Best Lowepro Toploader Zoom 55 AW (Sea Blue) Deals

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List Price: $54.99
Sale Price: $28.08
Today's Bonus: 49% Off

For me, camera bags always seem to be a compromise. This bag is no exception. I own several Lowepro bags in various designs and sizes and every one of them has some weirdness built in to the design. With this toploader the weirdness is centered around the padded divider that allows an extra lens to be carried underneath the camera. The divider attaches on two sides with Velcro but getting the extra lens out of the bottom of the bag requires ripping the Velcro loose on at least one side to reach down into the bottom of the bag to get the lens out. It might not sound like a big deal but when you have a camera/lens in one hand and have to struggle with the lame Velcro divider with the other hand to get the extra lens out it's an invitation for disaster. And after the lens change you have to reattach the divider to get everything back in order.

My solution was to remove the Velcro stitched in to the bag entirely and toss the divider in the drawer. I keep a couple microfiber towels with me and use them as padding for any lens that might be riding along in the bottom of the bag. The towels work great.

But the bag is roomy, padded to protect my gear, has the excellent rain cover, the large zippered front pocket is perfect, and the smaller zippered pocket inside the top flap has two pockets for CF cards and maybe a filter or two. The shoulder strap is too narrow for extended use. I replaced it with a thickly padded strap from one of my old laptop bags and that makes a huge difference when using the bag for daylong trips to the city. I wish Lowepro would offer better shoulder straps but it's typical of straps used by every vendor I've come across over the years. And the actual color is much more pleasant than what is depicted in the pictures here.

I have to give Lowepro very high marks for quality materials and generally excellent build. And they have one of the best warranties in the business.

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I really like this case. The build quality is great, and the color is very nice. I was deciding between this case and one from another brand and the tiebreaker was the all-weather cover on the Lowepro, which I see myself using because I do a lot of outdoor shooting at sporting events. I also bought this at the same time as a 65AW so I could compare them and send one back; the 65AW was too small for my purposes, but read below for sizing info on this case, which I kept.

Sizing: I am using the Zoom 55AW with a Canon 7D body; the body fits perfectly but it would not if you added a battery grip (I do have an Opteka hand strap on it, which fits). I don't own a grip for the 7D but I think you could put it in the bottom, or definitely in the outside pocket of the bag. I also have a Canon Rebel XT, which is smaller (I think the same size as their later models such as the T2i), and it just barely fits with a grip installed. What has me really jazzed about this case is that even with the 7D I can have a relatively short lens on the camera (or my DO zoom lens) and still have room in the bottom of the case to store another relatively short lens. Of course, you could also fit one rather long zoom lens. There is also a surprising amount of room in the outer pocket; it looks slim in the photo but it expands enough that I can fit my Speedlite flash in it, in its own case. The straps on the outside are nice for adding more storage if I ever need it, and in the meantime I've seen people using them to secure a Gorillapod or other accessories to the bag.

One note about the interior: Unlike some of Lowepro's other cases where the entire interior is Velcro so you can move the partition wherever you want, this one only has about a 2-inch strip of it 2/3 of the way down. There's still room for adjustment, but not as much as the other cases.

At the time of this review, Amazon has a ridiculously good price on this blue version of the case if you buy it directly through them; for some reason the black one is more expensive, and even the blue costs more through other vendors. Even at full price, though, this is a great value.

Best Deals for Lowepro Toploader Zoom 55 AW (Sea Blue)

Love the shape and color of this bag. It has great padding and I like the way the camera fits into the bag. It only has the one pocket on the front side. I wish it had side pockets as well. However it is a very streamlined case to use to travel with, which is what I was looking for.

Honest reviews on Lowepro Toploader Zoom 55 AW (Sea Blue)

the bag is large enough to suport longer lense and is sturdy enough to protect my camera while out hiking. I am very happy with this purchase.

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Got this bag for my T2i with battery grip and it fits like a glove. The blue color of the bag is darker than the product photo, which is good...it's a very professional blue. The padding is thick and sturdy, just perfect. With the included shoulder strap I can carry the bag very comfortably at my chest for hiking around and taking pictures, which is exactly why I bought it, so I'm happy. I have the camera mounted on a mid-range zoom, a 75-300mm at the bottom and a 50mm tucked in beside the camera (yes there's that much room). In the pocket is a small flash, batteries, filters and tripod mount. There's not enough room for the camera's charger or other accessories, but there could be if I left out other things. So the bag won't hold every piece of equipment, but it's not designed to. It's a perfect hiking bag and it holds just enough. If I wanted to take only this bag on a long trip, I could by leaving a few less necessary items behind. The rain cover and inside card pocket are bonuses. The padded handle feels cheap but works fine. Awesome bag!