thinkTANK Pixel Sunscreen V2.0 Review

Close your eyes…. The phone rings, it’s the editor for the largest news paper in your area, he’s calling because he’s heard you’re a gun for hire and that you’re very good with your camera and a long lens. He know’s his stuff, he’s seen your work on flickr and he wants YOU to fill in for him.

It’s game day, people have come from miles around to watch the finals – there is lots of media hype and people are gagging for pictures country wide but the regular guy, Biff, is out sick – he has man flu and is in bed with a nice cup of chamomile tea. It’s a bright sunny day and you are on top of the world, the editor has met you at the ground and you have your press pass and the big bag of kit that he’s brought you from the kit room at the paper.

You’re pitch side with your two cameras and a veritable swagger of lenses… You’ve never had the chance to use this kind of gear before, but the editor tells you “If you play your cards right, son…” and you’re going to do the best you can possibly do! The final siren goes and the Cobram tigers have won the finals and the crowd goes wild! You’re off – 100 miles an hour, packing away your gear, getting your laptop out as you literally run to the press room – you’ve taken some of the best shots of your life!

As the “new kid” you’re stuck in a corner, full sunlight on your laptop screen – you can’t see a thing, but you do your best, you pump out fifty of your best images and do a little bit of post production on them and away they go, uploaded to the editor and every other person that you need to impress, you’ve had an amazing day… Until you get home and look at your shots again, the color is all out of whack, you’ve cropped out peoples head, there’s a streaker in one of your photos! All because you couldn’t see what you were doing! OPEN YOUR EYES!

Now, you may have a chuckle at my little tale of woe up there, but I have had this happen first hand and I have spoken to many pro photographers that would have killed for one of the new thinkTANK Pixel Sunscreen V2.0!

I was shooting the RedBull Air Race in 2008, I wasn’t press, I was staff so had almost all areas access – I had the ability to capture the pilots as they stepped out of their amazing aeroplanes right on the runway, however, as I wasn’t super sure of my ability I was shooting in RAW. I popped back across to where I had wireless access and there were no tables left to setup on, so I setup outside but every which way I turned I had some crazy glare coming from somewhere! I ended up throwing in the towel, I couldn’t see what I was doing so instead I went and watched as all the other photographers uploaded to their various press agencies.

This might not happen to you all that often, but are you prepared if it does? The thinkTANK Pixel Sunscreen V2.0 is a great little “tent” that folds up just like a reflector, I have mine with me now – I’m at Starbucks typing up my review and it’s not getting in anyone’s way. A well built tool that folds away just like a reflector and pops out when you need it, the product has openings where you would need them at the back and sides of where your laptop sits so that you can plug in your various cables, it has a rubberized non-slip base so your laptop stays where you put it and it also comes with an attachment that you can velcro on the top and literally have over your head in extremely bright conditions. There’s not much to say about the product – it does exactly what it says on the tin.

Compatible With: 12-17” laptops. 17” laptops may push out the sides slightly, but still works.

Product Includes:

• Pop out sun shield (attached)
• Removable dark cloth/head cover
• Removable clip

External Dimensions:
When Folded Flat:
14” Round Diameter x 1” (35 x 2.5 cm)

When Set Up:
14.5” W x 22” Hx 19.5” D
(37 x 56 x 49.5 cm)

Weight:
1.2 lbs. (.54kg

You can purchase the Think Tank Pixel Sunscreen V2.0 on Amazon for $69