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Product Description
Think Tank - Retro 5 Pinestore
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
45 of 52 people found the following review helpful
By S. Joshi
Amazon Verified Purchase
I had been wanting to get this bag for a while, and finally took the plunge. It is a very well built bag, perfectly constructed, not a loose thread anywhere, clearly new but not shiny-new. But after checking it out for a few days, I felt it was not for me, and returned it. Here is a quick run-down of the pros and cons and the reasons for my ultimate decision. As usual, YMMV.
Pros:
1. Fantastic construction. Top notch materials all through.
2. Tons of pockets, small and large, including small pockets within larger pockets
3. Easy to open flap to get at contents
4. Very nice interior for making adjustments - the entire inside is velcro-compatible
5. Great shoulder pad and excellent shoulder strap material
Cons:
1. A surfeit of pockets compared to the size of the bag. Even if one does not use all pockets (Which was perhaps the designer's intent), it is easy to misplace things.
2. Some pockets are, for me, of extremely limited use, like the ones on the outside left and right side. You can put in something flat such as a small notepad, but nothing else - despite the product description which suggests one can put in a small water bottle.
3. The length of the shoulder strap is fine as long as you want to carry it that way. If you want to carry the bag cross-shoulder, the strap runs short, and you cannot unclip the factory strap to put in a longer one.
4. There is no zipper to close up the bag, just the velcro flap. If by chance I have the velcro silencers on, there is nothing to keep the flap held in place, and then if the bag flops open - accidents do happen - the contents of the bag will spill. Not good, and for me, the dealbreaker. I've seen it happen often enough with womens' handbags to risk it with my camera gear.
I truly wanted to like the bag - and there is a lot to like. Great material, great feel, beautiful workmanship. But the bottom line for me was safety of contents if I forgot to un-silence the velcro, and more issues as enumerated above. For my own specific needs, it does not work. Then there was the issue of stuff missing - it was supposed to come with a set of spare partitions that were not there.
All in all, in my opinion, a lovely bag, somewhat over-designed in some use-cases and under-designed in others (mainly secure closure missing for main compartment), that does not work for me. (I even asked myself - what would make me keep it? If there was a good closure like a zipper, and the factory sent me the missing parts, I could probably live with the other shortcomings).
Pros:
1. Fantastic construction. Top notch materials all through.
2. Tons of pockets, small and large, including small pockets within larger pockets
3. Easy to open flap to get at contents
4. Very nice interior for making adjustments - the entire inside is velcro-compatible
5. Great shoulder pad and excellent shoulder strap material
Cons:
1. A surfeit of pockets compared to the size of the bag. Even if one does not use all pockets (Which was perhaps the designer's intent), it is easy to misplace things.
2. Some pockets are, for me, of extremely limited use, like the ones on the outside left and right side. You can put in something flat such as a small notepad, but nothing else - despite the product description which suggests one can put in a small water bottle.
3. The length of the shoulder strap is fine as long as you want to carry it that way. If you want to carry the bag cross-shoulder, the strap runs short, and you cannot unclip the factory strap to put in a longer one.
4. There is no zipper to close up the bag, just the velcro flap. If by chance I have the velcro silencers on, there is nothing to keep the flap held in place, and then if the bag flops open - accidents do happen - the contents of the bag will spill. Not good, and for me, the dealbreaker. I've seen it happen often enough with womens' handbags to risk it with my camera gear.
I truly wanted to like the bag - and there is a lot to like. Great material, great feel, beautiful workmanship. But the bottom line for me was safety of contents if I forgot to un-silence the velcro, and more issues as enumerated above. For my own specific needs, it does not work. Then there was the issue of stuff missing - it was supposed to come with a set of spare partitions that were not there.
All in all, in my opinion, a lovely bag, somewhat over-designed in some use-cases and under-designed in others (mainly secure closure missing for main compartment), that does not work for me. (I even asked myself - what would make me keep it? If there was a good closure like a zipper, and the factory sent me the missing parts, I could probably live with the other shortcomings).
