Photographic Equipment Insert News???

[h2c911sc]

Hello Darcy!

Any news on when TB will release a nicely padded photographic equipment insert?

[KarlJ]

Lovely family!

[Darcy]

Hi h2c911sc!

From the January email newsletter -

Camera Insert:
The Camera Insert is still in progress, not to worry. Tom has some exciting new leads on materials. What's taking so long? We're in search of the perfect fabric to laminate to the foam components that make up the Camera Insert. We've narrowed it down to two contenders - two high-tech fabrics. Both will need to be custom made for us, so don't be making sandwiches and waiting by the phone.

[grumpy3b]

Hi h2c911sc!

From the January email newsletter -

Camera Insert:
The Camera Insert is still in progress, not to worry. Tom has some exciting new leads on materials. What's taking so long? We're in search of the perfect fabric to laminate to the foam components that make up the Camera Insert. We've narrowed it down to two contenders - two high-tech fabrics. Both will need to be custom made for us, so don't be making sandwiches and waiting by the phone.

But what if that is your "normal" day? Now what will I do with my time? I know, I can read on my K2i while I wait...with my K2i nestled safely in it's Tom Bihn Flip-Over cover...oh, wait....d'oh!!

[Zephyrnoid]

Hi h2c911sc!

From the January email newsletter -

Camera Insert:
The Camera Insert is still in progress,...We're in search of the perfect fabric to laminate to the foam components

Interesting. I should have paid closer attention to this thread but no time, I'm afraid. Tom's judgment has been impeccable. Allow me to add the following observations, having pretty much used every camera bag there is out there.
- fabric that contacts the gear itself needs to account for sharp edges which over time, will wear out the fabric. This presumes a professional photographic application in the field. I say this because amateurs (good sense of the word) tend to pack their camera gear with lens caps and body caps on, they even pack flash and accessories in dedicated sacks before inserting them all into the bag. Professional shooters do NOT do this. We toss the camera with one lens on it and a hood but NO caps, front or rear. Same for accessory lenses and peripherals. All this in the interest of speed to capture the "decisive moment". Therefore, a highly abrasion resistant, yet non-scuffing fabric is preferred. I like smooth, tight denier nylon on the sides and a substantial ultrasuede (MicroFiber) on the bottom. Essentially, any compartment that houses a lens, should have such fabric contacting the glass.
- Stiff inserts beat soft ones. Stiff inserts will not bind on gear, making extraction and replacement much faster. I actually like plastic corrugated board for a core.
- Finally, why fabric at all? there are some lovely plastics out there that get the job done with much less bulk than a padded insert. I'm thinking of the plastics that are used in lens retail packaging on the inside, clamshell closure.
Some exterior Velcro logic would allow for the building of custom 'colonies' or groups of modules.
Anyway, I'll be interested to see what Tom comes up with.

[ozone]

Good points Zephyrnoid... I don't consider myself a professional photographer, but when I shoot sports for my college, I'm always on the go. Lens, etc. don't get properly "repacked" until I'm ready to leave so it's a day of abuse for my equipment. I like your comment about stiff-over-soft dividers: when things get busy, rooting around my bag for the lens I want is a real pain.

I'm headed off to a camera seminar in early April, and I was looking at my existing camera bags (mostly Lowepro) for packing my gear, and thinking that I could really, really, REALLY use some camera inserts for my TB bags - that would give me the most flexibility. I don't want to bother with ThinkTank (seems too specialized) and I'm not sure it will give me much more than what I already have.

Well Tom, I hope it's not too long before we see what you have in mind!