rscheffler
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I have a lot of hard cases. My most used Pelican case is the 1510 because it's generally carry-on OK on US domestic airlines. I used it for years to transport a couple Canon 1D series bodies with a 400/2.8, TC, 70-200 and 16-35 for covering sporting events that involved air travel. I also have some other Pelicans, such as the 1535 Air, which is very similar to the 1510 but lighter, slightly less 'bomb proof' and slightly different internal dimensions, plus a bunch of larger cases.
But I've moved away from Pelican because over time all of them (other than the Air series) have had wheel failure (I only buy roller cases) and they feel dated. I'm not sure if it's still the case, but the regular Pelican roller case wheel design was that of a metal axle around which a resin (of some sort) wheel rotated, without any bearings. After years of many airports and long walks from remote parking lots to media will call gates, the friction of the resin rotating around the axle inevitably caused melting and distortion. Combined with the very low ground clearance, it just ended up difficult to pull comfortably. While Pelican has replaced wheel sets under their extended warranty, it's just a hassle and the same problem eventually recurs.
There are other brands with similar products, such as SKB and Nanuk. Lately I've been on a Nanuk buying spree. They often appear on sale at B&H at really great prices. Actually, better prices than I can find here in Canada. And they are made in Canada... Go figure. IMO Nanuk cases have several advantages: better latching system, better wheels and better (more rigid) extending handle. The Nanuk 935 is their equivalent to the Pelican 1510, but I think it's slightly shallower, which might impact ability to stand gripped pro bodies. I also have the 938 for studio lighting, 950, 955, 988 for all of my Elinchrom Quadra lightning packs and heads, plus three 996 cases for light stands, modifiers, booms and other accessories. I believe these are marketed more towards hunters and gun enthusiasts for long gun storage and transportation, but they work equally well with lighting gear.
IMO the only advantage Pelican has now is they bought the Trekpak system and it has become exclusive to Pelican. I have one case with it and I do think Trekpak is the most space efficient padding system if you're going to generally always pack a case the same way with the same gear. Otherwise I strongly prefer padded divider sets for all my cases because I often reconfigure them with custom gear combinations for specific use cases. For the way I use these cases, pick n' pluck foam padding is highly undesirable.
Duramaxjon wrote:
I have a camera with cage, 24-70, 70-200, (maybe 16-35 soon), few lens filters, monitor, cage handles, v mount battery, camera battery’s. Trying to figure out what size Pelican case works best and if I should only put the big/expensive items in a Pelican case and all the accessories in a camera bag or if everything should go in a Pelican case. I currently use a big Lowepro backpack plus a PolarPro carrying bag but I’d like a little better protection.
IMO rolling hard cases are great 'in transit' solutions to keep gear protected. But they can be a PITA for in-the-field use (to shoot out of) if your locations are not smoothly paved. In other words, if you're not typically working in an urban environment with nice pavement or smooth indoor floors, your existing backpack might still be the better overall solution. Compared to a soft sided bag or backpack, a hard case of the same external size will generally hold less equipment. A compromise solution could be a semi-rigid roller case, such as those made by Think Tank or Tenba. To somewhat address the 'off road' weaknesses of roller cases, Nanuk recently released an upgrade kit for their 935 case that replaces the stock wheels with a larger diameter wheel set that increase ground clearance and stability.
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