2013 TB Wish List

[MaggieScratch]

A mini Cafe Bag.

In Ultrasuede, with a zipper top.

[Nli]

Tried to post yesterday but I am not seeing my post....
I wish for a lunch bag! Padded please, because I love carrying my lunch in cute glass jars (Weck Jars tulip style) and drinking from glass bottles (Lifefactory or Weck Jars carafes). I may be crazy but it sure feels healthier eating from glass than plastic, especially when microwaving. Also bag should be washable (or rinse-able at least). TB should sell WeckJars and lunch bags as a kit- would be so cute! I use small Shop Bags now; they are great and a great size but not padded. With the right padding it could serve double-duty as an insulated ShopBag for cold foods!

[dlg]

And maybe the lunch bag could be insulated? Man I hate my lunch box.

[JD78]

I apologize if this has been requested in the past, but this is the first time I have participated in one of the "wish list" threads. My only wish is an option for the Absolute strap on a MCB.

Oooh, I just thought about something I would like to add to my list... Another size for the Padded Organizer Pouch. In between the small and medium, say an 8.5"x6" and it could be called Smedium!

[cucciasv]

My newest TB wish for 2013 is (are).... imagine a drum roll ....

Virtual Dyneema wallpaper for my MacBook Pro, iMac, iPads and iPhones!! And, in all colors!!

Happy New Year, everyone!!

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Someone please help me!
I have BAS (Bihn Acquisition Syndrome)!!

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[Fat Crip]

Now I've seen 400d Dyneema, I'd like the larger Synapse and a Ristretto in Wasabi Dyneema... Please, please, pretty please and I'll love you forever!!!

[Lani]

PCSB - upgraded version with inside pockets - one one side, a bank of pockets sized for Phone, pens, sunglasses. On the opposite side, a bank of pockets for passport, small notebooks. Please keep the outside slanting pocket. It is great for train/bus tickets, maps.

Side effect witnout the waist strap. Made in ballistic nylon would be awesome. My cafe bags are creating fuzz ina lot of my very light hiking/travel pants and shirts made of nylon (the sweat wicking ones). So I have to watch the pants & shirts I wear when using them. Still, I will buy the side effect, made in any material, if TB issues a version without the waist strap.

Regarding the PCSB, I thought long and hard about what Walker wanted, and I don't think I want quite as many bells and whistles. Part of the beauty of the PCSB is its simplicity. HOWEVER that said, Walker's request highlights one feature that could REALLY help a lot... two O rings sewn into the top inside seam (one on each end). This should actually resolve most issues people have with things sliding around too much in their PCSB. Just snap some organizers onto them (directly or using keystraps) and you can stash phone, pens, sunglasses, etc.

As for a non-waist strapped Side Effect, I think they did a lot by offering the fully opaque Dyneema version of the 3D organizer pouch.

In fact, TB introduced so many wonderful things in 2012 that I think they pretty much went through my entire wish list!

There's only one more thing I'd love to see, and fortunately, I have a relatively painless solution. I've always wanted a larger version of the Packing Cube Shoulder Bag, and I think the Tri-Star Medium Packing Cube (12.8" x 11.3" x 2.4") is a perfect pre-made size for a larger PCSB. All it would need is to go completely Dyneema rather than any netting fabric on the sides, and for the zipper to only open around the top (a la PCSB) rather than unzip all the way around. Add a couple of D-rings, and ta-da!

[zutphen]

My newest TB wish for 2013 is (are).... imagine a drum roll ....

Virtual Dyneema wallpaper for my MacBook Pro, iMac, iPads and iPhones!! And, in all colors!

I second this request!

I spent some time this afternoon snapping shots of my new (as of last week) wasabi travel tray under different lighting conditions, and after much technical jiggery-pokery, this was the best I could do...



As you can see, the shot I finally settled on for the iphone wallpaper paled to a sort of faux-olive. I just couldn't get the color quite right. I'll live with it, but I'm sure Team TB can do better. (And is it too much to ask for some virtual Solar?)

(Seen here with my beloved Schubb capo and some picks.)

[lioncity]

My wishlist for 2013 is a smaller Aeronaut bag & a Iberian Dyneema Synapse!

