Vanguard Supreme 53F

We have looked at different types and styles of camera bags but the Vanguard 53F isn’t your normal camera bag. The Supreme 53F is a hard-sided case more at home in the cargo compartment of an airplane than it is being used as a daily equipment hauler. While other companies selling hard cases have been around for many years, Vanguard has a lot to live up to. Let’s take a look at at the Supreme 53F and see if Vanguard has succeeded in building a better mouse trap.

53F with Handle Extended

Overview

Vanguard’s Supreme line of cases are watertight and airtight up to a depth of 15 feet, dustproof, virtually indestructible, resistant to corrosion, and can withstand extreme climate variations.  All of the Supreme cases are design to withstand temperature variations from -40° to 203°. The Supreme cases have quick release latches that are easy to use, and the comfort grip handle is ideal for carrying heavy equipment. With pad lock receptacles on each case, they are ideal for airline travel.

Features

The Supreme 53F is as rugged of a case as you are going to find anywhere. The case itself in extremely strong and durable with very well designed latches that lock easily and securely. The retractable handle locks into place in both the extended and retracted positions. The main handles have nice padding to make it more comfortable to carry. Internally, an O-ring helps keep the case water and dust resistant while the octagonal pluck-foam allows for almost any shape of object.

Secure Latches

• Water, air and dust tight
• Resistant to 264.5 pounds weight pressure
• Automatic pressure equalization valve
• Padded handles
• Metal lined padlock holes
• Waterproof name tag
• Locking travel handle
• Two layers of thick pluck-foam

Specifications

• Inside dimensions: 22” x 17 3/4” x 7 7/8”
• Outside dimensions: 24 3/4” x 20 1/2” x 9 1/2”
• Weight: 22.93lbs

Usage

Rubberized Handles and Pressure Relief Valve

The 53F is nice and big, too big for carry-on luggage on an airplane but not too big to be considered oversize for regular check-in luggage. The wheels roll smooth on flat surfaces but are too small to work well off-road or and in grass.  With two layers of foam included, you could have two levels of regular camera gear or remove one for larger items like studio strobes. The travel handle locks securely when retracted so you don’t have to worry about it coming out when it is being shipped.

Results

Having used other hard cases that are similar, the others just don’t stack up to the Supreme 53F. The latches are the best I have seen on cases of this type and the padded handles make it more comfortable to pick up when loaded. Knowing that when the case is closed my gear is safe from water and dust because of the integrated O-Ring gives you piece of mind. The only thing I would change if I could is the thickness of the pluck-foam. The 53F comes with 2 very thick sheets of foam but I would prefer 3 or 4 thinner sheets for more versatility but that is just being picky. It’s not everyday that you need a super rugged hard case, but when you do, the Vanguard Supreme series of cases is as good as it gets and with a street price of around $230, you get quite a case for the money.

Big Roomy Case

Product Review Scorecard

Author: Kerry Garrison

Unlike traditional tripods, Alta Pro’s Multi-Angle Central Column (MACC) System allows users to move the central column as needed from zero to 130-degree angles in variable vertical and horizontal positions. This allows more angle possibilities than any tripod on the market but its solid design maintains its stability.

Its Instant Swivel Stop-n-Lock (ISSL) System feature allows photographers to securely reposition the central column in one simple movement, in just a few seconds, with maintaining the tripod’s stability. Designed to support an array of camera types including DSLR and video cameras, camera setup is quick and easy.Alta Pro’s design also enables macro photography and special wide-angle shots with additional attachments that can be mounted to either end of the central column. Alta Pro is one of many new-for-2009 products introduced by VANGUARD at PMA 09, including :

• SBH ball heads – A lightweight line of stable magnesium alloy-constructed ball heads with tilting and ultra smooth movement, designed to support heavy equipment
• Kenline i-Pro bags – With three patents and lots of why-didn’t-I-think-of-that features, this line of soft-sided photo-video bags was designed for professional and amateur photographers by photographers
• Pampas bags – Line of durable and convenient sling-style, soft-sided camera and accessories bags for on-the-go photography
• Endeavor, Spirit, and Sereno binoculars – Industry-leading protective coatings, enhanced durability and special features are uniquely designed for an array of professionals

Alta Pro Multi Angle

Kenline Bags

Source: Vanguard USA

Watsonville, CA (PRWEB) January 26, 2009 — ExpoImaging Inc. (www.ExpoImaging.net), developer and marketer of innovative camera accessories, including the Ray Flash Ring Light Adapter, ExpoDisc Digital White Balance Filter and the ExpoAperture2 Depth-of-Field Guide, today announced that it is now the exclusive U.S. distributor of Honl Photo Professional Products.

