The main camera bag that I’ve been using for everyday use is a LowePro Inverse 200 AW beltpack. It has served me just fine in the everyday use capacity, but as an actual beltpack, I’ve found its performance to be less-than-desirable. I don’t think the person who designed it actually ever tried it on. The ergonomics of the thing are ridiculously silly.
So…. a few weeks ago, I went shopping at my local Mike’s Camera for a new camera beltpack.
Why a beltpack? I’ve mentioned that when I hike, I generally carry both of my cameras around my neck. This probably isn’t a good idea since they tend to bang against each other and there’s a high risk for damage (see previous post about a lost filter bezel ring). It’s probably a better idea to carry ONE camera around my neck and have the other camera stashed away nearby and easily accessible. I previously bought a Tamrac Aero Speed Pack 85 Dual Access Photo/Laptop Backpack for just that purpose but found that for HIKING purposes, I needed more of a real HIKING pack to carry my HIKING stuff (plus the tripod that I don’t use) and that carrying a camera in a backpack made it such that I just didn’t use that particular camera.
When I went to Mike’s Camera, I was initially on the hunt for the Think Tank Speed Demon beltpack, as I had read a stellar review of it and the pictures were nice. I had briefly pondered buying one from an online retailer, but given my experience with the LowePro bag, I thought it best to actually try out bags before buying a new one.
Mike’s didn’t have the model I was looking for but did have the next bigger size, the Think Tank Speed Freak. Lucky for me I just happened to have my Nikon D300 along with the 70-300mm lens attached (having just come from the zoo). I found that the Speed Freak had just the right depth for that setup. I fiddled with that bag for quite some time, but then found the Pixel Pocket Rocket™ tucked inside one of the many, many pockets and was immediately smitten. (I’m a sucker for little details like that). It also has its own cute little raincoat. SOLD!
Think Tank Speed Freak (really expensive Canon lens not included)
(Another customer at Mike’s Camera was looking at the LowePro Inverse 200 AW bag and I advised him not to buy it. I don’t think the salesman was amused).
I’ve been using the Think Tank Speed Freak as my everyday, carry-my-camera-everywhere-I-go bag ever since I bought it, but on Friday I finally got to test it out as a beltpack-while-I’m-hiking bag. I actually started out with it slung around my neck but a couple of miles into the hike, I decided to test it out around my waist since that’s ultimately what I bought it for. The verdict? Man, that thing is heavy! I had my D300 in there with the 70-300mm lens attached and the 105mm macro tucked in the side and the weight and bulkiness actually made walking a little difficult, especially going downhill because I couldn’t see my feet. I finally had to sling it back around my neck. (And the worst part was… I didn’t even use ANYTHING that was in that bag the whole time I was hiking)!
So… I’m not sold on it as a belt pack. I’ll definitely give it another go another time – maybe tighten up the waist belt so it rides a little higher and maybe not try to carry so much in it next time – because I really love the IDEA of it. It’s an extremely well-built bag and I adore the look of it. It has the nicest padded shoulder strap I’ve ever seen on any bag of any kind and it has pocket after pocket after pocket to tuck things into. The waist belt is a bit difficult to adjust, but on the plus side, it’s not likely to loosen up when I don’t want it to either.
Out of five stars, I’d give the Think Tank Speed Freak Beltpack a 3¾ but that’s not my final answer.
(An update to this review can be found HERE).
