Photo Plus - USA (2019-07)

The Canon Magazine 99

ROLLER BAGS

£369/$399 http://www.thinktankphoto.com^ £200/$230 http://www.vanguardworld.com^

£149/$200 http://www.photoworld.com^ £349/$390 http://www.manfrotto.co.uk^

THIS MAY be the priciest bag

here, but you get what you pay

for. This is a roller bag built for

pros: its interior is cleverly

shaped to fit a pair of

gripped DSLR bodies and

lenses as large as a 500mm

f/4. There’s also space for a

15-inch laptop and 10-inch

tablet. It’s carry-on suitable

at 53x36x20cm, although

we measured the external

thickness at 23cm.

The construction exudes

quality at every point, from the

handle to the zippers. It lacks the

sheer rigidity of the Tenba bag,

but it still manages to retain

its shape when stood on.

Smart touches include a

four-stage extending handle that

only intrudes halfway down the

bag when stowed, generously

sized underside scuff panels,

a stout zipper lock, and even a

coated cable and combination lock.

There’s also the 49T and larger 48T

that use a conventional two-wheel

design and sacrifice backpack

straps to maximize internal space.

Aside from the slim 16cm

internal depth, the interior is a

practical size – there’s even a slot

in the front flap for a 15-inch laptop.

a concealed front pocket are

two wide shoulder straps. The

conversion isn’t the quickest, but

the result is quite comfortable.

THE ALTA Fly 55T boasts a

four-wheel design for ultimate

manoeuvrability. And the

features don’t stop there. You get

backpack straps so the bag can

be carried over rough terrain,

and Vanguard includes tidy

lower back padding and a

simple waist strap to lighten

the load. There’s even covers for

the two rear wheels to protect

your back from dirt. Despite this,

the weight is only 3.9kg, and

while rigidity is nothing special,

the padding is sumptuous.

However, the four-wheel setup

eats into interior capacity, as the

54.9x34.6x21.9cm external

dimensions shrink to a bijou

40.9x31.1x11.4cm inside. You can

fix this by stepping up to the

larger Alta Fly 58T, but that’s not

carry-on compatible like the 55T.

LOWEPRO’S ENTRY has

been designed with cabin

baggage in mind. Its exterior

56x38x19cm dimensions

should fit within even the

strictest carry-on limits – and

at a featherweight 3.63kg,

you’ve got plenty of gear

headroom before you hit

airline weight limits.

Yet the RL 150 isn’t a fragile,

paper-thin shell of a bag. The

exterior is pleasingly solid, and

the handle feels perfectly

adequate. Interior padding isn’t

the thickest, though, and the

internal lining of the back panel

is just a piece of plastic covered

in soft fabric. It’s likely designed

this way to increase the shallow

internal depth, but we’d prefer

better gear protection.

AT FIRST glance, this

looks like a typical roller bag.

Its external 55x36x23cm

dimensions meet most airline

cabin baggage requirements,

and this translates to an equally

practical 47x32x18cm interior

• enough for a decent selection
  of full-frame cameras and lenses.
  A large, top-loading slot on the
  front panel can accommodate
  a 17-inch laptop.
  The Reloader Switch-55 is
  also beautifully made and feels
  reassuringly rugged. Its internal
  skeleton resists hard knocks and
  abuse, while generously thick
  internal padding cossets your
  gear from knocks and bumps.
  The standout feature of this
  bag is that it can also be worn as
  a backpack. Discreetly stowed in

Think Tank Airport

International V3

Vanguard

Alta Fly 55T

Lowepro

PhotoStream RL 150

Manfrotto Pro Light

Reloader Switch-55

VERDICT

PROS: Stunning quality; extremely

robust; space for all essential gear

CONS: Heavy on weight and cost;

slightly thicker than advertised

WE SAY: A quality product that

should stand up to years of abuse

VERDICT

PROS: Loads of handy features;

well priced; carry-on compatible

CONS: Small inside, especially for

depth; not as solid as some rivals

WE SAY: For smaller kits, this bag

is a decent value-packed option

VERDICT

PROS: Super flight-friendly; tough

exterior; tempting price tag

CONS: Pared-down internal

padding; shallow depth

WE SAY: Suitable for even the

harshest of airline rules

VERDICT

PROS: Great quality; practical size;

genuinely useful conversion

CONS: Serious price; backpack

conversion is a little slow

WE SAY: A superbly versatile roller

bag that’s suitable for all terrains