Lowepro Pro Messenger 160AW Review

Lowepro Pro Messenger 160AW
Price: $159.95 US
Company: Lowepro

The Lowepro Pro Messenger AW series are camera shoulder bags. They are suitable for traveling light or for small photography assignments. They store a minimum of equipment, but just enough for this kind of photo shoot. Like many photographers, I am a bag freak and I am glad I had the chance to review the 160AW model.

The construction of the bag is in a very durable, long lasting polyester fabric. The main compartment of the bag can easily store a body mounted with a small zoom lens, a flash, and one or two smaller lenses. If you need only one lens, you can easily put two flash units in the bag and still have some space.

There is a front pocket that can store accessories, such as memory cards, but the pocket is large enough to store a body with grip without a lens. If you want to carry your 70-200 f2.8 lens, it fits well in the interior, without the body, and the body can go in the front pocket. The front pocket is not as padded as the interior, but with the All Weather AW Cover on its front plus the flap and a little care, you should have peace of mind.

The bag shoulder strap is heavily padded and feels comfortable even when the bag is overpacked. I would certainly not recommend overpacking it for a long walk or commute, but if you need your best equipment for a small walk, the shoulder strap won’t feel uncomfortable. A rear pocket is available to store items, or can be unzipped on top and bottom to become a trolley sleeve. I tried to fit my iPad in it, but the pocket is slightly too small for it. It can be used to carry a small flash modifier, for instance.

There is also a handle to carry the bag, but this one is a little slim on padding. The FlexFlap closes your case using Velcro, and when on assignment, you can fold part of it to itself and it will close using a silent magnet hidden in the flap and the front of the bag. The flap can also be placed behind the handle for direct and easy access to the equipment.

The Lowepro Pro Messenger 160AW is comfortable and the design is well-thought out for small photo assignments. There is enough room to pack a set of related equipment and a few accessories for on site photos. It’s also ideal to bring your camera with you on family or friends dinners.

I personally find the price high for the bag, considering the SlingShot 302 AW sells for less, stores about the same amount of equipment, and has a tripod mount on the side. I have the SlingShot 300 AW, which does not have the tripod mount. The SlingShot 300 AW can store my body with the 70-200 f2.8 mounted on it and I can access it sliding the bag on my shoulder.

MyMac Review Rating: 8 out of 10