Somewhere between the tristar & the current aeronaut just like how the wf is the smaller version of ts. Also wish that the solar color will come back.

[synapse]

I'm hoping for a return of Solar! I'm so sad to have missed the opportunity on that one. I'm looking to buy a synapse now, and really wish that Steel/Solar was still an option, or at least steel/wasabi!

[cucciasv]

Photo Tips for TB Product Shots

As you can see, the shot I finally settled on for the iphone wallpaper paled to a sort of faux-olive. I just couldn't get the color quite right. I'll live with it, but I'm sure Team TB can do better.

Wow!! Great!

Since I teach photography, I thought I might offer some photo tips. I see many fellow TB enthusiasts complain about the color-shifts in their photos - particularly when taken with smartphone cameras.

Of course, I can give a three-hour lecture on the subject. In a nutsehell, all digital cameras make assumptions about the ambient lighting, and make "white balance" adjustments automatically based on what a 'neutral gray' would look like under current lighting conditions.

Indoor lighting is tricky because there are so many kinds of light sources, each with their own "color temperature." In particular, all types of fluorescent lighting are real messy. That sick-greenish cast will definitely bring back memories of The Exorcist!!

To get good, natural colors when taking TB product shots, and if using a camera where you cannot manually make any white-balance adjustments, try to get the shots under natural outdoor lighting - near a window or outside - preferably when overcast for nice even lighting without harsh shadows. This will help get the true colors of our fabulous fabrics.

For iPhone 4, 4S, 5 users. When getting a product shot, be sure to tap on-screen on the product you are photographing. This will attempt to have iPhone give the best focus, exposure and white-balance possible.

Of course, there are many ways to fix color-cast problems in Photoshop in order to bring out the true colors of our beloved Dyneema and Ballistic Nylon objects of desire... I will play around with this myself. If I like the results, I will certainly share.

Side-lighting can also be quite effective for showing the texture of the products, but more advanced cameras and the use of multiple lights can handle this much better. I've seen some really nice product shots on these fora. And, some not so good, but decent efforts nonetheless. I always 'Like' forum entries with product shots, as they are very beneficial to all of us, no matter the quality. (Although, you should avoid posting out-of-focus shots.)

Final tips: Remember to hold the camera steady on your indoor shots... prop it against a wall or furniture if you have to. Take several shots - not just one! Pick the best, discard the rest. Watch around the frame for distracting items... remove them if you can. Get in close where appropriate. Shoot the object from different angles. And, last-but-not-least, flash photography must be avoided like the plague! Unless, of course, you can direct the flash, or use multiple lights for better dimensionality. I always force my iPhone flash to the 'always-off' setting.

Enough for now!!

Happy shooting (with a camera, that is) of your wonderful TB goodies, and please...post more pictures! Everybody loves pictures!

Happy New Year to all TomBihnsters!

Regards, Sandro

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Someone please help me!
I have BAS (Bihn Acquisition Syndrome)!!

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[Kichen$ink]

Thanks for the quick lesson. I will be putting your tips to good use soon.

[zutphen]

Agreed! Very helpful points. I was more disappointed with my iphone shots, and switched to my Coolpix L22. But neither behaved quite as I would have liked.

I was a much more active photographer (purely amateur) in the old days of film. I think I'd have a better grasp of how to get good and accurate shots with my Nikon FM1 and 28-to-105 macro lens. But they are languishing on a high shelf in the spare room, and there isn't a single roll of film anywhere in the house... How times have changed. And how quickly.

[TavaPeak]

I keep watching for a bigger Co-Pilot.

Ditto the Side Effect without a waist strap, or with removable waist strap that isn't bulky.

A Western Flyer that had the option for backpack OR rolling luggage. (Might mean sewing 2 zippers centered into long end of the bag back?) Actually, wish my TriStar had that option too.

Ditto the Field Journal sized for an iPad (no rings, or a removable ringset?).

[Darcy]

I second this request!

I spent some time this afternoon snapping shots of my new (as of last week) wasabi travel tray under different lighting conditions, and after much technical jiggery-pokery, this was the best I could do...

[ATTACH]3028[/ATTACH]

The best you could do? This is an *awesome* photo. Brilliant!