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Gear Review – Think Tank Retrospective 20

What it’s not

Before I discuss all the great things the Think Tank Retrospective 20 does well, you have to understand what this bag is not supposed to be. If you confuse the purpose of this camera bag, then you will be disappointed. However, if you understand the niche this bag fills, then you will be elated. Well, very happy at least.

The Retrospective line of camera bags (in sizes 10, 20, and 30) are not general purpose camera bags. Nor are they good bags for travel or storage since they lack reasonable padding or secure zip or clip closures. The Retrospective bags are not great at carrying laptops with cameras. Lastly, while they hold a lot of gear, they are not intended to hold everything a professional photographer needs.

Carrying capacity of the Think Tank Retrospective 20 by Hunter Harrison of Hunter Photographic - a Cleveland wedding photographer

Carrying capacity for the Think Tank Retrospective 20 – D700 with grip, D300, 70-200mm f/2.8 with hood reversed, 24-70mm f/2.8, 14-24mm f/2.8 with hood extended, SB-800 speedlight, spare batteries, memory cards, rain cover, iPhone and car keys with room to spare.

So why are they so special?

The Retrospective bags fill one niche really well – they are the perfect “shoot sack” for working photographers. I cannot tell you how perfect this bag is for comfortably carrying a moderate amount of gear nearly all day long. With the right gear loaded, the Retrospective 20 sits comfortably on the hip with the strap across your shoulder. The strap is built tough, but more on that later.

If you must stuff the Retrospective bag full, have a look at the picture above. The Retrospective 20 can hold all of that photography gear with room to spare. YES, two camera bodies with one grip and three fast lenses. However, I recommend carrying less in the Retrospective 20. In fact, I am wary of the larger Retrospective 30. Carrying too much in either bag is uncomfortable and wears on the shoulders regardless of the excellent strap. For my purpose as a wedding and portrait photographer, the Retrospective 10 is a little small. Then again, I just carry too much gear.

So, simply put – a perfect bag to load up with gear you need access to quickly and often. Perfect for working wedding or portrait photographer, especially when working on location. Definitely not designed to be a travel bag. For travel and storage, move your gear to a well padded and secure bag and simply take the Retrospective 20 along for on-location duty.

Comfortable capacity for the Think Tank Retrospective 20

With gear reduced to what I really need, as seen above, the Retrospective 20 wears well and feels comfortable across one shoulder. However, you can still see that it holds a lot. Leaving out the extra camera body and knick-knacks gives me the right gear and comfort level, especially with a camera and lens in hand leaving the bag partially empty.

If you typically just work with two lenses, say a fast normal and telephoto zoom, then you may be able to get away with the smaller Think Tank Retrospective 10. Personally, I like a little more space in case I need to squeeze in extra gear. Also, all three Retrospective bags can hold an iPad or small laptop in the outer-back zipped pocket. Keeping something large and ridged in this pocket makes it sit uncomfortably on the hip. Leave the laptop or iPad a travel/storage bag.

Inside the Retrospective 20 camera bag by Hunter Harrison of Hunter Photographic - a Cleveland wedding photographer

Spacious internals of the Think Tank Retrospective 20

Think Tank Retrospective 20 loaded with reasonable photography gear by Hunter Harrison of Hunter Photographic - a Cleveland wedding photographer

Retrospective 20 filled with a comfortable gear load – One camera with grip, three fast lenses, speedlight and accessories.

Packed up with a comfortable load, the bag does not wear very “thick” at the waist. My arms move comfortably around the bag when I am walking distances. The bag can slip behind the thigh and stay put while walking – much more so than a single camera hanging from a rapid strap. It simply stays at my back and does not flop around much.

Features make the bag

Features will make or break a decent bag. Fortunately, Think Tank does features better than any other professional camera bag company. I also own the Think Tank Airport Security and have looked at Think Tank’s entire line-up. They all come with thoughtful and useful features, including the Retrospective line of bags.

Retrospective 20 camera bag inner front pocket by Hunter Harrison of Hunter Photographic - a Cleveland wedding photographer

Retrospective 20 camera bag inner front pocket with the closure flap tucked away for “silent mode”

First, the inner-front pocket seen above has the right amount of well-sized mini pockets. The pockets are great for holding the typical small accessories a professional photographer needs. You can see the Think Tank label in the picture above. That is a flap to secure the inner-front pocket closed. If you don’t want the loud velcro RRRRIIIIPPPP during a wedding ceremony, the flap will secure to the side leaving the pocket open. In fact, all of the velcro flaps can be put into “silent mode.”

Retrospective 20 camera bag inner rear pocket by Hunter Harrison of Hunter Photographic - a Cleveland wedding photographer

The inner-rear pocket of the Retrospective 20 features a zipper closure with a soft cloth pull tab.

