A good camera bag becomes a piece of equipment that evolves into part of your workflow. You hardly notice it when it works well, but it’s unforgettable when it doesn’t. I sold my first Think Tank Airport Navigator nearly a decade ago because my assignments started requiring more gear than it could hold. At that time, it felt like the right choice to trade up and go bigger. However, I often missed it, especially on lighter shoots where its compact size and simple design were just what I needed. When Think Tank announced the Airport Navigator V2, many years after the original, I knew this couldn’t be just a minor iteration. Using this bag felt more like reconnecting with something that had quietly influenced the way I worked, rather than simply indulging in nostalgia. After traveling with it and using it for real shoots, I can honestly say the Navigator V2 is not just a re-release. It’s a smarter, more thoughtful version of the bag I remembered.
The Big Picture: Think Tank Airport Navigator V2 Conclusions
The biggest upgrade from the original Navigator is the switch from two inline wheels to four spinner wheels. This change truly makes a difference. The old model was fine, but like most two-wheel rollers, it had to be dragged behind you. That became tiring during long days in airports and felt clumsy in tight spaces. Next is the new water bottle pocket. It may seem small, but it’s useful when you’re rushing through a long connection or dealing with summer heat. And the addition of the tripod straps really hammer home the fact that the R&D team at Think Tank took into consideration a lot of the feedback they would have received from the already excellent Airport Navigator v1
The Airport Navigator V2 is built for photographers who spend a lot of time in airports. It is not a complete redesign; instead, it’s a smart improvement of an already great bag. The four wheels, water bottle pocket, tripod straps, TSA lock, and ID plate bring it up to date for modern travel photographers while still keeping the essence of the original.
For these thoughtful changes that enhance the bag without introducing any limitations, I’m giving the Think Tank Airport Navigator V2 a full five stars. Want one? Buy it on Adorama today
- The idea to switch to 4 wheels (360° spinner wheels, not inline) is an excellent one, which makes this bag almost like a smaller version of their Roller Derby)
- Tripod straps now allow you to attach your tripod to the top of the bag
- Unique TSID plate on each bag means someone who finds it can easily trace it back to you
- Can fit 2 gripped bodies even with a 70-200mm f2.8 lens attached
- It’s a small change, but having water bottle pockets outside now frees up more space inside
- Think Tank makes products that last, and the quality of material on this bag is no different (NY 1680D Ballistic fabric)
Experience
The Airport Navigator V2 feels like reconnecting with an old friend. At first glance, it has the same compact, pilot-case shape I remember. But rolling it through an airport reveals a smoother, more refined experience. The four spinner wheels are the first noticeable change. With the old Navigator, I had to drag the bag behind me, struggling through long concourses and tight boarding gates. With the V2, it glides alongside me. In Trabzon in Turkey, it rolled over uneven sidewalks and cobblestones with much less effort than I expected. It was the same when I went to the mountains in Uzungol on the same trip. In busy airports, it was a breeze to move around with it, even when packed with gear. This change alone makes it a much better bag to use.
Inside, the Navigator V2 still has plenty of space. On my holiday, I filled it with a Nikon Zf attached to a Nikon Z 24-120mm f4 lens, my Nikon J5 with an attached Nikon 1 50mm lens, an Artralab 50mm f1.8 lens, 8 Maven magnetic filters, a Nitecore BB Nano air blower, an iPad, my Nikon battery charger, my Samsung smartphone charger, coloring pencils for junior, an iPad, a pair of Bose QC45 headphones in their pouch, a microfibre towel, and the Heipi 3-in-1 travel tripod.
Everything fit comfortably, and I could quickly access what I needed. That impressed me the most; the organization is simple but easy to navigate. When I had to switch from one lens to another later, or I had to grab a different filter than the one on my lens, I wasn’t fumbling around. Access to your gear is still dual – via the zipped flap on top, or the zipped opening on the front, which still has detachable straps on the side to prevent the cover from falling on the ground.
Almost Perfect For Travel
The bag’s compact size makes it perfect for airline cabin use. It fit neatly in the overhead bins of the flights I took, even on smaller aircraft. Thanks to the four-wheel design, moving through the aisles was also easier. When I arrived at my destination, the included rain cover eased my worries when the rain began. In lighter drizzles, I didn’t even need it – the outer Durable water-repellant (DWR) coating kept the contents dry enough on its own.
There are a couple of tradeoffs, though. The bag is sturdy, perhaps too sturdy. When empty (9.25-9.95 lbs / 4.2-4.5 kg, depending on the accessories used), it occupies almost half the carry-on allowance on many international flights. Once I added camera bodies and lenses, I actually went over the weight limit at 23.1 lb / 10.5kg. It escaped the roving eyes of airline agents twice, because it looked small enough to be comfortably light. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it does require careful planning about what to pack when you’re traveling. If you’ve got it filled with camera gear, adding something like a MacBook Pro 16″ would definitely cause it to tip the scales.
