My Think Tank Retrospective bags are my favorite shoulder bags. Especially in the soft-but-tough "Pinestone" water-resistant canvas as shown here, it feels great as well as being the best-made shoulder bag I've used. I wish there was side access to get to my gear faster or a safe yet fast way to access the gear up top. The shoulder pad is ultra-comfortable and feels great, particularly when carrying the bag around all day, and the strap is made of pretty strong cotton material which I think will last a lifetime. The Retrospective 4 V2.0 has all the necessary tech requirements in the interior including adjustable dividers. I do not know what is your opinion, but I am not so convinced about the usability of the 10 or 20 l. Another thing is the tripod. What to do with it? A mini tripod enters but even a travel tripod gitzo series one do not really acomodate, neither inside nor outside…

The bag holds its form quite well and, as a result, has a slightly boxy shape that will most likely soften with time and use. I own the Retrospective 20 and there is no doubt it can hold a lot of gear including a mounted 70-200mm f/2.8 in either the horizontal or vertical direction. I find myself using the bag less that I thought however because I find the messenger bag flap that holds everything in the bag to be very large and awkward. Perhaps I have yet to master the technique but I have found the best option for me is to wear the bag such that the flap opens out rather than towards the body. This way it can drape down the outside of the bag while I dig out what I am looking for from the inside. Overall, I could find absolutely no fault, and it almost doesn’t feel right. No product, no thing I’ve ever used was this flawless at what it was supposed to be and do. The Retrospective is just so well thought through, it’s hard to believe. I fully realize I’ve been praising this product like crazy so far, but Think Tank really did come up with a very good shoulder bag, though that’s just my opinion. There was not a single moment where I thought –“what on Earth made them do that?”. Everything feels refreshingly well made and well designed. It should not be so surprising, but is, and that’s a stone in the garden of so many other manufacturers. Not just those that make camera bags. The Lovely Little Touches

Retrospective 20

And finally, here are the straps. It comes with waist and shoulder straps with a lot of available adjustment options. Build Quality The exterior of each Retrospective shoulder bag is purposefully simple, allowing photographers to inconspicuously blend into their shooting environment. If it’s the classic style of the Retrospective 6 you like in the sandstone colour, then the Billingham range The inside of the Retrospective 10 is much more spacious than the Retrospective 5. I can easily fit the following: I love these bags. I usually use the Retrospective 5, while the Retrospective 10 is more than big enough to carry more than I'd actually use for shooting. The Retrospective 7 is also a good compromise if you want to carry more. Remember, you will always stuff any bag with as much as it will carry, so err on the small side to prevent hauling more than you need.

It’s also harder to clean the padded foam with air holes than a section of material with no perforations. Not everyone is going to go out in terrible weather, but at some point, you will need to put your bag down somewhere unappealing. As far as I know this one was introduced together with the 10. It has the same exact footprint but is a bit taller to accomodate a camera with 70-200mm 2.8 attached. If that is your application this is the right bag for you, if not rather have a look at the 7 or 10. You probably saw the next bit coming. You may even think it to be a cliché of sorts. But, yes, I found the shoulder bag I was looking for. I absolutely adore the Seven. Whenever I use it, I am constantly fascinated by all the things it does just right. Almost as if people who actually do photography came up with the design! So I will go on and say the following: if you need a medium-sized shoulder bag for daily use, just go and buy this. Need a smaller one? Get the Retrospective 5. Need a larger one? Get the Ten or Twenty. It’s great, and I can’t see someone not liking it for all the things it does well.The thing that really gets me is how Think Tank came up with several truly ingenious and amazing solutions to some of the issues I used to take as a necessity of sorts. Firstly, those tiny flaps I mentioned already on each side inside the bag – they stop one from being able to pull the equipment from the bag without opening the cover first, and hold it securely in place all the time. And it’s just a tiny bit of fabric! What I like even more is the “silencers”, as you can see in the image below: This is as clever as it is simple. Think Tank is the Volkswagen of camera bag world. Might not be overly exciting, but they do think of everything. Forget cringing in quiet environments every time you need to access the contents of your Seven. Just fold the velcro and engage Bresson mode! For ultimate stealth, put butterflies, sunflowers, ladybugs, bunnies or other baby stuff all over it so it looks like mom's diaper bag. Sew some diaper pieces to it so that diaper corners are showing from the seams, and only the stupidest of people will hassle you. Here’s a look at the hardware that keeps the top flap down and in place. I wish that they could be deployed faster, but they’re instead just standard loops and hooks. The photo of you carrying the bag is very informative & funny at the same time. It’s informative because I can directly know how big the bag is. Your illustration for silent velcro system is also very good.

The first Retrospective bags were introduced in 2010 and remained unchanged for almost a whole decade and for a good reason: these were perfect from the start. The seam-sealed rain cover included with the Retrospective 10, 20, and 30 was specially designed to keep the carrying handle and integrated shoulder strap outside the rain cover without compromising protection from the elements. Since the top flap doesn't have to be pulled snug to attach with the velcro, if you want to hold a pro body like a Nikon D3 with a pro f/2.8 tele like the 80-200mm AF-S and its reversed hood, it fits just fine. I presume it will fit fine with the similar 70-200mm VR II; I just don't have one handy to try.I can carry enough camera gear for an afternoon out and about shooting street photography. I can also include some essential daily carry items and not feel like the bag is stuffed full. On the side there are loops than can be used to attach some of Thinktank’s modular pouches or a filter bag. This often saved me from needing a bigger bag. Thinktank Retrospective 5 with filter pouch attached to sideloop Clever design This bag will also hold the three f/2.8 zooms (16-35mm 2.8, 24-70mm 2.8 and 70-200mm 2.8) but your camera won’t fit in with the 70-200mm 2.8 attached (see Retrospective 20 for that).