Lowepro Classified 160 AW [REVIEW]
I recently went along to a “London calling Photographers” meet up and with me I had one of the Lowepro Classified 160 AW camera bags that I thought I’d take along and have some lucky punter “win” and review for me. We put the names into a hat and had one chosen by a select board of judges (The bartender!) The lucky winner of the little bag was Eva AU. You can read her account of the camera bag below.
Lowepro Classified 160 AW
Here’s Eva’s review on the Lowepro Classified 160 AW.
At first glance, this simple-looking but stylish bag seemed extremely practical. First of all, as a woman of London, it’s very important that my bags match my shoes. Therefore the black and simple external look seemed to be a girl’s type of camera bag.
On the plus side, there are many pockets, card and pen holder areas. There just seemed to be so many different places to put your bits and pieces. There are also hidden pockets as well as a waterproof layer that you can zip out whenever it rains.
However, on the downside, the narrow shape just didn’t seem to fit my wide digital camera easily from the top. Also, despite the long length to fit a few good length lenses, it was just too awkward of a shape to carry over my shoulder as I am 5′2”. Having a single shoulder strap also caused me to have some neck discomfort by the end of the day since my camera equipment was too heavy for me to carry the bag this way. However, the handle at the top of the bag does allow you to hold it like a brief case for work.
Lowepro Classified 160 AW Family
If you need a good work or college bag but would like to carry a single camera or light equipment with you often, this is definitely the bag for you.
However, if you suffer from musculoskeletal neck and shoulder pain from heavy camera equipment, a backpack with a waist strap is much better for you in the long run. Otherwise, you could potentially be more business heading my way as I’m a physiotherapist!
Get a price on the Lowepro Classified 160 AW Shoulder Bag at Amazon.
Thanks to Eva Au Zveglic for this review of the Lowepro Classified 160 AW Bag!
Tags: classified 160 AW, Eva Au Zveglic, lowepro
10 Responses to “Lowepro Classified 160 AW [REVIEW]” - Add Yours
April 11th, 2009 at 5:03 am
Do you know how this compares to the Think Tank Urban Disguise 30? They seem very similar and currently I am torn between the two.
April 12th, 2009 at 9:49 am
The Lowepro Slingshot AW200, is by far the best all around camera bag I’ve owned.
April 15th, 2009 at 11:29 am
I have been looking for a great camera bag and will have to give this one a look.
April 17th, 2009 at 1:28 am
It’s very refreshing to find a reaction/review piece that isn’t just an extended ad. All my bags are Lowepros, I know they make great bags, but not all bags are for all people. Thanks for such a balanced view.
April 17th, 2009 at 1:58 am
That’s the problem with camera bags if you’re female and especially if you’re under 5″3. They are often too big, too bulky or too ugly or masculine-looking to want to carry around with you. I can never find the right one and I usually only carry my kit lens and 50mm if that much. I usually use the lowepro toploader (small one) that I can stick inside a larger handbag.
It would be great to find the perfect camera bag….it doesn’t even have to match my shoes though.
April 17th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Eva,
I had the same impression with this bag as you. However, I changed the strap to one I liked better and the bag is working just fine. Like you, I liked it on sight. Then I didn’t like it, but now I carry it all the time (but I don’t put my D3 in it).
The thing I like about it: I can slip it easily into my bicycle’s pannier and go.
Charles
April 17th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
I have a Lowepro inverse aw 100 (beltpack) and is very user unfriendly. With the camera, two extra lenses, filters and the gorillapod it becomes quite irritating. It doesn’t let you climb, it bothers a lot, it is not at all what I’ve expected. I had a shoulder bag, like the one above, and also didn’t like it. Not only made shoulder aches, it also pulled aside my shirt in a stupid and awkward way. So now I have the Lowpro rover aw II (backpack) and I can say that is the right choise (for me at least).
April 18th, 2009 at 7:01 am
Thanks for the review. I have a Think Tank Urban Disguise 50, which can carry my 30D with grip without the lens in a front pocket. Without the grip, the 30D + lens will fit vertically, lens down, in the main compartment. Eva Au is correct about the potential neck and shoulder pain. (I’ve had similar problems with my Lowepro Slingshot 200AW.) Think Tank has a Shoulder Harness that can turn their shoulder bags (Urban Disguise and Airport Check In) into backpacks.
One key to the Urban Disguise and, I would think, to the Lowepro Classified bags, is that they do not look like camera bags. (Thus the names–Disguise and Classified–i.e, secret.) That should make them less tempting for thieves. The Think Tank Airport bags (backpacks, rollers, and shoulder bag) are designed with the same thing in mind, as well as to meet airline carryon restrictions.
I do like the Slingshot 200 AW and modified it to be able to carry long lenses and a flash–and reach them from the side–but now use a Think Tank Speed Racer “belt pack” (though it’s too heavy to use just the belt) and recently bought their Rotation 360, especially for nature photography.
April 18th, 2009 at 7:02 am
Here’s the link for the Speed Racer. I must have made an error that kept it from the previous post.
June 10th, 2009 at 1:36 am
I have the Lowepro 170 AW for my recently purchased Canon T1i, and so far I love it. I can identify a bit with the author’s pain after lugging it around all day, but for me that was minimal with my bag (which is very similar). I love my Lowepro bag!
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