Crumpler 15 Love Review for Nikon D70, D100 , D200 , D300 , D700 d-slr cameras

Crumpler 15 Love

for Nikon D70 / D100 / D200 / D300 / D700

The 15 Love is probably Crumpler's smallest bag that has the messenger style "third leg" strap. This is a strap that wraps around your waist and connects to the shoulder strap mid-chest level.

The third leg is important to me since I use a bicycle for my primary transportation. I'm not a huge fan of pedalling in the summer heat with a messenger bag (although this one is pretty light with the camera and lenses).

I'd prefer a pannier that hangs on the rear rack of my bike, but I'm not bold enough to subject my brand new D70 to the bumps and vibrations that might transfer through the back wheel. It probably isn't a problem. I've carried my laptop in a pannier many times.

But the camera is just too new, and the 15 Love makes a great shoulder bag while wearing it off the bike. Best of all, it doesn't look like a camera bag.

The 15 Love is about as small as I could imagine going with if you want to carry the Nikon D70 with the 18-70mm
kit lens attached, plus other lenses and accessories. Note the side strap for hanging another accessory. There is one on each side.

The main compartment. I removed most of the dividers in the main compartment, and adjusted things so the D70 fits with the lens attached. I have room for another small lens and my Canon Powershot S30 point and shoot.

The accessory compartment is just fine for batteries, filters, CF cards, lens cleaners, etc.

Two or three small to medium lenses, or one (possibly two) longer zooms will fit in the secret hidden compartment (it's behind the accessory pocket). If your zoom just won't fit anywhere, you can get a Crumpler Tube-O-Lager lens pouch and hang it off one of the side straps. I might get one of these for a 70-300 zoom in the future, so I'll post an additional photo when I do.

The crumpler looks fantastic, is extremely well made, and is comfortable to wear (nice shoulder pad on the strap). The amount of padding and stiffness is ideal if you're paranoid about keeping the camera safe. They put in just enough padding and stiffness to maximize safety without overdoing it. My only complaint is the way they implemented the third leg for wearing it bike-messenger style. Other messenger bags I have owned (made by Timbuk2) have a strap that is anchored on the bag that you clip into the shoulder strap around the chest area. The Crumpler does it the opposite way: It anchors the third leg strap on the shoulder strap, and you clip it to the bag at your waist. It's not a big deal, but you have to slide the shoulder strap down over your chest to make it work properly (which is more comfortable anyway). If you don't plan on using the third leg, this is no big deal. Even if you use the third leg, it's no big deal. It's just the one thing that could have been implemented better.

The Crumpler Budgie Smuggler (you gotta love their names) is a little smaller than the 15 Love, but it doesn't have the third leg strap. Crumpler also makes a couple of top-loading camera bags. I tried the smaller one with the D70. It fit, but was fairly tight.

thanks to Sean Stockburger for pics and comments.

Review #2

wallet, cellphone, cd player, earphones, and 2 extra cds

my n65 with the 20mm attached (i was taking pics with the d70, but it fits just fine), extra battery, body cap, kit lens with hood attached (reversed), 50mm, lens hood for 20mm and 50mm (they're nested), giotos blower

brush, battery door for flash, extra battery for cd player, stand for flash, sensor swipe, pec-pads, gel filters for flash, batteries for flash, extra lcd cover for d70, chapstick (it's freezing down here), rotring, grey card, eclipse solution

28-90 macro, charger and cable, flash and diffuser dome