Think Tank Photo Citywalker 10 Review

ThinkTank Photo has been on a roll lately with successful camera bags. I find my self using a camera bag daily in order to get more work done than just carry a camera. However, I do not like to feel encumbered and have a weight on my shoulder all day either. Enter the Citywalker series of bags. ThinkTank released a series of extremely lightweight bags that can convert from a camera bag to a plain messenger instantly.

The bag uses a similar design to their Retrospective series, with a few small adjustments and features that seem borrowed in a way from the Urban Disguise series.. The grab hand and strap are both very similar to those on the Retro series. Very nice. The grab handle also has a quick release now if you wish to remove it. The outer flap has the usual velcro silencers but it has gained a clip to close the bag as well. Now you can silence the velcro completely and still keep the bag locked down with the clip. Nice option.

The front flap also has a pocket on the exterior now. Simple full size zip. Great for dropping items in there quick. Keys, cellphone, someone’s card, etc…

The rear pocket is about the size of an ipad. If you fit an ipad in there however, it will cover the velcro so you cannot close the pocket completely. For documents, maps, etc… it is a great quick access pocket.

The side pockets are a bit different than the other ThinkTank bags. These a mesh kind of pocket that expands. You can see a decent lens will even fit in them. I would not use them for this, not for anything valuable. I don’t find them secure enough for that. Great for dropping a lens cap, or water bottle while shooting.

The interior is unique in this bag. Unlike other ThinkTank bags, there is no velcro! You CANNOT add dividers to the inside of this bag. There is no where to secure them. ThinkTank instead provides an insert. I found the insert to be way too rigid, and too tall for what I wanted daily. The insert will comfortably fit a dSLR and extra lens or two. I put that insert aside and use the Billingham Hadley Small Insert. I like this insert much better for a Leica kit and allows the bag to stay a bit slimmer since it is smaller than the ThinkTank insert. The sides of the interior have the usual side pockets with velcro closure like the Retro series. Take notice, the outside front pocket now contains the pen and card dividers. The inside pocket has been converted to a dedicated tablet pocket.

Here you can see the interior without the insert. It is a plain empty bag. You can quickly remove the cameras in an insert and use the bag for something else if needed. There is a rear zip pocket like the Retro series. Note the front interior pocket is now a padded tablet pocket with velcro closure. The pocket is great…except for its placement! The zip pocket should have been in the front and the tablet in the rear. Especially with how light the bag is, a tablet in the front forces the weight to the outside of the bag making it uncomfortable to wear. Simple solution…I slip my table behind my camera insert. Works just as well, and places the weight where I prefer it.

The rear zip pocket is also large enough for an ipad! Being so lightweight, this bag has tremendous flex not seen in other ThinkTank bags. You can really fit a lot of stuff in this bag overall.

I find with a smaller insert, the bag is wide enough that you still have room for small items on the side. Here you can see I have a lens sized area still available. A Water bottle, camera strap, stuff you buy while out, a lunch bag, etc… will all fit just fine.

Once you take the insert out of the bag…it basically falls flat. This bag is so lightweight and so collapsible that you can see here it is half the size of a Leica M!!!

Here is a comparison of the Retrospective 7 on the left and the Citywalker 10 on the right. When both bags are loaded with the same equipment, and an insert is in the Citywalker, their size is extremely similar. The Citywalker looks larger, but I believe this is because the bag flexes a lot easier. When hanging on you it fill folder to your body shape. The less you have in it, the more collapsed it will be. This is also the lightest weight camera bag I have seen from ThinkTank. I normally keep brochures for my business, a camera, an ipad, papers, and other items I use daily in my business in this bag. For a daily use camera bag, it works great. The light weight makes a huge difference when I want to go about my work and still have a protected camera, but not feel like I have a camera bag with me. I got back and fourth between the Retro 7 and this bag now. Can’t decide which one to get? Get both!