The inner-back pocket is one deep well and secures with a zipper. Grabbing the zipper is made easy by the large cloth pull attached to the zipper head. The cloth pull is nice since it won’t scratch or wear photo gear inside the bag, especially LCD screens.

Retrospective 20 camera bag dual speedlight pocket by Hunter Harrison of Hunter Photographic - a Cleveland wedding photographer

Dual “speedlight” pockets are included on each side of the Retrospective 20 camera bag.

Each side of the bag has a pocket that secures with a velcro flap. These two inner-side pockets seem tailor made to hold speedlights, even the giant Nikon SB-900. The flaps can be secured so the pockets stay open in “silent mode.” Even though these pockets seem designed for speedlights, I prefer to keep my speedlight in the front-outer pocket. This leaves more room inside the bag, enabling fast and easy lens changes.

Retrospective 20 silent velcro feature by Hunter Harrison of Hunter Photographic - a Cleveland wedding photographer

The best feature – silent velcro. In the velcro in one position the top flap secures. In the other, the velcro won’t engage. Brilliant!

Above you can see what I mean by “silent mode”. This is the main flap that flips over the top to secure the entire bag closed. On this flap, you can secure the velcro in “silent mode” so that it does not seal when the main flap is shut. This feature enables silent access to the bag, especially nice during wedding ceremonies. For a wedding photographer, this silent feature is a real dream.

I mentioned at the top this bag is not for general purpose storage and especially not for traveling. The main flap only secures with the velcro. There are no clips or zippers and little padding. Because of this, I do not recommend the bag for gear storage or travel. I use the Think Tank Airport Security to house my lighting gear and a well-padded LowePro backpack for camera gear storage or travel. If you recognize the Retrospective 20’s on-location niche, this should not be an issue. Think of it as a bag supplement.

Then again – bags are like crack to professional photographers. We can never have enough bags.

Retrospective 20 anti-slip comfort strap by Hunter Harrison of Hunter Photographic - a Cleveland wedding photographer

Comfortable strap – the Retrospective 20 has a well padded and adjustable strap which features anti-slip rubber pads on the bottom

Retrospective 20 strap detail by Hunter Harrison of Hunter Photographic - a Cleveland wedding photographer

Built tough – the strap anchor points on the bag continue down the sides and under the bottom for security

The last feature worth mentioning is the strap. Again, it is very well designed with the professional photographer in mind. The shoulder pad has three main features. First, it strap pad is thick and provides all day comfort. Second, the bottom of the pad has anti-slip silicone nodules to keep the strap securely on your shoulder. Last, there is a strong friction fit between the pad and the strap. Thus, the pad will not slide out of position on the strap, but the pad can be moved to your desired position.

As for the strap security, just have a look at the last picture. The strap anchor points on the bag are nuclear-strength. Strap webbing continues down the side and across the bottom. In short – this strap will NOT come undone.

Some other nice features:

A second top strap handle for carrying the bag in your hand
Available in black or “pinestone” (a soft gray-green)
Outer-side pockets to hold, um, stuff
Big outer-back pocket large enough to hold an iPad
Comes with a weather-sealed rain cover, which can tether to the bag
Has a lanyard for your keys
Strap can be easily adjusted for taller or shorter people
Comes with a couple extra dividers, but you really don’t need them

What’s the downside

Certainly not the on-location niche. However, here is a short list of possible improvements –

Including a clip on the main flap in addition to the “silent” velcro would give extra peace of mind.
The bottom of the bag could use a little more padding. I certainly would not want to drop the bag by mistake, even from a short distance.
The cost – at $159 the price is steep. Then again, professional photography bags from any company are not cheap.

Do I like it? Yeah, you can have my Retrospective 20 when you pry it from my cold dead hands.

Hey, that’s me in Pro Photographer Magazine!

Cleveland wedding photography Hunter Harrison featured in Profesional Photography Magazine
The package waiting for me at home could have been a surprise, but PhotoShelter kept me informed throughout the process. In the end, I was expecting the two glossy copies of Professional Photographer Magazine nestled inside the padded package. Nonetheless, I am thrilled to be published in this month’s issue.

Read or download the complete article

PhotoShelter had contact me to see if I use Google Analytics and SEO. After a short discussion, I was invited to participate in an article about how photographers successfully market themselves online. One short interview later and I was published. I have certainly worked very hard marketing my business online, which is like having a second job. In just a year, traffic on my site has tripled and my business has doubled.

Still though, it is not all about marketing. My two central pillars remain exceptional service and excellent photography. Marketing is just a necessary chore.

Take some time to learn more about Professional Photography Magazine, or the article’s author, Allen Murabayashi. By the way, Allen is also the head honcho over at PhotoShelter.