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
I confess to being obsessed by camera bags. I typically buy about 2 cameras a year -- typically the "latest and greatest -- and se;; the displaced cameras on eBay. Since size, weight and suitability for "street shooting" candids are of the most concern, right now my "kit" consists of a Fuji X100 and Canon S95. About 75% of my shots are taken on cruises where the ship typically visits several countries and at least 10 ports, with the remainder being taken mostly on race committee boats from which I photograph sailboat races.
Unfortunately I usually don't sell off the bags that I buy for each combination of cameras and this has left me with about a dozen bags ranging from a rolling case for my late DSLRs with their multiple lenses, to waist packs that can only handle one small camera plus a spare battery and card. Until my Retrospective 5 purchase, my last favorite was a Tamrac bag able to handle these two cameras along with a decent number of accessories plus an Apple iPad 2. However, this is a bit too bulky for outings when I can leave the iPad at home or in the cabin of a cruise ship, so this hasn't proven to be as easily handled as I wanted it to be. Besides I've found that the iPad2 is less than ideal for photo storage , organization and editing; and therefore it is being replaced on my next few cruises by my good old Dell laptop that doesn't fit in the Tamrac.
Enter the Think Tank Rerospective 5: This is -- hands down -- the best made and most thoughtfully designed bag for a person carrying 1 or 2 small cameras and some extra gear. I keep the cameras and the most essential accessories (e.g., spare batteries, memory cards and the 2 battery chargers and the Fuji manual)in the main compartment, and then put the less-essential accessories in a zippered mesh bag that I place in the front compartment. That way my whole kit is together when I travel so that all I have to do is put the Retro 5 into a corner of my carry-on bag when I'm flying, and remove the mesh bag and the chargers from the bag when I go out shooting. Without the mesh bag and chargers, the entire kit weighs slightly less than 5 pounds, and when I fly the weight including the accessories still comes in under 6 pounsd.
The Retro 5 is superbly built and organized. Everything can have its own place as there are probably close to 20 compartments and padded separators. The only (minor) problem is that to get to some of the smallest compartments, you may have to go by feel into some of the smaller and more obscure compartments, or temporarily remove a larger item from an adjacent compartment. However this is preferable (to me at least) to having a jumble of small items sharing a few compartments and having to dump many things out to find and get to the smallest ones. This is the direct opposite of the philosophy behind the similiarly-sized and priced Domke bag which is probably the closest competitor to this bag in terms of cost, quality and appearance, but which has a bare minimum of compartments to add to its flexabilty.
The best feature of the bag is the Velco fasteners that secure not only the flap enclosing the entire bag, but smaller tabs that close off some of the larger compartments as well. The fasteners assure that the bag is securely closed, but at the same time they can be opened in a fraction of a second even by someone wearing gloves or with some loss of strength in their fingers; which is again very different from the Domke bag which has fasteners that are very difficult to manipulate by most people who are wearing gloves or on Social Security.
Finally I really like the weather-proof bag which will protect your gear in a downpour. And ... in typical Thinktank style ... you have at least 3-4 compartments to choose from in deciding where to store the waterproof bag.
Is ANY small bag worth $135? That as much money as I have typically spent on 2-3 of my other small bags. My answer is YES; this is a bag that I anticipate using with an entire generation of new cameras that I can choose from this year including the Sony Nex7, the Fuji X10, the Olympus and Panasonic 4/3 cameras,the tiny Pentax, and the fabled mirrorless Nikon pro camera. In short, DSLRs are losing ground to lighter and smaller gear, and it's only a matter of time until bags that weigh more than about 8 pounds fully loaded will be considered as cruel & unusual punishment for anyone that is not getting paid big bucks to shlep everything around!
Unfortunately I usually don't sell off the bags that I buy for each combination of cameras and this has left me with about a dozen bags ranging from a rolling case for my late DSLRs with their multiple lenses, to waist packs that can only handle one small camera plus a spare battery and card. Until my Retrospective 5 purchase, my last favorite was a Tamrac bag able to handle these two cameras along with a decent number of accessories plus an Apple iPad 2. However, this is a bit too bulky for outings when I can leave the iPad at home or in the cabin of a cruise ship, so this hasn't proven to be as easily handled as I wanted it to be. Besides I've found that the iPad2 is less than ideal for photo storage , organization and editing; and therefore it is being replaced on my next few cruises by my good old Dell laptop that doesn't fit in the Tamrac.
