who is using a tt retro 5 bag...

[back alley]

as a daily carry bag...what do you normally carry in it and what are your impressions of it?

i traded for one, in pinestone, and find it close to a domke 5xb...but much prettier and a tad smaller/tighter for the same amount of gear. i have not yet started to carry it on a daily basis as i have been using my x100 exclusively and the retro 5 is big for just it.

 

[Dacnard]

I have been using one for a couple of months. Its size is perfect for my needs, I carry 1 body 2-3 lenses, some film, a small notepad and a pen.
My only observation is to move the inner separators to close all gaps in between and to hold tight your equipment.

 

[back alley]

i was hoping for some longer term impressions from users who have been toting the retro 5 around for a while...

 

[agoglanian]

Then I'm a good one to chime in 😉. I'm working on a review presently but I'm happy to share my impressions of the bag thus-far. I won't go into agonizing detail, but I'll share my thoughts so far.

I became interested in the Retro 5 as soon as I saw it, I presently own the Retro 10 for my DSLR kit (along with a few other Think Tank bags) and I had a feeling that the Retro 5 would be the ideal small-kit bag for me.

At the time I was switching off between a Domke F-6 and F-5XB depending on how much "small stuff" I wanted to carry. I sold them both and bought the Retro 5 as soon as it was available.

I take it with me every day, and while it hasn't quite broken in as much as my Retro 10 yet (Had it about 5 months now, I've had the 10 close to 2 years) it is still very light and comfortable on my shoulder. The quality of the bag is top-notch, as is the case with every Think Tank product I encounter. I thought the carrying capacity of the bag was perfect for what I wanted, but slightly smaller than I anticipated (not enough to be a problem though)

Here's what I carry in the bag: (Note this does not cause the bag to feel "over-stuffed")

• Bessa R2 (Note: One of the lenses is always attached to the camera body)
• Color-Skopar 35 PII
• Nokton 50mm f/1.5
• Fuji X100
• 4-5 rolls of Film
• Extra SD Cards and Batteries
• Business Cards
• Pocket Moleskine Notebook
• Pens / Markers

With all of this stuff in the bag it's still plenty comfortable to walk around all day with. It may be heavy for some, I'm not sure, but when I compare the weight to my fully loaded Retro 10, or even my ShapeShifter, or my REALLY loaded F-Stop Loka (with multiple bodies and 6 or so large SLR lenses) then this bag weighs almost nothing to me 😀

Here's some things I like about the bag:

• It's lightweight
• Good carrying capacity for RF or m4/3 kit
• Comfortable on the shoulder
• Excellent build quality
• Looks good 😉

And a couple things I don't like (subjective of course):

• It looks a bit silly on my tall frame (6'3" and broad shouldered)
• The bag is small, but it sticks out a bit in depth
• Good size for RF or Film SLR (& m4/3) but much too small for a DSLR kit, unless it's very small

So hopefully that helps some, as you can see I'm quite a fan of the bag and I think it's a worthwhile bag to check out for any RFFer.

- Abram

 

[back alley]

i'd like just a tad wider, with an ipad pocket also.

this is the first bag that i can hang off my shoulder and it stays up there...even the domkes don't do that very well.

 

[tokyoshooter]

It's a great bag! I usually carry it with my M9 (with one lens attached), 2 extra lenses, a pen, my passport, a micro-fiber cloth and a few memory cards.

My only issue with it is that it does not have a zip (only the cover). But I have not found another bag that better matches my needs.

 

[Tim Gray]

I've had mine since it came out. I've used it on a couple trips. It works well. It's a bit of a tight fit, but two cameras with lenses attached can work, with the other third devoted to a lens or some film or other doodads. It's much more comfortable with just one camera in there, especially if you like a lot of space. Doodads include some pens, some filters, a bubble level, a short cable release, an external finder, etc.

I often travel with 2 cameras, but when I'm shooting, one is always out. So the bag is very workable in use - filled with one camera, another lens, and some film.

For lighter usage, I have a tiny Lowepro bag which fits a camera and film. I use that when I see no need for spare lenses, cameras, or just want to keep it light.

 

[Steve Bellayr]

I find it perfect for one camera + two lenses. I could put a third lens in it or arrange for 2 cameras with 2 attached lenses. I wore it seveal times all day with no problem to my shoulder. Very well padded and I do not have a problem with being careless. The bag I find does not imply camera as do other models that I have used.

 

[B.J.Scharp]

I have one, for all-day carrying of my `full travel kit' (not my everyday kit, that's just an M3 with a collapsible 'cron tucked in my backpack).

Normal loadout:
M3, collapsible cron, 21 SA, 135 TE, 21mm finder, MR meter, SOOKY-M, and of course half a dozen rolls of film. In addition to that a wallet, sunglasses and paperwork. You could fit in a second body, but the weight gets too heavy for my taste.

That loadout is easy to carry all day, though you might want to swap shoulders occasionally.

Thing to get used to is that it's not a bag you can keep everything tidy in. The sections are pretty flexible, so they move around a bit depending on what's inside. Once you get used to this, it's ok, but it's not the bag for someone who needs everything in its own place all the time.

Strap is very comfortable, velcro-silencers are amazingly useful, bag is easy to get into without being insecure.

I'd recommend it.

 

[back alley]

i'm thinking of using the retro 5 on an upcoming trip to toronto and fiddling with what i might want to carry in it. i want to be comfortable as i imagine that i will be walking a bit.
i am tempted to carry just the new x100 and then there would be lots of room for my 'stuff', bit if i carry the x100 plus the rd1 with say, 2 lenses then it would be tight.

i could fit everything i own if i used my domke 5xc but that might be too heavy for days of walking plus it's bigger by a fair margin.

...

 

[agoglanian]

You could easily get the X100 + the R-D1 and 2 lenses in there. I have the Bessa R2 (same body) with the Winder-T attached and I have no problem fitting my aforementioned kit in there. Everything is still easily accessible.

I'd be happy to take some pictures to show how I have it setup if you like.

 

[mathomas]

I just received a Retro 5 from Think Tank for review. I literally just pulled it out of the box a couple hours ago and had a quick gander at it. I'm at work, so I haven't gone further. First impressions are: nice construction quality and interesting fabric (pinestone). I'm very interested to side-by-side it with the F-5XB.

I will be posting a full video review on youtube eventually. Will try to post a link here once I've done so.

 

[back alley]

You could easily get the X100 + the R-D1 and 2 lenses in there. I have the Bessa R2 (same body) with the Winder-T attached and I have no problem fitting my aforementioned kit in there. Everything is still easily accessible.

I'd be happy to take some pictures to show how I have it setup if you like.

pics are always nice.😛

 

[mathomas]

Was supposed to post these Retro 5 review links when available:

Part I
Part II