I’m a big fan of sling-style camera bags.  I’ve been using the same Lowepro SlingShot camera bag for sixteen years – mainly because I’ve never found one I like better.  And as much as I like it, it has several problems.  No exterior pocket to put a water bottle or tripod is a big one.  And it’s on the smallish size – it was made before companies started reporting the carrying capacity of their bags in liters, but ChatGPT estimates it to be around 8 liters.  But recently I learned that Think Tank just released their new PhotoCross Sling V2.  The photos looked great, it was reasonably priced, and it appeared to have all the features I was looking for in a sling, so I placed an order.  Yes, I bought this bag with my own money.

The PhotoCross Sling V2 is an evolution of a previous product, but before I get into that, I’d like to talk a bit about Think Tank.

An American Brand

Think Tank is one of the most respected premium camera bag manufacturers in the photography world — especially among working pros – photojournalists, event shooters, and travel photographers. They were founded in 2005 in Santa Rosa, California by a combination of product designers and professional photographers, including Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Deanne Fitzmaurice.  Given my general avoidance of supporting companies in countries that actively seek the downfall of the United States, I’m trying to avoid Chinese companies in the camera industry whenever possible.  The fact that Think Tank is based in America is just one of the many reason why I like to giving Think Tank my money.   That’s not to say that Think Tank’s products are made in the US.  But it is great to know that if I need support or service, Think Tank is here in the US.  

The first Think Tank product I purchased was their Mirrorless Mover 5.  In my review of that bag, I called it the “best compact camera bag on the market today.”  It’s a great little bag.  More recently, when I learned about their just released PhotoCross Sling V2, I saw it not only as an opportunity to upgrade my aging Lowepro sling, but also to better get to know Think Tank.

EVOLUTION OF THE PhotoCross Sling

The original MindShift PhotoCross sling bags debuted in mid-2017 in both 10L and 13L sizes. MindShift was a separate sister company to Think Tank that was launched in 2013 by a couple of Think Tank’s founders – so there was always a close relationship between the two companies.  By August of 2018, Think Tank Photo and MindShift Gear formally merged into a single company structure.  Fast forward to 2026, and the V2 iteration of the PhotoCross Sling is absent of the prominant MindShift logo that appeared on the original version and appears to be marketed as a Think Tank product.

Stock photo of the original MindShift PhotoCross 13 Sling Bag

Personally I much prefer the more subtle Think Tank branding on the Think Tank PhotoCross Sling V2.

Photo taken by Yours Truly of my new PhotoCross Sling V2 14L

The PhotoCross Sling V2 isn’t just a rebranding of the previous version.  The list of upgrades to the orignal MindShift PhotoCross Sling is actually quite extensive:

It’s not just a size bump – this is top to bottom upgrade and modernization of an already fundamentally well designed sling bag.

BUILD QUALITY

Right out of the box, this bag felt like one of the most robust and high-quality bags I ever had a chance to handle.  A variety of lightweight and durable materials are used in the construction of this bag, but the exterior appears to be comprised predominantly of nylon rip stop, and Cordura.  Top quality YKK zippers are used throughout, each with polymer T pulls.  In so many cases manufacturers will tie cords to zipper pulls to make them easier to manipulate.  Invariably they come untied and pull off at the worst times.  The T pulls solve that problem.  It’s a little touches like this that really demonstrate Think Tank’s commitment to producing the best product in this category.

Want another example?  Think Tank includes an actual instruction booklet with this bag.  It’s not printed so small that it requires the Hubble telescope to read.   And it’s in English!  And while I’d like to believe I’m smart enough to operate a bag without instructions, it actually came in quite handy when it came to understanding how some of the accessory straps worked.  Think Tank includes a nice rain cover with the sling in a really nice little pouch.  The PhotoCross Sling V2 has a PFAS-free water-repellant (DWR) coating applied which will protect it from light moisture exposure, but the rain cover is a nice option.  And to top it off, Think Tank also has produced an includes a product catalogue comprised of photos from a variety of photographers using their gear whom they credit with their Photo contributions.  Once again foot stopping that Think Tank is by photographers, for photographers.

