Saturday, November 19, 2016

REVIEW: TTP Streetwalker Pro vs Glass Taxi (UPDATED: Nov 20, 2016)

Side By Side

In 2008, my favorite backpack company released a bag series called the Streetwalker, and as of 2016 the Pro version is still my favorite bag!. This series comes in three varieties:

  1. Streetwalker - 2 lbs and 9.5” W x 17” H x 6”D - Simple and compact
  2. Streetwalker Pro - 2.6 lbs and 10”W x 17.5” H x 7.5” D - Slightly larger in between a full size and small backpack - this is my favorite size!
  3. Streetwalker HD - 3.8 lbs and 11.5” W x 19” H x 8.5” D - Full size backpack with room for a 15" laptop

In this article I'm going to compare the Streetwalker Pro with the Glass Taxi that I loved in the days before the Streetwalker series existed.

As a point of reference my Glass Taxi is 2 lbs and 17” H x 8.5” W x 9.5” D. Officially ThinkTankPhoto states that the Streetwalker series is not a replacement for the Glass Taxi, but rather a different offering. In addition, size and weight wise the basic Streetwalker is most like the Glass Taxi, but since I use my Glass Taxi so much and long for a little extra space I decided to step up to the Streetwalker Pro.

The first thing I noticed when I got the Streetwalker Pro was that it was light and super deep (2" deeper than my Glass Taxi). I've tried to show the difference in the photo of both bags below with my Glass Taxi in the front, but it is hard to get the full impact from just a photo.

Side 1

However when loading the Streetwalker Pro I noticed that my 1DX Mark II  (and previously my 1D X and 1D Mark IV) fit very comfortably in the bag even with the L-bracket on (something that was a challenge in the Glass Taxi). From the moment I got it back in 2008, it immediately became my favorite backpack and it is to this day. My Glass Taxi  for a few years and then eventually was given to a friend as I never had a need for it after getting the Streetwalker series, but then again I didn't own any huge prime lenses which is what its really designed for.

TTP Streetwalker Pro-1-2-Edit copy

Inside I found the the dividers are much thinner than those used in pre-2008 ThinkTankPhoto bags I've owned. I've always considered the dividers and zippers to be the best features of these bags, so a change was a little concerning. However, I quickly discovered that the thin versions seem to work almost as well and have the added benefit of creating more space in the bag (always a plus). That said, I wish the old thicker dividers would come back.

One really great thing I noticed about the interior is that it finally has good pockets! As you can see on the right hand side in the picture above it now has two big nice zipper pouches versus the one useless velcro pouch in the Glass Taxi. The same holds true for the exterior - there's tons of wonderful pockets with places to hold pens, model releases, keys, and so much more. This is one place where the Streetwalker Pro is a clear winner!

Just like all other TTP bags, the added rain protection for a heavy storm comes in the form of a "shower cap" design but it has nothing built-in.

From the exterior the new huge size pockets (show below) and the big pockets on the front (shown at the beginning of this article) make the Streetwalker Pro a very desirable bag to own. I've always found you can't have enough pockets, and this is one bag where I've got more than I need (for now) and that's a good thing!

TTP Streetwalker Pro-4-Edit copy

Conclusion

I’ve been using my Streetwalker Pro since 2008 and I love it. Over the long-haul I stopped using the Glass Taxi for anything but large glass. In fact, even in November 2016, my Streetwalker Pro is often my “go to” bag when I need to carry a lot in a compact bag.

My bag has held up well and the only issue I had with it was the zipper sticking on the turn (due to the glide angle, not a zipper issue) which has been addressed in all models since shortly after I got mine in 2008.

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thx Ron, I was really sitting on the fence between these two bags and your review addressed the key pros/cons perfectly. Keep up the great work!
Cheers, Vip
www.mintimage.com

Anonymous said...

you referenced the shower cap type rain cover and seemed to be disappointed that it wasn't built in. i myself am happy its not and that they go this way on all their products. should it get torn its easily replaced

Anonymous said...

Great post you got here. I'd like to read more concerning that matter. Thank you for posting this material.
Joan Stepsen
Computer geeks

Anonymous said...

Is it the streetwalker or sidewalker? You change mid-way through the article.

ronmartblog.com said...

It's the Streetwalker - the sidewalker was a typo that nobody has reported until now. Thanks for letting me know - I'll correct that.

David Truland said...

Thanks for the post. A bit confused, though. TTP specs indicate Glass Taxi interior depth to be 8" and SW Pro interior depth to be 7".

Sems to me the GT should accomodate a body with grip better than the SWP.

Also, I have a plain SW and the dividers are thin indeed. And that bag definitely does not hold a body with grip.

ronmartblog.com said...

The top of the SW has an angle which causes the top portion to have a more shallow depth than the rest of the compartment. I think that's where they are getting their official measurements.

In practice, the SW Pro and HD (see separate review) has done a reasonable job holding my pro bodies.

Ron