The Case

This is Jeremy third post. While he provides a cheap solution to the carrying case problem, read until the end to see my suggestion.

I had a shoot out in NY, and discovered that having the proper case makes all the difference in the world. I was almost in hysterics when my case was tipped over by a stranger running for his plane. Camera equipment isn’t cheap, and having a case that is protective is a must. I was using an old camera bag my wife had since her first year of college. A close friend of mine told me about a store that he had gotten a small hard case from for his camera for under $30. So, for those of you looking for a case that you can customize on the inside, you should check out this link here: and also picking up some egg crate foam that you could find at Wal-Mart or even Foam by Mail.

I do suggest that you replace the strap on the case, it was too short and too flimsy for my liking. I ended up with two cases that only cost me $50, so I highly suggest that if you don’t have the money for expensive equipment, consider going cheap and getting better equipment as you grow. Just an FYI, these should fit in overhead compartments on the plane too, making traveling a little less worrisome.

Now the Admin take on this

Jeremy suggestion is good. Actually, I know a lot of photographers who uses these case to carry their gear around. Actually, I am one of these, I have been given one a while ago. While it feels secure and solid, it misses a few things I find important:

• waterproof
• near indestructible
• secure

You may think that I am over doing it a bit but you would be wrong. Waterproof is important when you travel because you never know for how long you will be stuck in the rain waiting for a cab. Having a super resistant case is also nice because you wont be afraid to sit/step on it when ever you need it. And, lets admit it, its cool to be able to throw your camera case around without having to worry about  its content survival. Finally, I need my case to be secure. It has to be lockable and once locked and attached to something, I want to have the peace of mind that it is still going to be there when I will be back. This is especially useful when shooting wedding since I can leave all my gear in the bride room instead of the car for example.

After looking long and hard at the various offering, I picked the Pelican 1510 case. It has the perfect size for travel (maximum size to be counted as a carry on bag when flying) and fits the criteria mentioned above. While not cheap at around 145$, it is money well spent. I actually recommend that you spend a bit more and get the one with the padded dividers. Actually, my suggestion is to buy at least 2 dividers and preset them for the various kinds of shoot you may have to do.

Since about a year ago, I have noticed a lot of new products in the hard case category, anyone had good experiences with one of the cheaper models?