2025-07-23T20:00:00
Rated 5 out of 5
FINALLY Found "My" Best Bag!!
Well, it's not easy finding a camera bag when you have an assortment of long prime lenses, other telephoto zooms, multiple camera bodies and various other odds and ends that ALL must fit!! We've all been down that road?.
Well, this 46L Frontlight pack checked all of the boxes for me. For those that read reviews to understand all that a pack can fit (we all look for that kind of info), here is what I needed in this bag and it *all* fits:
Sony 400 f/2.8 (Zemlin hood and cap)
Sony 300 f/2.8 (Zemlin hood and cap)
Sony 70-200 f/2.8 GM II
Tamron 28-70 f/2.8
Sony A1 body
Sony A7RV body
And other assorted accessories (batteries, cards, etc.)
While it is tight, all gear fits comfortably with no stress on any component or the bag's sidewalls?.and the bag closes easily!!
It was also important to me that it had storage for additional light layers of clothing, as well as a hat and gloves and some snacks. The bag is very comfortable too - the adjustable torso feature is a big bonus!!
Would I have preferred a back-loading bag? Sure, but there is nothing wrong with this setup. There are compromises made with every bag purchase, and this is no different for this 46L pack. However, with 95% of my "must have features" boxes checked off, I am a very happy camper.
Like always, Think Tank Photo delivers!! Thank you!!
Carl G.
Originally posted at
2025-06-30T20:00:00
Rated 5 out of 5
The bag I have been looking for
I wanted a lighter bag to fit supertelephoto lenses and underwater housings for international wildlife photography trips. This was the perfect bag for me!
Chris J.
Originally posted at
2025-06-27T20:00:00
Rated 5 out of 5
It holds everything
It is heavy, but only because it can hold some large heavy glass. I once had to carry two bags. Now just one. It was a good purchase.
David M.
Originally posted at
2025-02-17T19:00:00
Rated 3 out of 5
Very Large
The backpack was very large, to large. Hard to handle, only used once.
Thomas H.
Originally posted at
2025-02-05T19:00:00
Rated 5 out of 5
FirstLight 35L
I bought the 35L as a replacement to an ThinkTank ShapeShifter 17v2 that I've had for close to 10 years. I wanted something I could put a camera with lens attached and a couple other lenses for day to day use as well as when traveling. The 35L fit the bill nicely. I carry an R3 with RF100-500 attached, a 24-105 f/4, lens hoods, 1.4 and 2x extenders, filters along with a spare battery. There is still room for more in there as I sometimes throw in the RF70-200Z as well. There is room for a laptop(my MacBook Pro 16 is a very tight fit but it will go in there. It's more suited for an Air or a bigger tablet. It carries very nicely on my back and while I haven't had many long excursions with it, it is very comfortable. My 2 gripes, the grab handle on top can get obstructed by the clip on sack so you have to go fishing for it if you open that up and then close it. I wish it was a little bit bigger, I had the Airport Commuter and it was ideal sizewise(zipper died out on that after close to 8 years of use). The 46L will probably be on my list at some point for a travel backpack to have room for other stuff while traveling. For what my needs are, this bag is ideal. Not too big, if it was bigger, I'd carry more stuff I don't need for day to day shooting. You won't be disappointed in the bag, it's Think Tank quality from top to bottom. Expensive? Kinda. But your gear deserves the best.
Anthony D.
Originally posted at
2025-01-23T19:00:00
Rated 5 out of 5
FirstLight® 35L+
It was time for me to upgrade my back pack as my current one was 14 years old and the technology has advanced so well. I purchased the FirstLight® 35L+, which I find to be a great backpack, holds all my camera gear and then some. I really like the two options for carrying the tripod. I expect it will last me many years like my several other ThinnkTank products I own. I think it was a worthwhile investment and expect it will perform well for years and years.
Brad B.
Originally posted at
2025-01-21T19:00:00
Rated 5 out of 5
Well-designed backpack!
I love the design and build quality of the backpack. I can store my larger telephoto lenses attached to my camera body. The feature enabling one to shrink or expand the width of the bag is brilliant. I also love the detachable top pouch and the ability to convert it into a ***** pack. The product appears to be well-constructed of quality materials. No backpack is perfect but this product comes very close!
Michael D.
Originally posted at
2025-01-06T19:00:00
Rated 5 out of 5
This is the bag I needed.
I am going to call myself a non-traditional camera-backpack user. I am not carrying a camera in my bag at all, but an instrument that costs more than 10k and is precision in nature. As a surveyor, I really appreciate the extra depth found in this bag, compared to any other that I have previously found. It allows me to nestle my instrument right in there, and have room for my data collector, prism, and batteries, to boot. I had to poach additional dividers out of other camera bags that I have tried to get the equipment to fit right, but this bag wasn't made for surveying gear. I am just so glad to find a bag that I can get all my gear into, and feel good about it.