Developed by veteran photojournalist David Honl, The Honl Photo Speed System is a collection of lightweight, durable and affordable light modifiers for shoe-mount flashes including an assortment of grids, snoots, reflectors, gobos and gels. With retail prices ranging from $9.95 to $29.95, these practical tools were designed to universally fit all shoe-mount flashes without the use of annoying adhesives. As photographers increasingly take advantage of the power and flexibility of modern portable shoe-mount flashes, the Honl Photo Speed System allows them to affordably bring studio-style lighting effects into the field.

“With more than two decades of professional experience, David Honl’s work has been published worldwide,” said Erik Sowder, president of ExpoImaging. “David developed and field tested the Speed System while traveling on assignment under very challenging conditions. We firmly believe that there are no similar products available that are more practical or easy-to-use. And we are pleased that David recognized our sales and marketing success and chose ExpoImaging to be his exclusive U.S. distributor. We look forward to representing these innovative and unique lighting products.”

The Honl Photo Speed System consists of:
· The Honl Speed Strap: a simple, non-slip velcro strap that wraps around the flash head and attaches and removes in seconds. The Speed Strap avoids rubber bands, tape and sticky residue, and universally fits any shoe-mount flash. The Speed Strap provides a large wraparound surface area to quickly attach Speed Grids, Speed Gobos/Bounce Cards, Speed Snoots or Honl Gels. The Honl Speed Strap retails for $9.95.

· Honl Photo Speed Grids (patent pending): weighting just 3 oz and available in 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch grid, the honeycomb-like cells narrow the beam of light from a portable flash unit, producing a small circle of light on a subject. Perfect for dramatic lighting effects, Speed Grids fit any shoe-mount and most handle-mount portable strobes and attach quickly and easily to a Speed Strap. Honl Photo Speed Grids retail for $29.95.

· The Honl Photo Speed Gobo/Bounce Card: a versatile gobo made of black ballistic nylon on one side and white polymer on the other. The black side can be used to keep light from flaring into a lens when using a flash as a background or hair light. The white side can be used as a bounce card. Utilizing two gobos, photographers can create a barn door setup. The Honl Speed Gobo/Bounce Card attaches quickly with a Speed Strap. The Honl Photo Speed Gobo/Bounce Card retails for $14.95.

· The Honl Photo Speed Snoot/Reflector (patent pending): available as a 5-inch “Shorty” or 8-inch “Regular”, this snoot is constructed of black, ballistic nylon with a gray interior that produces a soft falloff. The snoot can be shaped to concentrate the light from a shoe-mount flash for dramatic cinematic lighting or opened-up to use as a flash bouncer/reflector. Ideal in a variety of settings, from basic portraits to dramatic background lighting, the Speed Snoot/Reflector attaches and removes in seconds using a Speed Strap. The Honl Photo Speed Snoot/Reflector retails for $29.95.

· The Honl Photo Gel Kit: colors strobes to correct for tungsten, fluorescent or daylight lighting environments or adds artistic color effects to images. These superior quality gels are pre-cut and have attached strips of velcro to secure quickly to a Speed Strap, and can be used in conjunction with Honl Snoots, Gobos and Grids. The usable gel area is 2.5 inches by 4 inches (approx. 64mm by 102mm) and can be trimmed to fit individual strobes. The Honl Photo Gel Kit retails for $29.95.

“We feel fortunate for the opportunity to partner with ExpoImaging,” said David Honl. “We chose to work with ExpoImaging because they’re good at marketing and they have a great reputation in the industry. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial business relationship.”

The addition of the Honl Photo line further solidifies ExpoImaging’s position as a leading supplier of unique and exciting products that meet the needs of photographers at all levels.

Honl Photo Professional Speed System Products are now available at photo dealers nationwide and online by visiting www.ExpoImaging.net.

About ExpoImaging, Inc.

ExpoImaging Inc. markets and develops innovative camera accessories and is the pioneer in digital white balance filters. Ray Flash: The Ring Light Adapter, Honl Photo Speed System, ExpoDisc Digital White Balance Filters, and the ExpoAperture2 Depth-of-Field Guide are available at select photography dealers worldwide, or online at www.ExpoImaging.net.

