17 replies to this topic

[sasdasdaf]

Hi everyone,

I am considering buying a Think Tank Airport International V2.0 Roller Camera Bag to transport my camera gear, housing, strobes, ULCS arms, etc. I have seen the bag once in person but did not have my gear with me so I was unable to gauge if everything fits. Based on your experience, do you think this bag can comfortably fit:
- Nikon D300 sized camera
- Metal housing, likely Sea & Sea, Aquatica or Nauticam
- Nikon 60mm macro, Nikon 105mm macro, Tokina 10-17 mm fisheye
- Flat ports for 60mm and 105mm macro lenses, mini dome for fisheye lens
- 45 degree viewfinder
- wet diopter of some sort, either Dyron +7 or Subsee +10
- 2 Inon Z-240 strobes
- Light & Motion Sola 600 light
- ULCS arms 2x5 and 2x8 plus clamps
- Fiber optic sync cords
- 12" laptop

If not everything fits, I don't mind checking in certain non-fragile items like the ULCS arms, strobes, Sola light, etc.

Details and specs of the bag are here:
http://www.thinktankphoto.com/products/air...-bag.aspx\

Thank you in advance.

[Steve Williams]

Hi partner,
I have the same bag and love it for traveling with my gear. You won't quite get all you listed in the bag though. I carry my lenses, bodies, and laptop in a Thinktank urban diguise 60, that rides along on top. A small backpack is another option. You'll have to remove one of the arms on the housing to make it fit, but no big deal. I'm carrying 2 Ys-250s so you won't have any problems with the inons.

Cheers,
Steve

[loftus]

I love my ThinkTank International. Not impossible to get all of that into the bag if you place the camera in the housing, pack lenses in soft bags with padding within the extension rings and ports etc. May have to leave out things like arms etc. Some may frown on camera in housing, I think that's the best place for it.

Edited by loftus, 07 September 2011 - 06:58 AM.

[Steve Douglas]

I've been using the Think Tank International bag for a few years now and many, many national and international trips. It holds up beautifully and I usually wind up way over packing it to the point where it weighs more as a carry on than my checked bag. I have several other Think Tank bags for other purposes as well. Top construction, great zippers and a lifetime warranty. Here is an old review I wrote on it for the editing sites, http://www.kenstone....ty_douglas.html
I have used many brands of bags and most are pretty decent. You won't go wrong with the Think Tank
Steve

[MIKE POWELL]

I use the larger Think Tank Security V2.0 and have had some close calls getting it on as a carry-on...flying on American Airlines it would fit in the goofy size measuring cage if I removed the laptop...then I had three carry ons including my backpack with lenses...luckily I had some nice flight attendance ladies that let me slide.

What will the International hold.....camera housing, 8 1/2" Zen Dome Port, Zen mini dome port, Inon z-240's, etc??

[fforbes]

I have just finished packing my Thinktank International rollaboard for a dive trip in a couple of days, and here is what it is carrying...
Subal housing for a Nikon D700 with 45 degree viewfinder
Subal arms, unconnected
8" domeport
4" domeport
flatport for 60mm lens + 105 mm extender
spare D200 camera body ( for topside) NOT in housing ( made that mistake only once, sheared a pin inside the housing).
2 Inon 240's
portable external hard-drive
Gallileo dive computer in case
Sola 600 Light
Macbook Air

I carry my dive camera with 5 lenses and SB800 speedlight in a Lowepro backpack. The front zip of my backpack is for Kindle, iPhone, very small, flat purse with passport, tickets, credit cards ( plus C card)money etc., and lipstick.

All the batteries, extension arms, synch cords, surge protector, spare parts, etc. are checked.

I modestly consider myself a champion packer. Everything that I value, including husband, goes on board with me, and has on every flight including puddle jumpers. Using the 20" International size instead of the American 22" length is a lot more acceptable to the airlnes. I highly recommend the ThinkTank International.

[MIKE POWELL]

Thank You FFORBES and the others....this will be my next purchase.

Anyone need the larger bag? I have one for sale....

[sasdasdaf]

Thank you all for your opinions. I think I am going to get one. Woohoo, new toy!

fforbes, you are a champion packer indeed. I never expected all that to fit in one carry on bag. If I can do 75% of what you can, I will be very happy with my purchase.

[scorpio_fish]

I no longer use mine when there are weight limitations. If you are limited to 7kg for your carryon, then this is not the optimum bag.

The bag weighs in at around 5kgs empty (with all partitions intact).

I use a plain roller bag which is the maximum size that weighs 2.5 kgs. I have bubble wrap pouches for all items. I pack 5kgs of gear in the bag. I then stuff 8 kgs of gear in shooter vest which I fold up and lay in the carryon. I put the vest on to check in and then put it back in the bag afterward.

