Rolling with Think Tank - Airport International V2 Review - A mulit-purpose Rolling Carry On
Think Tank
Airport International V2 – Roller Bag Review
First off
this will be a bit different than just another camera bag review because this
camera roller bag is really a rolling suitcase that is kitted out for
photography purposes. This is a multi-purpose rolling bag and that is how i use it.
I
have more camera bags, briefcases and suitcases than I
care to mention. I have different bags
for different needs but my focus was always on quality. I have
Victorinox
luggage and bags and also several Tumi products, and even Pelican stuff
as
well. The past few years I have been buying Think Tank products. I got
excited
by their clever features and was won over by its quality and common
sense
practicality. I have stuff from each product category (next will have to
be the
Urban Disguise 60). I realized that I needed a rolling camera bag to
save my
back but also to carry all the stuff you may need for a photo shoot.
This was very evident when I was asked to shoot some photos with 500px
for the Nutcracker being done by the National Ballet of Canada.
Meets INTERNATIONAL and USA domestic airline carry-on size requirements.
Meets INTERNATIONAL and USA domestic airline carry-on size requirements.
I used to use
a Pelican Rolling Case (22”) and then place a Lowe Pro Extreme camera bag and
gear into the case. However the stuff
can shift around as I do not have the divider kit for it. Also it’s too big as
a carry on. I do use it for carrying my studio strobes and lighting equipment.
I can easily strap on several stands to it as well. Great for that but not for
camera gear. The other thing I found is that when I travel with it and use it
as a suitcase, the security staff always opens it up, or have it weighed, or
tell me it has to go to oversize because most Pelicans have electronic
equipment in it. I originally looked at the 1510 model but it just didn’t suit
me and besides I do not want to draw attention to it. I needed a better way to
carry more stuff and to do it safely so thus the research for a suitcase
looking camera bag started. Sure enough Think Tank makes several and I chose
the International due to its carry on friendly dimensions.
The roller bag comes with a idea card showing where to store your Nikon gear. Flip the cardboard over and its a Canon version.
What makes it
exciting to me is that Think Tank really offers several features that make this
an ideal bag for multiple purposes. You could use this rolling camera bag as a
travel suitcase as well. The Airport series of products are not inexpensive but
they offer high end quality, practical features with feedback from working
professionals, and they are an investment. It also works extremely well with
the other Think Tank products. The primary reason I chose the TT AIv2 was for its
features and because I want my camera equipment safe and sound in the overhead
bin of the airplane or when traveling to a shoot. The roller looks like a
suitcase and not something carrying over $10k of photo gear. The roller bag
also has more room than the traditional camera bag meaning you can bring more
stuff to the shoot as well as lash on a tripod and save your back.
The features
that I wanted in a roller bag were as follows:
- High Quality and built to last
- Big Beefy Zippers (only YKK will do for me)
- Replaceable wheels
- Durable DWR finish
- Security Cables (this has one in the back and one in the front) with TSA friendly locks
- Security Plate with serial number and registration (just like Victorinox)
- Tripod Holder
- Zippered Pockets
- Flexibility (Low Divider kit optional) able to move dividers at will
- Rain Proof Cover
- Room for 2 bodies, 4 lenses, 300mm, a few flashes and more stuff
This
bag is
43” linear length making it ideal as a carry on for air travel with any
airline
but it will not fit in the overhead bin of many regional jets or
underneath the
seat. However, the Think Tank Urban Disguise 60 will fit underneath and
just
barely in the overhead bin of a Regional Jet. (The airline will gate
check it for you meaning it
goes into the plane’s luggage section underneath the plane. Photo gear
is not
recommended to be in the luggage. You should remove the camera and
lenses into
a carry on bag for the plane. The Regional Jets are small planes and
have very limited luggage space. Other airplanes are able to accommodate
a carry on bag of 45" linear length.). I have tested the TT AIv2 and it
does fit in an Air
Canada Luggage test frame. OK it is sized liked a regular rolling
suitcase.
