My Favorite Thank Tank Shoulder Bag
Think Tank Speed Racer v2.0 Review
The Think Tank Speed Racer 2.0 blurs the line between a shoulder bag and a really sophisticated waist belt pack. To be clear I use it as my go to shoulder bag on my luxury real estate and architectural shoots. I don’t use it as a waist belt pack. I need to move around allot and can quickly take it off my shoulder, after I move to a new location and place it on the floor next to my tripod. My Think Tank Speed Racer v2.0 instantly became my de-facto, go to shoulder bag. And I LOVE it! Yes, while the Speed Racer v2.0 is at the top of the price point when it comes to Think Tank shoulder bags it is worth ever penny. Why? They got everything right on this bag….and it is superbly built. Light weight in construction, bullet proof build and fanatical attention to detail in every way. What I love about the Speed Racer v2.0 is that it is a rock solid, all purpose bag that can stand up to maximum punishment yet still accompany me to a wedding, a location event or double as a trusted companion on a race track or sporting event. Its also a great bag for field shooting and street shooting alike.
I use it daily for my #SonyAlpha α7s, α7II, FE 16-35 f/4 Z OSS, Sonnar T* FE 55 f/1.8 ZA, FE 24-70mm f/5 Z OSS, FE 70-200 f/4 G OSS. All this can not fit in the bag however, I can have either my α7s or α7II on my Peak Design Sling with one lens and fit everything else comfortably in the bag. Or I can have two bodies both with lenses on and one additional lens in the bag and say the Sonnar T* FE 55 f1.8 ZA in a side pocket. Plus a water bottle, a few protein bars, my bizz cards, maps, pens, SD cards and a few other personal items.
The Speed Racer V2.0 is superbly padded {360 degrees} to protect your gear against bumps and bruises. Pictured here with the FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS e-mount lens.
The back pocket is perfect for a small Moleskin notebook, maps and credentials. It has a small velcro closure to ensure your valuable won’t spill out. It will also accommodate a full size iPad or an iPad Mini {my choice}.
Lets do a detailed overview on the outside first, and then the inside, shall we … :
Heavy duty quick release clips to engage and disengage the shoulder strap {below}.
Generous deep side expandable side pockets on each side of the Speed Race V2.0 easily accommodate a lens or water bottle.
While shooting you can keep a portion of the top unzipped or the entire top unzipped for quick and easy access to you gear. Note: The telephoto had its lens hood on. That’s how deep the pockets are. If the lens hood was mounted backwards the FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS would fit neatly in the back.
Note the breathable mesh lining on the back of the Speed Racer V2.0 to help keep you ventilated and cool.
Industry leading YKK RC Fuse zippers. Which I’ve written about before, and ballistic nylon. No velcro to fuss with, plus a slit zipper with rain sealing on the topside of the bag for quick easy access. Super wide and comfortable shoulder strap, easy adjusting fasteners, a with built in densely padded should strap with non-slip rubber coating which prevents strap from sliding off the shoulder.
I’ll most likely never use the generously appointed belt that easily hides away in the side zip pockets. However I can see using them when hiking in Yosemite. Other than that I keep the belt tabs stowed in their respective zipped pockets.
Even the belt buckle is beefed up to heavy duty standards.
As you can see here, the lower front zip pocket is slim and will accommodate an iPhone, your wallet, i.d. cards and bizz cards. The pocket is none expanding but great for small items. Pictured to the left of the bag is the #SonyAlpha α7II with an FE 24-70mm f/4 Z OSS lens and some Peak Design quick release tabs. This give you a good idea the size of the bag and how generous and deep the interior and outer pockets are.
A top down look:
Its a about half as wide again as both the new Think Tank Mirrorless Movers and the old school Retrospective bags. However it accommodates so much more and it is built for a bit more punishment.
A spot for everything:
And now … a look at the generous and well thought out upper of the two dual front zipper pockets.
I really like the way that the pocket is gusseted so that it will not just flap open with un-zippered.
A place for everything: Pens, bizz cards, and an ample wide pocket with a thick blue nylon strap {left of the Think Tank logo} is fashioned with a key fob for securely holding your keys.
Here’s a super big bonus that even Think Tank doesn’t talk about. You can easily fit an iPad mini in the The Think Tank Speed Racer v2.0. The inside main compartment has a flap for padded protection of you iPad Mini. Additionally I also throw my dual USB mobile phone charger into this pocket for when I’m on the go.
If you are a Think Tank fan or have been Jones’n for some Think Tank gear, I’ve got some great news for you… For free Gear go to: www.thinktankphoto.com/workshop and enter code WS-754. You’ll get free shipping and a gift from Think Tank with your order of $50 or more.
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