Pete Askew
Admin
A few weeks ago I bought a Think Tank Urban Disguise V2. Now, this was despite being hugely disappointed with the Think Tank Airport International roller (awful to configure and just couldn't get it right - I just use if for storage now and use Peli rollers when I need to move more stuff). But I wanted a compact(ish) camera bag that I could get a laptop in as well and, although my preference is for Billingham soft bags, their sleeve just doesn't work too well. So, I decided, after reading a couple of reviews to get the UD60 V2 from Snapperstuff (UK importer).
And, all in all, it has been a success. This is its first outing as I am in Athens / Mykonos all week for work and suspected I would have time for a spot of photography. Last night I packed the bag and moved the dividers around (you'd have thought I have done this a few weeks ago when I bought it rather than the evening before the flight but...). In the bag I fitted with ease:
1 x 15" MacBook Pro (pre-unibody) in a neoprene sleeve.
1 x Nikon D3
1 x 24-70 1/2.8 Nikkor
1 x 85 1/1.4 Nikkor
1 x Leica M9
1 x Leica 28 1/2.8
1 x Zeiss 50 1/2 (M)
1 x Voightlander 12 1/5.6 + VF
1 x Lensbaby Composer with case, hood and aperture set
1 x Ricoh GR Digital III
Chargers and spare batteries for the bodies and Ricoh
Manfrotto Modopocket (http://www.monopod.org.uk/manfrotto-monopods/manfrotto-modo-pocket-table-tripod) - given as a gift and a wonderful little thing - even supports a M9 (but not a D3!).
Gorillapod with B/S head - Medium size (could have squeezed a small Gitzo CF tripod in if I had wanted instead but won't have that much spare time). Amazingly it will hold the D3.
External drive (Sonnet Fusion F2) to backup images to (RAID) plus eSATA Express 34 card.
Spare MacBook battery and MacBook charger
Network cable, laptop to phone charger cable, DVI to VGA adapter
CF and SD Express34 card readers (SD in MBP)
Lacie credit card sized external USB 'drive'
Mobile phone and 2 pairs of glasses
Lens brush and cleaning cloths (Zeiss cleaning kit in suitcase 'cos of the liquid).
Travel documents etc plus a couple of thinnish files and a Moleskin notebook.
There was even room for the latest Henning Mankel novel in hardback (in the suitcase handle sleeve).
Not a bad collection for traveling with and there was room to spare (I could have fitted my Leica 35 1/1.4 if I'd not left it at work
) and a second Nikon body without too much trouble.
Despite the weight, the strap was comfy and the handle is well designed. It doesn't look like a camera bag (but it does look like a laptop bag so I'm not too sure where the advantage in the disguise is) and is well within carry-on luggage size limits (but maybe not weight with some airlines!).
The divider kit is well thought out and the Velcro is fairly easy to keep under control. Quite a few of the components are smooth nylon rather than loop-pile so you don't have that irritating tendency for the dividers to stick where you don't want them. You can create 'shelves' an layers in the bag quite easily to allow you to stack some things.
I would have liked a few more fixed compartments (like on Crumpler bags) to organise some of the bits and bobs in. There are some in the front section but that was used for travel documents, credit cards, currency etc.
In general, I'd be quite happy to recommend this bag and it has boosted my overall opinion of Think Tank no end.
Hope this is useful / interesting.
And, all in all, it has been a success. This is its first outing as I am in Athens / Mykonos all week for work and suspected I would have time for a spot of photography. Last night I packed the bag and moved the dividers around (you'd have thought I have done this a few weeks ago when I bought it rather than the evening before the flight but...). In the bag I fitted with ease:
1 x 15" MacBook Pro (pre-unibody) in a neoprene sleeve.
1 x Nikon D3
1 x 24-70 1/2.8 Nikkor
1 x 85 1/1.4 Nikkor
1 x Leica M9
1 x Leica 28 1/2.8
1 x Zeiss 50 1/2 (M)
1 x Voightlander 12 1/5.6 + VF
1 x Lensbaby Composer with case, hood and aperture set
1 x Ricoh GR Digital III
Chargers and spare batteries for the bodies and Ricoh
Manfrotto Modopocket (http://www.monopod.org.uk/manfrotto-monopods/manfrotto-modo-pocket-table-tripod) - given as a gift and a wonderful little thing - even supports a M9 (but not a D3!).
Gorillapod with B/S head - Medium size (could have squeezed a small Gitzo CF tripod in if I had wanted instead but won't have that much spare time). Amazingly it will hold the D3.
External drive (Sonnet Fusion F2) to backup images to (RAID) plus eSATA Express 34 card.
Spare MacBook battery and MacBook charger
Network cable, laptop to phone charger cable, DVI to VGA adapter
CF and SD Express34 card readers (SD in MBP)
Lacie credit card sized external USB 'drive'
Mobile phone and 2 pairs of glasses
Lens brush and cleaning cloths (Zeiss cleaning kit in suitcase 'cos of the liquid).
Travel documents etc plus a couple of thinnish files and a Moleskin notebook.
There was even room for the latest Henning Mankel novel in hardback (in the suitcase handle sleeve).
Not a bad collection for traveling with and there was room to spare (I could have fitted my Leica 35 1/1.4 if I'd not left it at work
) and a second Nikon body without too much trouble.Despite the weight, the strap was comfy and the handle is well designed. It doesn't look like a camera bag (but it does look like a laptop bag so I'm not too sure where the advantage in the disguise is) and is well within carry-on luggage size limits (but maybe not weight with some airlines!).
The divider kit is well thought out and the Velcro is fairly easy to keep under control. Quite a few of the components are smooth nylon rather than loop-pile so you don't have that irritating tendency for the dividers to stick where you don't want them. You can create 'shelves' an layers in the bag quite easily to allow you to stack some things.
I would have liked a few more fixed compartments (like on Crumpler bags) to organise some of the bits and bobs in. There are some in the front section but that was used for travel documents, credit cards, currency etc.
In general, I'd be quite happy to recommend this bag and it has boosted my overall opinion of Think Tank no end.
Hope this is useful / interesting.
