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The TYPE – II: Camera Bag and Travel Kit by VINTA just might be the answer for hiking with photography gear


I wonder how many of my fellow photographers and filmmakers would join me in confessing to being a gear “bag-a-holic”? Yes, I Know!! That is my made-up word, but it adequately describes my addiction to gear bags and my quest to find the perfect one, or at least the perfect one for each event. Just today, I was merrily surfing the internet and once again I became excited when I came across yet another bag that seems to be full of possibilities and a promising fit for some niche.

The TYPE – II: Camera Bag and Travel Kit by VINTA seems to be a well-made bag that is attractive and designed to accommodate several configurations of camera gear as well as daily non-camera stuff. The backpack has many pockets and compartments for all the accessories that you would carry, and there are two inserts that are available, which are a camera pack and a travel pack. Bottom straps for carrying additional blankets or similar items are also available.

Some of the other features of the bag include a dedicated laptop sleeve and zip, a D-Ring side attachment, multiuse and EDC pockets, and a side attachment for gear like a tripod. A field pack is also available. It boasts the ability to be able to carry a tripod, a 15” laptop, one large and three small lenses, and two camera bodies, all at once. It is also waterproof.

If you are as intrigued about the TYPE – II: Camera Bag & Travel Kit as I am, you can head over to the Vinta website and check it out. You can pick one up starting at $254 for the bag and the Travel Kit, or $264 for the bag and Camera Kit combination. Amazon has the main bag for less than $250.

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The TYPE – II: Camera Bag and Travel Kit by VINTA just might be the answer for hiking with photography gear originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 4, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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The Think Tank Photo Digital Holster will let you win your next photo shoot out


When I chat with my fellow photographers about their workflows, most of us agree that we have a “go to” lens that is our favorite to take with us when we are shooting at will, and not restricted for a specific event. However, in many cases, the same “go to” lens can also work for many of our favorite events, and that contributes to it being the most comfortable choice. What is very interesting, is that there is no specific lens that seems to be a common choice among us.

My favorite “go to” lens is my Sigma 70-200mm along with a Canon EOS 7D MKII SLR body. While it is my choice, it may not be a popular choice for many photographers because of its weight and size, and extended length when used with a camera with an APS-C sensor and extended hood. Since this is my favorite lens, I needed to find a case that would hold the lens and the camera body and longer hood extension all assembled, so that I could have quick access to it to make sure I got the shot.

To accomplish this, I purchased the Think Tank Photo Digital Holster 50 Version 2.0. Like everything made by Think Tank, this case did not disappoint. It is available in various sizes, and the 50 is specifically designed for the 70-200mm lens. Its zipped up size accommodates the camera body attached to the lens without the lens hood and extension. When zipped open at the bottom, it accommodates the complete assembly. It is form fitting and very easy to access to quickly retrieve the camera. It has a few side pockets that can hold, lens caps, and filters and batteries, and a removable shoulder strap for carrying and extra safety. It also has rail attachments for adding additional pouches and components, and the ability to be attached to a belt. There is even a business card pocket inside to make it a complete “go to” case.

If you are interested in purchasing a Think Tank Photo Digital Holster, it is available in several sizes to match your DSLR camera body and lens. The 50 V2.0 size can be purchased at Amazon for $89.75.

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The Think Tank Photo Digital Holster will let you win your next photo shoot out originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 14, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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The Ruggard Alpine 600 Lens Backpack for DSLR and 600/800mm lens is a winner!


