Since starting out in photography, long or fast telephoto lenses have been a perpetual attraction. My interest has always been borne out of curiosity rather than a requirement, as I have never been dedicated to specific genres that require their use on a regular basis.
I often admire ‘long toms’ used by nature photographers but for me, developing a love-hate relationship with them has often been the case. This is no doubt due to my occasional use of a long zoom or telephoto. Toting them around is inconvenient due to the size and weight. For example, I recently took my Leica SL 90-280 out on a full day hike only to find I could not be bothered to use it. Compounding matters, I have long term back and neck problems that cause much pain when too much weight is placed on my shoulders or neck. The insidious nature of this has progressed as I have aged. I guess the simplest solution is to dispose of any large lenses and be content with smaller and lighter items. But I love and appreciate the engineering that goes into telephoto monsters, to the point where I can sit in the garden fondling one with no real photographic target in mind.
As I write this, I have two lenses I consider ‘painful’ and they are gradually going the way of all previously owned heavyweights, which is to occupy the dreaded ‘Closet Queen’ niche in my collection. One is the aforementioned APO-Vario-Elmarit-SL 90–280 f/2.8–4, the second being a HD Pentax-D FA* 70-200mm f2.8 ED DC AW. Both are beautiful examples of a lens makers art. Wishing to address the comfort factor of carrying one of them on a day’s walk I have started to explore the world of dedicated bags and straps to see if there is something that allows me to continue their use as my body ages.
I have a bunch of backpacks and shoulder bags, but nothing solely devoted to carting around a single behemoth. My search revealed a few potential solutions, the most suitable being Think Tank’s digital holster series. Model 30 is the best size for my needs, which is the one that arrived a couple of days later.
Like other Think Tank products, the Digital Holster 30 is well made from tough, water resistant high density nylon and polyester. High quality YKK zips are used with seams that are bonded and stitched. It feels substantial and built to take rough treatment. For those days when weather conditions deteriorate, a rain cover is included. Two external accessory pockets are good for spare items such as batteries and memory cards. A handle is included on the lid and the detachable shoulder strap can be adjusted to allow the holster to be worn across the body or over a shoulder. The rear has a velcro flap which is designed to be used with a Think Tank accessory belt. The flap can also be used to attach the holster to a backpack, assuming the waist belt is the correct width.
Internally a liner adds an extra layer of protection, while a flock divider allows the compartment to be split - useful if you are using a smaller camera as you may be able to carry an additional lens in it. For me, the camera and lens takes up the entire space so I use the divider near the top to keep the camera strap away from the rear screen.
A really neat part of its design is the telescopic extension, allowing the main compartment to be expanded. It is because of this feature that the bag is perfect for both of my telephoto zooms. When using it with the HD Pentax-D FA* 70-200mm f2.8 lens the expanded section is not required, so remains zipped up to keep that case at its smallest configuration. The additional length of my Leica APO-Vario-Elmarit-SL 90–280 f/2.8–4 requires the case fully expanding in order to fit, although the lens hood has to be reversed.
Regardless of which lens I use, the main compartment is accessed quickly from the top and the zips have a smooth fluid like action.
It is a shame that more consideration has not been given to the shoulder pad; most large lenses are heavy by nature but the shoulder pad does little to mitigate the fact that the weight is resting on a single pressure point. Some padding is present but in my opinion it is insufficient. In addition, the pad needs to be wider to help with weight distribution. On more than one occasion I have found myself detaching the strap and carrying the case by the smaller handle fitted to the top…not the most convenient way to carry it.
There is no doubt that the Think Tank Digital Holster 30 v2.0 helps address the transportation problem of my largest lenses and it will certainly extend the time I can spend using them in the field. For more able bodied people (or a younger me) it is a fantastic solution and other sizes in the Digital Holster range allow much larger and smaller lenses to be carried in a similar fashion. I will be trying out a few home made ideas to see if I can make the shoulder pad more comfortable, but I also need to address the dedicated camera strap issue when using larger, heavier bodies such as my Pentax K1 mkii or Leica SL2.