Camera Labs

Hello everyone,

I just got my new camera bag in (costed $200.97 USD) and I will be doing my first review and opinions on it.

http://thinktankphoto.com/ttp_product_UrbnDsgs.php

The bag got these ratings from me:

Features: 18/20
Protection: 17/20
Storage: 19/20
Design: 20/20
Value: 20/20

Total: 94%

First off, the features of the bag are plentiful, tough fabric (ballistic nylon), durable zippers (YKK), water-resistant fabric and zipper seals, two large front pockets to hold PRO-line DSLRs, strobes fit in the side stretch pockets, and several other clever ways to hide your equipment. To the downside the huge amounts of pockets and zippers, can cost for some time if you need, say a travel document such your passport, you'll need to do a few zips, clips, and more zips. However you can customize it to where you can easily access your papers, documents, ID, etc.

Next the bag allows a huge degree of protection in the main compartment, and less protection in the outer edges, but it fair to say, that people who store the most valuable things will put it the main compartment for max. padding, but the main compartment isn't weather sealed. So the bag does have uneven padding, but that doesn't mean it has none, it's all very decent, it comes with everything you need to change that (you'll see that later on).

Moving on, we have the the amount of items you can safely store. For short, I'll make it three words, OH MY GOSH! this isn't your ordinary camera bag, this is almost a mobile photo locker, this bag can store a ungodly amount of photo equipment (for me that is).

Next we have design, this is a very good-looking, yet comfortable bag to use, the design doesn't resemble a camera bag, instead maybe a over-sized suitcase to hold your clothing. There's a back pocket to attach to a rolling suitcase, backpack harness, and many more. The color and low-profile, appearance doesn't attract attention in a crowd, airport, dodgy-neighborhoods, etc. Overall, it a very well though-out design.

Last we have value, the bag come with almost every you can think of, memory card wallet, 1.5-inch thick shoulder pad, extra velcro-stick padding and divider, seam-sealed rain cover, and even you can get a optional back harness to convert this shoulder bag into a backpack. In short terms, the bag is very exceptional in the "bang-to-the-buck" ratio.

Overall, the camera bag is just incredible when it comes to a person who wants to put thousands of dollars of camera equipment into the bag and eliminate the fear of attracting unwanted attention. This now concludes the written review, if you like to pictures, I will upload them to flickr once I get the chance. Thanks!

Hope this helps!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/17646288@N07/1878680613/

_________________
Assistant News Photojournalist
Nikon and Canon Systems
A variety of f/2.8 lenses from 10.5 to 400mm
Support Cameralabs!

Great review! I'm thinking of getting a camera bag some time soon as the one that came free with my D80, a Lowepro EX 180, is too thick(sticks out too far from the body) and I don't need all that space.

Some people complain about the main compartment having a zipper going over the top instead of a flap because it makes it harder to remove items, is this a problem for you?

Unfortunately, there is no importer for Think Tank bags in Malaysia so I would have to have it mailed which makes it significantly more expensive than Tamrac or Lowepro equivalents.

EDIT: There is a Think Tank distributor in Malaysia.

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Graham
Flickr

Hey grahamnp,

The bag's main compartment is kind of hard to remove a big SLR and organizing it because it is pretty small, but once you think about it, you really don't want a flap because if you want to access your gear through the flap that flips outwards that exposes your 5-6K with of equipment, you realize a lockable zipper is better.

Keep me posted!

_________________
Assistant News Photojournalist
Nikon and Canon Systems
A variety of f/2.8 lenses from 10.5 to 400mm
Support Cameralabs!

Hi fearless leader,

I ended up getting a Lowepro Stealth Reporter D100AW (long name, I know!). As far as I know, there are no Think Tank resellers in Malaysia and stock hasn't arrived in neighbouring Singapore, which is where I got the bag.

I'll be posting a review of my own in a few days.

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Graham
Flickr

Awesome! I'll be sure to check in on it

_________________
Assistant News Photojournalist
Nikon and Canon Systems
A variety of f/2.8 lenses from 10.5 to 400mm
Support Cameralabs!

Good review. Thanks for that. Are you able to have say... your D80, charger, and other wires, a laptop and books hit in there? I'm looking at this from a student perspective...

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Best regards,

Daniel

dmdesign
Nikon D80 · Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF
Sigma Foveon sensor fan... future owner, promise!
flickr me!

Yes of course! The camera and 3-4 small lenses or 2-3 longer lenses will fit just prefect in the main compartment. The front organizer if filled with pockets, so you can put CF cards, chargers, batteries, pens, paper. Plus those specific pockets have weather sealed zippers. As for wires the bag's compartments are grey so that the black wire stand out better. All of this and some 15 inch notebooks.

By the way I use the belt system from Think tank for the working part of the day.

Keep me posted!

_________________
Assistant News Photojournalist
Nikon and Canon Systems
A variety of f/2.8 lenses from 10.5 to 400mm
Support Cameralabs!