{"id":1993,"date":"2012-05-13T22:43:03","date_gmt":"2012-05-13T13:43:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2012-05-13\/1993"},"modified":"2012-05-13T22:43:03","modified_gmt":"2012-05-13T13:43:03","slug":"unconventional-camera-bag-repurposing-a-think-tank-photo-retrospective-lens-changer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2012-05-13\/1993","title":{"rendered":"Unconventional Camera Bag: Repurposing a Think Tank Photo Retrospective Lens Changer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
\nNOTE<\/b>: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D3 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 60mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>60 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMoss Macro Photography<\/span>\nwith Nicolas Joannin\nat the Joushoukou-ji Temple (\u5e38\u7167\u7687\u5bfa)<\/span> in the mountains of northwest Kyoto, Japan<\/small>\nphoto by Paul Barr<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 1800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPhoto I Took<\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D3 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 70mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>100 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nReverse Angle<\/span>\nphoto by Paul Barr<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

This post is about a new camera-bag solution I'm trying, and so far\nlike, involving an unconventional use of a Think\nTank Photo Retrospective\u00ae Lens Changer 3<\/span><\/i><\/a> shoulder bag. You can see<\/span> it at my side in the photos above.<\/p>\n\n

I usually bring just a few lenses when I'm out with the camera, often a\nVoigtl\u00e4nder 125mm\nf\/2.5<\/a> and a pair<\/span> of Nikkor f\/1.4 primes (24mm and 50mm). My normal<\/span> bag\nis the v1 version of the Think\nTank Photo Speed Racer<\/i><\/a>, a nice<\/span> bag with a silly<\/span> name, and it's\nnot bad with how I shoot,<\/span> but I was<\/span> looking for something less geeky. Think\nTank's Retrospective<\/i> line is advertised as \"inconspicuous,\nsoft-sided shoulder bag with a simple<\/span> exterior that blends into the\nenvironment while carrying photo gear<\/i>\", so that seemed to fit the bill.<\/p>\n\n

Since I carry the camera either free in my hand or on a Sun Sniper Pro camera\nstrap<\/a>, I need a<\/span> bag just for the lenses and little knickknacks like WhiBal card<\/a>, polarizer filters<\/a>, GPS unit<\/a>, wallet, phone,\nand such. I liked<\/span> the idea of the Lens Changer bag because it has three\nlarge separate compartments for the lenses, allowing me to place the lens I\njust<\/span> took off the camera into one compartment, then use the same hand to\nfetch the next lens from another.<\/p>\n\n

But as it turns out, I found<\/span> the whole “shoulder bag” concept\ninappropriate for the kind of moving around I do<\/span> when I shoot<\/span> —\nbending, kneeling, crouching, stretching, etc. — and with the bag's\nstrap slipping here and the bag flopping there, the bag was a nuisance<\/span> as\noften as it was a blessing.<\/span> It's a fine<\/span> bag that does exactly what it was\ndesigned for and advertised as, so the problem is not with the bag, but\nwith its match to me and my style.<\/p>\n\n

Also, with all the weight constantly on one shoulder, I found<\/span> it felt\nheavy after a while.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

I figured that if I could hang it off my belt, all those problems would\nbe solved. Hips take weight much better than shoulders, and being attached\nright at the bag would mean that it wouldn't flop around. Most importantly,\nunlike a traditional<\/span> waist-pack camera bag, clipping it to my belt would\nnot garner “what a geek!<\/span>” ribbing from attractive women.\n(Thanks go to Lauren<\/a>\nfor sending me down this relatively stylish path.)<\/p>\n\n

So, I paid a<\/span> visit to a local<\/span> hardware store to see whether I could<\/span>\nfashion a pair<\/span> of clips of some kind, and ended up finding exactly what I\nneeded<\/span> already available, a $7 belt clip:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/16, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a><\/span>\nAdded Belt Clip<\/span>\none of a pair\n<\/div>\n\n

As can be seen, I was able<\/span> to attach the rings of the belt clips to the\nheavy-duty strap attachment points, one on either edge of the bag. They\nslip easily on and off my belt, allowing the bag to become part of my wardrobe.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nE-P2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a><\/span>\nphoto by Nicolas Joannin<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The bag's shoulder strap is sewn-in captive and can't be removed, so it\njust hangs there below the bag. The captive<\/span> strap makes perfect sense for\nwhat the bag was designed for, but I'd prefer is wasn't there, so I may<\/span> cut\nit off. I haven't<\/span> had the guts yet, though.\n\n[Update:<\/b> I did cut it off, and now it's a much cleaner solution for me.]<\/b>\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nE-P2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a><\/span>\nIn Use<\/span>\ngoing after the Nikkor 70<\/span>-200mm f\/2.8\nphoto by Nicolas Joannin<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The bag's materials and workmanship are first class, but I'm not quite\nso sure about the design. I'm not in<\/span> the bag industry so grant that there\nare likely considerations — of material, manufacturing, and marketing\n— that I'm not aware of, but the design seems to me to have striking\nflaws.<\/p>\n\n