If I can get away with a bigger "laptop bag", I use a medium size Lowepro backpack with laptop pocket. It carries the camera bodies with lenses and straps attached. I pack it to the 7kg limit and then add the bodies. If they are going to weigh it, I take the cameras out and hang them around my neck. They generally don't if you keep it on your back when checking in.

If you aren't weight restricted, the Think Tank is a great bag. It takes a little work to pack tight as the pockets are fairly deep.

[MIKE POWELL]

Any way you can post a pic of this bag packed?

My 8 1/2" dome port barely fits upright in the slightly deeper (+1/2") TT Security bag...Is your dome 8" or 8 1/2"?

Many thanks!

Mike

I have just finished packing my Thinktank International rollaboard for a dive trip in a couple of days, and here is what it is carrying...
Subal housing for a Nikon D700 with 45 degree viewfinder
Subal arms, unconnected
8" domeport
4" domeport
flatport for 60mm lens + 105 mm extender
spare D200 camera body ( for topside) NOT in housing ( made that mistake only once, sheared a pin inside the housing).
2 Inon 240's
portable external hard-drive
Gallileo dive computer in case
Sola 600 Light
Macbook Air

I carry my dive camera with 5 lenses and SB800 speedlight in a Lowepro backpack. The front zip of my backpack is for Kindle, iPhone, very small, flat purse with passport, tickets, credit cards ( plus C card)money etc., and lipstick.

All the batteries, extension arms, synch cords, surge protector, spare parts, etc. are checked.

I modestly consider myself a champion packer. Everything that I value, including husband, goes on board with me, and has on every flight including puddle jumpers. Using the 20" International size instead of the American 22" length is a lot more acceptable to the airlnes. I highly recommend the ThinkTank International.

[folivier1]

I'm packing for Bonaire with my Think Tank Ultralight backpack.
Subal housing (handles removed) for 5D2, with 180VF attached,
8" dome port (this fits at an angle in the top section)
100mm macro port,
50mm port extension,
YS-110a with sync cord,
13" notebook, Ipad
couple swimsuits and shirts for padding.
I should have room for batteries and chargers but these may go in check-in with my arm set.
I also have room for another YS-110a for when I buy another.
My wife will have the Lowepro Mini-trekker with camera, lens, and whatever else fits.
If I put the camera in the housing I could probably fit my 15FE, 17-40 & 100macro.
Amazing how much fits and the backpack (empty) is very lightweight.

I agree Think Tank is fantastic gear, can't go wrong.

[vetdiver]

I love my Think Tank when I am not in danger of having my carry-on weighed, and like FF (hi!), I have been able to get enough of my rig in the bag to ensure I can shoot if my checked luggage is misplaced.

However, I have a recent discovery to share: for a recent trip to the Solomon Islands (7 kg carryon weight enforced), my fiance and I both purchased Tenba bags from the Vector series. I have the the Tenba Vector Daypack II (2.05 lb empty), in which I carried:

3 dSLR camera bodies plus a canon SD series PnS
6 lenses (including a full complement of UW use lenses plus an 18-200 zoom lens and lens hood)
Small backup hard drive
Card reader
4 memory cards
MacBook in sleeve.

When I approached the front of the line, I removed the 2 smallest lenses I was carrying (60 mm macro and 15 mm FE), the hard drive, and the laptop in its sleeve and stuffed them in my purse. My bag easily made weight.

Aside from the ability to make carryon weight should it need to, this bag is very small compared to the Think Tank, attracting much less attention from baggage-weighing nazis. Oh, and the PRICE is another selling point - $100. My Think Tank will not be accompanying me to Asia/the Pacific again.

Cannot recommend this highly enough!!!

[yahsemtough]

I love my Thinktank but if it gets weighed, yikes.

I also use the Thinktank Urban Disguise which carries my Aquatica Megadome, laptop and 100-400.

Cheers

Todd

[MIKE POWELL]

I finally bought the TT International and packing it now.

Todd & Steve: Will the TT Urban Disguise work as my small "personal item"??

I use a small backpack now, but I can see me getting more stuff in the Urban Disguise.

Thanks!

[Steve Williams]

It's worked for me on the last 6 trips and no one ever questioned it but they were all with baggage friendly airlines; American, Cathy Pacific, etc. I don't know what would happen if you tried to take it through Brisbane. Guess it depends on where you're headed.

It's really amazing how much stuff you can get in that bag.

Cheers,
Steve

[yahsemtough]

It has worked for me. I really looks like it is only a laptop bag so no one has ever given it a second look.


Todd

[MIKE POWELL]

Thanks Todd & Steve!

[loftus]

The combination of the Airport International and the Airport Check-In, is a bottomless storage pit that will hold just about anything I stuff into them.