Contribution · Jul 2015
Though it is kind of boxy to wear, the Think Tank Digital Holster seems to be the most minimalist way I can carry my camera with any of my lenses mounted. The Holster has a "pop down" feature that elongates the bag enough to accommodate as much as the D700 with the Nikon 70-200mm F/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR II mounted. Completely zipped up and not using the pop down, the D700 will fit with either the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 or the 24mm f/1.4 mounted. I was also very keen on the whole pop down part. This makes the holster adaptable. It doesn’t always have to look like a third leg; it can be fairly compact and tidy too. Inside the bag there is a cushioned top flap that is very useful. I can push the camera down a little and lay the flap over the LCD and then pile my strap on top of that. No scratches. No trying to squeeze the strap around things where it won't rub up against the camera or lenses. The holster is also flexible in that even without pushing the camera down, I can still pile up my strap and zip the whole thing up. It bulges a little at the top, but the material gives a little, so the strap is not grinding down onto my LCD. Inside the top flap there is also a clear pocket where you could tuck some things securely. When a lens fills the lower portion of the bag—as when the pop down is completely extended and filled with the D700 and 70-200mm f/2.8, it stands up by itself. It also stands up elegantly when the holster is zipped up and the pop down is not deployed. To give my mid-range lenses more breathing room, I partially unzip the pop down and so the bottom of the bag is kind of not level then and it won’t stand up when I do this. There is a slot on the outside top of the bag that is big enough for a small stack of business cards—this is useful. You could put some bills in there, your ID, anything small you need fast access to. Lately I’ve been stowing a small lens cleaning cloth within it—when I am photographing I am always smudging up my eyeglasses, so I need that cloth! I think the Digital Holster is a nice bag--it won't hold much other than one camera, one mounted lens and an extra battery. However, short of just carrying your camera ready to shoot, this is the most naked way to get it from place to place. I also think the Holster provides a decent level of protection for the pricey package it contains.
What works
Fitted, easy to access camera, multiple carrying methods
Room for improvement
Sometimes it feels awkward to carry
