The search for the perfect camera bag! I have spent my entire photography career looking for this Holy Grail of accessories. As most photographers have discovered, there is no “one” perfect bag.
When carrying my Canon 5D MKii with 2 lenses and a speedlight, I found my Naneu Pro Bravo Backpack to be the best solution for short outings. But it wouldn’t accommodate a laptop, so when I travelled I would use my Naneu Pro K3L, which was a much larger backpack.
After I ditched the Canon gear for the Olympus E-P2, the Bravo became too bulky, so I switched to the Kata Panorama U Ergo-Tech Bag, which fit a 13″ laptop and the E-P2, a few lenses and a small speedlight. This bag was still too big to carry around while shooting, so I would end up leaving the bag in the car or hotel and just take the E-P2 with a lens attached and 1 lens in my pocket.
With the Leica M9, I needed another solution. I didn’t want to carry the camera and lenses around without a bag, especially in sketchy areas of town where I like to put the camera away. None of my current bags were small enough to fit the Leica equipment efficiently, so I was once again in search of the perfect bag. After hours of research online, reading every review and forum post I could find, I narrowed it down to the brand new Think Tank Retrospective 5 and the Billingham Hadley Small Shoulder Bag. I decided to try the Retrospective 5 in Pinestone, a nice dark beige color, a little different from the standard black bag.
The Retrospective 5 arrived the day before my weekend trip to San Diego, a great city to break it in. At 2.3 pounds (1.0 kg) the bag is lightweight and offers a generous amount of storage space (Interior Dimensions: 9.5” W x 7.8” H x 4.5” D or 24 x 19.5 x 11.5 cm) for its compact size (Exterior Dimensions: 10” W x 8.5” H x 6” D (25.5 x 21.5 15 cm). It provides side and interior pockets, an expandable outside pocket, and a wide pocket on the back, as well as loops on the side to strap on accessories. I loaded the bag up with the M9 and 5 lenses, 2 batteries, 2 SD cards, business cards, a wad of cash for tips, and business cards, yet it weighed less than 6 pounds fully packed, light enough to carry around town all day.
Other handy features include removable dividers, extra dividers for multi-level storage, a Velcro silencer system, a rain cover, and a removable carrying handle. The Retrospective’s fully adjustable canvas strap holds very well and doesn’t slip off your shoulder easily. When I wore the M9 around my neck, the bag only had to hold 4 lenses and accessories. With the bag positioned around my back, I would barely notice I was carrying anything, but the bag provided easy access when I needed to change lenses. The Retrospective 5’s small size and accessibility made me think that I had found the perfect bag at last!
View of silencer system and Velcro strips
Velcro silencer system, in non silent position
Alas, when planning a subsequent plane trip to Seattle, I discovered again that no single bag can meet a photographer’s every need. When flying I like to take my eBags Weekender eTech Convertible for my clothes and a messenger bag for my laptop and camera gear. Since the Retrospective 5 would not fit my 13″ Samsung 9 laptop, I was once again on the search for another bag. I couldn’t find anything that was small enough to tote all day but large enough to store the laptop. I then thought about an old John Peters canvas messenger bag my wife bought at a camera show. The large inner pocket fit the Retrospective 5 and another inner pocket fit the Samsung 9 with room to spare for all of my laptop accessories.
John Peters Messenger Bag outer view
Samsung 9 in smaller inner pocket
Think Tank Retrospective 5 in larger inner pocket
Samsung 9 and Retrospective 5, fits perfectly
This setup will be small enough to fit under the seat on the airplane, and easy enough to remove the laptop going through airport security. When I leave the hotel, I can stash the laptop in the in-room safe and take the Retrospective 5 out of the messenger bag to keep on my shoulder as I head out on the town.
While the quest for the one ideal bag-that-can-do-it-all may be an impossible dream, the savvy photographer can coordinate a combination of bags that makes shooting-on-the-go easy, convenient, and comfortable.
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What lenses did you use? I couldn’t fit my M9 w/ 90mm asph mounted when my 21 lux and 5o lux were in the bag.
I can fit these 5 lenses in different configurations. 35mm Summicron-M f/2 ASPH, 50mm Summicron-M f/2, 90mm Tele-Elmarit-M f/2.8, Voigtlander 50mm f/1.1, Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5.
How funny, I was looking for a bag and stumbled on your page. Small world. Blog is looking Good!
Hey Mike, that’s funny. I’ll have a studio shoot and travel photos up this week. I’ll be in touch and see if you can make it to one of our studio shoots in the next month or two.
Hi Todd !
Nice blog and review of the TT5. I am actually debated btw the same bags as you were looking at : Billy small and TT5 ! I was able to check the TT5 at Adorama but that’s really small. I am surprise you’re able to fit all that !
I just have an M9+50lux to which I am adding a 90/2.8 but I feel that It’s small and you can’t even put a letter size paper (unfolded) into the bag…. The quality is definitely great !
I will check also the billingham small and decide until then.
Vadim
Vadim,
Thanks, that’s so nice you can go to Adorama, I’ve just bought online from them for years, I’d love to check out the store sometime.
I can surprisingly fit so much into this little bag, today I have my M9 with the 50 Summicron attached, on the left side I have my 35 Summicron with hood on the bottom, then the 50mm 1.1 Voigtlander on top with a divider. On the right side I have the Fuji X100 I just got today, and they all fit, it’s just starting to get a little heavy.
I’m waiting for the Retrospective 10 to come and I’ll do a review and see how much I can fit into that bag now that I just added a 28 Summicron and the X100. Also waiting for my 50lux to arrive. It’s getting to where I’ll need the larger bag, or not bring everything with me in the Retrospective 5. I guess it will all depend on what I’m shooting and how much I want to carry, that’s why you have to have so many different bags.
Hi
I think that each of us will always come up with a different solution depending on our kit, how long away, task, laptop, and Oh so many issues, But……. For me the really big question is whether and how to carry a tripod? And which tripod, again, depending on which camera I am carrying.
I want to have a tripod nearby even when carrying the x100. I have so many solutions, but I vary depending ……
So, several bags, ….. a few tripods, …..and maybe even a monopd.
Todd,
The bag is actually a greenish grey color. It looks like a beige or brown colored bag on their website but it’s not.
I’m still learning from you, but I’m trying to achieve my goals. I definitely enjoy reading all that is written on your site.Keep the tips coming. I liked it!
The ThinkTank Retrospective 5 is not only suitable for a rangefinder or micro 4/3 camera. A Nikon D700 with some primes (28mm, 50mm, 85mm) will fit too. The bag does not bulge and you can easily get the camera in and out of the bag. That means a Canon 5D will fit too. Nice bag for small trips with a limited kit. Build quality is very good, it looks nice and casual, lots of handy pockets, a raincoat, zippered compartiments and velcro silencers. Highly recommended!