Submitted by David Cardinal on Tue, 08/02/2016 - 10:02
It's one thing to have a great, dedicated, camera backpack. There are many of those on the market. Some of my personal favorites are the and my Think Tank for when I need a roller. I'm also looking forward to trying out the new MindShift MP-3, based on Moose Peterson's design. However, sometimes you need to bring along a variety of other goodies, like jackets and gloves for the changing weather, or food for a long day out, and you don’t need a huge supply of photo gear. That means you need a flexible pack that can store a wide variety of contents. If you add to that the requirement to get at your photo gear without taking your pack off -- a must when working in mud, deep sand, or powdery snow – you need a different kind of backpack.
Submitted by David Cardinal on Mon, 11/10/2014 - 10:56
I’ve always envied pros wandering around with their classic Domke photo bags. Sleek, practical, and oozing history, they were also rugged enough to take a beating anywhere in the world. However, whether because I needed to lug large lenses, carry a laptop, or have a bag with enough padding so that I could check it in a pinch, there was never a Domke that fit my needs. Until now. The new bag is perfect for a traveling photographers “walk-around” gear and laptop. I’ve been using one for a few weeks, so I have plenty of experiences with it to share with you…
Submitted by David Cardinal on Wed, 01/01/2014 - 08:41
Happy 2014, everyone. I wanted to start the year off right, so for our first review I’m covering a really slick camera bag I had the pleasure of using for nearly a month on my Southeast Asia photo tour. (If you’re in Las Vegas, you’ll see me with it at CES next week too). It is the new , although many of the points in the review apply equally well to its siblings like the , or the …
There are plenty of good options for large photo backpacks for use on safari, with my favorite for trips requiring international connections being the ThinkTank Airport Takeoff combo roller/backpack. Unfortunately, unless you’re on a dedicated photo safari with extra luggage allowance and lightly loaded vehicles (like the ones we offer through ), a full-size backpack may be more than you’re allowed to bring (or perhaps more than you want to carry). It is also notoriously hard to work two to a row (like you’ll find on most typical safaris) with full-sized bags.
You’re probably already cringing at the thought of another camera bag. But I’ve just gotten a for my summer workshops and it’s so cool I wanted to tell you about it now rather than waiting until I get back with a full field test. The bag fills that awkward niche between what you can put on a belt and a full up camera backpack…
When I first reviewed Think Tank Photo’s Skin Set belt system I was really excited to find it was the first useable belt system for my work. With locking yet modular pouches it is almost infinitely flexible. The only drawback was the fixed length of the belt. Besides being a problem for those like me whose waist size fluctuates (I know I’m not the only one!) I found myself wanting to adjust it depending on the clothing I was wearing (to put it outside a jacket in cold weather for example) and wasn’t able to. I’m happy to report I just received one of their new “2.0” belts with a very simple and useable adjustment mechanism. Now the system is just about perfect. With the Skin 75 pop-down I can stash an entire 70-200mm f/2.8 with or without hood in one of the pockets and my Infrared converted D70 in another while a strobe or water bottle can live in a third. The smaller “front” pouches are perfect for filters or other small items and the optional quiet flaps are helpful for indoor events. Whether or not you’ve got the original system I highly recommend at least upgrading to the new belt. Use our Affiliate Link to Think Tank and get a free bag with your order!
Submitted by David Cardinal on Tue, 09/21/2010 - 10:27
WIN $5000 CASH OR LOADS OF OTHER PRIZES IN Think Tank's 5th ANNIVERSARY PHOTO CONTEST!
To celebrate our having been in business for five years, we have launched a photo contest where there is no entry fee, a $5,000 cash Grand Prize, and scores of other prizes for the winning photographers.
You can enter one photo in each of the four categories:
