Think Tank Photo Airport Ultralight

Owner contribution

I was looking for the smallest and lightest camera bag that would take a Nikon D2Hs with a 200-400 lens and hopefully a 1.4 TC. The three manufacturers I zeroed in after considerable research were Kata (HB 207); Think Tank Photo (Airport Ultralight vs. antidote) & Moose Peterson (MP-3). I already had two Kata products (R-101 & T-214). They are very well made and I am quite happy with their performance. However I find the padding to be a bit much and the amount of gear that actually goes in is quite limited. In addition, the HB-205 & HB 207 are huge backpacks and will definitely not fit into the overhead compartments of smaller jets. The Moose Peterson bag is quite pricey and in my opinion under padded. That left my choices limited to Think Tank Photo's Antidote and Ultralight. These were the two bags that fit into the overhead compartment of smaller jets. I selected the ultralight as it was longer (Internal height=46 cm) versus the antidote (40 cm). This allowed me to fit in the D2Hs with the 200-400 & 1.4TC. If this feature is not important, the antidote may be a better option as it comes with a removable laptop case; has a pocket for the shoulder harness, removable waist belt, a pocket on the side and a side attachment for monopods and tripods. The antidote is also 30US $ costlier. The fit and finish of the ultralight is impeccable and the harness design is excellent. Carrying a fully loaded backpack is not difficult and my back and shoulder felt better carrying a fully loaded ultralight compared to a fully loaded (lesser load) Kata R-101. I bought this backpack for a planned trip to Alaska in September and will add in further comments after the bag gets some real life experience. Please feel free to email me for any questions or pictures

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