Crumpler Tallee

Crumpler is an Australian company that makes messenger bags. The bags look nothing like the average boring camera bag. They are kind of nice-looking! Of course, they don't sell these things where I live, so I had to order online.

Lesson 1: Don't buy bags online unless I've actually had a chance to check it out in person ahead of time.

The bag:
Crumpler Tallee, color "rust".


What fits in it:
10D + 28-135 mounted in main compartment. Many possible orientations.


Main compartment


17-40 in the hidden chamber of secrets.
More space for at least another lens or 2, a flash, or image tank.



What I liked:
The bag looked hip.
Great construction. Doesn't look like it could ever break.

What I didn't like:

A bit too big for what I wanted (carry just 10D + 2 lenses). The color (rust) was much darker than on the Web. It's really a dark brown color...not orange at all. Shoulder strap was too wide, long, and stiff for me. I couldn't shorten it without leaving this huge amount of excess strap hanging in a loop (see picture on the left). Didn't look good. Didn't hang well from my shoulders.

Final verdict:
I returned the bag. It was too big for me, and that loopy shoulder strap looked too weird. Maybe a smaller Crumpler bag (like the 15 Love) would have been a better fit. But it would have had the same shoulder strap. So, I gave up on getting a cool-looking Crumpler.

Elecom OVA-004DR

I got this bag from Yodobashi in Shinjuku on a trip to Japan. For more models, you can go to Elecom's Webpage (in Japanese) and search for OVA. Or look at this snapshot. I like the bag because it looks nothing like a camera bag, and its strap is very soft. I bought this for my UZI (Olympus C-2100 UZ). One day, I had a weird impulse to try to squeeze my 10D into it, and to my surprise, it actually fit.

The bag:
Elecom OVA-004DR, color "orange"


What fits in it:
10D + 1 lens (either 28-135 or 17-40) in bottom compartment (orange)


another lens + wallet + cell phone in top zippered compartment (black)

Lowepro Nova 2

Price: $30 (new condition) from B&H Used Dept

Size (Interior): 8.5W x 4.25D x 7.75H in. (21.5 x 11 x 19.5 cm)

This is the older non-AW version.

The disappointment from the Crumpler Tallee drove me to get this bag. I must admit, as some of my friends know, I swore I wouldn't own a conventional boring-looking camera bag. But, what could I do? I really needed something that could carry my 10D + 2 lenses + image tank + extras. And the OVA was a bit too snug with just the camera and lenses. I went to a camera store and tried on the Nova 1 and Nova 3. The Nova 1 was nice and small. I liked it. But it would only fit the camera and 1 lens. The Nova 3 was huge and way too big for what I needed. The store didn't have the Nova 2. So, I went home and ordered it online. And of course, it had to be in red. I couldn't handle blue or green (yuck!)...and black...well, too conservative.

So, here it is. Just like everyone else in this world, I now own a Lowepro Nova.

The bag:
Lowepro Nova 2, color "red", this is the older version--not AW (all weather)


What fits in it:
Suprisingly, there is a lot of room in this thing. The 10D + one lens mounted, and 2 more lenses on the side. It is pretty snug though. The front compartment can easily fit my blower and image tank.

Lowepro Edit 120

Lowepro intended for this to be a video camera bag. What got me hooked on this one was its handle. It's made of this soft neoprene-like material. The bag is too small for my 10D, but it makes a great lens case.

The bag:
Lowepro Edit 120, color "black"


What fits in it:

28-135 + 17-40	200 F2.8 on its own