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Report: Think Tank Urban Disguise Bag
- Thread starter fotografz
- Start date
beamon
New member
An email to them answered my own questions above.
The bags are made in Viet Nam and there is no stock or sales done in Santa Rosa so no use in stopping by.
Jan Brittenson
Senior Subscriber Member
Nice! I need a good carry-on travel bag that can hold my Mamiya 645AFDII, digital back, 210, 55, 35 lenses, and an M8 with a few lenses (CV 12, CV15, Cron 35, Cron 75, 135/4), plus maybe a snack and a book - for international air travel. It's okay if it doesn't fit under the seat in front, as long as I don't have to check it. On location I'd like it to be a reasonably sized day pack... Looks like that backpack Guy linked to might be a candidate.
jdbfreeheel
Member
I use the UD 50 for my regular day bag (walking around with a folder of papers, book or Kindle, and usually a SLR with a lens or two, batteries, etc) plus my MBP in the back. I love it.
Then for travel, I can use this as my carry-on 'laptop' bag as well as a larger ThinkTank bag/case (usually the Airport International) for carrying the bigger camera gear. I've never been told I have too much stuff. Then, the UD50 has a sleeve to slide over the extendable handle on the Airport International, so I can wheel the who kit around. It's really an incredibly well thought out system.
The only catch that I'm trying to figure out is when I want to use a backpack-based system. Thinktank has a bunch of bags/cases that can be backpacks too, but I just picked up a used Kiboko bag (Andy Gibbs design) and really like how innovative, light, and study it seems. It appears to be able to swallow a ton of gear.
-Josh
Then for travel, I can use this as my carry-on 'laptop' bag as well as a larger ThinkTank bag/case (usually the Airport International) for carrying the bigger camera gear. I've never been told I have too much stuff. Then, the UD50 has a sleeve to slide over the extendable handle on the Airport International, so I can wheel the who kit around. It's really an incredibly well thought out system.
The only catch that I'm trying to figure out is when I want to use a backpack-based system. Thinktank has a bunch of bags/cases that can be backpacks too, but I just picked up a used Kiboko bag (Andy Gibbs design) and really like how innovative, light, and study it seems. It appears to be able to swallow a ton of gear.
-Josh
I've been out photographing for the last 4 or 5 days from a UD60 with a large format system and a UD40 for the FF digital setup. The UD60 is a perfect size and also plays double-duty as a laptop/digital bag when needed. The UD40 is bigger than I need for my setup most of the time so I may look at getting one of the smaller bags. Once I get back home I'll do a little write-up of working with the Think Tank bags and how I've packed them. Short and sweet: these are great bags made to a very high degree of quality by people who actually make photographs and it shows.
I recently saw some Urban Disguise bags in a local shop and they look to be pretty close to what I was looking for. Glad I didn't pick something up yet. It's good reading all the great comments here. They didn't have the 35, but that looks exactly right. Perfect for a netbook and I'll still have space for a E-620 or E-30 with grip in the future. I know the long size isn't the best shape for accessing everything, but I don't think I'd normally be in a rush and it doesn't look bad as a backpack compared to the others.
Now to order one!
Now to order one!
Just picked up my UD35 this afternoon. If you are in Tokyo and looking or Urban Design bags check out Studio Shop in Tsukishima (http://www.studioshop.jp/access/) I didn't look at everything, but they carry basically the entire Thinktank line in the store and it's within walking distance of my office.
Compared to the UD40 it's taller and more narrow. It's also a bit thicker because of the laptop space in the back, similar to the UD50. It's height probably makes it a little less convenient if you have a lot of lenses to stack, but I like the vertical orientation. It's probably better then the others if you want to leave a lens attached, especially a telephoto. It's probably also the only UD bag that can do so with a gripped camera. Since I walk a lot in Tokyo I also picked up the shoulder harness of wearing it like a backback which looks better then their other models IMO. The bad part about the harness is that you'd basically need to unhook the top to get in the bag. You might just able to hook to the far handle. I'll have to try that.
Honestly I don't have enough lenses to fill it up yet, but gives me a bit of space to grow. The laptop slot is only large enough for a 13" laptop, or 10" if you put a camera with grip in the top. I like the flexibility and since I plan to get a netbook the size will be perfect. I like the narrower profile of the UD40, but since I'd be putting things in the front pockets I'm not sure it would change much overall.
