I’d been looking for a smaller shoulder bag that would be easy to carry, but would contain all my daily essentials for still, video, and drone photography. With the new Retrospective 30 V2.0 by Think Tank Photo, I’m now able to carry my Nikon Z9 and my Mavic 3 drone, along with their chargers, controller, and two extra batteries. There’s still room inside for a 10” Android tablet, an 8” iPad, and my newest Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga laptop.
This bag is impeccably made, with all sorts of thoughtful details – like “Sound Silencer” flaps that can be adjusted on the Velcro fasteners, to allow just the right amount of grip. With no flaps, there is maximum adhesion on the Velcro and there’s no way the bag cover will ever come open accidentally. However, it’s noisy when you open it. So, if you’re in a situation where you want the cover to open quietly, you can simply put the silencer flap over the Velcro to prevent it from making any noise. I find most of the time I put the flap down halfway to still give adhesion, but I can quickly and easily open it with just a short, easy tug.
There’s also an incredible amount of adjustability for the interior of the bag with dividers that firmly hold your equipment in place but are easily adjustable to all sorts of different configurations. there’s even a zippered main compartment cover that tucks away when you don’t need it. They also include a sealed seam rain cover which I keep tucked away in the front pocket, just in case.
On the outside of the bag, the engineers have created a large pocket that can be used for either a large water bottle or a large additional lens, which cleverly folds flat and stays out of the way when not needed. On the back of the bag is a pass-through handle so the Retrospective bag can be slipped over the handle of your roll-on suitcase. For things you might need quick access to, there’s another large zippered pocket on the back which could accommodate magazines, tablet and/or laptop.
In all, there are seven different Retrospective V2.0 bags available depending on the amount of gear you want to carry. They are available in Pinestone or Black, and they definitely warrant a look if you want a premium bag that looks like it could last a lifetime.