###
David Griffin
Matter Communications — Providence
401-351-9504 (direct)
508-648-1176 (mobile)
dgriffinmatter (AIM)
david@matternow.com
www.matternow.com

I have had the hardest time dealing with camera bags over the years, from my first backback that got so heavy I couldn’t lug it around anymore to my uber cool Airport International 2.0 which is great for big jobs but what about when I want to go a little lighter? My old backback is too large, and my Airport International is too big, and my Modulous Speed Belt can’t hold enough nor is appropriate when traveling. So what does that leave? Fortunately, Think Tank Photo’s Mike Sturm has come to the rescue. Mike is the designer responsible for the newest and coolest backpack design from Think Tank Photo, the revolutionary ShapeShifter.

Why is the ShapeShifter so cool?
The problem with most camera bags is that they are designed for particular purpose, either trying to be lightweight and carry minimal equipment or being big enough to carry a large amount of gear. The ShapeShifter is designed for both, in expanded mode it can carry a couple of full size DSLR bodies, a few large pieces of glass, a good amount of accessories, AND a 17″ laptop.

Ok great, you can haul a bunch of stuff with you and your laptop easily, so what, the bigger rollers from Think Tank Photo allow you to do that easily enough. What is different with the ShapeShifter is that oncd your camera gear comes out (possibly moved to your Speed Belt) you can pull a zipper around and compress the backpack down to about three inches thick with your laptop still in it.

Features include:

• It can be compressed to 3 inches in width once your equipment is removed.
• Dedicated neoprene pockets for 2 pro size DSLR’s, 70-200 2.8, 24-70 2.8, wide angle 2.8, and strobes.
• Holds up to a 17” laptop in rear compartment.
• Front pocket organizers for your digital essentials.
• It can carry tripods and monopods.
• The Pro Speed Belt can be attached and quickly released.
• After your gear is removed, you can continue to carry your laptop and accessories, but in a much smaller package.

Who is the ShapeShifter for?
Since neoprene equipment bags inside the ShapeShifter don’t provide a lot of padding, the ShapeShifter is certainly not the best solution for travelers if there is any chance that your bag may have to get checked as luggage. For domestic flights the ShapeShifter is a great solution since domestic flights allow for a carry-on bag and a personal item such as a camera bag or laptop case. Since the ShapeShifter can hold you basic gear as well as your laptop you should always be able to carry it on and stuff it overhead or even under a seat.

Sports photographers who want an easy way to get their gear down onto the field but then want to compress the bag so there is a smaller profile to interfere with other photographers and easier maneuverability.

For photographers that use a modular belt system, you can remove most of your gear and still keep a few accessories and flashes in the backpack and still compress it to save space.

Any photographer that has to carry a laptop around safely as well as a decent selection of gear but doesn’t need a large backpack just to carry the laptop after the gear is taken out.

How well does it work?
I am super impressed with the versatility of the Shapeshifter already and have had it less than a week. I can carry a good selection of equipment comfortably and securely. The first day I got it I packed it up for a wedding with my Airport International Roller keeping the lesser used equipment and spares locked safely away, I could keep a small amount of gear with me at all times. The next day I took off to shoot a protest rally and loaded up with lenses and strapped my tripod onto the back. Out in the sun for a couple of hours all the extra shoulder and back padding made very comfortable to haul around a day pack of gear. A few days later I needed to make a day trip to San Fransisco to give a talk and I wanted a minimul set of gear along with my laptop. Even with a camera body, flash, several lenses, and my laptop I was able to compress the Shapeshifter down to the smaller size making it very easy to walk through the airports, take the BART into downtown, and walk to the convention center. Without the Shapeshifter I would have taken a large laptop case and probably not have taken any camera gear, or I would have taken a small camera bag that could hold a body and one lens. Thanks to the Shapeshifter I was able to take a 30D with battery grip, a 17-40 lens, a 24-70 lens, a 12-24 lens, and a 70-300 lens, and a 580 EX II. I could have taken some larger glass but then I wouldnt have been able to compress the bag down as much. Also in the Shapeshifter is the power supply for the laptop, a Zoom H2 audio recorder, and Jobo DSLR tripod.

