Bag & Case Capacity Thread - Visual Help

[IjabaFilms]

Hi there,

I wanted to start this thread that will help folks determine what the capacity is for different bags and cases visually. This board provides lots of help on recommended cases via text responses but few actually put images of the cases they own and how they use them so that we can visually see what the cases can hold.

I am about to go down to Florida to shoot two documentaries and deciding what case to buy for my gear has been nothing short of pure stress. I've figured out how I'm going to do this but I have some cases and I'd like to share with everyone how I'm using them so they can see what and how much these cases can hold before you buy them.

Below is my Porta Brace PB-2400F Safeguard Field Production Vault Case (Blue). I originally bought it for my DVX100B to take with me to Germany and Ireland but Lufthansa wouldn't let me carry it and my backpack on board so I decided to leave it home and put my DVX in my backpack. The thing with this case is for a DVX100B, if you just make a spot for the camera, it doesn't hold much else and to avoid the carry-on issue, I decided to use this case for something else and buy the Pelican 1510 to use as a carryon and just have one item to bring onboard.

The case:
Exterior Dimensions 16.25 x 13.5 x 6.5 (41.25 x 33.02 x 16.51cm) (LxWxH)
Interior Dimensions 14.75 x 10.5 x 6.25 (37.47 x 26.67 x 15.88cm) (LxWxH)

I plucked most of the foam out of the Porta Brace and used it to carry 3 Smith Victor Softbox Light fixtures and my tripod head. They all fit nicely and I find this to be a better use for the case. (a photo of the case with the DVX100B in it is included to help with perspective) These are the fixtures in the case:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/443038-REG/Smith_Victor_408087_Economy_Softbox_3_Light.html

I'll put a few photos below and then a link to more photos.

All Photos of the case:
http://www.ijabafilms.com/PB/

I will have the Pelican 1510 and a Lightware C6130 Stand Sack on Monday and will have photos for those up then. I plan to put the DVX100B and all neccessary accessories in the 1510 and to put my tripod legs, 3 light stands and 12 Softbox rods in the Lightware bag.

UPDATE: I got the Pelican 1510 and Lightware C6130 today instead of monday and although I don't have pictures yet, I'm very happy with both units. The 1510 holds A LOT and the lightware bag not only holds all 3 of my light stands but also my tripod still in it's own padded bag it came with! I can also get the softboxes in there too. So I'm pretty excited. The 1510 is heavy though.


What I personally would like to see here with gear in them is:
Hard Golf tavel cases
Hardcase luggage

 

[wearyfeet]

Great idea. Here's a picture of my new Pelican 1510. I bought it based on a couple of criteria: First it had to protect my equipment while flying and traveling. I also wanted the versatility to put it in carry-on, but also check it if the plane I was on was too small. Second, I wanted a case that could fit all my basic gear so I could just grab it and go on short notice.

As you can see, the 1510 can hold my shotgun, 3 batteries (4 if you leave one on the camera), 3 or 4 tapes, my Sennheiser wireless kit, and a screw on filter or two. In the bag that I lay on top is a couple of short XLR cables for the audio gear and some AA batteries for the wireless mic.

Underneath the camera and shotgun is a small little cubby hole I carved out which is just enough room to fit the charger and AC cord.

 

[EDIT-XTREEM]

Can you post pics with the camera taken out?

 

[wearyfeet]

Here ya go.

 

[EDIT-XTREEM]

Here ya go.

Sorry for the "Noob" question, but how do you pluck the foam? Is it easy to do?

How much does the case weight without the camera and accessories in?

 

[wearyfeet]

Sorry for the "Noob" question, but how do you pluck the foam? Is it easy to do?

The foam comes pre-scored so you just peel away the blocks. It's almost like velcro, except you can't stick it back on once you peel it off. The 1510 has 2 layers of foam for varying hole depths. It's very easy to do but you need to plan how you're going to do it first.

How much does the case weight without the camera and accessories in?

According to Pelican's site, it's 14lbs. It is kind of heavy, but it's not really an issue because the 1510 has wheels. I have a backpack bag for when I need more mobility.

 

[IjabaFilms]

Thanks for adding this. Its great to see how you got your DVX in the 1510. I haven't tried to figure mine out yet. You have similar gear. I have the DVX and the same microphone. Good Idea about the Cubby hole too! I've also got to decide if I want to put my automatic pan/tilt head in there too.

This is my new Lightware C6130 Stand Sack bag:
This bag worked out well. Cost about $52. It holds my tripod legs, three Smith Victor light stands, and 3 sets of softbox rods. As you can see, once loaded it fits in the middle of my luggage. This is an unpadded softcase with a metal bottom. You can pad the stands and tripod legs with cloth or something if you like. Originally I had my tripod legs in there within its own padded soft case and it fit but I decided it didn't need to be in there.

http://www.ijabafilms.com/lightware/

 

[IjabaFilms]

Alright,

Finally packed my 1510. I did it similar to wearyfeet. I'm amazed at how much I can fit in it with all the foam in. I was able to get my DVX100B, shotgun mic, battery charger with cables, 20 miniDV tapes, 2 batteries, camera remote control, microphone camera shoe, remote control for my motorized pan/tilt head, cleaning cloth, and my motorized pan/tilt head.

Unfortunately I couldn't fit my headphones and ten more tapes I wanted but still not bad. Here are some photos.

Cheers!