For example, in the photo above you can see the two large Velcro patches\non the outside of the bag. Those are the closure for the cover flap, and\nthey seem gratuitously large for their intended purpose. One of the<\/span> big\nselling points is that they have a method<\/span> to shut up the noise that the\nVelcro makes when detached (they have a separate<\/span> piece of Velcro that\ncovers the first, rendering the exposed side non-Velcro), but maybe they\nwouldn't need that in the first place if the patches were not the size of a\nsoccer<\/span> pitch.<\/p>\n\n

Worse is the design of a small zippered compartment on the body-facing\nside of the bag. The captive<\/span> strap's attach points are right\nthere<\/i> snug against the top of the zipper, blocking almost completely\naccess to the zipper when it's fully open or fully closed. Here's what it\nlooks like when I've gone to the trouble to pull back the strap to reveal,\nas best I can,<\/span> access to the zipper:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/16, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a><\/span>\nIll-Conceived Design<\/span>\nthe dark brown thing to the right of the blue ribbon is the zipper tongue\n<\/div>\n\n

It would be hard enough to gain access to the zipper without this flaw\nbecause the pocket is on the side of the bag pressed against your body (why\nis it not on the other side, with clean access protected by the flap?) but\nall the more awkward to access due to this design.<\/p>\n\n

And notice that blue ribbon? That comes from inside the compartment, and\nis meant to secure your keys, I suppose.<\/span> The problem<\/span> is that the ribbon is\nsewn inside the compartment right at<\/i> the zipper, almost guaranteeing\nthat it will get caught up into the teeth. It took five<\/span> minutes of my life\nthe very first time I touched<\/span> the zipper because it so effectively jammed\nthe whole thing. It's one of<\/span> those “What were they thinking? Were they\neven thinking?” times that make you just shake your head.<\/p>\n\n

It would have been nice if the blue ribbon had been placed on the other\nedge of the zipper so that you could close the zipper while leaving the\nblue ribbon out, thereby allowing, if you wanted, access to whatever you\nattached to the ribbon while the zipper was closed. It seems<\/span> to be an\nobvious choice, but perhaps there's some other consideration that makes\nthat design unattractive?<\/p>\n\n

Besides the body-facing zippered compartment and the three cavernous lens\ncompartments, the only storage is a small<\/span> pocket on the outward-facing side\n(just below my hand in “In Use” above). It's good for<\/span> a cell<\/span> phone or a GPS<\/span>\nunit.<\/p>\n\n

Overall, the design of the storage with this bag seems really sub par,\nespecially compared to that of the other Think Tank bag I have.<\/span> We're back\nagain at the “I'm not a bag<\/span> designer” nor an expert in the bag market, but\nI think<\/span> it could have been done much better. I'd start<\/span> by putting little\nmemory-card pockets just inside the lip of the main bag, just as in the\nother Think Tank bag I have.<\/span> I'd add a<\/span> low-profile pleated compartment on\nthe outward-facing side of the bag instead of the dinky cell-phone pouch,\nand I'd throw away the entire flap-closure “solution” (their\nridiculous, bulky, kludgy, uber-geeky “Sound Silencer” expanses of Velcro)\nand design something... anything... else.<\/p>\n\n

And since it's a bag explicitly for lenses, I'd also have<\/span> thin pockets at the lip,\nopposite those for the memory cards, for filters or lens caps.<\/p>\n\n

(For the record, I wouldn't make the strap detachable, since my personal\ndesire for a detachable<\/span> strap is outside the bag's target use.)<\/p>\n\n

Despite these silly design decisions, on average I'm pleased with the\nsetup I've come up with. It feels<\/span> great, looks stylish (except for the\nhanging strap, and for the person it's attached to), doesn't get heavy even\nafter many hours trekking through mountain paths, is easy-on and easy-off,\nbut is held secure, and as I said,<\/span> the bag build quality is first rate.<\/p>\n\n

Here are some other random shots I collected<\/span> from Paul and Nicolas, who\njoined me on the trip to the temple....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nE-P2 + LUMIX G VARIO 14-45\/F3.5-5.6 at an effective 84mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a><\/span>\nphoto by Nicolas Joannin<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nE-P2 + LUMIX G VARIO 14-45\/F3.5-5.6 at an effective 42mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>13 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a><\/span>\nChatting With Fellow Visitors<\/span>\nphoto by Nicolas Joannin<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nE-P2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a><\/span>\nphoto by Nicolas Joannin<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D3 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 42mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 1600 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nphoto by Paul Barr<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\nE-P2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>80 sec, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a><\/span>\nphoto by Nicolas Joannin<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I'll probably end up getting rid of the shoulder strap, but may try to\nrubber-band it out of the way behind the bag, or something, before I bring<\/span>\nthe knife to bear. Update:<\/b> I did remove the strap and now it's much<\/i> nicer to use in practice.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This post is about a new camera-bag solution I'm trying, and so far like, involving an unconventional use of a Think Tank Photo Retrospective\u00ae Lens Changer 3 shoulder bag. You can see it at my side in the photos above.<\/p>

I usually bring just a few lenses when I'm out with the camera, often a Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 and a pair of Nikkor f\/1.4 primes (24mm and 50mm). My normal bag is the v1 version of the Think Tank Photo Speed Racer, a nice bag with a silly name, and it's not bad with how I shoot, but I was [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,7,10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1993"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1993"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1993\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}