick access to its equipment, as well as having it in front of our eyes in crowded places. It is recommended rather for low and medium loads. However, the positioning of the strap on one side can bother and the fact that it is based on only one shoulder may lose balance and tire the shoulder carrier.
- The slingshot is between the backpack and the side bag. It rests on a shoulder, but is worn on the back. For quick access to its material, it is simply drag / rotate the slingshot to switch from the back onto the side. He distributed a little better the weight than the side bag, but it is better not to have too much weight for avoiding the bag tilt itself.
- And finally, the Combined. It's basically a backpack with straps Quick release to envy, for switching on one shoulder or the other indifferently. The weight is balanced like a backpack, one can carry a lot of material thanks to its superior size to a side bag or a slingshot. You can also switch it as a Slingshot by unclipping one of the two straps. But to return to backpack configuration is a bit more complicated to put the strap back in place (it is part of one side or the other) and the volume of the bag is important when it is tilted. Can unbalance because of significant weight.

We can also talk of the brands (whether Lowepro, Kata, Case Logic, Vanguard, Manfrotto, Tamrac to name the most common), quality, price and even the color... But this is a test on a particular bag, not a help to choose (although I think I just flew over the subject anyway).
So, what to choose? I started with a side bag, bigger and bigger (2 to wear at a time!), I tried the Combined ... but I did not find it so convenient for me. In the end, I took my second side bag, and it never left me.

Well, the intro was slightly longer than expected ... if we passed to the test, shall we ?
As I said above, this case allows the carriage of a telephoto (Canon 70-200 F2.8), a bright lens ( the 50mm F1.4 Sigma ), my main camera body (the Canon 6D) and the trans-standard Lense ( the 24-105 f4 Canon ) mounted on it and various small stuff.
Everything goes well, there are no worries about catching something. Although it weighs a bit, I'm used to and it does not unbalance me. The practicality of the top opening is really important to me and lets all find / take a snap (if the bag is well organized).

The different locations and small pockets are very convenient to carry the batteries, pencils, cards of all kinds, small rear equipment allows to a notebook, a wallet / money, inside with 2 SDHC card slots (we can put several per pouch), the inside pocket for filters or the 2 outer pockets on the side (for small bottles of water for example, in summer, it's very convenient!).

Put it all in the bag is one thing, but is it protected ?
I think I can say yes. Already, it is protected from rain, often the bag was soaked in torrential rain, she made rinsed by waves (even frozen!) And still the material was protected and did nothing suffers. (like during the report on the iced Léman Lake in 2012 : )

There is the possibility to further protect the material by closing the zipper underneath the edges of the flap over the flap of the clip. (But for my part, I've never used.)

Despite the relatively low thickness of padding on the sides of the bag, without a crash impact protection, protection is sufficient. In a mountain hike, placing the bag on a stone, it has tumbled into a significant and rocky slope, the case has rembondit several rocks in the fall that lasted almost 35m. Many scratches on the bag, violent blows ... but absolutely nothing damaged, scratches left with time and blows were absorbed by the padding. Many times the bag took a beating, she even served as footrests. Not once the equipment was damaged (except plastic box with a filter that was put on the two outer pockets (which they have no padding)).
I still regret that the bottom of the bag is not a little enhanced.

In regret, I must say that the fasteners, steel, strap on the sides of the case have broken (after 5 years of intensive use at full load (4-5kg)). I think the selected steel is not strong enough. After the case of the first fixation, I replaced both with lockable carabiners. I also have a seam bindings on the bag that was beginning to wear seriously. I again amplified, shifting the tip of strap that was worn by a safety belt buckle.
Speaking strap, the base is very good and solid. The trouble is that it is not padded with the weight of the equipment, it eventually weigh heavily and hurt a little after porting day. For the rest, I have not had any problems with mud, the passage of time and the weather, the zippers are also quite strong. A small note all the same for the velvety texture of the fabric of the handle which goes slowly in a little over 2 years. But the handle still holds good, it's just the texture that goes. I must say that with everything I've put him in the face, all she endured, this bag has quite resisted at all ! All the days of trips, by any time, banging often laid on the soil moist, muddy, soggy, under the waves, snow, rain, cold, heat ... If only everything my equipments were as strong as that, I think I would not have to change before 20 years. (I also had the presence of mind to take a second identical bag for my sound recording equipment ... to replace my main bag when it shook completely ruined.)



In the end, Lowepro has a lot of bags, each adapting to the situation, morphology and individual needs. For me, it's not too big a bag, very practical, very durable and just allowing me to take what I need. The Nova line includes the Nova 160 AW is a small version, mine and the purpose of this test is the medium version: Nova 180 AW. There is also the version 200 AW is a bit larger and allows one to take an objective case and more.

Well, this test is now complete, I hope you enjoyed it and have been useful.