
Review Summary
2024-11-21T19:00:00
This bag is as described and pictured on vendor's website. Sturdy, smart, comfortable and of flexible configuration.
Gary J.
2024-10-26T20:00:00
I love the durability and size of this backpack! It fits my Sony a7RV with my 200-600 lens attached. I like that it has the option of not setting the backpack on the ground. Haven't used that future yet but will down the road when I'm out hiking.
Sara D.
2024-07-10T20:00:00
Sturdy and lots of compartments
Teresa
2024-07-04T20:00:00
I am able to place both my cameras and accessories in my backpack. Backpack is well built and strong.
Larry W.
2024-06-06T20:00:00
Excellent quality and lots of room and pockets. The best backpack ever for my camera equipment.
Teresa M.
2024-05-19T20:00:00
This bag gives me the ability to carry 2 mirrorless bodies with grips attached, a large hot shoe flash, 2 extra lenses, in addition to some small extra items like batteries, the rain cover, and my double camera strap, all in the main compartment. The laptop compartment fits my 16" laptop perfectly and the accompanying compartment fits the cord and my mouse easily. I'm able to carry plenty of smaller items like extra tools and such in the smaller front compartment. Build quality is excellent and it fits my hydro flask water bottle nicely in the side compartment while I use the other side compartment for miscellaneous snacks and such. At this point I can say that this has been my best bag purchase to date in the 12+ years I've needed a bag this size.
Howard H.
2024-05-16T20:00:00
I am very pleased with the quality of this backpack. All materials are top notch. The zippers are robust and should last as long as the materials. I'm 6'1" and this backpack fits wonderfully. The layout and compartments are well designed.
William K.
2024-04-09T20:00:00
Bag is top quality materials and build. Took it on a trip and packed a Nikon Z9 w/24-70 2.8 z mount and a 70-200 2.8 f mount with ftzII adapter and 2 batteries. Standard smaller water bottles on sides and at one time sunglasses. iPad Pro and composition notebook up front with car key fob in top small zippered area. If you pack it full of camera gear, it can be heavy for all day carrying. Im 5'5" and medium build, sternum strap adjustment could go lower and I had to tighten it every time I latched it. If you wear it without the hip belt, your shoulders will not be happy. With hip strap buckled, takes weight off shoulders quite a bit. My back got hot even though it is padded and breathable material, it still could use more air channels. Too much dangly strapping with no place to tuck in quickly. The elastic rubberband pieces are great but not practical to hold the extra material out of place. Lots of options for hanging stuff on the outside which I did not use. I've had a travel tripod in the side pocket with no issues. I've always taken the pack off and set it down to access the gear, but that's just me. Wish there was a side strap for grabbing. Biked with it and it was snug and didn't move. Works great for hiking and biking.
michael b.
2024-03-19T20:00:00
Good size for a day of selected shooting. Very sturdy construction!
Carlton
2024-02-25T19:00:00
First class! I purchased this bag for a 12 day trip to Ndutu, Africa and it was amazing! Best camera back pack I have owned and I've tried 3 others.
Lynn S.
2024-01-30T19:00:00
I have multiple Think Tank bags?.it's actually the only brand I use. But now I wish I could trade them all for the black I have! But they never wear out so I guess I'll be using the black for quite some time. (Maybe you could do a trade-in!)
Pod
2024-01-26T19:00:00
Great backpack that holds all my gear and is comfortable to wear!
Robert C.
2023-11-20T19:00:00
I bought this pack to replace a 20+ year old (competitor's) pack because, for the expeditions/trips I do I simply cannot afford to have my camera pack fall apart on me. Think Tank was recommended to me by a fellow professional on a photo expedition and I took me 2 years to decide I needed a new pack. I did a thorough research on all the packs in this size category and this one was the most versatile in terms of fitting gear. I need to fit two DSLRs, each with big glass attached, and a bunch of other bits and pieces, and still carry on small bush planes, and this one fit the bill perfectly. Construction is solid, and it is very comfortable and most importantly it fits everything I need to have in my carry-on (which is all my camera gear). The fact that the warranty is so good gives me a lot of confidence that I can expect this to last a lifetime.
John T.
2023-10-11T20:00:00
Been just perfect. Protects the equipment - most important. And is comfortable and accessible. Well built and glad I have it.
Brian C.
