Think Tank Photo Modulus Belt System - The Verdict

Well, I spent a whole day photographing a wedding wearing my new Think Tank Belt System and I love it! I had a couple of belt system in the past... Tamrac and Lowe Pro. Neither served me well and I couldn't understand it since they are bother reputable companies. The only thing I can think of is my gut is too big which pushes the whole belt down and my butt is too small and it keep on slipping off. I usually spent a whole day lifting my belt back to my waist all the time. It gets tiring when I had to do that all the time.

The Think Tank was different. I believe the solution lies not with the accessory bags but with the belt. The Think Tank belt is more sturdy and rigid than the Tamrac belt and Lowe Pro belt. That's the reason why it was able to stay on my waist the whole day without having my lifting it back up to my waist.

I was a little skeptical at first because of my bad past experience with waist belt systems. Even when Ben Willmore demonstrated in his video blog (click here to view Ben's blog) testifying what a great system it is, I was still reluctant to try. It was until last weekend when I was in Photo Expo West where I finally succumb to the temptation to try yet another belt system (10% discount had something to do with it). I thought it looks too similar to Lowe Pro to really make a difference. It even has a builtin rain cover for the lens cases in case you're caught in the rain with your expensive equipment. And the reason why it looks like Lowe Pro??? The Co-Founder or Think Tank was the chief designer for Lowe Pro.

Unlike Lowe Pro, Think Tank belts is compatible with other brand accessories. I was going to purchase Think Tank Trim Changer as well for $40, but I had a similar accessory when I purchased my Lowe Pro system and it actually fits perfectly. So, I cheated and mixed accessory. Again, the Lowe Pro bag is not as rigid as the Think Tank, but I actually prefer it as it is worn on the side of my hip which is not has wide. The "Whip It Out" lens bag which carries my Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS lens without the tripod collar is an awesome and unique design. It employs a zipper to add/relieve pressure on the lens without the fear of dropping the lens out even with the lens hood sticking out. My other favorite item is the media wallet which has a builtin tether to attach to the accessory bag without the fear of losing my irreplaceable CF/SD cards fill with wedding images of the day.

Anyhoo, I really love it because I have all my lenses ready and available throughout the day. It's much better than carrying my camera, flash battery pak on my back pocket, and a shoulder bag. Usually, at the end of the wedding, my back is all messed up because I couldn't stand straight because I had to balance everything. My back was not hurting as much and I didn't feel as tired as usual. My total investment is only $100 not including the $25 purchase for my Lowe Pro accessory I purchased 8 years ago. It's a reasonable investment to save my poor back. :-)