Urban Approach 15 Backpack for Mirrorless Camera Systems (Black)

Like many photographers, I've owned many bags, most of which I came to regret buying. So I was skeptical about the capacity and convenience claims for this Think Tank Urban Approach 15 bag for mirrorless systems. I purchased it, figuring I could always send it back if it proved oversold and inadequate. But the bag is like some sort of magician's top hat: once it is full, you could surprise an audience at a photography show by pulling one thing after another after yet another out of it. I'm still amazed; and I'm the one who packed it.If, before I bought this compact bag, someone shown me the list of things I actually put into the bag, I would have thought he was grossly exaggerating. And you may think that I am, too. But it is remarkable how well designed the Urban Approach 15 is for a mirrorless system like the Olympus Micro Four-Thirds OM-D E-M1 and its M Zuiko lenses and accessories. Believe it or not, here's the list of content of this bag (it does sound a bit like "The 12 Days of Christmas") and they all fit in together at the same time:CAMERA AND LENSES:OM-D E-M1 body with Crumpler Industry Disgrace camera strapM.Zuiko ED 8mm F1.8 Fisheye PROOlympus BCL-0980 Body-cap Lens for Micro Four Thirds - 9mm - F/8.0M.Zuiko 25mm f1.8M.Zuiko ED 60mm f2.8 MacroM.Zuiko 75mm f1.8M.Zuiko ED 7-14mm f2.8 PROM.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f2.8 PROM.Zuiko ED 40-150mm f2.8 PROM.Zuiko Digital 1.4x Teleconverter MC-14 for the 40-150mm telephoto-zoomM.Zuiko ED 75-300mm f4.8-6.7 IIACCESSORIES:Lens caps (stored on lenses) for all lenses that come equipped with themHaze filters and polarizers for all lens that can take them (these are on lenses or in a wallet pouch)Olympus HLD-7 Camera Grip for Olympus E-M1 with OM-D GS-5 Grip StrapOlympus CABLE REMOTE USB RM-UC1Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot ReaderSeveral SanDisk Flash Memory Cards in a carrying caseE-M1 USB computer cableTwo Olympus BCN-1 Battery Chargers for BLN-1 Battery and cordsTwo SF Cable, 2 Prong Right Angle Plug Adapters (US and European)Three extra BLN-1 batteries in a caseManfrotto MTPIXI-B PIXI Mini TripodThree Manfrotto Quick Release Plates (200PL) and tripod adjustment Allen-wrenchManfrotto 337 Hot Shoe Double Axis Bubble LevelOlympus FL-LM2 Shoe FlashOlympus MAL-1 Macro Arm LightExtra Olympus hot shoe coversThink Tank rain coverLens cleaner and tissuesStrapped to the right side of the bag is a Manfrotto BeFree compact aluminum tripod (its length exactly matches the bag's height).Finally, a 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro slips very easily into this fully loaded back. The bag has a separate compartment for this between the main equipment compartment and the shoulder straps. There is still room for an iPad, but I don't have one.LIKELY QUESTIONS:Is this bag jammed full, so that I can't easily close the zippers? No, not at all: the high-quality zippers move quite freely (they can be locked, too).Is the bag carefully and tightly packed, making use of all available space? Yes on both points.Can I get things into and out of the bag easily or do I have to pry them out? Yes, things move in and out very easily .Can I get anything else into the bag? Probably not -- a BB maybe. A larger flash (like the Olympus FL-50R Wireless Flash) would be nice, but the law of physics forbid it. Anyway, it can travel in the suitcase.How are the shoulder straps? These are padded and adjustable so as to be comfortable enough. There's a sternum strap to keep the bag from shifting. The plastic buckles seem well-designed and of durable material. The hang-carry loop on the top of the bag is adequate, though it might have been a little broader.Is the bag conspicuous? No, not at all. Without the tripod strapped to it, it looks like something that might carry a few items for a day-trip. It doesn't scream "Steal me, I'm a camera bag!"Is the bag heavy? Yes, it is but not terribly so -- although I won't want to lug it about all day. The virtue is that the kit is all there in one package, if I need to take everything with me. As I won't carry this around on hikes or in the street, a Think Tank TurnStyle 20 Convertible Sling Bag & Belt Pack rounds out the kit, ready for the few things I might use on any given day.SHORTCOMINGS:Does the Urban Approach 15 have any serious faults or drawbacks? No matter what you get, you always want that one more thing. The only shortcomings I see are minor.The outside pockets would be far more useful if they were bellows pockets with velcro closures.The zippered pocket is said to be useful for an iPhone, but it looks to tight and shallow to be of much use for that. Perhaps it could hold business cards or something of little bulk.The side pockets are of stretch material: one pocket is supposed to hold a water bottle, but it would have to be a very narrow and sturdy cylinder of limited capacity to fit into that pocket and not be crushed; the other stretch pocket is to support one or two feet of the tripod that is secured by a strap above (the tripod strap itself is of very clever design with a hidden velcro patch so it won't fall off and get lost), but you wonder whether the stretch material will hold up over time the way a ripstop nylon pocket would.The rain cover is well designed: It folds up into its own an attached pouch for compactness and to shield things from moisture after the rain stops. It would have been better designed if Think Tank had followed LowePro's example and permanently attached the rain cover inside a velcro-closed compartment at the bottom of the bag so it could be pulled out and wrapped around the bag and stored afterwards (of course, this would have entailed extra cost and higher price, but probably not a lot for the convenience of carriage and insurance against losing the cover).The shortcomings are minor and not at all vexing. I don't want to end the review on a negative note -- so let me say that is is a superior bag, it is reasonably priced, and it is perhaps the most utilitarian bag I've ever own (out of many over the years). Try it; you'll like it. And if you don't, Think Tank has a generous return policy. So what's the risk?