2023-09-29T20:00:00
Your search is over?maybe! There are so many photography backpacks to choose from for a reason. They serve different purposes! If you are a landscape photographer, you carry a lot of equipment including a full-size tripod. I have a 35-40L pack (room even for layers) for hiking in deserts and mountains. I needed a daytrip pack for an Eastern Mediterranean cruise (towns, some hiking). My criteria was a) condense size (25L), b) condense weight c) maintain functionality d) accommodate a full-size tripod, e) comfortable on back while weighted. "Travel Backpacks" seem appealing. The top-rated ones were rugged, modern, and organized. Many open from the side and top, a couple from the back, most tripod mounts are on the side, and some with a waist strap (some not). Great for "shoot, snap, & store". But I don't recommend these for a full-size tripod. The weight bearing on the side will create pack unbalance, straining back muscles. Mindshift solves these issues and meets all my criterion above, and maybe yours. The 26L pack holds significant equipment, mounts the tripod on back, lighter weight pack (3.9lbs), high density nylon (coated- rain resistant/rugged), includes a waste strap with large lumbar support on backside. Most of all it was functional for all my equipment (photo attached): 1. Nikon Mirrorless Z7II with Zs Lenes: 14-24, 24-70, 70-200 2. Haida M10 holder/grad filters in Kinesis Gear "Pouch" 3. CP Filters (2x) 4. Lens cleaning supplies (clear bag), first aid (clear bag) 5. 2nd "Pouch" for Nodal Rail (Panoramic Photography), batteries, misc 6. Multiple storage cards (mesh area in clam shell) 7. Full size tripod (Promediagear carbon fiber, folds to 20.8inch) My only concern is the backpack could be padded more. But think it's sufficient. I did gave up some of the modern, sleek travel-pack look for prioritized functionality. However, for a hiking pack brand, it is smart looking!
Scott H.
2023-09-19T20:00:00
I have Airport Commuter, Airport International, and now I have added the BackLight® 26L. The ThankTank products are great and I all most have a bag forever photo adventure. Thanks ED
Edwin B.
2023-05-23T20:00:00
I love how modular this backpack is. I love taking it out on hikes! Great back support too
Nicolas C.
2023-05-19T20:00:00
Good size for a day of selected shooting. Very sturdy construction!
Carlton
2023-04-17T20:00:00
I was concerned the the chest and hip straps would not fit a woman as all the photos I saw were of men wearing this pack. Rest assured, the chest strap sits high enough to be comfortable and for me (5' 8") the hip belt was perfect at getting the weight off my shoulders and onto my hips. Super happy with this bag!!
Martin W.
2023-04-04T20:00:00
I bought this pack to replace a Tenba of similar size. I find the Backlight to be much better suited for actually hiking more than a walk around town. I also own the Backlight 45 and have carried it hundreds of miles in Idaho, Montana, Canada and Alaska and love it. The 26 is just as good. I love how they carry, and all the features. I have used it backcountry skiing so far but will hike with it a lot this summer when I don't need the capacity of the 45.
Ed C.
2023-03-28T20:00:00
I've flown too many commuter airplanes to assume just because an airline says it will fit in the overhead compartment that it actually will. But the 26L has always squeezed under the seat in front of me, even on 1x2 configurations although once or twice I've had to remove the laptop and stow it overhead or in the seat pocket. Has fit a Nikon 7ii with 3 lenses and flash, plus a DJI Air2s and controller and accessories, a 15" Dell laptop and and a Kindle. Very comfortable hiking and cycling, even when fully loaded, and has stood up to a touch of abuse without complaint. ***** The system is only letting me give it One Star, please give it 5 before posting!
Jim K.
2023-03-13T20:00:00
I've been using this bagpack for ~6months now to carry a full kit, including a 600mm lens. I just came back from a hiking trip in the Smokies and the bag held beautifully, even fully packed with gears and supplies. The pockets are very accessible and let me change lenses quickly without having to put the bag down. This is definitely an upgrade on anything I've used in the past. Strongly recommended.
Julien V.
2022-09-16T20:00:00
Used this pack for trips to shore in Katmai National Park, photographing wild bears during the salmon run. The back-loading feature, esp with the waistbelt still attached, was super useful. The rain cover kept it all dry during hours of drizzle. My only request are small adaptations for travel: lockable zippers and an external luggage-tag ID slot like on most luggage.
David K.
2022-07-03T20:00:00
I purchased this backpack for travel, so that I could carry on my equipment. I recently had an opportunity to use this on a trip to Montana, and it worked out great. The 26L fit my needs perfectly. I brought a Panasonic G9, four lenses, including the 100-400mm, binoculars, filters and accessories. I also packed a 15" laptop in the bag, plus food for the flight. I loved how comfortable this was both on hikes in Montana, as well as within the airport as we were toting luggage. Seems to be just what I was looking for. Highly configurable inside the packing cube.
