Thumbs up for handy camera bag

The warm weather has finally arrived and summer picture-taking season is in full swing.
Like many of you who have been bitten by the photography bug, I have a lot of gear. Many lenses for getting the right shot, a flash for when it gets dark and a tripod for taking landscape photos at dusk.
I have a huge camera backpack to carry it all around in, which is great, but I am always looking for the perfect, small-size, camera bag to throw a camera into so I can go take pictures without having to lug my full kit around.
Think Tank Photo, one of my favourite camera bag companies, has been making awesome bags since 2005. Just in time for summer, they have released a new bag they call Retrospective 5.
The folks at Think Tank were nice enough to send me one to review and I have been putting it through its paces over the last few weeks.
Think Tank Photo is relatively new to the camera bag scene, compared to standard names like LowePro. Because it was formed by two working photographers and two designers, Think Tank products have always been unique, yet highly functional.
This holds true for the Retrospective 5, which is designed with a micro four-thirds camera or small DSLR in mind. The shoulder bag is made from canvas and available in two colours — black or a retro-styled pinestone.
The design is minimal, so it diverts attention from the valuable camera you carry inside.
I was able to comfortably carry a larger-sized DLSR with a lens attached, as well as a longer zoom lens for getting some shots of the kids’ soccer moves.
Everything packs away quickly into the main compartment, which has movable padded inserts you can use to customize the bag to your gear.
Inside the main compartment there is also a handy organizer for sticking odds and sods: batteries, flash cards or a business card or two. An outer pocket holds a full-size, seam-sealed, rain cover, which is custom made for the bag.