The black/gray Speed Freak V2.0 from Think Tank is a bit larger than Think Tank's Speed Demon V2.0 - otherwise, it's basically the same rugged, durable and flexible design. Similarly, it boasts a host of features. This is a flexible, compact bag built for heavy-duty, fast use. Whereas the Speed Demon holds 1-2 lenses, the Freak is designed to hold your standard-sized DSLR and 2-3 lenses in its main compartment that opens away from you for both rapid access and security. Opening away from your body means that only you will be able to see inside since the top lid acts as a shield against those around you. For even more flexibility, the bag can be worn as either a shoulder or waist pack - or as a combination of the two. There's even a top grab handle for quick grab moments.
It features a ballistic nylon exterior and YKK zippered pockets. The top contains a zipper that permits you to access your gear without having to unzip the entire top lid - another security feature. There are also multiple storage pockets for smaller items like pens and memory cards.
When worn as a shoulder bag, note that the strap is not only anti-slip in nature but removable for turning the bag into a waist pack. When worn that way, the waist belt contains Think Tank's Modular Rails that permit attachment of Modular, Skin or Multimedia components to increase gear carrying capacity as needed. The waist design contains buckle stops the prevent the belt from moving about while walking, running or trying to get that important shot. However, when worn as a shoulder bag, the waist belt tucks away inside the bag to eliminate the bulk of the straps swinging at your side.
Inside, the top lid is a clear pocket for storing all your small stuff like pens and filters. There's an additional attached lanyard on which you can attach keys or an accessory storage pouch. The front has an expandable pocket that is used for your phone. On the back, a large pocket is there for more small stuff like a note pad, more pens or anything you need rapid access to but want held against your body. On the sides, more pockets allow you to stuff in your gloves or a walkie-talkie.
For complete protection, the bag comes with a rain cover stored within a mesh pocket that is secured by another lanyard. This prevents the cover from blowing away when out in strong winds. The Speed Freak is backed by Think Tank's lifetime warranty against manufacturer's defects.
| Material | Ballistic nylon YKK RC Fuse zippers |
| Type of Closure | YKK RC Fuse zippers |
| Exterior Dimensions | 12.5 x 10.5 x 8.5" (31.8 x 26.7 x 21.6 cm) |
| Interior Dimensions | 10.3 x 8.75 x 5.5" (26.2 x 22.2 x 14.0 cm) |
| Carrying/Transport Options |
Removable shoulder strap Waist belt Top grab handle |
| Weight | 1.9 - 2.5 lb (0.9 - 1.1 kg) |
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Reviewed by 6 customers
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Comments about Think Tank Photo Speed Freak V2.0 (Black/Gray):
This is a great bag. I got it to replace a stolen lumbar pack that is no longer made. This is my first Think Tank product and I can see why everyone raves about them. Quality is easily the best of any bag I have owned. Most surprising to me was just how comfortable this bag is and how much it can fit.
I was able to comfortably fit the following: EOS-6D with 24-105 f/4L mounted, 70-200 f/2.8L with hood reversed, 85 f/1.8 with hood reversed, 17-40 f/4L, hoods for the 24-105 and 17-40 in the side pockets, and two filters, extra batteries, and memory cards in the front pocket. This bag is very intelligently designed so that there isn't a lot (any) extra space with that load, which is perfect for me - it is exactly the load I want to carry with no extra bulk. For all of that, it was comfortable all day. The shoulder strap is one of the beefiest I have ever seen, and the hip belt is substantial enough that it actually takes a decent portion of the load comfortably.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Think Tank Photo Speed Freak V2.0 (Black/Gray):
The Speed Freak v2.0 genuinely deserves 5 stars as no other competitor offers anything remotely close when it comes to build quality, features and design. I have indeed spent enormous amount of time looking for a larger shoulder bag for events and I highly recommend the Speed line if you are also seeking one.
Unfortunately some design flaws still exist and I am afraid I will rate this product 4/5 stars (more like 4.5/5) as I will go over some pros and cons below.
Let's start with what's good about this bag and why it stands out:
Originally I wanted the Speed Racer v2.0 because I already have a smaller shoulder Kata DC series bag. Eventually my list of equipment grew and I require something larger and beefier so I said to myself why not take the largest size one. To my surprise, the mid-size Speed Freak is actually quite large! The height (depth) of the main compartment really stands out as it can hold a 70-200mm f/2.8 vertically, unmounted with lens hood reversed. The middle section can easily hold a full frame DSLR with 24-70mm f/2.8 mounted, face down while carrying a flash (or small prime) on the other end. This would be a very popular setup for many and everything will fit.