CAPACITY

The PhotoCross Sling V2 is offered in two different color ways, each with two different sizes – Sage Green, and Basalt Black , and 11L and 14L.  The variation that I chose was the 14L Basalt Black.  Here are a couple of photos of me wearing the bag so you can get some sense of how it looks relative to my 5’7” frame:

One of the big things I was looking for in an upgrade to my previous sling was more room and the 14L size is exactly what I was looking for.  the main compartment is surprisingly roomy.  Out of the box it contains three chambers that can be reconfigured with Velcro dividers as is typical with camera bags.  Honestly on many other bags I hate trying to reconfigure the dividers, and usually get frustrated and either tear them all out or don’t move them from their factory setting.  The dividers on the PhotoCross Sling V2 are much easier to work with and Think Tank smartly includes removable flat panels that cover Velcro areas that are not being used so other items that you stick in the bag don’t unintentionally adhere – and it makes configuring the dividers easier too,

Those three chambers are deep.  in the above picture I have an EF 35mm lens with an RF adapter – together they are pretty tall and they don’t come anywhere near the top of the bag.  in the center chamber I have my R5 Mark II with a 15-35mm f2.8 lens on it – again with room to spare.  On the left-hand side I have my DJI Pocket 3 kit bag.  I could probably still weigh something across the top of the three items like a jacket and still be able to comfortably close the bag.  The chambers are deep enough to actually fit my EF 100-400 zoom lens – the dimensionally longest lens I own.  You’ll also see a divided zipper pouch that’s handy for business cards (yes I still use them) and other small items like memory cards.

The secondary compartment can hold flatter items – think filters, extra batteries, etc.  You could probably fit a compact camera in there as well.   this compartment also contains a secondary zipper pouch.  Two chambers, each with a zipper pouch.  plenty of room. Plenty of options, but not so many little hidey holes that you can’t find that one item you brought that you quickly need.  Perfect!

QUALITY OF LIFE FEATURES

The older I get the more I come to realize that little “quality of life” features that companies build into their products can separate a good product from a great product.  The PhotoCross Sling V2 has some great quality of life features.  Do I need a pouch that can hold a ginormous water bottle or travel tripod to take good pictures?  No.  Does such a feature make life a bunch easier and improve my photo taking experience?  Absolutely.

The Benro tripod in the above Photo is what I considered to be a full-size tripod.  But what if I want to bring a water bottle and a tripod on an outing?  Think Tank includes a pair of accessory straps which can be attached to the front of the bag and can securely hold a tripod or even a jacket – brilliant.

The other nice addition to the PhotoCross Sling V2 is the inclusion of rail straps into the bag’s shoulder strap.  This allows accessory items to be mounted into the shoulder strap such as a quick release camera mount.

With a quick release mount that attaches to the rails on the shoulder strap, I can securely carry a 2nd camera.

As someone who typically shoots with two camera bodies, this is a must-have feature on any bag that I own.

ANY CONCERNS?

Not really – it’s one of the nicest bags I’ve ever seen or heard about, and very reasonably priced at about $175.00 for the 14L version I purchased.  However It is important to understand what this bag is and what it isn’t.  In my mind, this is a day bag, not a travel bag.   There’s no good place for a laptop or even a tablet in this bag.  Neither is the room for camera battery chargers and other electronic necessities I tend to need my camera bag to be able to hold when I travel.  This isn’t a criticism – it’s just an acknowledgment of the limitations of  the bag inherent to its design.  Some may be able to get by with this bag traveling with it – I just know that I need a larger traditional backpack for my camera when I travel.

The bag is also not designed to be ambidextrous – meaning it can’t be worn over either shoulder.  Think Tank does make other sling bags which are ambidextrous if that particular feature is a requirement.  This was an issue I didn’t really stop to consider before I bought the bag but fortunately carrying it the way it was designed over my left shoulder has not been a constraint.

The Think Tank PhotoCross Sling V2 it is for me, the perfect camera sling bag.  based on my experience with this now second Think Tank bag, I believe I’m going to be taking a serious look at the other bags that I own – more upgrades maybe in order.