With my recent purchase of a Canon 50D, I needed to find a bag that would fit the camera, lenses, and accessories, while also being portable. The Nova 170AW is able to carry everything I currently own for this camera, with room to grow. That includes: The 50D with a lens attached (normally a Canon 55-250 IS), a second lens (Canon 18-55 IS), lens cleaning pens/cloths, cable release, USB cable (1.5 ft long), Peli silica gel pack, and battery charger. There is room for at least one more lens, an external flash unit, spare battery, spare memory cards, and a few other small items.

Besides the main compartment (which is holding the camera, lenses, and silica gel), there are a number of small pockets all over this bag. The cover sports both an external and internal pocket, as well as two memory card pockets that are the perfect size for compact flash cards (in plastic cases). There is a medium sized front pocket that has a divider, as well as mesh holders. On the back of the case, there is an almost hidden document pocket. It's a good size for a small notepad/pen, but that's about it. Finally, there are two non-zippered pockets on the sides which are good for water bottles or a Gorilla Pod. I do wish there was a bit more pocket space, as I can see having enough accessories that the items in the pockets start to overflow into the main compartment.

Part of what takes up pocket space is the all weather cover. It's a cool idea; a cover that protects the case from sand, dust, water, or whatever else you throw at it. The cover is not water tight, but more like a tent material that will stand up to a variety of weather conditions. The all weather cover in the 170 sits in the very front of the case, which essentially reduces the size of the front pocket. It is very easy to wrap the cover around the bag (takes less than a minute) and allows you to use the main compartment without removing the cover. However, you do lose access to most of the other pockets with the cover on. While it's a good idea, I don't see myself using the cover, so I wish it could be removed to save on weight and bulk. Unfortunately, it's sewn to the case instead of connected via velcro or zipper.

Even without the all weather cover (which essentially just protects the case, not the equipment inside of the case), the Nova 170 AW provides very good padding and protection for your camera. I'm not brave enough to drop it and see how everything holds up, it has rolled around my vehicle without any problems. The main compartment is very well protected, with a mostly hidden zipper and excellent padding. The inner part of the main compartment has three velcro enabled adjustable size sections. Alternative to the zipper for opening the main compartment is a front buckle. This allows for quick access when you don't need the security of a zipper.

This camera bag provides good storage in a fairly compact style. The overall size is about that of an old school lunch bucket. Because of the relatively small size, it's very light, which makes it easy to carry. The bag is actually lighter than the 50D without a lens attached! However, the dimensions of the bag creates a tendency to be packed top heavy, which makes it fairy easy to tip over. When storing in your vehicle, make sure to place it where it won't roll around. But at the same time, the size is great for hiking. There are two small loops on the back of the bag which I put S-biners in and can now easily attach it to my daypack. With this setup, I can also wear it onto the airplane as a single carry-on.

When not carrying it around attached to my backpack, I'm using one of the three built-in methods of transportation. The shoulder strap is ok. It's very expandable, fitting the height of any user. But the shoulder pad is sub par. It will work fine for short trips, but carrying this all day on your shoulder with the included strap would be less than ideal (I recomend looking into the Domke U.S. Post Office Shoulder Pad as a replacement). Luckily Lowepro included belt straps on the back of the bag, which is ideal for hiking. The other option is the top handle. It is really only useful for very short intervals, but it's the most comfortable carrying location of the bag. The bottom of the handle feels like it's made of a suede material, and is easily the nicest bag handle I have ever used.

One final concern with this bag is expandability. It fits my current needs, but I eventually plan on getting a 400mm or longer lens. Such a lens is likely to be 8 inches or more in length, which simply wouldn't fit nicely in the bag. In that case, the lens will need a separate case. Many Lowepro cases are compatible with their SlipLock system that allows for easy expandability. The Nova 170 AW is not SlipLock compatible, which means you will need to find an alternate method of attaching an external lens case to this bag. Maybe something could be done with carabiners or the belt strap, but at this time I don't have any methods to endorse.

This bag is just the right size for me. I first ordered a Nova 200 AW thinking I would need space for all the lenses and accessories I would buy. But upon receiving it, I found that it was overkill for my needs. The 170 AW is 3 steps down in size, which makes it much more portable. I would recommend this bag to anyone who doesn't have more than 3 or 4 lenses/other large accessories.

Pros	Cons
Good amount of interior room Moveable internal dividers Long and fairly comfortable shoulder strap Extremely comfortable top handle Light weight yet still good protection All weather cover handy for outdoor shoots Belt loops great for hiking trips Dual opening (zipper and clasp) top Good looking colors, especially chestnut brown	Could use more or larger pockets The all weather cover should be easily removable Can be tipped over fairly easily Not SlipLock compatible
9/10 stars