The quality is the bonus. The zippers will make or break you in the long run, and these zippers are awesome. I haven't seen nicer, bigger YKK's than these (on the main compartment) and that was what I was hoping to see. The bottom of the zipper's run is low enough on the panel that the zipper isn't unduly stressed at full panel opening. The materials, in general, are top notch and of extreme quality. The base is bomb-proof. We'll see how it holds up, but I am really optimistic, based on my initial assessments.
An engineer by former trade, I have an eye for quality (or lack thereof.) This bag didn't spark a single episode of anxiety over a detail in construction or in design considerations.
Travis
Originally posted at
2024-12-26T19:00:00
Rated 5 out of 5
An Excellent Photo Backpack
The FirstLight 46L+ is a beautiful and high quality product. I like that it has top and side handles and it is sturdy enough to house my old 600mm telephoto lens and other gear. And the interior dividers offer a great deal of flexibility. I am very happy with my purchase.
Darren H.
Originally posted at
2024-12-15T19:00:00
Love it!!
Stephanie
Originally posted at
2024-10-22T20:00:00
Rated 5 out of 5
Great bag, would highly recommend, but can be improved.
I bought this pack a couple of months ago, and took it on a recent trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. It worked very well. It's my first Think Tank MindShift, but it won't be my last.
I have owned a number of backpacks over the years, and although this one is not perfect, it's close. Very close. I would not hesitate to recommend this bag to anyone needing a medium sized backpack to haul their gear. It's a really nice, well thought out backpack.
So, the pros & cons:
PROS:
It really is deep enough for a pro or gripped body, even with an L-bracket attached. Everything is below the zipper level. This has been my main gripe about other backpacks, even those advertised to fit gripped/pro bodies. This backpack solved this major problem beautifully.
It's comfortable to wear. I don't hike miles and miles, but I do get out there (see attached photo), and I had no problem carrying this bag full of gear. The shoulder straps are comfortable and easily adjustable, as is the waist belt.
It seems to be well made. Of course, this is not a surprise from Think Tank.
There is room for both Nikon Z7ii bodies with grips & L-brackets attached, three lenses (14-30mm f/4 S, 24-120mm f/4 S and the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 S), and all of my bits and bobs, all without needing to use the exterior pockets. This means the exterior pockets are left for things that change from trip to trip. If I'd cut back on the bits & bobs, or move them to the outer pockets, I could get another lens or so in.
I like the idea that the tripod can be mounted on either side or the back. And I like that there are 2 water bottle pockets. Nice touch.
There is a nice little pouch on the left side of the belt. Not sure what will go in that (snacks?), but it's there, and I'll use it. Another very nice touch.
It does stand up vertically. I have at least one backpack from another maker that will not, due to a design flaw. This is a major deal in my book.
Padding is great. Not worried about protection.
LOTS of dividers included. Far more than I need. Makes for lots of versatility.
CONS (some picky, some not so picky):
I wish there was another way to store the shoulder straps and belt. Oh well. The Think Tank method will work. Speaking of the belt, it would be nice if it was removable. It's not, but I knew this going in.
The removable floating top pocket seems pretty useless, especially in light of the need to unbuckle 2 of the buckles to access the main compartment. Since it comes with a built-in waist belt, I thought I could use it for its secondary use as a ***** pack. Sadly, I am not a small person, and unlike the main belt, which is just big enough for my girth, the belt on the floating top pocket doesn't come close. Odd that. I would think the second would fit anyone the first fits, but it's not so. Another couple of inches of webbing, and this wouldn't be an issue. This makes the removable floating top pocket pretty useless for me except as originally intended. Don't see myself using it that way. (BTW, if you take the floating top pocket off, there is no place to store the straps that attach to the pack itself.)
The rain cover is not attached. It does come in its own little pouch, but it must be stored either in the bag or in one of the side pockets (sacrificing valuable space). This means I have to open the bag, at least to an extent, just to get to the rain cover. I guess I need to pay more attention to the weather report.
My 16" Macbook Pro barely fits in the allotted space, and it's quite difficult to get it in - the space is hardly wide enough, and if there is anything in the lid pockets thicker than a piece of paper, the laptop isn't going all the way in. If the laptop itself was any thicker at all, it would not fit. Not good.
I wish the side compression straps were removable. The top one on the left side makes getting into the side zippered pocket difficult at best.
I'm not particularly crazy about how the sternum strap fits, but that may just be me.
This last one is a really picky little thing, I know, but I think it matters. All of the zipper pulls are identical. This means I can't just glance at the bag and know if it's closed or not. Other maker's bags come with brightly colored pulls on the main compartment, making it easy to see if the camera compartment is shut. I fixed this with a couple of short pieces of red paracord.
All-in-all, it's the best bag I've found to date and although it's not perfect, I like it and and would happily recommend it to anyone looking for a new backpack.
Don R.
Originally posted at
