The Tamrac Aria 6 Messenger bag is one of the most light weight camera bags I have ever owned. I wanted a day bag that could hold a gripped 5D Mark III with a 24-105 or other similar size lens, a 70-200, a speedlight, and an iPad. I already had a Think Tank Retrospective 10 Pinestone which fit the bill and is my current day bag but I found it to be too bulky for travel. I needed something that folded down even flatter than the Retrospective 10 in my suitcase. I also needed something waterproof since I planned to do a lot of beach and seascape photography. The Retrospective 10 is canvas and water just soaks right in if you set it down on wet ground. The Aria 6 is nylon material like an umbrella. Also the main and side compartments on the Aria have a zipper for added security while the Retro 10 does not. This gives more protection against sand and water getting in there as well as preventing things from falling out when you’re climbing around.

I saw this bag on Amazon.com a few weeks before and it had no reviews and I’ve never owned a Tamrac bag before so I skipped over it. I was in a local camera shop a few days later and noticed they just got the Aria 6 in black, green, and brown colors. Seeing it in person made a big difference. Not only did the Tamrac Aria 6 Model 5426 Messenger bag fit everything I usually fit in my trusty TT Retro 10, it was even more lightweight than I had expected. The padding is very sufficient and protects my gear well though not as thick as rigid as the Retrospective 10. The dividers in the main compartment have velcro and can be moved rearranged as needed just like the Retrospective 10. Tamrac also gives you two tiny dividers that flip horizontally so you can divide one of the vertical sections and stack smaller lenses like a 50mm or pancake lens. I left the store and thought about it for a few hours. I figured this bag was going to work for me. I ended up ordering one off Amazon that same evening.

I find myself grabbing the Aria 6 more often now when going on quick shoots. I also use it as a “mobility bag” stored inside my Think Tank Airport Security V 2.0. What I do is pull the inserts out of the Aria 6, roll the bag up, and store it in one of the compartments of the much larger Airporty Security rolling bag. I throw the dividers into one of the Airport Security’s zippered compartments. When I am on location, I pop in the dividers where I want them and transfer what I need into my “mobility bag” while the rest stays locked up in the Airport Security.

The Retrospective 10 is a great bag and the Pinestone color is awesome but if waterproofing and weight is a concern for you, I would say go for the Aria 6. If you need more padding and protection, then the Retro 10 is your best bet. The Aria 6 is designed and marketed for small framed or female photographers but I am a 5’11” average size guy and I love it. One thing to note, the Retrospective 10 is canvas and stays put and doesn’t swing when you’re running around. Since the Aria 6 is nylon, it will glide right across your clothing and swing around sometimes if you’re not careful.

The best part about the Aria 6 is that it comes in 3 really nice colors: black, green, and brown. The green and brown have a bit more metallic sheen to them in person. Don’t let the stock images fool you. They are very slick in person!

I bought the black one for $99.95 and am seriously considering picking up a green one too. Best of all it has a 5 year warranty! 🙂

Here’s a scan of the tag I took that shows a nice exploded view of all the features: