Think Tank’s Lily Deanne shoulder bags were created through a collaboration between the company’s senior product designer, Lily Fisher and Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, Deanne Fitzmaurice. Their aim was to produce a bag for professional female photographers.
In fact, they created three bags. They’re very similar to each other, just different sizes. The smallest is called the Lily Deanne Lucido, the mid-sized one is the Lily Deanne Mezzo while the largest is the Lily Deanne Tutto.
All three bags are available in a choice of two colours, Chestnut or Liquorice. Or brown and black, as I like to call them.
Features
The three bags are made from a soft, high-quality leather and have a padded interior with repositionable dividers.
Although there’s a large flap, which is held down by magnets, there’s also a large zip to access the main compartment. This means you can have security when you want it, as well as speedy access to your gear.
The front pockets (or pocket in the case of the Lucido) are also held closed by magnets.
Think Tank has given the bags’ exterior a DWR (Durable Water-Repellent) coating, but there’s also a rain cover for really bad weather.
Each bag has useful organisation pockets and expandable side pockets to carry stuff like a bottle or glasses case. And for when you’re travelling, there’s a luggage handle pass-through.
- In the UK, the Think Tank Lily Deanne bags are available from SnapperStuff.
Think Tank Lily Deanne Lucido Capacity
- Internal Dimensions: 25.5 x 21.5 x 11.5 cm or 10 x 8.5 x 4.5-inches (W x H x D)
- Exterior Dimensions: 29 x 22.5 x 13.5 cm or 11.4 x 8.9 x 5.3-inches (W x H x D)
- Weight: 0.8 kg
Although it’s the smallest in the Lily Deanne range, the Lucido is designed to carry a high-end DSLR such as the Canon 5D Mark IV with up to three lenses and a few accessories. If you have an average-sized mirrorless camera like the Sony A7 III, you’re likely to get that and three or four lenses and few accessories in.
There’s also a dedicated tablet compartment that can house an 8-inch device like the iPad Mini.
Think Tank Lily Deanne Mezzo Capacity
- Internal Dimensions: 31 x 24 x 13.5 cm or 12.2 x 9.4 x 5.3-inches (W x H x D)
- Exterior Dimensions: 35 x 25 x 15.5 cm or 13.8 x 9.8 x 6.1-inches (W x H x D)
- Weight: 1.0 kg
With external dimensions of 35 x 25 x 15.5 cm or 13.8 x 9.8 x 6.1 (W x H x D), the Mezzo has a bit more space than the Lucido, yet lacks the big-bag feel of the Tutto. It can hold a standard-size DSLR such as the Nikon D850 with 24–70mm f/2.8 attached along with a 70–200mm f/2.8 and 14–24mm f/2.8, plus a few accessories.
If you use a mirrorless camera like the Sony A7 III or Nikon Z6, you can fit three or four lenses in with the camera.
There’s also a compartment that can hold an 11-inch laptop or large tablet.
Think Tank Lily Deanne Tutto Capacity
- Internal Dimensions: 39 x 28 x 17 cm or 15.4 x 10.2 x 6.7-inches (W x H x D)
- Exterior Dimensions: 43 x 29 x 21 cm or 16.9 x 11.4 x 8.3-inches (W x H x D)
- Weight: 1.5 kg
The Tutto is designed to hold a dual-gripped DSLR such as the Canon EOS-1DX Mark II or Nikon D5 with up to five lenses and a couple of flashguns. There’s plenty of room for a pro’s standard kit of a 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8, plus a couple more lenses and flashguns.
In addition, the dedicated laptop compartment can house a 15-inch laptop.
Performance
While the Lily Deanne shoulder bags are stylish enough for most social or business occasions, they cut it as serious camera bags. You can fit plenty of gear in and the array of pockets help you keep everything organised and easy to find.
I especially like the fact that they are quite soft. It means that the bags, particuarly the large Mezzo, form around your body. It makes them more comfortable and secure-feeling.
Another nice touch is that the adjustable strap is long enough to be worn across your body or on your shoulder. The shoulder pad also has a grip to help prevent it slipping from your shoulder.
Verdict
I think that Think Tank has done a great job with the Lily Deanne bags. Deanne Fitzmaurice’s experience as a working photographer clearly comes to bear. Her involvement, plus Lily Fisher’s experience mean that the bags work very well as camera bags.
Thanks to its careful sizing and design, even the smallest bag, the Lucido has the capacity for a decent camera kit. And it can double as a regular handbag or act as a handbag with camera-carrying capability.
- The Think Tank Lily Deanne Lucido is available to buy from BH Photo Video and Amazon.com in the US
Its ability to contain three popular focal length f/2.8 lenses makes the Mezzo a great choice for many photographers. Meanwhile, the Tutto is available for those who need to carry a lot of kit.
- The Think Tank Lily Deanne Mezzo is available to buy from BH Photo Video and Amazon.com in the US
- The Think Tank Lily Deanne Tutto is available to buy from BH Photo Video in the US
Think Tank hasn’t gone for overtly girlie or femine styling. The design is simple and clean. As a result, the Lily Deanne bags are likley to be acceptible to men, but most women who appreciate a nice handbag will find their eye is drawn.
- In the UK, the Think Tank Lily Deanne bags are available from SnapperStuff.