Product  Review: Naneu Pro UrbanGear Photo Bags

by Michael Fulks

It is that time of year in our part of the world when we plan our trips and vacations. So it is a great time to evaluate your needs regarding the transport and protection of your camera gear and digital equipment. In preparation for my own trip to Europe, I was lucky enough to receive the UrbanGear U120 to try out.

My first impression, upon taking it out of its box, was regarding the quality of materials and workmanship. Not only is it well made, but it looks good too. This particular model also includes space for a laptop which for me, as a digital photographer, was essential. On this particular trip, as leader of the Camera Club from Red Rocks Community College, my laptop also came in handy to write CDs at the end of the day for the students on the trip. Not only did this free up more space for the following day's shooting, but also served as a good way to back up the images everyone was taking.

The size of the bag is perfect for this kind of excursion allowing the photographer ample space for camera, lenses, laptop and a variety of computer and camera accessories. The inside of the bag contains a user modifiable space with moveable partitions that allow the user to make the right size compartment for each item he needs to carry. The U120 has so much space that it would be easy to load so much equipment in it that it would be too heavy for a smaller person to carry.

The backpack configuration was very comfortable especially for those long walks between terminals in some of the airports, as well as the city walking tours. The straps are well padded and easily adjustable. There is also a detachable waist strap to help equalize the weight, a common feature of bigger hiking backpacks. The surface of the bag that rests against your back is also padded and reinforced protecting the wearer from pressure points that may be caused by bulky equipment.

In use, the bag was designed so that all of the pockets, flaps and compartments are easily accessible, essential not only in the field but also when passing through airport security. Several times, I had to remove both my laptop and camera for inspection. This was easily done without much fuss.

U120 features Holds DSLRs with up to 80-200 f/2.8 lens attachment Removable camera compartment. Laptop accommodations: 15.4” Mesh water bottle pocket Tripod carrying system Detachable waistband Headphone grommet Black or blue Dimensions: Camera 10.5L x 5.25W x 14.25H in Exterior 11.25L x 12.5W x 17.5H in Naneu Pro offers a Limited Lifetime Warranty against defects in workmanship and materials Price: US$130.00

The one downside of the bag is its size. As I mentioned before, it is easily overloaded making it hard for a smaller person to carry because of the weight. But that was not the major problem. The problem is with the airlines. On domestic flights, the physical dimensions of the bag were not a problem when taking the bag on the plane as a carry on. Domestic flights seem to have larger bins that accommodated the bag easily. However, on international flights the bins are smaller and the bag would not fit either in the overhead bin or under my seat. As a result, on the way to Europe it was under my feet the whole way.

On the return flight from Budapest, Lufthansa actually measured the bag and would not allow me to board with it.  This is where the design of the bag saved me. The actual camera compartment is removable with straps and zippers of its own, and is quite sturdy by itself. So by removing the camera compartment and stowing it in a colleague’s check-in luggage, I was able to compress the bag to a size that would fit. I kept my lenses, camera and laptop in the bag as a carry-on, but all of the accessories got checked. They arrived safe and sound on the other end of the flight.

Despite that minor glitch, I really enjoyed the use of the bag. Its convenience, its ruggedness and its workmanship all proved to be all the bag I think I will ever need.

The smaller cousin to the U120 is the U60. This bag is similarly made but about half the size. Naneu Pro is  sponsoring our current “Fathers” bi-monthly contest. The grand prize winner will receive the U60 as one of the prizes.

	U60 features Holds DSLRs with up to 70-200 f/2.8 lens attachment Removable camera compartment Double mesh water bottle pocket Headphone grommet Black or blue Dimensions: Camera 10.25L x 5W x 12H in Exterior 11L x 9.5W x 14.25H in Naneu Pro offers a Limited Lifetime Warranty against defects in workmanship and materials Price: US$78.00

For more information and to find a dealer near you, check out their website:      www.naneupro.com

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