The Shapeshifter isn’t going to be for everyone as there are some people who take too much gear everywhere they go and while the Shapeshifter can hold a decent amount of gear, it certainly can’t hold as much as the roller cases from Think Tank Photo. But if you need mobility and a roller is too inconvienent, the Shapeshifter is a great solution.

The bottom line
It didn’t take long for me to be a complete convert to the Shapeshifter for most of the assignments that I do although there are certain situations when I would rather have my larger roller with me. For the typical day assignment, for traveling, vacations, business trips, sports shooting, and many other situations, the Shapeshifter will be loaded up and hanging off my back.

The Think Tank Photo Shapeshifter backpack is scheduled for released in December of 2008 with a price of $249 US. If you have a photographer in the family that needs something like this, the Shapeshifter is an excellent Christmas gift.

Review Points

Setup
There is basically no setup of the Shapeshifter, open the zippers, load your equipment, adjust the straps, and off you go. If you want to use the monopod/tripod straps they are included inside the bag and will need to be attached to the outside before use. I keep the short sider attached at all times and when I am not using the long adjustable side I detach them and put them into a pocket in the bag to keep them out of the way.

Features
The Shapeshifter is like no other bag available today, loaded with more pockets than you would imagine and the ability to hold large equipment and compress down for smaller gear as well as having a padded laptop area that can take a 17″ laptop, the Shapeshifter is the ultimate in photographic mobility. Pockets galore! There are more pockets in this thing than you can count. The quality of the construction is simply incredible, I have full confidence this bag is going to last for many years.

Usage
Your biggest issue with the Shapeshifter is going to be deciding on what pocket of the dozens of available are you going to put your accessories in. Obviously this large number of pockets, holders, built-in bags, etc was built for someone with a better memory than me because there are so many places to put things you may well forget where something is. I am certainly a big fan of the Shapeshifter now and have taken it around to show all my friends.

Results
Sure, you can get a camera backpack on eBay for $30 and you may even be happy with it, but the ones I have bough have fallen apart, had the shoulder straps break, and are big and bulky. At $249 the Shapeshifter is not cheap, but neither is the contruction quality. Camera bags of this caliber are not designed for the budget-minded hobbiest, these are serious tools designed with professional photographers in mind. If you want to spend once on a backpack that will outlast several cheap ebay bags and you want to be sure you are not going to have zippers pop, seams break, and have it wear out prematurely then the Shapeshifter is the right choice.

Product Review Scorecard

Product Page: http://thinktankphoto.com/shapeshifter
Company Page: http://thinktankphoto.com

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Think Tank Photo Shapeshifter Camera Bag from Kerry Garrison on Vimeo.

We knew when we sat down to write this review that many of your would be sitting there thinking that the guys at the Dojo had totally lost it if all they can come up with for a product review is a simple camera strap. In all seriousness, we have appealed to every company we know to come up with a better camera strap. The two main issues we have are comfort for shooting all day long and the security that your camera won’t fall off your shoulder. If someone could solve these two basic issues then it would surely rate a full blown product review article, BlackRapid has done exactly that with the new R-Strap.

David using the R-Strap

Overview
Take 10 pounds or more of camera equipment and hang it on your shoulder for 8-10 hours and you are simply going to be sore, this is just something we have come to expect over the years. Some manufacturers have tried to overcome this with thick padded sections so while this may help a little the fact that the weight is still pulling down on one shoulder cannot be overcome. The second main issue is security. Most straps have some kind of rubberized surface to help keep them from slipping off your shoulder. We have never found a strap that combines both comfort and gives you confidence that it’s not going to fall off. I often carry two cameras at a wedding and am in constant fear that one of them is going to take a header onto the pavement, so when I know I am not going to use one for a while I bring the strap up over my head to make sure it won’t fall off, but this makes it very difficult to shoot. BlackRapid took this simple idea and created the R-Strap.

Kerry wearing the R-Strap

How it works
Think of the R-Strap as an oversize camera strap, but instead of the strap attaching to the standard strap mounts on your camera, it is a continuous loop. The camera is attaches to the strap via a sliding ring so the camera can move around without the strap moving. The sliding ring attached to the D-Ring on the bottom your tripod mount or via at attachment piece that comes with the R-Strap.