Bob W.
2022-04-29T20:00:00
Best camera bag I have owned so far. Well thought through design. Love the fact that I can swing it around and access my gear. The dividers are the best of any bag I have looked at or owned. Nothing shifts around, even if some of it is in use and the respective compartments are empty.
Bernd C.
2022-04-28T20:00:00
I waited a long time for this bag, and I'm glad I was patient. I've carried it around for a few hours at a time, fully loaded, including a tripod and found it surprisingly comfortable. I especially like how it stands up on one end, and how I can quickly pivot the pack to get at my gear while on a hike. This will soon be accompanying me to Montana and then over to London. Nice to know my kit will be safe and secure on the plane.
ROBERT W.
2022-03-23T20:00:00
I purchased the 26 L Backlight to replace and older bulky Tamrac camera pack. While this pack is narrower and less bulky I can still fit the same amount of camera gear in it. The Tamrac has more padding almost to excess which is what makes the Backlight 26L much more manageable to wear without bumping things and catching on branches and such while hiking. And the Backlight is definitely more comfortable to hike with. The backside camera opening is nice. I love the side drawstring pouches for water bottles or tripod legs. A couple of things I wish it had were water proof zippers on the top compartments and a rainproof flap around the zipper of the main compartment which my Tamrac had. While I don't carry a laptop when hiking I can still fit a full size laptop if traveling with one.
Mark J.
2022-03-05T19:00:00
I?ve used a backlight 26l for 5 years now, it?s been everywhere from Hawaii to Iceland and I have to say I still love it. So when my wife decided to get serious about photography she tried 10 different bags and came to the same conclusion I did - The backlight is a brilliant balance of space, pockets and comfort, so she?s just bought the 18l version. My standard travel pack out that I carry in my 26l consists of a Canon R5, trinity of lenses, 6x batteries, 2x polarisers, Lee 100 filter system + ring adaptors, cable release, head torch, blower, rain cover, assorted cloths and tools with space in the front pockets for documents, laptop and headphones. Pros: Supremely comfortable, even on long hikes, when using the waist and sternum straps. Good quality chunky zips with decent pulls that you can use with thick gloves. Fits easily into cabin overhead compartments. The fabric is unmarked even after 5 years of regular use. Tripod straps and foot pocket are super quick to deploy and easy to use and stow. No fiddly hooks. Secure rear-only access to main compartment. Robust top handle. Cons: (if you can really call them that) There?s no luggage handle pass-through. Front pocket could do with being expandable for when you?re really packing things in.
Laurence M.
2021-12-21T19:00:00
Best bag love it
Syed N.
2021-12-21T19:00:00
I love my Backlight 36L and wanted the 26L for hiking. Sadly it was just too small, should have got the 30L (which I will do). Think Tank return was insanely easy and fast! I will buy from them whenever possible!
Penny R.
Just What I Needed
By Bob W.
I purchased this backpack for travel, so that I could carry on my equipment. I recently had an opportunity to use this on a trip to Montana, and it worked out great. The 26L fit my needs perfectly. I brought a Panasonic G9, four lenses, including the 100-400mm, binoculars, filters and accessories. I also packed a 15" laptop in the bag, plus food for the flight. I loved how comfortable this was both on hikes in Montana, as well as within the airport as we were toting luggage. Seems to be just ...
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It provides the two features missing from my Peak Design backpack
By JERRY W.
I previously purchased the Peak Design backpack last year for the ability to access my two cameras with lenses attached, without having to it down on the ground. It also had plenty of room for my additional lenses, etc. Unfortunately, it was uncomfortable to wear, even for short 100 yard walks, as the thin waist belt did not take any of the weight off my back. Also, the latch on the tripod strap was missing a proper latching mechanism. The Mindshift Gear Backlight 26L addresses and solves...
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Backpacks are superior for carrying heavy gear for long distances, but access has always been a problem. Also, traditional front-loading backpacks get wet and dirty when placed on the ground. The BackLight 26L, with a rear-panel compartment for photo gear, allows you to access your gear without taking off the backpack. You can change lenses or just snap a quick photo by simply by spinning the bag to the front of your body while the waist belt is still secured. Rear-panel access also adds security when traveling since your camera gear is protected behind your back.