Links: Think Tank Photo TT305 Pro Modulus Set / Think Tank Photo - The Design Room / Show Official Info /

Until I read about the specialized Think Tank Photo Streetwalker HardDrive backpack and Pixel Sunscreen V 2.0 in Photography Bay's free email newsletter, I had never even heard of the company. This was quickly remedied when I visited their website and while their product selection was quite impressive, their Design Room page (see hyperlink above) was even more impressive.

When I unpacked the large box used to ship the Think Tank Photo TT305 Pro Modulus Set, I noticed that the Pixel Pocket Rocket was hooked to a ring that was attached to a strap inside the Speed Changer, an arrangement I chose to keep as is.

First of all, Think Tank Photo got it right when they designed the Pro Speed Belt in Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large. One size does not fit all, and sometimes not even most, but the wisdom shown by the designers in offering four different sizes became very self evident when I attached a number of pockets and loaded them down with an assortment of gear. I found myself having to make adjustments in order to avoid having the loaded belt slid down around my ankles, but the adjustments were reasonably simple to perform.

My favorite components are the Speed Changer, Pixel Pocket Rocket, Lens Changer 25, Lens Drop In, Lightning Fast, and Pixel Racing Harness.

The first component I attached to the Pro Speed Belt was the multi-pocketed Speed Changer since it proved very useful for safely carrying memory cards, a spare battery for my digital SLR, AA batteries for my flash, lens cleaning tissues, lens caps, business cards, pens, a small notepad, and whatever else came to mind. The memory cards went into the Pixel Pocket Rocket and what I really liked most about this particular component was that unlike other memory card cases I've used, the Pixel Pocket Rocket can hold up to to 10 CompactFlash (CF) cards in their individual protective cases. I own one Microdrive and while the case for it is too big to fit in any of the pockets, I could still safely store the Microdrive by itself in any of the pockets.

Although the Lens Changer 25 pouch is designed for compact lenses like my Minolta Zoom xi AF80-200 mm (F4.5-5.6) lens, I chose to use the Lens Drop In pouch for that purpose. Instead I used the Lens Changer 25 pouch to carry my Joby Gorillapod SLR-Zoom since it provided a more secure way of carrying the Gorillapod without worrying about having it fall out of the pouch.

Since I own a large powerful flash, there was only room for it alone in the Lightning Fast pouch, but I made sure to insert a set of batteries in the flash first. As mentioned earlier, additional sets of AA batteries went into the Speed Changer.

Last on my list of favorite components is the Pixel Racing Harness since it helps keep the loaded belt from falling down and best of all, when secured to the center loop of the Pro Speed Belt, it effectively distributes the weight of your load between your shoulder and hips.

My father used to say that you had to be rich to buy cheap, referring to the poor quality of cheap products and how often you had to replace them when they broke or wore out. In the three months that I've had the Pro Modulus Set, it has gone through a lot of normal use and passed the Real Life test with flying colors.

While the Think Tank Photo TT305 Pro Modulus Set isn't cheap at $295, it most definitely gives you full value for your dollar. If you don't want or need the full set, you can also buy the 6-piece Modular Set at $169, or you can create your own personal set by mixing and matching individual components of your choosing.