Because the strap goes around one shoulder and the camera rests at your hip on the opposite side, the weight of the camera feels more like its down the middle of your body instead of one shoulder. This is significantly more comfortable and it completely eliminates the possibility of your camera slipping off your shoulder.

When I first saw the R-Strap and tried it on, my first reaction was something like DUH!!!! How is it that the greatest minds on the industry that have taken us into the digital age and into sensors that can push 60 megapixels haven’t improved on the single most important interface you have to the camera since the introduction of the SLR?

I’m really being serious here. The lowly camera strap hasn’t been improved virtually at all and it took BlackRapid to finally take the basic camera strap and make it comfortable and safer around your neck. I really hope this makes the big camera makers feel stupid for not addressing this most basic needs of ALL camera owners.

In Shooting Position

Setup
Since the R-Strap connects to the D-Ring on the bottom of your tripod mount plate, many of us who keep the plate on our cameras have only to connect the strap to the D-Ring, adjust the length and stopper and you are set to go. This is FAR easier than trying to connect any traditional strap to a camera.

Once you have it on, you will want to adjust the length, this is going to be personal opinion but you will find there is a certain “sweet spot” that gives you the best position when the camera is down and allows you to bring it up fast and get the camera into position easily. There is piece that you will want to adjust down to the camera when it is resting at your side, this will help you to quickly position the camera and keep it from sliding back.

Adjustment Point

Usage
You first want to get the R-Strap adjusted properly. For most people you want to be able to pull the camera up and be able to hold it 6-7 inches away from your face, this will give you plenty of freedom to move around.

I will certainly admit I was a little uneasy at first dangling a couple grand worth of hardware on a $49 strap that connects to the D-Ring on the tripod mount, but within a short period of time I became very comfortable with it and the ease of using the camera with the R-Strap paid for itself over and over again. After while it becomes very natural to place the camera at your side and then reach for it and sling it into shooting position.

R-Strap hanging at David's Side

Results
Ok, so you have a strap that won’t fall off your shoulder, feels very comfortable to use, and doesn’t cost a fortune, But wait! There’s more! Not only does the R-Strap keep your gear secure, there is a side benefit of not being nearly as sore after a long shoot. Both David and I have both been using the R-Strap for about a month now and have shot a handful of weddings and events, because the weight is distributed differently, the neck pain normally associated with long shoots is greatly reduced. While the security and comfort make the R-Strap worthwhile, the comfort level makes it priceless. Every camera should come standard with and R-Strap!!

With the R-Strap I can easily put my camera down at my side and walk up to people to pose them without poking them with a big lens.” – David (Esquire Photography)

Summary
I’m sold! I am not taking the R-Strap off my camera! I vow to never use a regular camera strap again. David (Esquire Photography) is also a convert and uses a R-Strap on every shoot.

Final results:

Website: http://www.blackrapid.com
Author: Kerry Garrison

I have been a fan of Wolverine products for almost four years now and my trusty Wolverine FlashPac was in need of an upgrade. Not that the FlashPac didn’t do it’s job, its just that it was pretty slow and didn’t have a display that could be used to view the images. Without hesitation I turned back to Wolverine to see what they had available and I found the new ESP Digital Photo Album and Multimedia Player. While the full name may be a bit long, it does convey a lot more of the ESP’s features as well as being a card reader, external hard drive, and FM radio.

Overview
The ESP is an incredible multimedia device that can handle most all of your portable multimedia needs from listening to MP3′s, watching videos, playing a photo slideshow, or listening to FM radio. While many people will love all of those features, from a photographers point of view the most important things to me are the ability to do backups of my compact flash cards in the field, review the pictures on the device, and to have a portable device to show potential clients a slideshow of my work. The ESP does all of these tasks quite well and at a price that won’t make you wonder why you didn’t just buy a nice laptop instead.

Top view of the ESP

Features
As already mentioned the ESP has a multi-function card reader that can either make backups to the internal hard drive of the ESP or when connected to your computer’s USB port your cards will appear of drives that you can access directly.

