While I’m busy working on the new look for Roberts Raw, how about some Friday distractions in the form of absolutely silly videos about an absolutely not-silly product: the ThinkTank Photo Retrospective 30 messenger bags.
These bags are big and roomy and, well, why don’t you just watch?
And, if our take’s not enough, don’t forget Jared “The Fro” Polin over at Fro Knows Photo, whose take on theRetrospective 30 we’ve politely YouTube ninja’ed below for your viewing enjoyment.
So, tomorrow is day 1 (or, for you Carmel shoppers, the only day) for this year’s Spring Expo. For those who’ve never been to one, twice a year we have a whole gaggle of our reps come in to our local brick-and-mortar Indianapolis stores and show off all their stuff, answer your questions, etc… Generally it’s a good time to get to try out some rare equipment you might not get to see on shelves normally (like Leica’s line-up, Olympus’ Top Pro Lenses, Nikon and Canon’s tilt shifts, etc).
And of course there’ll be specials, deals, sales, limited offers, you name it bouncing around, too, and I’ll be posting some of those on our homepage tomorrow. There’ll be buyers on hand to relieve you of old equipment and liberate some funds for shiny new toys, if you’re so inclined. It is spring, after all, out with the old, in with the new.
This time around you’ll be able to chat with reps for Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Sony, Manfrotto, Gitzo, Elinchrom, Sandisk, Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, Hoya, Tenba, Lowepro, ThinkTank Photo, Lastolite, Avenger, Mamiya, Leica, Skooba, Induro, Kingston, Westcott, and more.
Expo is at our downtown store Friday and Saturday April 23 and 24 from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm. It’ll be at our Carmel store Friday only 5:00 until 7:30 pm.
Hydrophobia 70-200
So, we got this in our mailbox dated for yesterday:
Santa Rosa, Calif. – Following up on the acclaimed Hydrophobia™ 300-600 rain cover for larger lenses, Think Tank Photo announces the release of two water-resistant, seam-sealed rain covers for 70-200 and smaller lenses: the Hydrophobia™ 70-200 and the Hydrophobia™ Flash 70-200 with built-in flash protector. Featuring side arm holes for focusing and accessing switches, they allow DSLRs to be turned vertically. And now, without exposing their expensive bodies and lenses to the elements, photographers can change memory cards and batteries without taking off the rain covers.
The key feature is that the camera strap attached to the camera does not have to be removed. There is a camera strap attached to the Hydrophobia 70-200 that, combined with a strap that buckles under the lens, allows the camera to be carried by the rain cover.
Hydrophobia 70-200 Flash
“The problem with other covers is that holes have to be cut into the top of the cover, and then using a special camera strap, the user has to unclip the camera strap from the camera, feeding it through the top of the cover,” said Doug Murdoch, Think Tank Photo’s CEO and lead designer. “With the Hydrophobia 70-200, we eliminated this problem by creating a system that automatically transfers the weight to the rain cover itself, while still keeping it water resistant.”
The fabric used on the Hydrophobia is ten times as water resistant as normal fabric. Instead of a “spray” coating, a “film” is applied to the underside of the fabric, as well as a
tricot mesh to protect it, making it a far more impenetrable three-layer fabric. In addition a waterproof tape is applied to all seams, providing an even more water resistant barrier.
The rain covers have the following key features:
- A clear window for viewing LCD and controls
- A fabric cover for the end of the lens.
- An eyepiece storage pocket (eyepieces sold separately)
- A detachable camera strap
- A breathable mesh bag for transportation and storage
For professionals and amateur SLR shooters with smaller lenses who can’t afford to lose a shot or to have their gear damaged, the Hydrophobia™ 70-200 and the Hydrophobia™ Flash 70-200 are powerful new tools for getting the shot in even the harshest conditions.
The 70-200 will debut with a recommended price of $139.00, the 70-200 Flash with a price of $145. Roberts reminds you that to use any Hydrophobia properly you’ll need a special eyepiece also from ThinkTank for your camera.
Well, what an inconspicuous piece of luggage.
In an effort to conceal your pro-sized D-SLR and attached 70-200 2.8, ThinkTank has developed another iteration of their successful Urban Disguise line -this the UD70. Bask in it’s disguised urbanity…
Oooooh, rolling luggage and a back-pack...
The appropriately named Airport Takeoff from ThinkTank, another entry from in their newest line-up, serves double duty as your rolling luggage and hanging on your back like the three-thirty coffee itch. It’s suited for holding two professional sized DSLRs (You know, D3, 1D/s I-III) with or without lenses attached and a decent slab of glass in the order of a 300mm 2.8.
No, Vinne Jones didn’t carry this in a Clive Barker movie; it’s designed to hold your headphones or some cables off your SpeedBelt. Awesome.
I don’t know if your kit bag looks anything like the spaghetti-mess of cables and peripherals my old roommate used to keep in a laundry basket…but if you’re looking to contain that serpentine bolus of copper and plastic ThinkTank has two new Cable Management bags for you.
The new Pixel Racing Harness 2 from ThinkTank
ThinkTank Photo, known for producing high quality, technically capable camera bags, accessories, and luggage for your precious glass, have released some additions to their line-up, seen here: the Pixel Racing Harness with a Pro Speed belt and two Lens Changers.
Crumpler USA
Crumpler is nuts. As eye-raising as certain ThinkTank bag names can be (“Whip It Out”, “Streetwalker”), Crumpler doesn’t just stride past them, they apparently do cartwheels and back-handsprings past them while laughing reminiscently of Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker.
Once a year they sell bags for pre-determined amounts of beer. They have color by number toilet paper. They sold me the best bottle opener I’ve ever owned. They have bags with names like “Dreadful Embarrassment”, “Salary Sacrifice”, “Thirsty Al”, and “Cork and Fork.”
And, apparently, they have product descriptions that throw up red flags in our site’s spam detection system.
Yes, yes, this is good . . . I like the view . . . And do you like my sharks in the pool? Yes, hmmm, they don’t seem to like that topless girl . . . Who is she, by the way, dahhhhhling?
With product descriptions like the one above (from the 2 Million Dollar Home) I can’t see why any flags would be thrown up at all. (End sarcasm)
Anyway, it was actually a delightful little mess, and I think we’ve got things tweaked so it won’t happen again. But, if you were trying to search our site for any of our Crumpler stock there for an hour and came up emtpy, well, we thought we owed you an explanation.
The folks at Think Tank Photo have released three very usable photo backpacks called the StreetWalker series. With the three new backpacks’ slim vertical profile, photographers can navigate crowded places and public transportation while still being able to access professional photographic equipment. They come with a handy card showing layouts for both Nikon Digital SLR camera and Canon Digital SLR camera layouts.
The three new StreetWalker backpacks are:
StreetWalker — This slim, lightweight backpack will hold a Pro Size DSLR with 70-200 2.8 attached and hood in position. It includes a monopod/tripod mounting system, a contoured harness and air channel for increased comfort, and lots of pockets and organizers for customization.
StreetWalker Pro — This backpack is designed for a Pro Size DSLR with up to a 400 2.8 attached, or a 70-200 2.8 attached and hood in position. It also includes the monopod/tripod mounting system, the contoured harness and air channel, and lots of pockets and organizers.
StreetWalker HardDrive — This backpack will hold most 15″ laptops and a Pro Size DSLR with 70-200 2.8 attached and hood in position. It also includes the monopod/tripod mounting system, the contoured harness and air channel, and lots of pockets and organizers.
