Review: Lowepro Apex AW camera pouch

Serious adventurers need serious gear to protect their most fragile equipments. The choice is wide when you look at camera protection but Lowepro certainly made a name for itself in the field by providing quality at affordable prices.

Today we are looking at the Lowepro Apex AW, a small camera pouch for you point and shoot cameras with a secret outdoor weapon.

The first impression when you get the Lowepro Apex AW out of the box is that it is very sturdy. The rugged plastic cap on the bottom side is stiff and even cover part of the back, completed by Nylon which makes the rest of the pouch. The Apex is equipped with two rubber handles on the sides to clip the shoulder strap included in the box.

Quality is certainly there and considering the $20 price tag (see on Amazon), it’s pretty good value for money.

Inside the Apex you will find soft orange fabric, to avoid scratches, and padding on every sides. The main compartment is split by a padded and silky soft separation with has a small pocket to old an extra memory card. There is enough room here for the camera on one side and a spare battery on the other side which is very convenient.

One of the most attractive feature of the Apex is its weather resistant cover, lodged in the back, that can be pulled over the pouch to add an extra layer of protection. If you like to take you favourite p&s in wet places this will definitely come handy. It does not mean it is water proof though, so don’t go and plunge it in water, but it should keep the inside dry even after long rain exposure.

In our tests, where we left the Apex out in the rain for a few hours, the layer proved to be very effective and as you can see in the picture below, the water stays out leaving the inside dry. Mission accomplished.

Our test version of the pouch is the Apex 30, largest size in the Apex range. The dimensions, width depth height are 6 x 3.5 x 12.5 cm (2.4 x 1.4 x 4.9 in) for the inside and 8.2 x 6 x 14 cm (3.2 x 2.4D x 5.5 in) for the exterior. A perfect fit for our testing camera, a Samsung HZ35W. Smaller version are available for better fit with ultra compact cameras, namely Apex 10 and Apex 20.

Wrap up

All in all the Lowepro Apex AW is a great and affordable outdoor pouch. If you are looking for better protection than the average neoprene pouch then this one is worth a look and the rain cover is just awesome. Recommended.