Today's review will cover the ThinkTank Big Stick. (ThinkTank Big Stick Link
) I apologize for the images but it was done on a P&S. Hopefully, it's enough to get the point across.
What is it?
Store your Big Sticks (MONOPODS) up to 27” in length and 2.5” in diameter. Expandable zippered top section allows many tripod heads to remain attached.
Dimensions
External Dimensions:
34” L x 4” W x .25” H
(18 x 7 x 16.5 cm)
Expandable Section:
15” L x 4” to 7” W
(38 x 10 to 18 cm)
Review
Now that we have the technical jargon out of the way, let's get on with this. For those of you who have missed it, this is a monopod case/bag. It's not really a case per say but a very durable flexible nylon material that encloses your monopod to protect it from bumps, scratchs, etc. In addition to providing protection, it's also a discrete way of carrying your monopod so that it's more "friendly" when bringing it onboard a plane or streamlining it so that it doesn't snag on things.
Quality
There is no doubt that this item is made with high standards. You get what you paid for and in my opinion was well worth it! I can't compare this with other carriers out there but, but I can say that you won't be disappointed with the quality of this item.
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As you can see, the nylon fiber is tightly knit. The feel is flexible yet sturdy and you definately won't feel that you'll rip it if it goes head to head with something very sharp.
Overall, I can say that my monopod is happy to sit inside.
Design
What can say about the design. It's simple, yet practical. Here are the main features.
- It has a zippered top to accomodate the ballhead.
- It has a velcro'd top to allow you to accomodate smaller monopods by folding the top of the BigStick.
- It has looping rails on one side to attach anything on it you desire (i.e. Shoulder strap, etc.)
. This was out of luck that I was able to pair the two together. The greatest thing was that using the looping rails on one side of the BigStick, I was able to snap on the OP/TECH strap. As you can see here. | HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by ADVERTISEMENT |
On a side note: The shoulder strap is as comfortable as the POTN neck straps
. The nice thing is that there are little rubber grips which is concentrated on the top portion of the padding on the strap, specifically designed to grip your shoulder when it sit over your shoulder.As creative as you can get, you can essentially attach this "carrier" to anything and it would act as a holder for a monopod. You're not locked into having it strictly be an independent that can't be attachable. For those of you who has packs and are thinking of attaching something on your pack to accomodate a monopod, this can work!
Summary
Overall, I'm very pleased with this purchase. No regrets whatsoever. There isn't really more to say about this. For those who are interested, the rest of the pictures should hopefully help you in deciding whether this works for your or not. The monopod that you see in the next set of pictures is a Manfrotto/Bogen 680B with a Manfrotto/Bogen 486RC2 ballhead that is smiling next to it's ninja sheath.
Due to the compact nature of the monopod, the BigStick is a larger BUT, don't fret, it can actually fold down and velcro'd in place to make it streamlined.
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Hopefully this is clear for you, see how it's folded and velcro'd?
The following picture is the zippered top to accomodate your ballhead without having to remove it.
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The following images are comparison images of my monopod nex to the length of the BigStick.
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Another one...
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Last but not least, the full package.
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If you have any questions regarding it, please let me know. I'm working on the following other reviews (considering there are very limited in most of the forums that I attend to).
- Digital Holster 50
- Speed Racer
- Accelerator Shoulder Strap
- Shoulder Harness
- LensChangers 75 Pop-Down and Lenschanger 50
- Chimp Cage
If you can't find them, do a search.
