Think Tank’s New Bag for Mirrorless Shooters
Today’s Post by Joe Farace
It’s been a while, since we’ve done a camera bag review, mostly because I haven’t been impressed with what I’ve seen, until I received the Think Tank Signature 10 bag.
The Signature Series is Think Tank’s venture into the world of the fashion camera bags. A fashion bag combines the function of a good camera bag in that it stores and protects your expensive gear but at the same time doing this in a fashionable way that expresses your personality. Think Tank’s bag is designed, they say, for a “young urban professional or corporate photographer” neither of which I am so don’t let marketing speak get in the way of a terrific-looking and functioning bag.
The Signature is available in two models, the 10 for mirrorless and smaller systems and the 13 for DSLR shooters. Both are hand sewn and use fabrics blending weather protection and durability that really does have the tactile feel of wool. The exterior’s treated with water resistant coating while underside is coated with polyurethane for water resistance. It has leather details along with metal hardware that look great as well as adding functionality. The Signature 10 measures 13 x 9.1 x 5.9-inches, weighs 2.8 lbs without any gear inside and is available in olive or the slate grey that I’m testing.
Think Tank’s Signature 10 bag sells for $249.75 and holds mirrorless camera system with 3–4 lenses and accessories along with a 10-inch tablet and has a dedicated pocket for an iPhone 6s+ or S7. The Bentley-like Quilted dividers let customized the bag’s interior to fit your gear and are some of the nicest—maybe the nicest—removable dividers I’ve seen in a camera bag. Shorter dividers can be made into shelves to stack short lenses and primes and the dividers and bottom protective foam can be removed to collapse the bag.
The leather shoulder strap has a cushioned neoprene pad and lets the bag be worn cross-body messenger bag style, although not my preference. A large exterior pocket has room for an extra speedlight or small notebook. The zippered front pocket holds small items and includes a built-in organizer for pens and business cards. The bag’s outer fabric is treated with water resistant coating but like many (all?) Think Tank bags there’s also a seam-sealed rain cover for monsoon conditions.
The Signature 10 may be the most attractive bag Think Tank has every made and is built to the same high quality standards as every Think Tank bag I’ve seen.
Coming Tomorrow: We—and by that I mean Mark—have produced videos for the blog that have been informative and entertaining. On Friday, Barry Staver and I launch the first of (we hope) a series of video podcasts where we answer reader’s questions. The first topic is lenses. Let’s hope we meet the high standard that Mark has set.
