How you carry your camera gear depends on your situation. If you’re on a multi-day hike, you want a pack that supports your back, protects gear, and accommodates camping needs. If you’re working in a city, you may want something sleek and unobtrusive. If you’re a wedding photographer expected to dress more formally, a rolling camera bag—especially one with four wheels for easy maneuvering—is the way to go.

Think Tank offers two new well-designed four-wheel options. The Airport Roller Derby V2 can fit two camera bodies with lenses attached and has addiional space for a couple more lenses and a flash, plus dedicated padded pockets for a MacBook Pro up to 16 inches and a large iPad Pro. Interior zippered mesh pockets work well for batteries, memory cards, filters, and other accessories. A seam-sealed rain cover and straps for a tripod or monopod are also included.

The Airport Navigator V2 has room for two gripped bodies with lenses attached and one or two additional lenses plus a flash. In my case, for most travel and docuentary assignments, the camera bodies are a Nikon Z8 and a Nikon Z9 with Z 24-70mm f/2.8 and Z 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses attached sitting side-by-side and accessible from the top for quick access. I then have a Z 14-24mm f/2.8mm and a flash on standby. Elastic straps in the divider set keep camera gear secure when opening the front panel. The roller’s compact size and quick access to camera bodies with attached lenses make it ideal for event or wedding photography.

The Airport Navigator V2 can fit the same size MacBook Pro and iPad Pro (or PC equivalents) as the Roller Derby V2, and can attach to other rolling bags or luggage with  the pass-through design of its handle. A shoulder strap is included if you want to carry the bag, which also has a seam-sealed rain cover and straps for a tripod or monopod.

When I photograph sports events and concerts, I’m permitted to wheel my equipment to a stadium or arena and take out my long lenses. But just like a wedding photographer, I have to leave the case somewhere to do the job. Both the Roller Derby V2 and the Navigator V2 feature a TSA travel padlock and cable in a zippered pocket to secure and tether the bag. I use an additional lock on the YKK zippers to protect the interior contents.

Think Tank’s Airport Roller Derby weighs 9.9 pounds, while its demure sibling, the dual access (top and front) Airport Navigator V2, sheds about half a pound, depending on the accessories. The four dual-wheel sets, with sealed steel bearings under both bags, provide 360-degree maneuverability and are user replaceable. Both bags also meet most international and U.S. domestic carry-on requirements.

When I first became aware of these two bags, I thought they’d be the perfect wedding photographer’s assistant. Instead, I needed them myself after I was injured covering the catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles earlier this year. This story was too important to miss documenting; it was not an option for me to take a few weeks off to recover. The ease of maneuvering these bags made my job easier in an incredibly difficult situation.

Years ago, I had a conversation with the late, great Magnum Photos photographer Eve Arnold, who told me about all the back issues photographers had when their only options to carry their gear were fishing bags or camera bags slung over one shoulder. Camera backpacks were the first invention to fix the issue. These days, photographers don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We just have to use them. 

Mark Edward Harris is an award-winning photographer and writer based in Los Angeles.