Think Tank

"Camera bags, why are they so damn ugly?"- bit of a follow up

Yes, they are still mostly real damn ugly. 

After I wrote the Camera bags, why are they so damn ugly? post, I've bought the Think Tank Retrospective 30 (Pinestone) and it seems very awesome. It actually looks really cool and I'm sure that it will look even better after being used for a while. It's big, with lots of room especially since I shoot Fujifilm. I haven't been on a shoot with it yet, but it feels like it's gonna be real good to reach for lenses and things like that while on urban model shoots for example. I will probably write a review after I've had the chance to use it. 

I've also got the Think Tank Airport Roller Derby for use while travelling and as a place to store excessive lenses and other gear while at home. I might haul it with me on the streets of London for example, going to shoots, but will probably just use it for the travel and then have my new Retrospective 30 back and forth to the shoots. I might also take it with me on shoots in Copenhagen. We'll see. I might also get back with a review of this one, but will not be travelling until April/May, so maybe won't really be testing it until then. 

By the way, it might not be completely fair to Think Tank, having this post mostly being about the two bags that I recently bought, and having a title like this. Their bags are really great, but I still believe that most of them also fall into the category of awful looking (except for the Retrospective line). 

I've actually written to Think Tank about a way to "spice up" their line of back packs. We'll see what they'll answer. :) 

Camera bags, why are they so damn ugly?

Yes, why is it so? Of course it's a matter of taste and all of that, but still, most of them are hideous. 

I am currently on the look out for a new shoulder bag. And while I have the awesomeness that is the Wotancraft Scout in my possession, it is a bag that unfortunately is best suited for a camera with 2 lenses (one attached) or an X100T (or similar) and some other stuff and not for a bigger load of gear for a serious portrait session for example with the X-T2 w/ battery grip and lenses. I believe it is the best and coolest looking camera shoulder bag ever though, since it definitely doesn't look like one.

And I have a couple of amazing backpacks from F-stop (hands down the best brand when it comes to backpacks), but it's not always that a backpack is the best alternative either. For some serious walking/hiking/adventuring of course, but not for everything. 

So then it comes down to shoulder/messenger bags. Unfortunately most of them are hideous. Or too small. Or both. I mean, there are many great manufacturers like Domke, Billingham and LowePro for example, but their bags are so damn awful looking and they scream "camera bag". Think Tank is another awesome brand with mostly awful looking bags except for their Retrospective line which does not scream "camera bag". I would go for another Wotancraft bag, I mean YES, they are very expensive, but they are hand made and of extremely good quality, and you get what you pay for, but at the same time I don't think they have the right bag for what I'm looking for. It would be the Ranger but it goes for a whopping €629 and I still think it might be a bit small actually. Then there are ONA bags, all hipster photographer's favourite (as it seems to me). They are a bit on the expensive side (not like Wotancraft though) and they have a couple of bags that seem pretty good, but again, too small. 

So I think this might actually come down to the mentioned Think Tank and their Retrospective 30. It actually looks pretty cool and not like a camera bag and it seem to have quite a lot of space in it and it gets a lot of very good reviews. So even if I do want to get the Wotancraft Ranger, I might not be totally satisfied because of its size. And if I'd pay that much for a bag, I'd like to be satisfied. 

I'll get back on the subject.