• Store and View Thousands of Photos

• • Download images directly from any digital camera without a computer
  • Use it to backup and carry all your digital images
  • Display JPEG, Bitmap, Tiff, Text and RAW images (most popular SLR Cameras)
  • Print directly to printers

• Store and Play Thousands of Songs

• • Supports five music Formats: MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, AAC (MP4-audio) & CDA
  • Easy, drag and drop music files from your computer and play them instantly

• Store and Play Hundreds of Hours of Video

• • Supports: MPEG-1, MPEG-4, WMV9 and Xvid

• Built-in FM Radio

• • Listen and RECORD your favorite talk shows or music from any FM Radio Station
  • Scan and preset up to 18 different Radio Stations

• Plugs to TV and Stereo System

• • With the included Video/Audio cable connect the ESP directly to any TV or Projector
  • View a slide show of your favorite photos or watch recorded videos on the big screen
  • Connect to a stereo system to enjoy and share your music collection

Setup
The setup of the ESP is quite simple, it comes with both an AC adapter and a USB cable, be sure and plug it in until fully charged before using it the first time, after that the simple to navigate menu system walks you through everything you need to know.

“The ESP was a lifesaver for us at a fashion shoot when the assistant left the CF cards back in the car. With the ESP we would fill up a card, tell everyone to take a five minute break, dump the cards to the ESP and get right back to shooting.” – David , Esquire Photography

ESP Controls

Usage
The ESP’s operating system is very simple to use and works the way I would expect it to, when I insert a card it pops up and asks me what I want to do with it, I select backup and it just starts working. The main controls consist of the “joystick”, a menu button, and the ESC button.

Using just these three simple controls you can manage everything on the system. The “-” and “+” buttons control volume. The only other control is the power button on the right side as well as a lock control to keep the power from coming on accidentally.

At the bottom you can see a small mic port for doing audio notes and near the top are the LED indicator lights.

The has an optional docking station that can also be used for capturing video and audio from remote devices. Since I don’t have a use for that right now I didn’t get one yet to see how that works.

ESP Menu System

The menu system is an icon driven system with easy-to-read captions to help you navigate. Pushing left/right or up/down on the directional pad will move you from application to application and then pushing in will select the item. The Menu key will give you a list of available options from wherever you are while the ESC key will back you out one step at a time.

The main thing to keep in mind is that images that are backed up from a memory card are found in the Backup application instead of the Pictures application. You have to specifically copy images into the Pictures folder for them to be viewed there. This is a great way of having a photo slideshow of images without getting confused as to what images are from your current photo shoot.

What I actually like to do is to backup my images to the ESP and then if I have time, review them for focus issues or just for being a bad image, I can delete them right from the ESP and save time later when importing the images into my computer.

ESP playing video

For client meetings, I also created a couple of really nice slideshows using Proshow Gold and output them formatted properly for the ESP. Let me tell you, the image shown here does not do the ESP justice, the screen may only be 320×240 but the slideshows and pictures look fantastic on it. So far, everyone that has seen the slideshow videos on the ESP have been very impressed.

The ESP has a bunch of other features that I could spend a few more pages writing about but they really don’t have much appeal to me, these include the mp3 player, the FM radio, the audio recorder, and the Tetris-like game that is included. While those are nice add-ons, they really aren’t the main reason a photographer is going to want the ESP.

Tested Transfer Speeds (1gb of data)

Reader to Computer    3:31 minutes
Reader to ESP    3:43 minutes
ESP to Computer    1:44 minutes

Why the ESP?
Why would I choose the Wolverine ESP over the Epson P-5000? The simple answer is a cost/benefit analysis blows the Epson out of the running. For almost twice the price of the Wolverine ESP, the Epson P-5000 offers basically a nicer screen. When the folks at Wolverine decided to make a new device, they interviewed tons of photographers and asked them what they would like to see that would compete against the Epson units and the top answer was that they wanted a much more affordable device even if it meant having a lower resolution LCD display.  If I am going to spend $800 for a portable media device, its going to be a new laptop, not a small box I throw into my camera bag and use mostly as an external drive and card reader. Coming in at $329, the ESP is much more affordable and does it’s job exceptionally well. It’s a nice upgrade from my old FlashPac in terms of functions and download speeds which is a nice bonus as well.

What’s in the box
In the box you will find the ESP unit itself along with the nice quality carrying case along with the user documentation and CD, AC charger, USB cable, Audio/Video cable (to connect to TV), and Earphone.

Summary
The Wolverine ESP competes nicely against other units offering similar features and at a price that doesn’t give you sticker shock. The base features do exactly what they are supposed to do while there are enough extras to add even more value to the package. I don’t leave for a shoot without my ESP in my bag and often will be making my backups of my cards on the drive home. With my old Flashpac I would have to be quite far away to actually finish a large backup on the drive home but now it takes a fraction of the time.