The bag ships
with a divider kit but I chose to get the optional Low Divider kit which is
shorter in height allowing room for the Cable Management 50 or an Airport Intelligence
laptop bag to fit inside the case. This is my preferred set up for transporting
my photography gear. I can’t think of any other company making anything
similar. Again the great minds at Think Tank are always thinking ahead.
Low Divider with the Cable Management 50
If I am doing
a trade show then I can pull the dividers out (and keep the top two) and just
pack a body, lens and flash, my LCD projector and some packing cubes with
clothes. My laptop slides into the front. Now you are starting to see how
useful the case is. It can be multi-purpose.
If I am out
doing radio work, I can shift the dividers around and pack radio equipment just
as easily. I can even mount a portable antenna in the place of the tripod. It
can be multi-purpose and even use it as a traditional suitcase.
Trade Show set up - clothes, Projector and camera, lens , flash. Note the laptop bag
.
As a bonus
the inner lid has 4 plastic pockets with zipper pull protectors that are
perfect to hold a circular polarizer, white balance cards, small foldable
reflectors, cables, pocket wizard’s, etc.
Of course,
the outer pocket has organization compartments and I can fit my Travel Wallet and Passport Holder
in there.
I can slide
my Think Tank Airport Intelligence laptop bag into the front sleeve as well.
The security
cables allow you to lock the case to a pole or a table. This is perfect for the
trade show environment or a hotel room. I can also lock my laptop bag as well
as there is a security cable at the front. Again, people just see a suitcase
full of clothes. Who wants to steal that? I can keep the Eagle Creek security
cables I use at home now and use the built in ones. The security cables are
designed for casual use and not intended for long term unprotected safety. The
rain cover is handy as well when trying to get from the hotel or shoot site to
the parking lot in pounding rain.
I
found the
telescoping handle to be kind of flimsy. I checked some of my other
rolling luggage’s
and found they were not as flimsy. It turns out the TT AIv2 has a 4
section
handle and it stows into about a 10 inch section in the case. This is
ingenious
I think because the bottom half of the case has extra room as it doesn’t
have
to house the telescoping handle. Regular luggage would have the handle
telescope the full length of the case, good for clothes not as good for
camera gear
as there would be two ridges for the handle.
I can live with a flimsier feeling handle if it gives me a better
designed interior.
The package
also comes with a ton of dividers, the rain cover in its own pouch and several
straps and a cup for the tripod or mono pod holder.
Weekend Travel version. Lots of room for clothes. Don't need my 28-70 mm beast a 18-105 VR is just fine
The Airport
International V2.0 Rolling Camera bag comes highly recommended with a 9.5/10
rating. It does lose marks for its weight as it is a hefty ten pounds but that
includes a strong built frame, real rollerblade wheels and the dividers
themselves. Looking at the Lowe Pro version of it you will quickly see that it
has no real organizer pockets inside, the telescoping handle is on the outside
of the frame, and no clever Think Tank features. One product improvement would be to add a
standard ¼” threaded mount in the telescoping handle so for an impromptu light
stand. The Lowe Pro has this idea. The Kata series has its lovely bright yellow
interior but I didn’t like how the tripod had to be held against the front of
the bag. The Think Tank having it on the side means I can lay the bag down and
still open the lid. With Kata and Lowe Pro I need to lift the lid with the
tripod attached. Seems too clumsy for me. Also the competition just didn’t seem
to have that quality and clever features going for it. Remember, Think Tank is
designed for and by working professionals not for Sunday photographers out at the
zoo taking photos of Elephants.
In summary it’s somewhat expensive but price is what you pay and value is what you get. Its multi-purpose investment for my needs and it has some really great features not found elsewhere. You may want to order the Low Divider kit and a Cable Management 50 organizer bag as these two items work well for me. Guess what? Think Tank also makes a Think Tank Photo Travel Pouch for holding your clothes and shirts with YKK zippers and bullet proof construction. Guess what I am buying next payday?
