So I am narrowing my search for the best bag (for me) and I am leaning heavily towards the Think Tank Airport Security V2. I was also considering the Lowe Pro X200 or X300 but the general consensus I have been reading is that the quality is better on the Think Tank. Quick question for anyone who has this case...Are you able to load it with 2 bodies with lenses attached? I want to be able to load my D3S with 70-200 and D700 with 24-70. Can I do that with the Airport Security?
Also, is there room to stuff a rain jacket in the front pouch if needed?
I have this camera case. You can easily fit the two bodies and lenses that you mentioned and a lot more. The front pouch stretches quite a bit so you could put a thin rain jacket in there. A larger one would fit but would probably deform it permanently (i.e. make it saggy or floppy).
I have that bag! *wink* I work for Think Tank, so I'll get that out of the way now.
You can fit the D3S with a 70-200 f/2.8 attached and your D700 with the 24-70 attached within our much smaller Airport Airstream and Airport Navigator bags with room for flashes and a few additional lenses, etc.
Are you leaving out a lot of gear from your list? If not, then the Airport Security may be more bag than you need.
Hmm well that's great to know, thanks for the info! I do bring a lot with me when I shoot...Here's my list
D3S with 70-200
D700 with 24-70
105mm
50mm 1.4
SB900
SB600
Pocket Wizards
Spare batteries for all
Water
Snack
Rain cover
You think all that would fit in one of the smaller bags?
I have the Airport Security 2 and recently used it as a carry on a CRJ commuter jet, the small one. It fit like a glove in the overhead. Of course as I was going to board the ticket takers gave me a plane side luggage tag to give to the ground crew but I just pocketed the tag and quickly got on the plane and stowed the bag in the overhead, what a relief, it fits!
In the bag I was able to carry on one half a 500mm F4 lens and on the other half a 5D camera, 70-200 f2.8 lens, 3 primes, accessories, and a 580 flash with room to spare.
For international traveling with the 500 lens I can't think of a better more comfortable way to travel. I had really wanted the Gura Gear Bataflae 26L Backpack but it doesn't have wheels and I was already carrying a Think Tank Shape Shifter backpack. Besides the Airport Security Version 2 has a built in TSA lock and a security cable.
To answer your question, yes I believe it will easily hold all of what you had mentioned.
@ Stephen - Yes, you could certainly fit this in a smaller bag, like the Airport Navigator. Is the D700 gripped?
@ Roger - In the three years I've been working Think Tank Photo Support, I've never heard that any of our rolling bags could fit in a CRJ's overhead compartments. However there are two versions of CRJs. You have the CRJ700 and CRJ900. Also, some of the newer models have a 1st Class section that does have larger overhead bins. You're really rolling the dice thinking you could consistently get a bag that size on board. That being the case, I could never in good faith say that an Airport Security would fit in the overhead though. Just want to throw that out there in case others try to do the same.
pixelrandy wrote:
@ Stephen - Yes, you could certainly fit this in a smaller bag, like the Airport Navigator. Is the D700 gripped?
@ Roger - In the three years I've been working Think Tank Photo Support, I've never heard that any of our rolling bags could fit in a CRJ's overhead compartments. However there are two versions of CRJs. You have the CRJ700 and CRJ900. Also, some of the newer models have a 1st Class section that does have larger overhead bins. You're really rolling the dice thinking you could consistently get a bag that size on board. That being the case, I could never in good faith say that an Airport Security would fit in the overhead though. Just want to throw that out there in case others try to do the same.
It was a CRJ 200 if memory serves me right and no there wasn't any first class seating, truly a small jet. If there was anything in the front pouch, it wouldn't have fit, that's how tight it was. After I slid the bag in the outer wheel looked like it stuck out too far, but no, the luggage bin door shut fine.
Actually reading on the Think Tank website reviews for this bag, one reviewer says it fits in the overhead of both the CRJ700 and the CRJ900.
"It fits in just about any overhead bin, including the tiny ones of CRJ 700s and CRJ 900s, don't let the gate agent tell you it wont fit, it always does, and they always look in amazement as I take my laptop out of the front compartment and it magically slips in to the tiny bins."