In addition to the large, deep main compartment, you also have two mesh pockets for water bottles, two front pockets for accessories and another back slip pocket with velcro. You can really shove all kinds of gear in all directions: front, back, left and right. Don't let the size fool you, this bag holds a lot!
Once the main compartment unzips, the bag opens AWAY from the body while worn. I just don't understand why so many bag makers can't get this right. Think Tank Photo (along with Kata) seems to be among the very few who gets it with the Speed and Suburban series. Most shoulder bags have this huge flap that opens via the front. When you pull it upwards, it will obstruct your view of what's inside in addition to blocking access to your gear.
The fabric and construction is top notch. The nylon shell is somewhat weather resistant without using the rain cover. The padding is thick enough such that my gear can roll off the stairs without a problem (not that I recommend you to try). All straps, buckles and hardware are high quality. I love the metal plates on both the shoulder and waist straps to hold the length, as straps tend to loosen up with time. The elastic band is also a nice touch to keep the straps tidy. The compromise is the extra 1-1.5 lbs in weight for the bag itself. But when you think about it, an extra pound is nothing once you start loading your camera gear.
The waist strap works! The design to wear the bag around the waist along with the shoulder strap is what attracted me to this bag in the first place. The bag gets heavy when loaded and supporting all that weight with one shoulder must be painful. The waist strap will help balance the weight and it will also prevent the bag swinging when you are on the move.
What I don't like about the Speed Freak v2.0:
The bottom of the bag is unused and I see lots of potential there. Instead of putting the rain cover in the large, front pocket, inspire by the Lowepro design and attach the rain cover flat on the bottom with velcro to free up space.
If the rain cover is left inside the front pocket, then include additional loops and velcro straps to carry a small tripod/monopod on the bottom while on the run.
Once it is worn with the shoulder strap fully extended, the strap gets in the way of the main compartment zippers. I am developing a habit of grabbing the front handle gently to lift the bag upward to loosen the shoulder strap, then unzip with the other hand. This has been mentioned in many reviews since v1.0 and one gentleman even recommends hooking the shoulder strap to the side pockets' cinch... It might work but I am afraid the cinches are not strong enough.
I really don't understand the top horizontal zipper opening that runs across the main compartment. I bet 95% of the people will place their camera body in the middle section with two lenses (or combination of flash/other accessories) on both sides. Alright, so once you pull your camera out, the middle section is now empty. The horizontal zipper is designed to "give you quick access" without unzipping the whole main compartment. Because your remaining items are located in both left, right extremes, the zipper opening is tiny at the very end! For the love of Jesus I just can't grab my own lens, let alone putting one back. Don't forget you are supposed to have a divider there, so you can't just drag the item to the center and pull it out.
But the biggest flaw is the grab handle on the top. My Kata DC bag is half the size but the top handle is twice as thick! The handle on the Speed Freak v2.0 is way too thin and uncomfortable to hold. And since it sits on the edge, the whole bag is unbalanced as soon as you lift it up (consider the weight). Why can't Think Tank Photo put a beefy grab handle right in the top middle? Because this is where the useless horizontal zipper is located!
How I would improve for v3.0:
- Utilize the bottom part of the bag to either hold the rain cover or small tripod/monopod.
- Get rid of the top horizontal zipper! The opening is too small for anything practical and it compromises weather protection due to a separate opening.
- Without the top horizontal zipper, the underneath mesh pocket can now be double the size!
- Also, now we have space for a much larger and beefier handle right in the middle.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Think Tank Photo Speed Freak V2.0 (Black/Gray):
I keep all my equipment in a larger bag which is often too large to carry around. I do mostly landscape and travel photography and wanted a bag that I could use both as an airplane carry on as well as a "shooting" bag.For most of my shoots, I carry two bodies set up as follows: Nikon D3s with 28-300 Nikon lens and Nikon D300s with 12-24 f4 lens. I found that I can put both set ups in the bag. To do this, the D300s faces up with a divider pad placed beside it. The D3s goes in lens down. I am also able to put chargers for both cameras in as well as some filters. There is still plenty of room for my cell phone, passport and boarding pass.When hiking the waist belt (which is easily tucked away when not needed) works great.I have to say that this is the perfect bag for what I need.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Think Tank Photo Speed Freak V2.0 (Black/Gray):
This is a well made bag and is well thought out. It can be used as a shoulder bag as well as a waist bag. The waist straps pull out of side pockets when you need them and can be stored out of the way when you don't. This is the medium size bag in this line and is fairly substantial. I am able to store in the main compartment may Canon 5D with 21mm lens attached. A 50mm and a 100mm lens in lens cases. extra batteries, shutter remote, charger and small flashlight. The bag has a bit of a kidney shape which sits nicely on your waist and allows the top to flip open with a hinge like affect. All the hardware is heavyduty and seems very durable. There are a lot of small pockets everywhere mostly for small items. There is a front pouch that zippers open and is good for storing fiters and small accessories. It includes a rian cover that stores in one of the pockets and two side pouches with pull ties for small bulky items or small water bottles. The shoulder strap is well padded and comfortable and detatchable. All in all I am very pleased with it. Oh, and it definately looks like a camera bag. No hiding the fact that you are carrying an expensive camera.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Think Tank Photo Speed Freak V2.0 (Black/Gray):
The perfect Bag for on the go shooting! Typical
Think Tank high quality. Well designed and built
like a tank. Some reviews state that the top flap
zipper is hard to pull. That will ease with use.
