Pelican Case (What Do You Use?)

S

sk8orinda

Active member
Ok, so I've got a 5Dmkii, redrock delux freehand support, view factor cage, cinevate mattebox (eventually plan to buy the RED matte box when it comes out), a variety of 3x3 and 4x4 filters, marshall 7" monitor, zamerican arm, cinevate follow focus, and 5 geared zeiss lenses...

That's a lot of very expensive stuff that I want to protect, but it's also a HUGE hassle to break down and put into separate bags. I want a pelican case that I can stick the whole thing in without breakdown. I'll remove the monitor and store that in it's own little slot in the case, but other than that, I want to be able to just put my whole rig in a pelican case, and be ready to go. A cubby for filters would be nice, but not necessary, but it NEEDS to have room/cut outs for my geared lenses.

What pelican case should I get? As far as I know, they don't make a pelican case with custom DSLR cut outs, otherwise that would be the obvious choice.
 
I bought a Pelican 1620 case for my 35mm Arri, ready to shoot out of the case with a 400ft mag, motor, matte box and 2nd loaded 400ft mag, etc. The problem is, it's a freak'in monster to take out of the house. It's a great protector of equipment, but you will need a car to work out of. Better find a good soft case with lots of padding and be more careful. A pelican will survive almost anything, but may not save your delicate electronics inside if you drop it down a flight of stairs.
I will never sell any of my Perican cases, they are great for long term storage in all kinds of climate and will outlast all the equipment I buy in my lifetime, but I don't carry them anywhere anymore.
Great investment.
The Sony case Chris suggested looks like a good option as well.
 
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I'm looking at a 1600 right now.

I have a 5D with mattebox, follow focus, 7" monitor, and arm and will be mounting it all to a custom DIY rail / shoulder mount system. I want it all to stay assembled (except monitor) so I can pull out and shoot.

The 1600 looks big enough to fit it all and isn't too big.
 
Definitely look at the Pelican Storm case line. Lighter, just as strong and better latches. Lifetime warranty. Used to be Hardigg. The 1600 equivalent is the im2700, but get the im2720 instead - it features wheels and retractable handle.

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I bought a Pelican 1510 because it's advertised as airline carry-on.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...il&Q=&sku=330231&is=REG&si=rev#specifications

It's a great case but for many airlines it's not carry-on approved. It's weight is 6.17kg and eg: Qantas carry-on limit is 7kg. So with a few things in it it's overweight.

I contacted Pelican about this, the local agent said he'd tell them. Wonder how many people have been caught by that.

Another point, Pelicans are not temperature controlled, don't leave a packed case in a car on a very hot day. Don't think any brands are temp controlled ...?

One thing though the 1510 floats in salt water, that's something I guess.

Cheers.
 
The im2500 is the largest carry-on approved case. The 1510 is the rough equivalent from the original Pelican line.
 
I just bought a big, used wheeled case on ebay - Black nylon soft-style (with a tough internal frame) - I think the owner used it for a 4x5 view camera.

I can leave my rig completely set up - rails, matte box (without flags attached), follow focus, camera & lens. I've got space for all my 4x4 filters, all my primary lenses (packed in foam "shelves" with focus gears attached), batteries, cards, a compressed air can, and a small tool set. Basically everything I need for basic shooting. I always carry a dark cloth for outdoor shoots, and it keeps all the accessories from rattling around.

The biggest thing for me is to be able to pop my rig off the tripod, stick it in a case, and hustle to the next setup. A life changing change for me.

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Case sizes, brands, form factors, materials - my opinion is those are all second to working really really fast. (My opinion of course).
 
It's a Versa Flex case - the seller just had the one, used. I paid $100 or so, but I think their cases are pretty pricey. Google Versa Flex, they have a site. The wheels got lost in shipping, I had to DIY it with a threaded rod axle and 4" wheels.

I made two boxes for lenses with luan plywood, and had a lot of cube foam around, so I have 4 primes with gears nicely packed; I can take longer zooms in lens bags. I used a couple of eagle creek cubes for tools (allen set, multi tool, small wrench, etc) and a small zipper bag for batteries.
 
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