As we head into a new year I thought I would post a few of my personal favourites from 2011. In no particular order.
A huge thanks to all clients, friends and collaborators. Here’s to an even better 2012!
Thought I do a quick review on my new Think Tank setup. I own and still use my fantastic and much loved I hasten to add Kata reporters bag. However, I find myself getting more assignments that require me to be mobile and still need to carry a fair amount of equipment and get fast access to it.
After some initial research, two brands offerings quickly presented themselves as possible solutions. Lowepro’s new S&F range and Think Tanks component systems. Both systems offering pretty much the same belts and harnesses and pouches as the other. However availability and cost were obvious factors in any decision. My choice was made for me as Lowepro in their infinite wisdom have decided not to make their range available online that and nearly everything is pretty much twice the price as the equivalent Think Tank item. Also nowhere seemed to have any stock.
So Think Tank it was to be. Now all I needed to do was to decide what components! (all these decisions were starting to get to me) I normally take a couple of bodies with a lens on each body plus another or one body and a couple of lens. I nearly always like to have a strobe close to hand as well as numerous widgets that I use in the course of working e.g. notebook, lens cloth, spare batteries and cards somewhere to put some money and my phone as well as somewhere safe for my car keys!
So I made a list of Think Tank components that comprised of the following:
And to hang it all off:
BUT WAIT! ALL THIS STUFF WILL BE NOT ONLY EXPENSIVE BUT HEAVY!
OK so a slight rethink. On reflection I must be able to carry one lens, one strobe and some junk. My 100 – 400mm is pretty much the same size as my 70-200mm and everything else is smaller so why not use just the Changer 75 pop down which will hold any glass I own? Pair that with the Skin Strobe and everything else goes in the All The Other Stuff that’s the bags sorted.
Now at this point I wasn’t sure about the harness so I decided to put that on the back burner for the time being.
OK so that was decided. So how did it perform? Which let face it is the most important thing.
The first weekend of proper use for the new setup was on the Saturday to cover The Trailblazer 10km run at Bedgebury Pinetum organised by Rat Race Adventure Sports. The on the Sunday a world record endurance attempt by the Red Wheelies at Fowlmead Country park in the morning then high tail it over to Lydden Hill race Circuit to cover a SEMSEC race meet.
So on Saturday I must have covered what felt like in excess of 10km fully loaded up with 2 cameras the setup held up well and from this the thing learnt is that I don’t need to lug 2 bodies around with this setup as it’s all right there at hand. Oh and make sure your t-shirt is tucked in as even with the very padded Steroid Speed Belt a middle aged photographers saddle bags can rub and chaff like mad!
Sunday saw me shooting in two places so I decided to only go with one body this worked much better. One of the things I like about the Think Tank system is that you can opt to have elements ‘slide’ on the belt. Basically without seeing one it difficult to explain but it’s like having the bags on a rail that you can bring simply slide forward to use then push away once done.
So off to Fowlmead I went where the Red Wheelies were finishing off their 24 hour mobility scooter endurance challenge. Again having a pouch to stash the strobe when not in use rather than a pocket is just bliss as you know is its safe. Also I found here that actually running with the setup is easily doable and fairly comfortable.
I must just pass on my congratulations to the new World Record that the ladies set for the farthest distance covered in 24 hours a staggering 154 miles! verified by the Guiness Book of Records!
Then a quick dash to my second home, Lydden Race Circuit. I must admit I was most interested in how the setup would be while covering motorsport. Again pass with flying colours I walked a full lap round the outside of the circuit as well as clambering and dodging gravel splashes on the island and it all felt part of my body exactly what I wanted from it.
So conclusions are that for me there’s no looking back from a belt based modular system. Only getting the 75 Pop Down has seemed a good idea as I have used it as a drop in pouch and it fits all my lens including the larger ones with hoods one! I may well add to the setup and I think the harness might be on the way pretty soon. The 100-400mm is pretty heavy if it’s in the pouch and spreading the load over your shoulders should minimise that. That and having something to attach a media vest to without having to wrestle myself into knots would be a bonus!
The only thing I found uncomfortable was when I had to use 2 bodies on straps no matter what strap I used, I used both my Optec straps and Sunsnipers ones and a mixture. However one solution that does interest me is the option for a SpiderPro (http://www.spiderholster.com) attachment but at time of writing its over £100 in the UK! So that’s a luxury buy (come on guys does it really cost that much?) If I can wrangle a test run I may be persuaded otherwise.
I’d like to hear peoples thoughts on this so if you have a Lowepro setup and think its better or you have a different Think Tank combination I’d be interested to hear what you think.