Storing and displaying your camera gear/equipment

I was wondering how everyone stores or displays their camera equipment. I have a few SLR's and DSLR's, lenses, flashes, battery packs, etc. so I have a bunch of stuff. I do have a roller bag from Think Tank Photo, it's the Airport Security model, but it feels like I'm living out of my luggage when I keep my gear in it. It's also pretty big and so it's always on the floor, which makes it feel more like I'm on a trip, rather than my home.

So do most of you keep your gear in your bags/backpacks or do you store them in a cabinet or shelves and just place them in your bags when you go out? To be honest, my camera gear is all over the place right now due to all the holiday photo taking. I need some organizational help!

Don't know your bag or equipment but.

I don't have the need/urge to 'display' my equipment (if I would it wouldn't be my camera and I might get arrested ).

When I had a lot of gear (the film days) I had a suitcase where my lenses, cameras, flash and the like fit in. That was a good place to store them and easy to take with me if I wanted to.

Now I've got not that much and I keep the camera with kitlens on a shelf (at the ready), while my other lens (together with spare battery, spare memory card and batteryloader) sit in my bag, so if I decide to go and shoot I can pick my camera and bag and am ready.
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All in my humble opionion of course!

(I might get a preposition wrong -or any other word for that matter-. English is a nice language, but it's not mine)

I have the same Think Tank model as you. When I'm home I keep my most used gear in a Lowepro Mini Trekker and rest on shelves in a cabinet.

Steve
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http://vette74.smugmug.com

Supastudio said:

I was wondering how everyone stores or displays their camera
equipment. I have a few SLR's and DSLR's, lenses, flashes, battery
packs, etc. so I have a bunch of stuff. I do have a roller bag from
Think Tank Photo, it's the Airport Security model, but it feels like
I'm living out of my luggage when I keep my gear in it. It's also
pretty big and so it's always on the floor, which makes it feel more
like I'm on a trip, rather than my home.

So do most of you keep your gear in your bags/backpacks or do you
store them in a cabinet or shelves and just place them in your bags
when you go out? To be honest, my camera gear is all over the place
right now due to all the holiday photo taking. I need some
organizational help!

Click to expand...

Try a vertical stack of 3-4 Barrister's Cases...get the ones with glass doors so you can look inside. These are NOT inexpensive! But good ones will last a lifetime and they hold their value.

http://www.csnstores.com/asp/show_detail.asp?sku=HK1096&refid=YP49-HK1096

You want to get the modular type. They are more expensive than the 1-piece designs, but as your camera "collection" grows, you can add individual pieces to keep up.

--
Charlie Davis
Nikon 5700, Sony R1, Nikon D300
HomePage: http://www.1derful.info
Bridge Blog: http://www.here-ugo.com/BridgeBlog/
'I'm from Texas. We have meat in our vegetables.' Trenton Doyle Hancock

One "go" bag per camera, that is, a bag full of everything I need to take pictures with the camera it contains...and one big bag for "everything else" like chargers, spare filters, manuals, etc.

FWIW
It has 5 exterior pockets plus water bottle sleeve, one interior pocket I added.

I modified the interior with black muslim and foam to be able to change the configuration using velcro.

in it is ,D-300, Nikon 50-1.8, nikon70-30vr,nikon 18-70 tamron 90 Tamron 200-500, SB800,folding L bracket, Luna pro light meter,manuals,CF cards, computer cables,mini table top tripod,tape recorder,small notebook &pens,bandaids,rolaids,chewing gum,water bottle.bug spray,couple of filters. A tripod can be attached to the outside as well. It is a shoulder bag. HD RIP STOP NYLON.

interior dimensions, 9x9x14, initial bag cost 19.95, cost to modify 20.00. A truly custom bag for my needs. Necessity is the Mother of invention.
batteries and chargers.

