lowepro: Stealth Reporter 300 vs. Nova 3/4aw ??

[m4gnus]

Hi..

I am looking for a shoulderbag for my gear, which is;

Canon 400D cam.
Kit lense, 18-55
24-105 4.0 L USM
10-22
50 1.4 USM
70-200 4.0 L USM

..and i have been looking at both the lowepro stealth reporter aw 300 and the lowepro nova 3 or 4 aw.

I can't really figure out which back would be best for me. It could be nice, if ir was very easy to get to your gear from the back.
Does anyone have some pictures of some of the backs, or does anyone have any alternatives to a good, not to big, shoulderback ?

thanks. best regards from magnus !

[spyraling]

I have the Lowepro Nova 4 AW. While it will hold all your gear, it is a bit boxy, which is why I don't take it with me when I go out. However, I am a female, so maybe it's just me and my hips. The equipment is easily accessible, but I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "easy to get to your gear from the back." I'll try to get some pictures posted if no one else beats me to it.

Right now I use the Slingshot 200, which I love but is more of a backpack, so I don't know if that's an option for you.

[DocFrankenstein]

However, I am a female, so maybe it's just me and my hips.
LOL Too funny.

If it's really because of the hips - more power to you :D


Seriously though - there's a bag and there's back.

I have pretty much the same setup you have and decided against the lowepro bags. I use a swiss army laptop/document bag. It is padded just as well and is in to way conspicuous. You do need separate pouches for all your items to prevent them from scratching.

[m4gnus]

Thanks for your answeres.. And sorry for my poor english.. I mean, that it shall be easy to get the gear from the back, if you suddenly gets need of it.. I man - not to many zippers and stuff you have to open, before you can get your cam, hehe.
I would like to see some pictures, if its possible - thank you very much !

Best regards from magnus

[DocFrankenstein]

http://www.costco.ca/en-CA/Browse/Productgroup.aspx?Prodid=10296230&whse=&topnav=&browse=

It's very similar to this just black color.

[SuzyView]

The Crumpler 7 million is a great bag, I saw Jim's bag yesterday in Dulles. He fits a lot in his. And of course, I love the quality of the Domke bags, very comfy. But my Tamrac Velocity 9 would fit all that stuff and it's a great sling bag. I can hold it and then get my gear without taking the bag off. Useful if you are out and about.

[spyraling]

not to many zippers and stuff you have to open, before you can get your cam, hehe.
I would like to see some pictures, if its possible - thank you very much !


Unfortunately, I read this after I took some pics, otherwise I would have taken a few more. But here are the pics I took of my Nova 4 AW.

The bag with my frugal gear: 50 f/1.8, 18-55 kit lens, 430ex speedlite, XTi with 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 and hood. You can see the top of the bag where the zipper goes around.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d175/spyraling/IMG_7284.jpg

All the gear inside. You can see that there is room to expand, well at the very least, vertically if you don't mind stacking the smaller lenses. The bag did come with more dividers you can place in between. It's a little dark, but that is my 50mm f/1.8 in the back left corner.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d175/spyraling/IMG_7283.jpg

The front of the bag. There's just the one zipper that zips around and then the top flap that buckles. It's pretty easy to open, but secure all at the same time.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d175/spyraling/IMG_7285.jpg

The back of the bag, because I thought you had wanted to see it. LOL
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d175/spyraling/IMG_7288.jpg

I've got the bag on and opened in this one. View looking down into it.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d175/spyraling/IMG_7290.jpg

You can see how it's a littly boxy on me, but then again, I'm only 5'4.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d175/spyraling/IMG_7292.jpg

And me trying to access my gear from the back. :lol:
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d175/spyraling/IMG_7296.jpg

Hope this helps!

[m4gnus]

Very very good pictures, thank you very much.. At least, they have learned me the difference on back and bag :D .
But these were very useful, and thanks again !
Could anyone please post similar pictures of the stealth reporter ? It could be very nice :)

Thanks for the good pictures - I maybe think the nove 4 is a bit too big and "boxy", and i have a perception that the stealth reporter isn't formed like that - and therefor also a bit smaller ? But pics, like those over here, could be very very nice!

By the way - I forgot to write that I also have a battery grib on my cam (BG-E3) and a Sigma flash.

Best regards from Magnus.

[SuzyView]

I have the NOVA 5. That is a big bag, but yes, boxy.

Are you sure you want to carry all that gear in one bag? You're looking at the Domke F-2 to fit all that into. Find Sari's review on that bag with pictures.

[m4gnus]

Yes I think i have to carry it all in one bag...
I have also looked at a backpack, but I want the opputunity to use the bag as a shoulderbag too - and there are not very many backpacks which have that ability.
Do you think that it is to much gear in one bag ? Don't you think it all can fit in a stealth reporter 300 ? I'm pretty sure that after I have seen the pictures of the nova 4, it can fit in there alright..
The domke don't look very good I think - why should this be better?
Another thing that I like with the stealth reporter, is that it haves a thing (don't know the word in English) which you can put over the bag, if it is raining. :)

[TomPierce]

Another thing that I like with the stealth reporter, is that it haves a thing (don't know the word in English) which you can put over the bag, if it is raining. :)

Nova 4 AW (AW means All Weather) also has a "Rain Cover".

See if you can find where it is :D

Tom

[m4gnus]

oh, i didn't know that, thank you tom :)

[John_B]

m4gnus,
Here is a site that has all different types of bags and photos with details CamBags.com (http://www.cambags.com/)

I have the Lowepro Nova 3 & 5, and the Lowepro backpack Photo Trekker Classic (http://www.cambags.com/canon/300d_10_20d/backpacks/Lowepro_Photo_Trekker_Classic_frames.htm)
I am very happy with the quality of all :)

[spyraling]

oh, i didn't know that, thank you tom :)

You know, I didn't know that either and I've had the bag for about two months! I had to run back to it to see if I could find it. The funny thing is I knew my Slingshot had a cover but didn't even think about the Nova AW. :o

[m4gnus]

^hehe.

I'm still looking for some pictures of a stealth reporter bag :)

[Tish]

I have the SR 400 AW--no pics as I'm at work--and it's even bigger & boxier than the Nova. The 300 wasn't much smaller. Fully loaded, it's HEAVY and unmanageable for all day use as far as I'm concerned. I use it strictly to get from home to the shoot, and only when I need to carry EVERYTHING. Typically, I offload one body, two lenses, one flash & my STE2 into a smaller bag instead.

If you can manage the weight & bulk, it does have one really significant feature over the Nova in that it has a weatherproof zipper on the top, so you can open the bag without lifting the entire lid.

The larger SR models allow for use of Lowepro's Street & Field carrying system (harness or belt), I really wish the smaller ones did!

I just ordered the Lowepro Off Road beltpack; we'll see how well that works instead.

[Wilt]

The Nova and the Stealth Reporter both have a rain cover, both have a belt loop to be able to put on one of the slim belts or deluxe belts from Lowepro. The main difference is that the SR has a zipper on the top so that you do not have to unclip the locks to get into the main compartment, and the SR has external mounting loops that permit you to add Lowepro external lens cases and accessory pouches on the outside of the bag. I like the external pouches because it permits me to keep my most frequently used lenses on the outside and directly accessible without opening the main compartment, and it also allows me to choose which lenses to bring along in the external attachment points, based upon shooting assignment.