Comments about Think Tank Think Tank Retrospective 20-BK Tall Shoulder Bag - Black:

I own the Think Tank Urban Disguise 30, which is a marvel of compact capacity and extremely well-thought-out details. I bought the Retrospective 20 at Adorama for basically two reasons: adding a battery grip to my Nikon D300 made it too big to get in and out of the UD30, and I needed sufficient depth for the D300 attached to the 70-200 VR Zoom. The Retro 20 satisfies both these needs admirably. Other positives are the extremely comfortable shoulder strap, and Think Tank's incredible steadiness that, despite the bag's height, it is stable on the ground and does not tip over easily, even with the top-heavy D300 atop the 70-200 zoom. Unpadded but very handy internal side pockets for flashes, on either side of the main compartment, are a great touch I haven't found in any other bag.Now to the negatives.I stated that the bag has inadequate protection. By this I don't criticize that this is not a roll-down-the-stairway protecting bag. It is plainly a shooting bag for fast access at events, and not meant to compete with a hard case or a thickly padded travel case. The lack of protection I criticize is the lack of a closing latch. The main compartment has only noisy velcro closure, with thoughtful blocking flaps that cancel the velcro noise. Trouble is, in this silent mode, the bag has no closure at all. To me, this is an invitation for disaster. Has Think Tank not considered that camera bags are sometimes placed on high shelves or in overhead compartments in airplanes, or that it's possible to simply place the bag on its side on a table and then grab it in a distracted hurry? A second negative is the nearly useless side compartments, which are not stretchy, flexible pouches as in the UD30, but rigid pockets into which you can only drop slim items such as iphones, filters or card holders, that you then have to struggle to fish out if they are not tall enough to stick out. Pack the main compartment snuggly, and these side pockets tighten to the point of becoming nearly inaccessible. Why did Think Tank, with such great side pockets for its Urban Disguise line, take such an obvious step backwards on the Retro 20?Another curious omission is the lack of any zipper compartment in the main flap. On the UD30, a zippered compartment across the front of the main flap is my go-to compartment for fast-access items like business cards and memory cards. On the Retro 20, the huge main flap has nothing at all as far as storage with outside access, a crying waste. So, despite these shortcomings, why am I happy with this bag? Because the big-mouth access, depth for long lenses and standing stability are a combination I have not found in any other bag. It's great as a shooting bag for events.I live in Costa Rica, where there's easy access to materials and sewing shops for customizing photo bags. So I added a good plastic snap attached to 2 inch black straps which gives me a factory-looking snap closure. What doesn't look factory, is two cordura zippered pouches I attached to the main flap, a big one inside for a vest or light jacket that adds top padding for the equipment, and a small one outside for business and memory cards. The designer of this bag would probably cry at the desecration of his clean lines, but my main criticism of this bag is that Think Tank went overboard in emphasizing stylish design over accessory-level functionality.A last comment is on value. If this bag had cost $60, I could consider it just a starting point for customization and not mind the shortcomings. But the bag costs [$] and doesn't even provide secure low-noise closure. Hay, caramba!So, five stars for storage effectiveness and speed of access to the main equipment, three stars for poor closure of the main compartment and mediocre storage and access for accessories, and two stars for value. That averages out to 3.33 stars. But, hey, give Think Tank a break for overall construction quality, and round it up to four stars overall.

Comments about Think Tank Think Tank Retrospective 20-BK Tall Shoulder Bag - Black:

This bag is my new perfect daily use bag. I do a lot of shooting of outdoor activities and it works great for my purpose. Everything I need is on my shoulder and I do not have to set it down to change lenses new battery, or etc.

Comments about Think Tank Think Tank Retrospective 20-BK Tall Shoulder Bag - Black:

When Think Tank first announced this bag I ordered one. Glad to see Adorama carrying it now. This looked like the perfect bag for me and it is. It does everything the description says. Plus I find I can actually carry more than the specs say. I love that I can carry what I want for a days shoot. It fits comfortably over my shoulder like a good messenger bag and gives me easy access to everything while I am on the move. I still have my other bags, but this is my daily go-to bag as I expected it would be.