SLR Geek

I love the protection of a camera bag, but I had trouble getting my camera out when I needed it. thinktank Digital Holster to the rescue! I found out that not only is the Digital 50 large enough for my Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 100-400 IS L zoom lens. It’s large enough that I can store it in the bag with the hood on and lens cap off ready to draw at a moments notice when that rare Roseate Spoonbill flew by. No more missed shots!!! But at the same time I have the protection a bag provides keeping: dust, pollen, water, etc off my camera and lens when I wasn’t actually shooting. There’s nothing like trying to eat something greasy and messy or trying to use the bathroom while holding two expensive cameras and lens systems with one hand and doing your business with the other. Just doesn’t work too well at least not without a good bag. Not only that the cool end expansion feature allows you to quickly go from carrying a Canon 50D and Canon 70-200mm F/2.8 IS L lens combo ready to shoot then put that up and get your Canon Rebel XTi with Canon 135mm F/2 II L lens into the very same bag. Or if you are feeling really rich you could buy two thinktank bags and carry two systems at once, say a professional setup like a Canon 1Ds Mark III with a Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 L IS USM zoom lens in one bag and a Nikon D3x with Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens in the other. You would think that a bag this good had been thought of before. But it seems like most bags were thought up by someone who makes bags for a living and not shooting photos. Thank GOD the thinktank people actually thought about how real photographers actually use their camera systems and designed a bag around those needs.

Me and my dual Holsters:

Versatile:

Versatility: Yeah baby, that’s the name of the game with the Digital Holster 50. Wear it chest high with just the standard shoulder strap around your neck or with the optional waist band strap to hold it in place. Or pull up on the Velcro belt release wrap it around your pants belt and wear it like a six gun holster. One, two even three or four bags are possible at a time although I usually feel most comfortable to wear just two to balance each side out.

Features:

The included business card window in the top flap both identifies this bag as yours and keeps extra cards handy to give to potential new customers. A side bag provides a handy place to keep the standard rain bag handy for those sudden downpours. An inner flap divider comes standard allowing you to store a small lens or accessory say an extender in the bottom area while having a shorter lens camera combo up top. The provided inside storage area allows you to store the inner flap divider when not in use but it’s still handy when you need it. The inside of the upper flap door includes a compartment with see through cover to remind you where you put your spare batteries and memory cards etc. The extreme duty straps with high strength quick release with swivel on each end allow you to both carry any weight load and easily and quickly release one end when needed. A padded shoulder protection cover keeps the strap from digging into your shoulder during those long carries to your quarry. The extra long adjustment provided with the strap allows the holster to be worn high around the chest allowing you to also keep the camera strap around your neck and just close the flap over the camera or you can lengthen it to allow it to ride as low as you want. Speaking of top flaps the heavy duty YKK zipper allows you to open the cover from either direction in case you happen to see Angelina Jolie pop up out of her Lamborghini. Last but not least is a true life time warranty. If you purchase a thinktank bag and ever have a problem due to defects in material or workmanship they will fix, correct or replace it.

Popdown and popup:

Dimensions:

Inner Height: 11.25 – 14.25” Body: 7.25 x 6″

Pros:

Included rain bag
Slim design hugs the body
Always ready to shoot design
Configurable compartment divider
Heavy duty build meant for the professional photographer
Versatile pop-down feature allows many different lenses and configurations.

Poped up and down side by side with rain bag:

Cons:

Would be nice if it had side bag attachments like the Tamrac Pro-Zoom Pak system.
Hum…. I’m thinking…

Conclusion:

I carry mine everywhere I go and couldn’t live without it. Zoo, Renaissance Festival, air show, safari, model shoot, you name it, it’s ready. If you are a professional photographer or simply need a great bag and need your camera ready to shoot then you can’t go wrong with the thinktank Digital Holster 50. If you need a smaller version they make 5 different sizes, check them out at http://www.thinktankphoto.com/ttp_products.html