Suggestions for cases

[nyvideo]

I'm looking for a few cases for my tungsten lights and I'd like suggestions.

I have 7 or 8 lights, all 1000 watts and under:
2 1000 watt Mickey Moles
2 1000 watt Mole softlights
Three or four fresnels in the 200 to 650 watt range (Arris and Moles)

All except the softlights have barn doors.

Unfortunately, I live in a small place and there's no room for a studio. I generally take the lights (and stands and ...) with me when I shoot.

I'm not searching for cases that will protect the lights in shipping or air travel. I'm looking for relatively inexpensive, but durable cases to store the lights and to transport them by car or SUV to a shoot.

Your ideas, experiences, or horror stories are welcomed. Thanks in advance.

[David W. Jones]

I store most of my smaller tungsten lights in milk crates which slide onto shelves in my van. The soft lights can be wrapped in moving blankets from harbor freight. That's my low dollar method.

[nyvideo]

That's a great idea. Inexpensive, durable, practical. Thank you for the help.

[David W. Jones]

No problem. You can even cut a piece of heavy duty cardboard and place in the bottom of the milk crates to keep smaller objects from falling through or barn door chains from getting caught.

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

I'm looking for a few cases for my tungsten lights and I'd like suggestions.

I have 7 or 8 lights, all 1000 watts and under:
2 1000 watt Mickey Moles
2 1000 watt Mole softlights
Three or four fresnels in the 200 to 650 watt range (Arris and Moles)

All except the softlights have barn doors.

Unfortunately, I live in a small place and there's no room for a studio. I generally take the lights (and stands and ...) with me when I shoot.

I'm not searching for cases that will protect the lights in shipping or air travel. I'm looking for relatively inexpensive, but durable cases to store the lights and to transport them by car or SUV to a shoot.

Your ideas, experiences, or horror stories are welcomed. Thanks in advance.

Well, unfortunately my suggestion is probably not 'cheap' for you... Pelican Cases...

While my 'lights' were strobe lights for still photography, I think these cases are good for 'continuous' lights as well.

Since most still photo light stands are 'different' from c-stands, I usually would carry those in a bag, about 4' long. Slung over one's shoulder, or two shoulders like a backpack, would allow one to carry around about 50-60 lbs of stands around places that are not all that hospitable to photography, like Wedding venues...

They last for years...

[Ken Hull]

nyvideo:
What works for me is a Lowel B-35 Large Litebag Soft Case for the lighting units, and an f.64 Light Stand Bag for the stands. Sounds like you would need at least 2 of each! (Hope you have an assistant.)

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ebag_Soft.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...Stand_Bag.html

-- Ken

[morgan_moore]

Really Use Full boxes, cheap strong ish, no good for fly ing - http://www.reallyusefulproducts.co.uk/usa/

The big deal is that they stack unlike bags or random cases

When I visit The Mrs at her small house I can stack 10 RUBs in a very small footprint

You can also stack them in a vehicle, on location, in a hotel room etc

I love em

If you look at this http://www.reallyusefulproducts.co.u...boxdetails.php you will see the

84 litre down to the 20 litre have the same footprint

ALL my gear lives in boxes with that footprint

(apart from sticks, steadiam pilot - which actually fits in an 80L -lightstands and 27Imac)

Add a folding aluminium sack truck and you will become Mr Efficient

My camera 90% built lives in such a box too..
packdown2.jpg

[David W. Jones]

Milk crates stack as well. I prefer the larger 6 gallon crates, but have the normal 4 gallon crates as well. For what it's worth I visited a local quickie type mart which had a stack of 4 gallon crates around the side of the store. I gave the store owner $20 for the whole lot.

[nyvideo]

Just wanted to thank you all for the helpful ideas. Regards.