My old bag was still working just fine for me. As a matter of fact, I ended up using it more on my recent vacation than I used my new bag, mainly because it forced me to carry less gear which made it lighter to carry around all day. But, once I got a big laptop and needed a way to travel with it and my camera without taking 2 different bags, I knew it was time for a new bag.
Because of the size of the laptop (17" widescreen), I was limited in my selection of camera bags. Most hold a 15" screen, but not many go larger. In addition to the screen, I got the high-capacity battery which makes the laptop thicker than usual. I quickly realized that I needed to start bringing my laptop with me when testing out camera bags.
Since I was going to be using the bag for my camera gear as well, it needed to meet my requirements for that area as well. I needed something that would keep everything organized, allow me to carry just one gear bag to a shoot (meaning I could keep my cables, Pocket Wizards, light meter and lens hoods in it) and had room for growth if needed. It also needed to be sturdy, attractive, comfortable and not cost a small fortune.
Quite a list of requirements, eh? So off I went, laptop in hand, to start testing bags. Some would fit the laptop, but wouldn't hold much gear. Some would hold all my gear but not hold the laptop. Some would hold the gear and laptop but were huge, heavy and expensive. Just when I thought I wouldn't be able to find a bag locally and have to take my chances with an online purchase I found it. I found the Goldilocks bag... it was just right!
Say hello to the Think Tank Streetwalker HardDrive. It pretty much does it all. The laptop fits (just barely... it's that big battery), my gear fits, and it wasn't very expensive. So far I've taken it with me on two out of state trips that included flying and it's been great! So, how about some details?
The inside of the bag can be divided up however you see fit. It's got loads of dividers that all just reposition with velcro. It can hold a pro-level DSLR with a battery grip and 70-200 f/2.8 lens, plus many other lenses and accessories. I don't have that setup, so here's what I've got in it at any given time: My D90 with a 50mm f/1.4 attached, 4-5 Nikon lenses ranging from a 12-24mm f/4 to a 135mm f/2, a SB-600 flash, 2 Pocket Wizards, a light meter, a handful of cords and cables, lens hoods, the power supply for the laptop, the included rain cover and a tub of gum. That's just in the bag part! Inside the lid are a few zippered compartments where I keep spare batteries, memory cards and gels and filters.
The laptop zips into a compartment on the rear of the bag, so it sits under the camera gear and against your back when wearing the bag. On shoots where I don't need the laptop I've been able to zip a collapsible reflector into the laptop compartment. On the front of the bag there are a few zippered pockets where I store pens, business cards, loose change and anything else I need to access in a hurry.
The shoulder straps on the bag are excellent. They're very padded but not too bulky. They have a great shape that really distributes the weight of the bag without digging into my shoulders. The bag also has straps that you can use to distribute the weight of the bag across your chest and waist, although I don't have the waist straps attached (they're removable!). Also included with the bag were straps that can be used to attach a tripod or light stand to the bag, but they're removable as well which really helps keep the external clutter to a minimum.
So how does the bag perform? While the bag is pretty light, when it's fully loaded with all my gear and the laptop it is HEAVY! I'd guess 30 lbs. heavy. That's the downside of bringing all your gear with you. On the plus side, the bag is so well designed it's not uncomfortable to carry when it's fully loaded. On our vacation I chose not to carry it around town and on our hikes, but chose to revert back to my old bag just to save my back. This meant I had a lot less gear with me, but it also meant I didn't dread going out for the day. Accessing my gear is so easy now. The bag design and zippers are just awesome. Really... even the zippers rock!
To say I'm happy with this purchase would be an understatement. I'd always heard good things about Think Tank gear and I can safely say that everything I'd heard is true. It's an amazing bag that will probably see me through a few new camera bodies. I'd recommend it without hesitation to anyone from the serious amature with a few lenses to the seasoned pro with tons of gear. Oh, and anyone with a ginormous laptop who needs a new camera bag.
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