I don't display my equipment but it is stored in two Lowe Pro bags in my wardrobe. In one smallish bag I keep my main camera Canon 50D with Canon 10-22mm f3.5-4.5 and Canon 50mm f1.4 with lens hood. Also, a polarising filter, spare (charged) battery and plenty of spare memory (22GB in total). Also a lens cleaning "kit" and blower brush in the side pocket. This is the bag I grab when I need the camera in a hurry or for most trips/projects.

The larger bag contains my secondary camera and lens, the Canon 400D with 2GB card and 18-55mm IS f3.5-4.5 lens, Canon 70-200mm f4 L, Olympus Zuiko 50mm f3.5 Macro, 580 EX II flash, spare batteries for flash and camera, and battery chargers for both cameras. This bag comes with me on any paid work I do (very little of that!) or on extended trips and holidays.

Hope this helps.

We don't store or display our cameras as they are in constant use. When not they are on a side board. if travelling in whatever bag protects them best from the journey. Your question is unusual and I wonder why you ask it really. Can't you just use your cameras and stop worrying about them. treat them like you do your expensive sunglasses.
Jules

Supastudio said:

I was wondering how everyone stores or displays their camera
equipment. I have a few SLR's and DSLR's, lenses, flashes, battery
packs, etc. so I have a bunch of stuff. I do have a roller bag from
Think Tank Photo, it's the Airport Security model, but it feels like
I'm living out of my luggage when I keep my gear in it. It's also
pretty big and so it's always on the floor, which makes it feel more
like I'm on a trip, rather than my home.

So do most of you keep your gear in your bags/backpacks or do you
store them in a cabinet or shelves and just place them in your bags
when you go out? To be honest, my camera gear is all over the place
right now due to all the holiday photo taking. I need some
organizational help!
--

Click to expand...

--

A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know. Arbus.

JulesJ said:

We don't store or display our cameras as they are in constant use.
When not they are on a side board. if travelling in whatever bag
protects them best from the journey. Your question is unusual and I
wonder why you ask it really. Can't you just use your cameras and
stop worrying about them. treat them like you do your expensive
sunglasses.
Jules

Click to expand...

I do use them. But I don't always use 3 DLSR's at the same time and I have one holster bag. Like I said previously, I don't like storing everything in my Think Tank bag because it looks like I'm traveling with my gear. I was curious how others handle their camera gear as I'm not content in my own way of organization.

And what is wrong with worrying about your gear? Photography is expensive and the way you store and handle your gear shows how much you value your hobby.

Not everyone is in the fortunate position to have their cameras in constant use! I thought the OP's question was fair and reasonable.

Howdy

I use the Pelican 1444

http://www.pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=1440

This allows me to keep everything in one place. I put a couple of bags of desiccant in there as well. As the unit is dust proof it keeps everything clean.

When I am about to go somewhere I grab what I want and pack to the relevant bag such as a my small Crumpler if it just a family gig.

http://www.crumpler.com.au/Lite/English/Products/5-Million-Dollar-Home-MD0504A.html

If I am going somewhere and not really sure what I will need then I will grab my larger Crumpler and a few lenses etc...

http://www.crumpler.com.au/Lite/English/Products/7-Million-Dollar-Home-MD0703A.html?image=4

If needed I can take they whole case generally I will do this if I am going 4WD and I can leave it in the car.

If it is bush walking I will take my Tamrac 9 and a few bits and pieces.

http://www.tamrac.com/5549.htm

Again no simple answer. However I find this works for me. BTW all the bags are kept in a filing cabinet to try and eliminate dust.

Take Care
Aus

P.S I still need (want) more bags LOL just don't tell the wife

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Please visit my gallery at - http://djgphoto.zenfolio.com/

I take the opposite approach - I try to keep my gear as inconspicuous as possible in the house. It is organized into a Sterlite plastic drawer tote, one of many in the closet in our office. No reason to shout "steal me!" to a repair/delivery/carpet cleaner person etc., or make it an obvious target for anyone.

-Brandon