Think Tank Photo Vision 15 Shoulder Bag REVIEW

Perfect for getting essential gear to the right place for the right shot.

I love my Think Tank Photo Streetwalker HardDrive V2.0 Backpack . It’s perfect for hauling around absolutely everything I own for my camera. It’s large and in charge. But sometimes, you just want to grab your camera, an extra lens and go do some shooting. For those times, I love having a should bag handy. A couple of years ago, I reviewed the Spectral 15 Shoulder Bag from Think Tank Photo. It’s been a great option for the quick on-the-go essentials, but I thought it was time for an upgrade. So, I turned to Think Tank Photo once again and have been testing out the Vision 15 Shoulder Bag for the past couple of weeks. After a series of family road trips, it’s without a doubt the best bag for that type of job.

DETAILS

The Vision Shoulder Bag Series of products includes three different sizes of bags — Vision 10, Vision 13, and Vision 15. Each bag size is designed to hold different equipment.

• Vision 10: Fits one standard size body with a wide or short zoom plus 1–2 small extra lens, 10” tablet. Fits a 24–70mm f/2.8 detached. Or, Fits a Mirrorless kit with 3–4 lenses including the 50–140mm
• Vision 13: Fits one standard size body with a 24–70mm f/2.8 attached plus 1–3 extra lenses, a 10” tablet and a 13” laptop. Accommodates a 70–200mm f/2.8 detached
• Vision 15: Fits one standard size body with a 24–70mm f/2.8 attached, 2–4 extra lenses, flash, a 10” tablet and a 15” laptop. Accommodates a 70–200mm f/2.8 detached.

Since my main equipment includes a 15” laptop, a Canon 5D Mark IV and 3 lenses, I thought the Vision 15 would be the best fit for me. The shoulder bag features an internal zippered flap that provides a secure closure, weather barrier, and theft protection. It conveniently tucks away when it’s not in use. The bag is made with a waterproof tarpaulin base and has tripod attachment straps included. The Vision Shoulder Bag series is sized for professional lenses and provides extra capacity for hoods. In addition to the laptop pocket, there is also enough space for 10” tablet in the front pocket.

SPECS & FEATURES

• Phone pocket sized for today’s large phones
• Highest quality materials (YKK RC Fuse zippers, metal hardware, 500D 2-tone polytech weave) and proven high-quality construction
• Expandable water bottle pocket fits all sizes of bottles or gear
• Luggage handle pass-through
• Padded non-slip shoulder strap for all day comfort
• Reinforced top grab handle
• Customizable internal layout with extra dividers for stacking short lenses
• Secure zippered pocket holds batteries, card wallets, and other accessories
• Seam-sealed rain cover included
• Exterior Dimensions: 17.3” W x 10.6” H x 6.3” D (44 x 27 x 16 cm)
• Interior Dimensions: 15.3” W x 9.8” H x 5.1” D (39 x 25 x 13 cm)
• Laptop Compartment: 15” W x 9.8” H x 1” D (38 x 25 x 2.5 cm)
• Tablet Compartment: 11.4” W x 7.9” H x 0.5” D (29 x 20 x 1 cm)
• Phone: 5.9” W x 7.9” H (15 x 20 cm)
• Weight: 2.6 lbs. (1.2 kg)

IMPRESSIONS

“With the Vision Shoulder Bag Series, you can get all the right gear to the right place, so you can turn your vision into a great photo.” (Think Tank Photo’s website) With that sort of introduction, I thought that the Vision 15 would be ideal for my uses. I love the quality and design features of Think Tank Photo bags so I was thrilled to test out this bag. One of the best opportunities for a quick easy-access shoulder bag came into play when a family member came to visit recently. Within the span of three days, we traveled approximately 800 miles around the area.

The first day of regional road trips, we drove three hours to see a civil war museum. I packed up the Vision 15 with my Canon 5D Mark IV, 70-200mm detached, some accessories, and a 24-70mm attached. I did include my camera flash, too, since I wasn’t sure what we would be encountering. During that trip, I did not put my laptop in the bag because I knew I wouldn’t be doing any on-site editing. The size of the bag is a lot more compact than my camera backpack so it was much more convenient for car travel. Walking around inside the museum, I felt the bag get a little heavy. I wasn’t getting in and out of it too much, but I certainly felt the weight on my shoulder as I hauled it around. Because of this experience, I would recommend using a backpack instead of a shoulder bag for outings such as this — when you’ll be doing a lot of walking.

Something else that contributed to the added weight was the fact that I had a travel tripod attached to the bottom of the bag using the provided tripod straps. They were functional enough, but the tripod did still move around quite a bit. I didn’t have a problem with it sliding away from the bag completely, but it was a little cumbersome to pack around since it moved around so much, but again, with a shorter trip, it’s great to be able to include the tripod easily.

On another outing, I went to a local horse racetrack and to take photos of the horses as they ran. I was actually going to take a picture of a specific horse so I got to the track about 15 minutes before the race started, pulled the Vision 15 from my car, and found a spot close to the track to watch the race. I switched lens and then set the bag aside. When the race was over, I slung the bag on my shoulder and walked back to my car. I then stowed my camera in the bag again and drove home. It was a very quick shoot and didn’t involve a lot of walking around. For that, the Vision 15 was perfect. It kept my gear secure and in that environment — with lots of dust and dirt in the air — I didn’t worry about my extra lens getting ruined since the internal zippered flap kept out those elements.

In a few weeks, I will be shooting a wedding and while I plan on keeping the majority of my gear in my ThinkTank Backpack, having the Vision 15 available so that I can be efficient while moving from spot-to-spot with just the essentials is a wonderful benefit to having the bag. I can add just a few items to the bag and be quicker on the move rather than hauling the backpack around the venue every time I need to move.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I find the Vision 15 Shoulder Bag to be ideal for photographers when they have to carry some gear for short distances. Because it’s a shoulder bag by design it’s not meant to be for hiking adventures, but it does provide a comfortable way to carry your camera gear while keeping it safe from the elements. There is tons of space for all the essentials and even a portable office. Accessing contents of the Vision 15 is very easy and I found the bag helped to keep clutter in check.

For more information, visit thinktankphoto.com, Facebook, and Twitter.