Another quirk is the new placement of the tripod strap. It’s great to finally secure a tripod directly to the bag, which I missed in the original Navigator. However, depending on how bulky your tripod is, doing so can make the top handle difficult to grab quickly. It’s not unusable, just less convenient.
In everyday use, these small issues are nothing compared to how easy the bag makes travel. It’s compact, more than capable, and it feels like it was designed by people who actually travel with gear.
Verdict And Suggestions
The Think Tank Airport Navigator V2 is not the lightest bag, nor is it the biggest. However, that’s not its purpose. It’s a compact, travel-ready roller meant for those who need to carry significant equipment without dragging along their entire gear list. It stands out because it’s able to juggle capacity, organization, and usability with ease. I really enjoyed how it felt during transit, how reliable it was on location, and especially how it could be discreet when necessary, as it doesn’t give you any hint that it’s a camera bag. The upgrades, especially the spinner wheels, tripod straps, TSA lock, water bottle pocket, and QR ID plate, create a smarter version of a bag that was already popular.
I missed having a roller bag that could accomplish so much in such a compact size. For most of the last decade, the Airport Roller Derby was my main rolling camera bag. Now, I can see myself using the Airport Navigator V2 frequently on vacations, smaller shoots, or any assignment where mobility is more important than carrying everything I own. The Airport Navigator V2 isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t have to be. It just needs to make travel easier, protect my gear, and stay out of the way when I’m shooting. And it does all three exceptionally well. Yes, it’s heavier than I’d like, and sometimes the top handle suffers when you strap a tripod on. But these are small compromises for what is otherwise one of the most versatile compact rollers available today.
I hope Think Tank will reduce the base weight of all its roller bags. This way, photographers can not only move around more easily with more gear, but more importantly, they can safely carry these precious cameras and lenses onboard aircraft without having to get into a verbal fight with boarding gate agents. I also hope they add a small ID sleeve on the outside with a visible window where photographers can add a business card or luggage tag for more personalization. Overall, this bag is something that all photographers who want to travel light with their gear on wheels should take a serious look at.
Airport Navigator V2 Tech Specs and Features
- Exterior Dimensions:
16” W x16” H x 10.5” D (40.6 × 40.6 × 26.7 cm) - Internal Dimensions:
15” W x 13” H x 6.8” D (38.1 × 33 × 17.3 cm) - Laptop Compartment:
14.8” W x 11” H x 1.5” D (37.6 × 28 × 3.8 cm) - Weight:
9.25–9.95 lbs. (4.2–4.5 kg -Depending on accessories used - Dual access, front and top openings for rapid gear access
- Fits a 16” MacBook Pro and a 12.9” iPad Pro
- Fits two gripped bodies side-by-side that can be quickly accessed via the top lid
- Wheel Features:
- 3 ways to roll: upright at your side, back wheel tilt, or side wheel tilt
- 4 dual-wheel sets provide 360-degree maneuverability in tight spaces
- Large rear wheels enable effortless, tilted two-wheeled rolling
- User-replaceable wheels
- Meets most International and U.S. domestic carry-on requirements*
- Shoulder strap included with telescoping handle pass-through for piggybacking on other rolling luggage
- Elastic straps in the divider set keep camera gear secure when opening the front panel
- Two expandable pleated side pockets fit small water bottles
- Horizontal tripod mount on the top lid
- Lockable YKK® RC Fuse zippers
- Lock and cable to secure and tether the bag**
- Bottom handle for easy overhead lifting
- Zippered pocket inside the top lid
- Seam-sealed rain cover included
Declaration of Journalistic Intent
The Phoblographer is one of the last standing dedicated photography publications that speaks to both art and tech in our articles. We put declarations up front in our reviews to adhere to journalistic standards that several publications abide by. These help you understand a lot more about what we do:
- At the time of publishing this review, Think Tank Photo is not running direct-sold advertising with the Phoblographer. This doesn’t affect our reviews anyway, and it never has in our 15 years of publishing our articles. This article is in no way sponsored.
- Note that this isn’t necessarily our final review of the unit. It can be updated. In fact, almost all our reviews are subject to updates.
- None of the reviews on The Phoblographer are sponsored. That’s against FTC laws, and we adhere to them just the same way that newspapers, magazines, and corporate publications do.
- Think Tank Photo provided the Airport Navigator v2 to The Phoblographer for review. There was no money exchange between us or their 3rd party partners and the Phoblographer for this to happen. Manufacturers trust the Phoblographer’s reviews, as they are incredibly blunt.
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