P.S. – Allen has the looooongest bio I have ever seen, but it is humorous at least. I dare you to read it all.

Ask Your Photographer These Questions!

Diamond and platinum wedding rings

I have been interviewed by countless couples and families seeking a photographer for their wedding or family portraits. In general, everyone asks good questions. However, some of the most important are often left out. If the questions go unasked, I try to bring up the information anyhow.

So, let’s say you found a few photographers and you really like their style. Now its time to contact them and discuss your needs. Make sure to touch on the questions below. This will help to ensure you get a good value for your money. A good wedding photographer or portrait photographer will be able to adeptly answer each question.

Do you have references we can contact?
This question is important for any contractor you hire. If the photographer stumbles for a second, you should be concerned. The answer should always be “Yes, I can provide a list.” Any other answer should be concerning.
Can I see a full wedding or portrait set?
This is important. Most people can collect a few good photos with time. However, you want someone who can reliably produce a good set just for you. We warned if they say no. If they happily provide a set, don’t expect every image to be stunning. Look for good photography throughout and a few stunning photos.
Are you insured?
This may seem simple and inconsequential, but it is important. First, if something go wrong, then you know the photographer has liability insurance. More importantly, it usually means the photographer is serious about their craft and business. Amateurs and beginners are rarely insured. Take it as a sign of professionalism.
Can I see your gear?
Its a fact, photographers are usually gear-heads. They’re happy to show off their equipment. What should you be looking for? Don’t focus on the brand, model, or the size of the camera. You are looking for how many cameras and lenses they have, especially if the service is for a wedding. Gear fails all the time. You want a photographer than has back-up equipment in case something breaks. After all, the photographer cannot re-shoot the wedding if gear fails. As an example, I have three cameras, 5 lenses, multiple flashes, and many studio strobes. I bring everything to any shoot just in case something fails.
Who does your printing?
How the final prints are produced is just as important as style and equipment. Wal-mart, Costco, and drug stores might produce a nice print. However, no one beats a professional photography lab. For example, I use Miller’s Lab. While it is more rare, some photographers also produce their own prints. Select a photographer who uses a pro lab or produces their own prints. Once you receive the prints, you will notice a difference.
How do you store images?
Like having back-up gear, how the photographer stores images is critically important. Again, and wedding cannot be shot a second time. I shoot images on small memory cards. If one card should fail, I only lose a few images. I then store copies on my computer, my back-up drive, upload them to off-site storage, and make a DVD copy. You should look for a photographer that is very serious about back-ups and data security.
JPEG or RAW?
For most people, this question is meaningless. However, it is important. For most photographers, this question is a guaranteed way to start a serious argument. Many will argue that shooting in JPEG file format is no different than shooting in RAW, so they choose JPEG because the files are smaller. I am in the other camp and you should be too. To put it simply, RAW files are more flexible, allow for more creative control, and allow for more fixes. Try to find a photographer that agrees. However, this is not a deal breaker. The wonderful photographer who shot my wedding did so in JPEG and I was fine with that.
Do I like this person?
Unless you want a funny look, don’t ask this question out loud. Or do, and see what happens. Really, you need to like the photographer as a person. You are going to spend a good amount of time with them. Simply, the photographer should be nice, polite and good humored. Avoid any one who seems frustrated at little things, is constantly late, or unprepared. You are hiring a professional photographer, and should expect professionalism.
What happens if the photographer gets ill?
This is the only question I will raise that should be spelled out in the contract. Expect a good photographer to have a long list of other good photographers that they can call. Expect them to communicate clearly with you should an issue arise. Expect them to stand behind the substitute. I have a list and trust those on it to do the job as well as me, or better. If the substitute costs me more than I am paid, then I eat the difference. It is not your fault I got sick. Oh, you did get a copy of the contract, right?

Speaking of the contract, get a copy and read it over carefully. Look for clear language regarding everything that could go wrong. Then, examine what are the responsibilities of each party should something go wrong. You should feel comfortable to challenge passages in the contract that you do not like or are unclear. Whatever you do, DO NOT book a service without a contract.

Aside from the “advanced questions” above and the contract, just make sure you like the services you are receiving. I let all my wedding photography clients build their own package because I don’t need to sell a particular one. We jointly find services that work for them.

I think you can see from the above, that you get what you pay for. Photography is expensive not because photographers are rich. In fact, it is really hard to make a living at photography. Good photography comes at a price due to expensive gear, insurance, assistants, labs, internet services, and so on. For example, the contents of my camera bag cost well over $12,000, and it only lasts a few years.

As always, feel free to ask me anything you like, even if you are hiring someone else in town. I am happy to help.

Category: For Photographers

What it’s not

So why are they so special?

Features make the bag

What’s the downside