Pixiq

The creative thinkers and designers at Think Tank dove into their thinking tank, and the result is remarkable: a compact roller that will please everyone from the working pro to the traveling techie. It will take you thirty minutes to ooh and aah and explore every feature and function of the Think Tank Airport Navigator (abbreviated here as TTAN). It's the latest masterpiece in this top tier company's Airport Series of Rolling Camera Bags.

World's Best Compact Rolling Camera, Computer, and iPad Case: Airport Navigator from Think Tank Photo

Top-loading and Front-accessible Pilot's Case for Photographers and Technologists

$250 U.S.

Available November, 2012

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Check List!

Loads of lenses? No problem. Buckets of bodies and bazillions of batteries? Bingo. Flashes and filters? Fine and dandy. Cartons of camera cards, cables, and chargers? Certainly. Document areas? Several.

Fifteen-inch computer and iPad? Perfect fit. Smooth rolling on solid surfaces? You guessed it. Tandem use with larger roller? Yes, indeed. Front and top access to equipment? Instantaneous. Comfy and sturdy straps? Of course. Removable and configurable interior velcro zones? Ubetcha.

Extra-long telescoping handle? Yep. Stowable rain cover? Included. Durable yet light weight? Check. Fits in overhead bin? Double check. Water bottle compartments? Wowzer.

Think Tank Airport Navigator's Rain Cover and Strap

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Photo credit: Peggy Leggett

Think Tank's CEO claims "another unique first for the camera industry," especially "top and front access for wedding, event, and travel photographers." Why stop there? In my day job as a peripatetic computer tutor and technology consultant, TTAN will get me in and out of cars, offices, and homes with ease and grace, and without anyone either knowing how much valuable gear I carry or having an incentive to wrest it away from me.

The wheels and handles on pro roller cases take the greatest beating. Think Tank can replace the wheels and handles on your TTAN when they no longer perform, just like commercial pilots can have their cases' wheels and handles replaced.

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I took our evaluation TTAN on a test roll, fully loaded, through the entire University of Arizona hospital. I think people considered me to be either a visitor with a patient's luggage, or a service rep from a company that repairs hospital equipment. No one looked at me once, much less twice. 

Navigation was effortless. Remember always to lift a loaded TTAN by its top deck grab handle or shoulder strap; never by its telescoping roller handle. No exceptions.

I have reviewed dozens of computer and photo cases. Most of them have inferior top deck grab handles. TTAN's is wide, well-cushioned, and very stable. The shoulder strap is good, especially its pass through band for piggy-backing into a larger roller's extension handle. It's not a $30 Tom Bihn Absolute Shoulder Strap, but it's good enough for getting you onto an airplane without raising gate check attendants' eyebrows.

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Let's talk about value and price. Think Tank pro cases are some of the best in the business. TTAN certainly is a new world leader. Translation: expensive and worth every penny. How much is your equipment worth? How essential is the case that contains, rolls, and carries your precious cargo? Enough said. At $250 U.S., Think Tank Airport Navigator is your new best friend.

Suggestion #1: Don't carry too much gear. Pack TTAN with everything you actually used on your last assignment or trip, not everything you might possibly use. 

Suggestion #2: Donate your conventional rolling luggage to charity, and use TTAN for your personal luggage, even if you have to buy two of them. This roller holds plenty, especially when you consider how efficient its stowage and access are for a 15" computer plus iPad.