Excellent product!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Think Tank Photo Speed Freak V2.0 (Black/Gray):
It holds a lot of equipment and it's very configurable. The waist strap is comfortable and will support a lot of weight. The Think Tank bags are crazy-expensive, but they are extremely well thought-out and I've never been sorry to have spent the money on a Think Tank product.
Displaying reviews 1-6
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 6 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-6
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Think Tank Photo Speed Freak V2.0 (Black/Gray):
This is a great bag. I got it to replace a stolen lumbar pack that is no longer made. This is my first Think Tank product and I can see why everyone raves about them. Quality is easily the best of any bag I have owned. Most surprising to me was just how comfortable this bag is and how much it can fit.
I was able to comfortably fit the following: EOS-6D with 24-105 f/4L mounted, 70-200 f/2.8L with hood reversed, 85 f/1.8 with hood reversed, 17-40 f/4L, hoods for the 24-105 and 17-40 in the side pockets, and two filters, extra batteries, and memory cards in the front pocket. This bag is very intelligently designed so that there isn't a lot (any) extra space with that load, which is perfect for me - it is exactly the load I want to carry with no extra bulk. For all of that, it was comfortable all day. The shoulder strap is one of the beefiest I have ever seen, and the hip belt is substantial enough that it actually takes a decent portion of the load comfortably.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Think Tank Photo Speed Freak V2.0 (Black/Gray):
The Speed Freak v2.0 genuinely deserves 5 stars as no other competitor offers anything remotely close when it comes to build quality, features and design. I have indeed spent enormous amount of time looking for a larger shoulder bag for events and I highly recommend the Speed line if you are also seeking one.
Unfortunately some design flaws still exist and I am afraid I will rate this product 4/5 stars (more like 4.5/5) as I will go over some pros and cons below.
Let's start with what's good about this bag and why it stands out:
Originally I wanted the Speed Racer v2.0 because I already have a smaller shoulder Kata DC series bag. Eventually my list of equipment grew and I require something larger and beefier so I said to myself why not take the largest size one. To my surprise, the mid-size Speed Freak is actually quite large! The height (depth) of the main compartment really stands out as it can hold a 70-200mm f/2.8 vertically, unmounted with lens hood reversed. The middle section can easily hold a full frame DSLR with 24-70mm f/2.8 mounted, face down while carrying a flash (or small prime) on the other end. This would be a very popular setup for many and everything will fit.
In addition to the large, deep main compartment, you also have two mesh pockets for water bottles, two front pockets for accessories and another back slip pocket with velcro. You can really shove all kinds of gear in all directions: front, back, left and right. Don't let the size fool you, this bag holds a lot!
Once the main compartment unzips, the bag opens AWAY from the body while worn. I just don't understand why so many bag makers can't get this right. Think Tank Photo (along with Kata) seems to be among the very few who gets it with the Speed and Suburban series. Most shoulder bags have this huge flap that opens via the front. When you pull it upwards, it will obstruct your view of what's inside in addition to blocking access to your gear.
The fabric and construction is top notch. The nylon shell is somewhat weather resistant without using the rain cover. The padding is thick enough such that my gear can roll off the stairs without a problem (not that I recommend you to try). All straps, buckles and hardware are high quality. I love the metal plates on both the shoulder and waist straps to hold the length, as straps tend to loosen up with time. The elastic band is also a nice touch to keep the straps tidy. The compromise is the extra 1-1.5 lbs in weight for the bag itself. But when you think about it, an extra pound is nothing once you start loading your camera gear.
