Trek-Tech MagBag 2 Offers a Versatile but Expensive Stabilization Tool

Trek-Tech offers a couple of interesting choices. One of these, the MagBag 2 is the focus of this review. This is a book sized stabilization bag that comes with removable packets of ballast pellets. Removable is a good idea since it makes it possible to leave them at home when flying (reducing weight) and replacing them with packages of dried beans once you're on location. The MagBag is designed for some abuse (as any good bag of this type should be) and even features a water-resistant bottom. Thanks to its quick release attachment point, it can even be used to mount flash units or small cameras and serve as either a ground or car window pod if you have a small ball-head to use with it. The product also includes a combination rain cover and ground tarp and two quick release adapters (one light force and one heavy force). Both adapters use the company's MagConnect system.

The MagBag 2 costs $49.99. The product is well made and certainly useful, but a basic sandbag's a lot cheaper. Even just buying one of those recyclable grocery bags that are so popular these days and filling it with a couple of pounds of dried beans will do the job in a pinch, so if you're on any kind of a budget, you would probably have trouble justifying spending $50 for it. Still, if you're not worried about how much you spend on photography, this is a well-made, well-designed and useful product for a variety of situations.

Trek-Tech provided an evaluation unit of this product for the David Busch Quick Snap Guide to Photo Gear.