Need a new bag...Think Tank bags...???

[gryffinwings]

I'm looking at some new bags for my gear, the Tamrac I have is a little small for my needs. Looking at 2 Think Tank bags:

Think Tank Photo Trifecta 10
Think Tank Street Walker Pro

My needs are that it fit my D7100 with battery grip with Nikkor 80-200mm f2.8D (2-ring) and the Nikkor 17-55mm f2.8. Future expansion will include getting some manual flashes and maybe a short macro lens like the Nikkor 60mm. Thoughts?

 

[Derrel]

I'm looking at some new bags for my gear, the Tamrac I have is a little small for my needs. Looking at 2 Think Tank bags:

Think Tank Photo Trifecta 10
Think Tank Street Walker Pro

My needs are that it fit my D7100 with battery grip with Nikkor 80-200mm f2.8D (2-ring) and the Nikkor 17-55mm f2.8. Future expansion will include getting some manual flashes and maybe a short macro lens like the Nikkor 60mm. Thoughts?

Think Tank Photo Trifecta 10: Think Tank Trifecta 10 Backpack

Ehhhhh...does not look good,to me at least. Looks like a pack that might be spill-prone. Not fond of the way the lenses are stacked in there. Smallish,deigned for just three lenses. I dunno...I'd rather not have a pack-style bag that is this small, I'd rather have a messenger bag or a traditional shoulder type bag, with this type of capacity.

Think Tank Street Walker Pro
Think Tank StreetWalker

Looks more traditional, and has room for a 10" tablet. Roomier. More like what "I" expect a backpack-sized and type of bag to accomodate.

HOWEVER, that said, this is ____your____ bag and gear! Only you know what your full priority list is! I have a big backpack,and five different, smaller shoulder bags...I prefer the smaller,shoulder-carry type bags for anything less than a massive, 1- or 2-body and 6- to 8-lens carrying session. YMMV!

A D7xxx series + grip, a 60mm macro, an 80-200/2.8,and the 17-55 does not need "all that much" space, so, there are a lot of options available to you.

 

[Destin]

Like Darrel, I agree that the thinktank backpack looks like a spill risk. I hate backpacks that open on the side or away from your body.. makes it easier to drop things or have things stolen. I also think is ridiculously overpriced for its size and usefulness.

I exclusively use packs with rear panel access. It’s more secure and also keeps the side of the bag that contacts your body from being layed on the ground.

I used to have one of these lowepro backpacks and loved it for carrying the amount of gear you’re looking at: Lowepro Flipside

I now have the flipside 300 that is just a little bigger and gives me more options.

I also use a mind shift backlight 36L and it is very quickly becoming my favorite bag for hiking and outdoor adventure, but that’s much bigger than you’re looking for. Mind shift is the outdoor branch of think tank and is incredible. You may want to look into their stuff if you spend any time outdoors with your gear.

 

[gryffinwings]

Like Darrel, I agree that the thinktank backpack looks like a spill risk. I hate backpacks that open on the side or away from your body.. makes it easier to drop things or have things stolen. I also think is ridiculously overpriced for its size and usefulness.

I exclusively use packs with rear panel access. It’s more secure and also keeps the side of the bag that contacts your body from being layed on the ground.

I used to have one of these lowepro backpacks and loved it for carrying the amount of gear you’re looking at: Lowepro Flipside

I now have the flipside 300 that is just a little bigger and gives me more options.

I also use a mind shift backlight 36L and it is very quickly becoming my favorite bag for hiking and outdoor adventure, but that’s much bigger than you’re looking for. Mind shift is the outdoor branch of think tank and is incredible. You may want to look into their stuff if you spend any time outdoors with your gear.

Thanks for the info everyone, the Lowepro Flipside 300 seems like a much better idea and is a much better price point than the ones I was looking at.

 

[Derrel]

Yeah, the Flipside 300 looks alright.

 

[bratkinson]

Maybe it's because I too-quickly outgrew a couple of 'expensive' camera bags that I decided to find a cheaper alternative. OK, I'm a cheapskate at heart...even my ex-wife told me so several years after we divorced (we're still friends 25 years later). So, as the 'expensive' bags all had varieties of inserts to separate each lens, etc, I decided to look for 'camera bag inserts'.

I finally found one that was large enough for the maximum number of lenses I carry as well as customizable (Velcro attachments) to fit my needs. I settled on a Ciesta Large insert I found on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=electronics&field-keywords=ciesta+camera+bag+insert

Then I found what I'll call an 'oversize' gym bag aka small travel bag at Walmart that had multiple zipper pockets on the ends and on one side big enough to hold everything with the insert in it. I think I paid about $20-25 for the bag.

When I travel, or even when I'm out on a shooting project, my goal is to make my camera bag look like it's 'nothing special' and certainly nothing expensive inside. I even go so far as to place black 'Lens Band's on my lenses with red rings on them to avoid the 'expensive' look. Paranoid? Perhaps. Never had anything stolen, either. But I will admit to forgetting where I put the bag a couple of times...don't get old!

I'm still considering how to carry my tripod or monopod with me and not be too obvious. Fortunately, I only use them a couple of times per year.

 

[Nwcid]

I have this Pelican, Pelican S115 and really like it. It goes with me pretty much daily and has held up to my abuse. I have only taken it with me on one "trip" because usually I am taking my underwater set up and this bag is not conducive to that. The one trip we did take where land photography was primary I carried this bag, as seen in my pic, anywhere between 5 and 10 miles per day for a week and it was great the whole time.

It is very durable and has withstood ATV trips, back roads, wildland fire and just general abuse.

Taken with my cell phone.
Nikon D7100 with 10-105 attached

Left to right
Top; filters/cleaning gear, SB-700, Nikon 60mm
Middle; Nikon 10.5 Fisheye, Nikon 70-300mm
Bottom; Tamron 150-600mm, Tonika 11-16mm

 

[adamhiram]

Thanks for the info everyone, the Lowepro Flipside 300 seems like a much better idea and is a much better price point than the ones I was looking at.

Another vote for the Lower Flipside 300. It has been my favorite bag for 3+ years, and I find it to be the perfect balance of size and weight. It easily fits 3 decent sized lenses with plenty of room for accessories, or can even be reconfigured to fit 2 lenses and a travel tripod inside the bag.

 

[LWW]

Look on flea bay for used TAMRAC bags.

My XL sized bag was $250 in 1991 and has served flawlessly and is still a 9.5/10.

I just bought a smaller one for $27 and it’s still near perfect.

Quality materials, well padded, great construction.