Photo Bag Reviews

Sling-style photo bags are one of the most versatile and comfortable ways to carry your cameras and lenses. Think Tank Photo upped the convenience level a couple notches when they introduced the TurnStyle series of sling photo bags a few years back. In addition to providing easy conveyance and protection for your gear, the TurnStyle camera bags are designed to rotate from back to chest, providing instant accessibility to the contents. Think Tank Photo has raised the bar once again by overhauling the lineup and introducing Version 2.0 of these handy bags.

What do you get when award winning professional photographers and world class bag designers combine their many years of experience and begin producing bags and carry solutions? Think Tank Photo, that’s what. These folks have been collaborating since 2005—which is about when I first noticed them—and have continually set the standard for innovative design and rugged durability that professionals require.

By actual count they have introduced 16 new products so far in 2017, plus three more under their Mind Shift Gear label. For me the most exciting is the TurnStyle V2.0 sling bag. I identified the Think Tank Photo TurnStyle 20, original version, as my favorite street shooting bag back in 2014. You’ll find that review here. I have been using a TurnStyle 10 V2.0 bag for about two months now and here’s what I have learned.

Think Tank Photo’s TurnStyle sling bags are lightweight carry solutions for DSLR cameras, lenses, tablets, accessories etcetera. They are designed to be easily rotated into payoff position so you have immediate access to your gear. Additionally, they can be converted from a sling bag into an around-the-waist bag for those days when your back just won’t take any more.

The TurnStyle V2.0 Lineup
TurnStyle V2.0 slings come in three sizes to match your camera system and overall needs. The TurnStyle 5 is the smallest, measuring slightly smaller than 7 x 14 x 4 inches. It accommodates a small tablet (6.3 x 8.7 x 0.4 max), a mirrorless body and a couple lenses. It’s handy if you use it to carry lenses only (as in keeping the camera around your neck) and can hold more than it seems at first.

The biggest one is the TurnStyle 20. It’s 9.3 x 17.3 x 5.4 inches and fits a standard DSLR along with up to three lenses and a 10-inch tablet. I like it (and its predecessor) because it stows a body with 70-200mm f/2.8 attached. Like the other two models, it’s available in charcoal (gray) or indigo (dark blue).

The TurnStyle 10 v2.0 holds a larger mirrorless system or standard DSLR with a fast normal zoom—a 24-70mm f2.8 for instance—attached plus an 8-inch tablet and another lens or two. I recently used it to transport my Nikon D800 with an attached Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 zoom as reported here in my story about photographing minor league baseball.

Design and Construction
Its size is deceptive. According to the ruler it’s 8.3 x 15.4 x 5.2 inches (WxHxD) and includes three adjustable dividers. It weighs in at one pound even (empty) and features three full-length zippered pockets. The zippers are YKK RC Fuse zippers for years of use. (Zippers are usually the first thing to wear out on any bag.)

The pocket in front is for memory cards, paper notebook and maybe some Power Bars. The pouch farthest from the front holds flat things like maps or a small gray card. I store the dividers there when I remove them from the interior. It’s also a good landing zone for lens caps.

The large compartment closes with a double (bidirectional) zipper and contains the tablet pouch. The interior is fleece lined and scratch free. Everything is sewn with three-ply bonded nylon thread and exposed seams are sealed.

The overall exterior of the TurnStyle V2.0 sling bags is treated with a durable water resistant coating. The back features 320 gram air mesh to provide ventilation and eliminate the risk of chaffing. Also on the back, at the bottom of the bag, there’s a secret pocket that stores a seam-sealed rain cover. The protective wrapper is there when you need it, and completely hidden when you don’t. There is also an adjustable stabilizer strap that politely stays out of the way when not needed.

Durability and Price
This may sound like hyperbole or an outright lie, but thoroughly believe that I could drive my car over this Think Tank Photo sling bag without damaging the product’s usability. To be clear, the lenses inside would probably be crushed to sand, but the bag itself would likely stand up to the smashing. 

The Think Tank Photo TurnStyle V2.0 bags cost $75 (TurnStyle 5), $85 (TurnStyle 10) and $99 (TurnStyle 20). They’re available directly from Think Tank Photo and from many photo specialty retailers. Think Tank Photo bags are guaranteed for the life of the original purchaser.

—Jon Sienkiewicz