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If you’ve ever had to work your way through a busy airport with your gear, you know that an ordinary camera bag just isn’t going to cut it. Making sure everything is safely packed, moving through security, getting on and off your plane, working your way through yet another airport– it’s a challenge. Think Tank Photo addressed the challenge head-on not too long ago, when they introduced a new line of Airport Backpacks. The line includes (from biggest to smallest) the Airport Accelerator, Airport Commuter, and Airport Essentials, all of which meet U.S. and international carry-on standards. I’ve been putting the Commuter through its paces for the better part of a year, and– as someone who’s never owned a gear bag designed specifically around air travel– I’m really impressed.

As with all things Think Tank, the construction is impeccable. Heavy-duty zippers and stitching, comfortably padded straps and handles, as well as all of the pockets and compartments I’ve come to expect from Think Tank. While lots of pockets isn’t exactly innovative, Think Tank’s newer bags have also been designed with dedicated pockets for tablets or laptops. The Airport Backpack series is designed to hold both. The exterior-access pockets are also right where they do the most good, providing quick access to travel essentials like i.d., credentials, passports, boarding passes, and other travel necessities. A large side pocket is perfect for a bottle of water or paperback book.

All of that great exterior access doesn’t do you much good, though, if the interior doesn’t do its job well. Fortunately, the gear section of this bag is pretty remarkable. The two things I noticed while packing it were (1) how much it holds, and (2) how deep it is.  Without doing any reconfiguring of the pre-installed dividers (OK…I removed one little one in the middle), I packed three bodies, five lenses, two speelights, a set of Pocket Wizards, and all of the cards, cords, batteries, gels, film, pens, business cards, m&m’s, and all of accessories I needed.  And there was room for more.

Other “bonus features” include a locking security cable, removable waist belt, and tripod attachment straps.  To be honest, I was a little disappointed by the tripod attachment.  That great side pocket I mentioned earlier?  That’s where the feet of the tripod go, but I never felt the tripod was truly secure.  I’ll admit my tripod might be somewhat to blame– if it was more of a travel size or if it was carbon fiber I might feel differently.

The only other down side for me personally is that this is a lot of weight for my back.  It is all very well-padded and evenly distributed, but my back’s not what it used to be.  I’m hoping that an Airport 4-Sight rolling bag is somewhere in my future.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

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A Review of the ThinkTank Airport Commuter Camera Bag

The post A Review of the ThinkTank Airport Commuter Camera Bag by Jeff Guyer appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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