Every Photographer and Cinematographer I have ever met seems to have the same major issue that I struggle with. I am referring to the ongoing challenge of finding the right camera bag to carry the desired equipment for each specific shoot. Like many of my counterparts, I have surrendered and accepted that I need multiple bags to meet my needs. The decision to surrender also meant that I would be forever buying bags and forever trying new ideas. Some time ago, I was on a shoot and carrying my Sigma 70-200mm and Canon 24-105mm along with 2 full-sized camera bodies, both with extended battery grips attached. It was during that shoot that I decided I would soon purchase the Sigma 150-600mm lens. The thought of carrying an even larger lens was immediately daunting. Anyone who knows the Sigma lenses knows that they are inherently large, and since I actually like to shoot more frequently with a crop sensor camera, the use of the lens with the lens hood and the lens hood extension for the APS-C sensor, meant that the footprint would be very long. It would be a very inefficient process if I had to assemble the gear each time I wanted to switch to a different lens and/or camera body.

I went in search of a bag that I could easily carry any combination of these lenses and multiple camera bodies, and my search led me to the Ruggard Alpine 600 Lens Backpack for DSLR and up to 600/800mm lens. This is quite a large bag, but its ability as a backpack makes it a doable option. The bag is well built and very strong, and it is fully adjustable to carry a full-sized DSLR body with the extended battery grip and the lens with hood extension attached. It also has multiple external pockets and compartments that are roomy enough to hold lens filters, lens caps, batteries, flash, etc.

While I absolutely love this large bag, I must admit that its size does limit when I carry it, as opposed to using it as a daily “go to” bag.

If you are struggling with similar circumstances and looking for a large camera bag that will allow you to quickly switch between full camera setups, then I would highly recommend the Ruggard Alpine 600 Lens Backpack. You can purchase it at B&H Photo Video for $139.95.

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The Ruggard Alpine 600 Lens Backpack for DSLR and 600/800mm lens is a winner! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 11, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Think Tank Lily Deanne Tutto premium-quality camera bag review

Over the past 30 years I have probably purchased and resold 15 different types of camera bags looking for that perfect bag.  I have looked at backpacks, over the shoulder bags and roller bags and have come to a conclusion: one bag will not ‘cut the mustard’ when it comes to my camera bag needs.  I have a great Think Tank roller bag that I use when I must carry 2 pro camera bodies, several lenses, flashes and a laptop to action shoot jobs.  However, I still needed a camera bag that I could use for fun day trips or even vacations where I was not taking so much stuff and did not want to look conspicuous.  I finally found what I think is my almost perfect bag in the Lily Deanne.  Let’s take a closer look.

What is it?

The Lily Deanne is a camera bag designed by women for professional photographer women.  Honestly the looks of this bag really allow a man or a woman to use this bag.  Think Tank wanted to create a bag that did not look like a camera bag and would look professional enough to carry into events like weddings, meetings, corporate events or even on the street.  The bag comes in three different sizes.  The Lucido which will hold a single standard DSLR with 1-3 lenses and an 8in table.  The second bag is called the Mezzo and it will carry a single standard DSLR, a mid range zoom, 2-3 additional lenses and a 10in tablet or 11in laptop.  Finally, the bag I got the Tutto will carry a gripped DSLR, a mid range zoom, 2-5 additional lenses, 2 flashes and up to a 15in laptop.

Hardware Specs

The bag is made of full grain Dakota leather.  The black parts of the bag are 420 high-density nylon with a durable water-repellent coating.  The strap is made of nylon seat belt webbing that is adjustable in length and comes with a heavy duty nicely padded strap that has yet to cut into my shoulder.  All the zippers are YKK RC Fuse abrasion-resistant zippers.  The bag weighs 3.3 pounds.  Think Tank has some of the best warranties in the business and they will guarantee and warrant their products against any defects in material or workmanship for as long as you own the product.  I have had other professional photographer friends get new wheels for roller bags or sometimes an entirely new bag when a bag that is several years old and heavily used has come up with an issue.

What’s in the box?

The bag came in a gorgeous box and was wrapped in some beautiful tissue paper.  The packaging of the bag could not have impressed me more.  In the box came the actual bag, some closed cell foam dividers and a nice seam-sealed rain cover that comes in its own pouch.