Final results:

Website: Wolverine Data
Author: Kerry Garrison

Overview
When you are on the run constantly, your camera bag is the home for all your equipment and having confidence that your equipment is safe and secure shouldn’t have to be something else for you to have to think about. A good camera bag should protect your equipment from the inevitable bumps and impacts but it also has to travel well and be able to help keep you organized so you aren’t scrambling around trying to find something. The very first line of Think Tank’s mission statement really gives you a clue what to expect:

“We are a group of designers and photographers focused on studying how photographers work, and developing innovative new carrying solutions to meet their needs.”

If you have ever used a cheap no-name brand bag and then got yourself a Think Tank bag, you would simply be amazed at the difference.

Features
As I mentioned in the intro, the Airport International 2.0 roller is an ideal choice for someone that carries a good amount of equipment and has to travel. The Airport International 2.0 was designed to fit all international carry-on requirements to help ensure that you should never have to check your bag as luggage. While that doesn’t guarantee that a plane won’t be overloaded and they may force you to check your bags, at least it won’t be because the bag doesn’t meet their requirements. Hidden in the back is a hefty cable and padlock that can be used to secure the back to an immoveable object. In the front is a smaller cable that can be used to secure your tripod or other bags, and on the side is a unique lock that will secure the front zippers to make sure nobody can get access to your equipment.

Inside is plenty of soft padding and more dividers of different size than you could ever possibly use. It’s so nice to be able to completely customize a bag for how you want it to be instead of how some designed thought you should put things. On the smaller zippers are small string handles which have been improved over previous models with a molded handle instead of a knot that can come undone.

• INTERNATIONAL carry-on size
• TSA Security combination lock
• Front cable & lock secures laptops
• Back cable & lock secures to fixed object
• Security Plate with unique serial number
• Holds up to a 500mm lens
• Optional 15″ or 17″ laptop case
• Optional “low divider” set
• Interior organizer
• Replaceable wheels
• Front stretch pocket
• Front organizational pocket
• Business card holder
• Bottom handle
• Outside Diameter: 14″ wide x 8″ deep x 21″ tall

Usage
I swear, if I had to call Think Tank and order the bag with just the right amount of dividers and only with the exact tripod straps that I would use so that they could save money on shipping out all the extras it would still be worth it but having all those things means that everyone who buys a bag from Think Tank Photo can personalize it to their specific needs. For me, I keep one lens on one body all the time so I can get to it quickly and easily. I keep my other lenses handy and a second body tucked away in case I need it. Other people do not travel with lenses on their bodies or need to be able to have three or even four bodies. The diversity of the interior dividers that come with the Airport International 2.0 is simply staggering. On the outside, there are a handful of straps and even a small bag to allow you to accommodate anything from a monopod to a very large tripod.

Hauling the gear around with the Airport International 2.0 is simply a breeze thanks to the rollers (which are replaceable) that roll smoooooth and straight. In a crowed area, being able to secure your equipment and focus on your shoot is a piece of mind that only enough money to hire an assistant to sit on your bag and protect it can buy.

Results
I have mentioned this before with reviews of the other Think Tank Photo products I use but it needs to be mentioned again, you will simply not believe the quality of the construction of these products. You look at RC-Fuse zipper which actually melts (fuses) the thread with the plastic coil to create an exceptionally durable zipper, or the thought that goes into adding just the right amount of structural support to keep the entire system stable without adding extra weight, or even just the overall construction and you know you do not have an El Cheapo bag you sniped off eBay for $20.

Let’s be honest though, this is NOT a $20 bag my any means, the cheapest price we could find was $328.95 at Samys Camera which is a whopping 5 CENTS off list price. The question you have to ask yourself is “do you need a $330 camera bag?”. The answer depends on you. If you are a professional photographer and are going to be using a camera bag on pretty much a daily basis, then yes, you absolutely need a bag like this. If you pull out your DSLR every other month to shoot the cat with its head stuck in your wife’s purse strap again, maybe not. If you are like me and shoot on a regular basis, often needing to leave your equipment out of site for a few minutes (weddings and receptions) then the safety and security of the Airport International 2.0 pays for itself in piece of mind the very first time you use it.

Website: http://thinktankphoto.com
Author: Kerry Garrison

Equipment Used