Enter the Think Tank Rerospective 5: This is -- hands down -- the best made and most thoughtfully designed bag for a person carrying 1 or 2 small cameras and some extra gear. I keep the cameras and the most essential accessories (e.g., spare batteries, memory cards and the 2 battery chargers and the Fuji manual)in the main compartment, and then put the less-essential accessories in a zippered mesh bag that I place in the front compartment. That way my whole kit is together when I travel so that all I have to do is put the Retro 5 into a corner of my carry-on bag when I'm flying, and remove the mesh bag and the chargers from the bag when I go out shooting. Without the mesh bag and chargers, the entire kit weighs slightly less than 5 pounds, and when I fly the weight including the accessories still comes in under 6 pounsd.
The Retro 5 is superbly built and organized. Everything can have its own place as there are probably close to 20 compartments and padded separators. The only (minor) problem is that to get to some of the smallest compartments, you may have to go by feel into some of the smaller and more obscure compartments, or temporarily remove a larger item from an adjacent compartment. However this is preferable (to me at least) to having a jumble of small items sharing a few compartments and having to dump many things out to find and get to the smallest ones. This is the direct opposite of the philosophy behind the similiarly-sized and priced Domke bag which is probably the closest competitor to this bag in terms of cost, quality and appearance, but which has a bare minimum of compartments to add to its flexabilty.
The best feature of the bag is the Velco fasteners that secure not only the flap enclosing the entire bag, but smaller tabs that close off some of the larger compartments as well. The fasteners assure that the bag is securely closed, but at the same time they can be opened in a fraction of a second even by someone wearing gloves or with some loss of strength in their fingers; which is again very different from the Domke bag which has fasteners that are very difficult to manipulate by most people who are wearing gloves or on Social Security.
Finally I really like the weather-proof bag which will protect your gear in a downpour. And ... in typical Thinktank style ... you have at least 3-4 compartments to choose from in deciding where to store the waterproof bag.
Is ANY small bag worth $135? That as much money as I have typically spent on 2-3 of my other small bags. My answer is YES; this is a bag that I anticipate using with an entire generation of new cameras that I can choose from this year including the Sony Nex7, the Fuji X10, the Olympus and Panasonic 4/3 cameras,the tiny Pentax, and the fabled mirrorless Nikon pro camera. In short, DSLRs are losing ground to lighter and smaller gear, and it's only a matter of time until bags that weigh more than about 8 pounds fully loaded will be considered as cruel & unusual punishment for anyone that is not getting paid big bucks to shlep everything around!
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
This is my second Think Tank bag and I was expecting lots of features and great quality and somehow this bag exceeded my expectations.
The material is durable cloth that looks new and used at the same time. The padding is enough to protect against bumps but not overboard to make the bag bulkier than it needs to be.
The features I really like, beyond the ample capacity for a "smallish" bag, are the numerous pockets, a very comfortable, well padded, and generously long shoulder strap, and the ability to "tune" the velcro strap closure. You can adjuct it from a very firm grip (which of course makes noise when you open it) to not holding at all (and the flap still stays closed thanks to it's weight and the flexibility of the material.
So, what does it hold for me on a typical day, you ask?
- Nikon D90 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) with a Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S ED VR II Nikkor Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon DX-Format Digital SLR Cameras attached.
- Nikon 85mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras and there's room for another prime lens if I choose.
- Nikon SB-800 AF Speedlight for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras - Old Version with a Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce Diffuser.
- Nikon 7072 Lens Pen Cleaning System (for the brush), Nikon 8072 Microfiber Cleaning Cloth, and Purosol All Natural Lens Cleaner 1oz.
- TASCAM PR-10 Portable Digital Audio Recorder (Black) for example, background audio can be a nice addition to slide shows.
- Manfrotto 035RL Super Clamp with 2908 Standard Stud - Replaces 2900 (Black) The world is your tripod.