Design and Features

Looking at the intro picture you can see the bag is covered with a main flap.  That flap is attached to the bag via magnets.  Velcro is nowhere to be seen on this bag and it really makes my day.  I can’t tell you how many times I have been at an event and wish to get into my bag and have tried to quietly open a Velcro attachment.  When you flip the flap back you can see there is a big main zippered compartment up top, a side zippered area and two smaller flaps.

Once you unzip the top zipper, you are presented with the main storage compartment.  The entire inside of the bag is lined in a brilliant turquois blue.  That color really makes it easy to see what is inside the bag.  A lot of bags are lined with black material and in dim or dark environments it is nearly impossible to find what you need in the bag.   At the top of the bag you see a flap with a picture of a computer on it.  Simply flip the flap back and up to a 15 inch laptop can be stored in this area.  The divider of the computer area and the camera area is nicely padded.  The back part of the bag is not as well-padded but very sturdy feeling due to the full grain Dakota leather.  The bottom of the laptop compartment comes down to a V shape and is padded.

In the main camera compartment area, I currently have set up to hold a flash,  a bracket, a professional DSLR with a built in grip, and attached to it is a 24-70 lens, rain proof bag, and an additional 70-200 lens on the side.  All the dividers are fully adjustable.  Simply pull them out and arrange them as you wish.

This front zippered area has a red loop on the upper left where you could clip key rings or the popular Think Tank compact flash card holder.  There is a small sleeve that you can see that will hold my Note 8 if I wished.  The rest of the area is just open to store whatever items you wish.  It is not super expandable and I would limit items in that area to fairly flat items.

The two front flaps are also closed with magnets that you can see in the stitched blue circles as the top of each flap.  Inside the left pouch which is also lined with the turquoise material you will find a similarly sized slot that I use to hold filters and then in front of that slot I slide my lens caps.   The right flap has slots to hold pens and pencils and a couple of other small slots to hold various smaller items.  The sides of the bag have a single snap that can be undone to hold a standard water bottle or possibly a hard sunglass case.   You can also see the underside of the shoulder pad where it has rubber grips that keep it in place on your shoulder.

Finally, the back of the bag has a luggage carrier slot where you can slide the handle of a roller bag completely through and it will allow you to place this bag securely on top of a roller bag.  You can see the definition of this slot outlined in the turquois stitching.  There is also one additional storage slot behind that roller bag slot to put additional flat type items.

What I like

I love the looks of this bag.  I have received many compliments on it.  I really like how I can keep the bag on my shoulder and reach in and grab the camera equipment I need quickly and easily.  That was what I hated about backpack bags.  I always had to put them down to get what I need.  The bag stands easily on its own.  It certainly holds all I need and more.  I also love that no one realizes I am carrying around a lot of expensive camera equipment.  Finally, I love the warranty and quality of the bag.  I just have not found another company that beats the quality of Think Tank.

What needs to be improved

It does hold so much stuff that yes, I can overpack and the bag can get very heavy very quick.  I wish they had figured out a way to attach a grab handle to the top of the bag.  That would have been a nice feature when my shoulders were getting tired of holding all the weight.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, I use this bag when I have a lighter photo shoot or when I need to be inconspicuous.  Once the camera is out of the bag and I am taking pictures, I really don’t notice the weight of the bag.  I can easily reach in and swap out lenses quickly.  I have used this for a couple of wedding engagement shoots and the bag was perfect in the public environments where the client wanted their pictures taken.

Price:  $299.75
Where to buy: B&H Photo/Video
Source: The sample of this product was purchased with my own funds

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Think Tank Lily Deanne Tutto premium-quality camera bag review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 5, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Peak Design Everyday Sling 5L bag review

The bags we use to carry our daily gear are chosen based on a variety of criteria. Large messenger bags work great when you have a lot of bulky items, smaller bags are better when all you need to carry is a wallet and a phone. And then there are medium sized bags like the Peak Design Everyday Sling bag which we’re going to talk about today.

What is it?