I think I'll be quite happy with it for the near future.
Compared to the UD40 it's taller and more narrow. It's also a bit thicker because of the laptop space in the back, similar to the UD50. It's height probably makes it a little less convenient if you have a lot of lenses to stack, but I like the vertical orientation. It's probably better then the others if you want to leave a lens attached, especially a telephoto. It's probably also the only UD bag that can do so with a gripped camera. Since I walk a lot in Tokyo I also picked up the shoulder harness of wearing it like a backback which looks better then their other models IMO. The bad part about the harness is that you'd basically need to unhook the top to get in the bag. You might just able to hook to the far handle. I'll have to try that.
Honestly I don't have enough lenses to fill it up yet, but gives me a bit of space to grow. The laptop slot is only large enough for a 13" laptop, or 10" if you put a camera with grip in the top. I like the flexibility and since I plan to get a netbook the size will be perfect. I like the narrower profile of the UD40, but since I'd be putting things in the front pockets I'm not sure it would change much overall.
I think I'll be quite happy with it for the near future.
Well it took almost 2 years from when I said I would do it and it ended up just being a video spurred by a discussion about lightweight 4x5 setups on the large format photography forum.
10 minute video show & tell of the urban disguise 40 version 1.0 and 2.0 as a possible 4x5 field camera bag: http://www.jeremydmoore.com/2011/04...version-1-0-and-2-0-as-4x5-field-camera-bags/
10 minute video show & tell of the urban disguise 40 version 1.0 and 2.0 as a possible 4x5 field camera bag: http://www.jeremydmoore.com/2011/04...version-1-0-and-2-0-as-4x5-field-camera-bags/
Ben Rubinstein
Active member
Nice!
I've been using my UD60 as my main travel bag for over 3 years now. I added a set of Kata wheels to it and the airport is suddenly a more friendly place especially now as it's weighing in fully loaded at some 28 pounds!
I'm carrying in it:
3 camera bodies
3 lenses
4 flashguns
flash battery pack
2 spare camera batteries
5 Radiopopper transmitter/recievers
laptop
spare battery for laptop
external drive
cables, etc.
Not bad eh?
The UD60 mkII is apparently even better, you can strech out the main comparment so it's easier to fit stuff in.
I've been using my UD60 as my main travel bag for over 3 years now. I added a set of Kata wheels to it and the airport is suddenly a more friendly place
especially now as it's weighing in fully loaded at some 28 pounds!I'm carrying in it:
3 camera bodies
3 lenses
4 flashguns
flash battery pack
2 spare camera batteries
5 Radiopopper transmitter/recievers
laptop
spare battery for laptop
external drive
cables, etc.
Not bad eh?
The UD60 mkII is apparently even better, you can strech out the main comparment so it's easier to fit stuff in.
Godfrey
Well-known member
Another Think Tank*Photo user here.
I had the UD50 for several years, it handled my 15" laptop and a bulky lot of gear on a bunch of trips all over the place with no problems at all and nary a mark on it.
Downsizing to a smaller laptop (MacBook Pro 13") and a smaller camera kit this year, I wanted something trimmer in keeping with the downsizing theme yet just as useful. I bought the Urban Disguise 35 V2 and have been delighted with it.
The UD50 was sold to another GetDPI participant, who I hope is enjoying it as much as I did.
I like other bags for shooting out of, but when I have to move the lot of gear from one place to the next AND shoot out of the bag, these are about the best I've found.
I had the UD50 for several years, it handled my 15" laptop and a bulky lot of gear on a bunch of trips all over the place with no problems at all and nary a mark on it.
Downsizing to a smaller laptop (MacBook Pro 13") and a smaller camera kit this year, I wanted something trimmer in keeping with the downsizing theme yet just as useful. I bought the Urban Disguise 35 V2 and have been delighted with it.
The UD50 was sold to another GetDPI participant, who I hope is enjoying it as much as I did.
I like other bags for shooting out of, but when I have to move the lot of gear from one place to the next AND shoot out of the bag, these are about the best I've found.