- PicPac II 11-in-1 High Speed Memory Card Reader and 250 GB Storage Device 7625
- Spare batteries for the camera, flash, and recorder, a few extra memory cards. A small flashlight.
- Business cards, notepad, and pens
Even with all that, it doesn't feel heavy or look stuffed.
The material is durable cloth that looks new and used at the same time. The padding is enough to protect against bumps but not overboard to make the bag bulkier than it needs to be.
The features I really like, beyond the ample capacity for a "smallish" bag, are the numerous pockets, a very comfortable, well padded, and generously long shoulder strap, and the ability to "tune" the velcro strap closure. You can adjuct it from a very firm grip (which of course makes noise when you open it) to not holding at all (and the flap still stays closed thanks to it's weight and the flexibility of the material.
So, what does it hold for me on a typical day, you ask?
- Nikon D90 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) with a Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S ED VR II Nikkor Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon DX-Format Digital SLR Cameras attached.
- Nikon 85mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras and there's room for another prime lens if I choose.
- Nikon SB-800 AF Speedlight for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras - Old Version with a Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce Diffuser.
- Nikon 7072 Lens Pen Cleaning System (for the brush), Nikon 8072 Microfiber Cleaning Cloth, and Purosol All Natural Lens Cleaner 1oz.
- TASCAM PR-10 Portable Digital Audio Recorder (Black) for example, background audio can be a nice addition to slide shows.
- Manfrotto 035RL Super Clamp with 2908 Standard Stud - Replaces 2900 (Black) The world is your tripod.
- PicPac II 11-in-1 High Speed Memory Card Reader and 250 GB Storage Device 7625
- Spare batteries for the camera, flash, and recorder, a few extra memory cards. A small flashlight.
- Business cards, notepad, and pens
Even with all that, it doesn't feel heavy or look stuffed.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
This bag was perfect for carrying one camera and extras.
I used this bag on a 10 day trip in France and it did everything I expected it to. The size was perfect for air travel and keeping everything I need in one place.
Published 1 month ago by KEN
2.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely heavy for casual shooters.
This bag is comfy and looks good, but it's way too heavy for me.
I had switched my system from DSLR to Mirrorless to save 700 grams, but I find this bag made my original... Read more
I had switched my system from DSLR to Mirrorless to save 700 grams, but I find this bag made my original... Read more
Published 2 months ago by nemomel
4.0 out of 5 stars
Super well made but a little purse-like
Appearance & Construction
This camera bag is tiny and dangerously close to purse territory. A woman with a rustic edge would be pleased to carry her makeup, iPhone and... Read more
This camera bag is tiny and dangerously close to purse territory. A woman with a rustic edge would be pleased to carry her makeup, iPhone and... Read more
Published 3 months ago by P. K. Frary
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE Travel Camera Bag
First it is stealthy. There might be other bags that work as well, but their design and labels scream "I have an expensive camera in here, steal me". Read more
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Think Tank #5 shoulder bag
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Published 5 months ago by jimmy
5.0 out of 5 stars
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For anyone wondering just how much this fine "little bag" will hold, I regularly carry a Canon 5D mkII with a Tamron SP24-70mmf/2. Read more
Published 6 months ago by brad-man
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nice bag
Very nice bag perfect for just your camera, extra lens, battery, and sd card. Doesn't hold much more than that but I didn't need anything else.
Published 6 months ago by Leia
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great for Travel
At the recommendation of Scott Kelby of Kelby Training I bought the Think Tank for my trip to Iceland and Sweden. Read more
Published 7 months ago by David A. Nelson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exceptional - And I use it with a D600!!!
Let me begin by saying I first bought this for my Fuji X-Pro 1 and extra lens, but then I sold the Fuji and "came home to Jesus": a Nikon D600. Read more
Published 8 months ago by F. J. Junqueira
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great bag
This bag is ideal for a mirrorless camera system. I can fit a Sony Nex-7, 18 - 55mm lens, 24mm Carl Zeiss lens (mounted on camera), 30mm macro lens, 50mm lens, 16mm pancake lens,... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Simon C Courtney