The Everyday Sling 5L bag from Peak Design is a small bag that can be worn over the shoulder or as a waist bag (aka fanny pack) and has been designed to be used as a camera bag, small drone bag, or general purpose bag.

Design and features

The Sling bag is available in two sizes, the 10L version and a 5L version like the one that was sent to me. Both versions of the bag are made of weatherproof 400D nylon canvas and are available in black or ash. I was sent the ash version of the Sling bag which matches the Peak Design Everyday Messenger bag and Everyday Tote bag that I’ve also reviewed.

This bag doesn’t have a flap, but a zippered top that provides access to the interior. On the front of the bag is a horizontal zipper which secures the quick-access front pocket. This pocket is roomy enough to hold a large phone like my Pixel 2 XL.

For security, the zipper pull for the main compartment can be locked into the zipper pull for the quick-access pocket.

Here’s a view of the back of the Sling bag which as you can see, does not have any pockets.

The top of the bag has a padded grab handle with a leather accent.

The adjustable shoulder strap can be flipped for left or right shoulder carry and the extra length of the strap can be hidden in a slot on the back of the bag.

The strap has a quick adjuster loop that makes it easy to loosen and tighten the strap while you’re wearing the bag, and the g-hook provides a way to quickly switch the bag from shoulder to waist carry.

I prefer to wear bags crossbody style, but I was surprised by how comfortable the Sling is to wear around the waist. I can imagine wearing it this way while hiking.

The exterior of the Sling also has a dedicated attachment point for Peak Design’s Capture Clip system which is designed to attach cameras to the outside of the bag for quick access.

The Sling reminds me of a clamshell. The main compartment doesn’t have a flap to secure it, but a zipper which allows the front part of the bag to hinge forward.

Peak Design bags all have FlexFold dividers which are a really cool way to organize your gear inside the bag. Inside the Sling are two FlexFold origami dividers that can be repositioned, folded or even removed to configure the interior of the bag exactly how you want it.

The interior of the bag is an open compartment with a small stretch pocket on the side and a padded open topped pocket along the back that is large enough to hold a tablet with dimensions no larger than 9.4 x 7.3 x 0.6 inch (24 cm x 18.5 cm x 1.5 cm).  The top of the tablet pocket has a magnetic closure.

If we flip the Sling bag around, we can see the other side of the bag where there’s a zippered pocket.

Inside the pocket are 4 small pockets that can hold memory cards or other small items.

The Sling 5L is designed to hold small drones like the DJI Mavic or DJI Spark, and small mirrorless or DSLR cameras.

I don’t own a DJI drone and I no longer have a dedicated DSLR camera, but do have a collection of EDC gear that goes with me to and from work each day. Here’s my latest selection minus an A5 notebook, and my Pixel 2 XL which I used to take this photo.

And here we see all my items stowed neatly in the Peak Design Everyday Sling 5L bag. The bag was able to hold the majority of my essentials, but I did have to compromise and remove one of the individual notebooks from my X47 leather notebook binder instead of carrying the whole thing. I was able to put the thin A5 notebook in the tablet pocket inside the Sling.

Another compromise I made was not being able to put my lunch in the Sling since there was absolutely no room left to hold even a small container of food.

Bonus points for the fact that the Sling 5L sits upright on a flat surface without falling over.

Positives

  • Multiple ways to carry
  • Customizable FlexFold organization dividers
  • Small but can hold a lot of gear

Negatives

  • 5L version can feel cramped if you like to carry a lot of gear

Final thoughts

Since reviewing the Peak Design Everyday Messenger bag, I’ve become a fan of their bags. The bags are well made, expertly designed for customization, and stylish. The Everyday Sling 5L is a great little bag for people who don’t carry a lot of gear with them each day or want a dedicated bag for a small mirrorless camera kit or drone kit. This is another winner for Peak Design and I’m happy to recommend it.

Price: $99.95
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Peak Design.