The waist strap works! The design to wear the bag around the waist along with the shoulder strap is what attracted me to this bag in the first place. The bag gets heavy when loaded and supporting all that weight with one shoulder must be painful. The waist strap will help balance the weight and it will also prevent the bag swinging when you are on the move.
What I don't like about the Speed Freak v2.0:
The bottom of the bag is unused and I see lots of potential there. Instead of putting the rain cover in the large, front pocket, inspire by the Lowepro design and attach the rain cover flat on the bottom with velcro to free up space.
If the rain cover is left inside the front pocket, then include additional loops and velcro straps to carry a small tripod/monopod on the bottom while on the run.
Once it is worn with the shoulder strap fully extended, the strap gets in the way of the main compartment zippers. I am developing a habit of grabbing the front handle gently to lift the bag upward to loosen the shoulder strap, then unzip with the other hand. This has been mentioned in many reviews since v1.0 and one gentleman even recommends hooking the shoulder strap to the side pockets' cinch... It might work but I am afraid the cinches are not strong enough.
I really don't understand the top horizontal zipper opening that runs across the main compartment. I bet 95% of the people will place their camera body in the middle section with two lenses (or combination of flash/other accessories) on both sides. Alright, so once you pull your camera out, the middle section is now empty. The horizontal zipper is designed to "give you quick access" without unzipping the whole main compartment. Because your remaining items are located in both left, right extremes, the zipper opening is tiny at the very end! For the love of Jesus I just can't grab my own lens, let alone putting one back. Don't forget you are supposed to have a divider there, so you can't just drag the item to the center and pull it out.
But the biggest flaw is the grab handle on the top. My Kata DC bag is half the size but the top handle is twice as thick! The handle on the Speed Freak v2.0 is way too thin and uncomfortable to hold. And since it sits on the edge, the whole bag is unbalanced as soon as you lift it up (consider the weight). Why can't Think Tank Photo put a beefy grab handle right in the top middle? Because this is where the useless horizontal zipper is located!
How I would improve for v3.0:
- Utilize the bottom part of the bag to either hold the rain cover or small tripod/monopod.
- Get rid of the top horizontal zipper! The opening is too small for anything practical and it compromises weather protection due to a separate opening.
- Without the top horizontal zipper, the underneath mesh pocket can now be double the size!
- Also, now we have space for a much larger and beefier handle right in the middle.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Think Tank Photo Speed Freak V2.0 (Black/Gray):
I keep all my equipment in a larger bag which is often too large to carry around. I do mostly landscape and travel photography and wanted a bag that I could use both as an airplane carry on as well as a "shooting" bag.For most of my shoots, I carry two bodies set up as follows: Nikon D3s with 28-300 Nikon lens and Nikon D300s with 12-24 f4 lens. I found that I can put both set ups in the bag. To do this, the D300s faces up with a divider pad placed beside it. The D3s goes in lens down. I am also able to put chargers for both cameras in as well as some filters. There is still plenty of room for my cell phone, passport and boarding pass.When hiking the waist belt (which is easily tucked away when not needed) works great.I have to say that this is the perfect bag for what I need.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Think Tank Photo Speed Freak V2.0 (Black/Gray):
This is a well made bag and is well thought out. It can be used as a shoulder bag as well as a waist bag. The waist straps pull out of side pockets when you need them and can be stored out of the way when you don't. This is the medium size bag in this line and is fairly substantial. I am able to store in the main compartment may Canon 5D with 21mm lens attached. A 50mm and a 100mm lens in lens cases. extra batteries, shutter remote, charger and small flashlight. The bag has a bit of a kidney shape which sits nicely on your waist and allows the top to flip open with a hinge like affect. All the hardware is heavyduty and seems very durable. There are a lot of small pockets everywhere mostly for small items. There is a front pouch that zippers open and is good for storing fiters and small accessories. It includes a rian cover that stores in one of the pockets and two side pouches with pull ties for small bulky items or small water bottles. The shoulder strap is well padded and comfortable and detatchable. All in all I am very pleased with it. Oh, and it definately looks like a camera bag. No hiding the fact that you are carrying an expensive camera.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Think Tank Photo Speed Freak V2.0 (Black/Gray):
The perfect Bag for on the go shooting! Typical
Think Tank high quality. Well designed and built
like a tank. Some reviews state that the top flap
zipper is hard to pull. That will ease with use.
Excellent product!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Think Tank Photo Speed Freak V2.0 (Black/Gray):
It holds a lot of equipment and it's very configurable. The waist strap is comfortable and will support a lot of weight. The Think Tank bags are crazy-expensive, but they are extremely well thought-out and I've never been sorry to have spent the money on a Think Tank product.
Displaying reviews 1-6