Overall, I love this backpack. Its slim and rides really well. The pockets allow for good organization. The zippers are pretty strong and durable. I see this backpack lasting a long time. It's my 2nd think tank purchase and would buy again.

This is the first photography specific backpack I've bought and I really like it a lot. I bought it before a recent trip as I wanted a carry on that could fit all of my camera gear, my 13" Macbook Pro Retina, a Kindle and all the other crap you want on a 6 hour flight. I shoot with a Sony A7, the 35mm f/2.8, 55mm f/1.8 and a Hasselblad 500CM.I often carry an extra lens or two beyond this kit. I can fit the Sony on top, with batteries, lenses and film on each side and I divide the bottom section in half. The Hassy goes on one half with an 80mm lens attached. This leaves the other half of the bottom for snacks, or any other extra accessories. The reality is that every divider comes out making it just a big open compartment if you want. You can configure it any way you like and it come with plenty of dividers.There's not much you can't see from the photos except perhaps that the pocket on the front isn't really deep enough for an iPhone 6 and the outside pockets are stretchy and only fit small (Disposable) water bottles. No Klean Kanteen. I use the tripod side for my Tripod and it works well. The Laptop compartment fits my Macbook and I can even fit the charger with the long cable at the bottom. I don't know if it would fit a 17" Laptop, but my wife's older 15" MBP fits in there just fine.In terms of build quality, it's built like a tank. The zippers, pulls, handles, straps and fabric are really thick, tough and sturdy. It's pretty light weight for the size and feels really good on my back. The body is fairly rigid with adequate padding to protect everything pretty well.

Great pack for mirrorless camera systems.1. Plenty of capacity. The photos at the Think Tank web site suggest this will hold two cameras, several lenses, and some accessories. Don't believe it: I can fit four Fuji cameras and nine lenses in this bag, including the large 50-140/2.8. (See photo - take out the filter case and it holds another camera and lens.)2. Small size. I have taken this on an airplane as my "second bag" numerous times this year, and no one bats an eye. It doesn't look large or heaby at all.3. Comfortable suspension. The shoulder harness is comfortable and sturdy.Downsides: the stretchy side pockets are far too small for anything other than a small umbrella or my eyeglasses case. They won't easily hold a small water bottle, let alone a large Nalgene bottle or similar. The zippered front pocket does not extend to the bottom of the lid, so it won't evedn hold my iPhone 6+, let alone a reporter's notebook or anything else useful. Better exterior pockets would make this a much more usable bag for travel and working photogs, at the expense of sleekness I suppose.

Perfect PERSONAL ITEM on planes. I've recently been migrating to Sony mirrorless from Canon DLSR, and one of the major benefits is reduced gear size. This bag is damn near perfect. The outside pocket could be a little deeper, and a few more pockets inside would be nice, too, but... the VERY best thing about this bag is the size. I fly all over hell all the time, and this bag fits under the seat in front of me every time. Sometimes I don;t even put anything in the overhead compartment Weird! I use it for a sony mirrorless, a few lenses, and BUNCH of batteries, a tiny tripod, an MP3 recorder, a bunch of cables, a hard drive, a card reader, AND a Zhiyun crane. That last one is a bit tricky, but it fits, as does my 15" macbook pro. Yeah, that's makes it heavy AF, but it fits!Pretty well protected, too. But that outside pocket is like 3 or 4 inches deep and THINNNN... makes it kinda worthless. Not big enough for a passport or a cell phone or anything. I put my parking ticket in there, and not much else will fit. Still...a phenomenal little bag.

Per qualità dei materiali, rifiniture e capienza... lo zaino PERFETTO.

Having chased the ultimate camera bag I was looking for the perfect “day shoot” bag. I’d always found Think Tank to be more utilitarian at the expense of style. However, after trying all the hip and trendy brands I could never find one that was meeting my needs.The main thinks I look for in a camera bag are:1. I don’t look like a turtle with a massive shell on my back. So a low profile and sleek build was important.2. Needs to fit a 15” MacBook Pro IN A SLEEVE! Most other smaller footprint bags that offer 15” laptop space are always too tight when I try to place in my sleeves MacBook.3. Can carry at a minimum a Sony A7r iii, 24-70 2.8, 70-200 2.8 and Godox AD200.4. Sufficient protection with everything stored. Things don’t rattle about. Aren’t being placed up against exposed zips and other sharp textures.That being my criteria I found the think tank which has been ideal. Yes, maybe not as stylish as I would like but certainly hitting all the things I wanted! Very happy with the build quality. Definitely likely to consider Think Tank again if I want something slightly bigger.

背負った時の安定感、フィット感がとても良いです。カメラやレンズの他にも、小物を入れるスペースがあるので非常に便利です。

The bag itself is fantastic, but I didn't see that it was for mirroless. A bit tight fit for my D7200.