Hard case for M43 gear?

Hello.

I travel a lot working as a camera assistant, and I really like to carry all my M43 gear with me, I usually always carry my EPL-5 around on set, with one lens and a simple carry-on bag.

The issue I have is that now, with many lenses and bodies, I will insure all the equipment and I want to organize everything nicely in a sturdy Pelican, HPRC or some other brand of hard-case before I take the gear photographs for the insurance company.

Pelican makes thousands of sizes and models, and it can be very confusing shopping online; ideally I should see these things in person in a store, but I live in Brazil and the Pelican case lineup available here over the counter is very limited (and expensive!). A friend will travel to NY next month, and will bring me a case.

Since I have no option but to buy online without seeing the equipment, my question is: Does anybody have experience with these hard cases, and specific model suggestions? Also, pick-n-pluck foam inserts or padded dividers?

I want to fit 2 small m4/3 bodies ( E-PL5 and Infrared E-PM2), a charger and cable, 5 or more batteries, and at least 3/4 of these lenses:

Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.8 Lens (Silver)

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II R Lens (Silver)

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R Lens (Silver)

Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro Lens

Panasonic Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 ASPH Lens

Panasonic LUMIX G 20mm f/1.7 ASPH. Lens (Black)

Rokinon 7.5mm f/3.5 Ultra Wide-Angle Fisheye Lens for Micro 4/3 (Black)

SLR Magic HyperPrime Cine 12mm T/1.6 Lens for Micro Four Thirds Cameras with Built-in Lens Gear

I will buy more gear later this year, probably some new lenses, but nothing big. I think I'll end up with the Olympus 75mm f/1.8 as my largest lens when all is said and done, and I don't need to always carry all these lenses. The hardcase must be small enough to be carry-on luggage.

Sorry for the long post =]

Any suggestions?

I have several Pelican cases that I use for both storage and travel.

I have a 1450 and a 1504 both with dividers that I use principally for storage:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/75516-REG/Pelican_1450_004_110_1450_Case_with_Dividers.html

I also have a 1400 case that I use for travel as it fits more easily under the seat. I can even fit it in a backpack. I believe the 1400 is only available with foam which is a shame because the dividers are so useful. I'm sure that you could fit all or your equipment into the 1450 and probably most (if not all) of it into the 1400.

I also use the 1250 for my GM1 although you should check the height of the 1250 for your body. My OMD-M10 just barely fits in the 1250.

Just so you get a sense of the size of these in relation to the cameras . .  Here is there 1250 with a GM1 w/14-140 on it:

And this is the 1400:

I have a seahorse case, virtually identical to but a bit cheaper than a pelican that I used to carry 2 ex-sized nikons, 4 lenses, batteries, and chargers. It was lockable, the pluck away foam was replaceable, and no airline ever managed to damage anything. Get the largest size without wheels, you will eventually use all the space anyway.

edit; it's a Seahorse 630, cost $79 with foam. Might actually be too big for your purposes.

Prepare yourself to carry much more weight.  The clamps which fasten the top and bottom of those cases can be tough to deal with too.  Is there no other solution?

LMNCT wrote:

Prepare yourself to carry much more weight.

True enough, though indestructible.  They can also be cable locked in your car.

The clamps which fasten the top and bottom of those cases can be tough to deal with too.

Also true, although part of the reason is that they are sealed against water and dust so well.

Is there no other solution?

Thinktank makes some nice bags, but not (I believe) hard shell.

When you say carry-on, are you traveling in small planes (in the USA we call these puddle jumpers) or the medium/large size planes?  For maximum flexibility you would want something that would fit under most seats, and not depend on the overhead bin being available.

I have no experience with it, but I noticed that Pelican now is offering camera backpacks that offer crush proof zones: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=Brand_Pelican&ci=176&N=4075788794+4291286144.  The U160 and S115 look like they provide camera crush proof zones (the S130 does not), but they won't fit under seats.

Lowepro used to sell an Omni Trekker that fit inside the Pelican 1550 case, which seemed to be a good idea, in that if you needed to ditch the hard case, you had a regular large camera bag: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/128389-REG/Lowepro_2000810_Omni_Trekker_Bag.html

Note, some airlines now check the weight of your gear.  Unfortunately, if you go for the full Pelican case, that can eat into your weight limit (something like 4.5kg out of a 22kg limit).

If you go for a somewhat smaller Pelican case, consider putting it inside of a backpack.  That way it doesn't scream 'expensive gear inside, steal me'.

LMNCT wrote:

Prepare yourself to carry much more weight. The clamps which fasten the top and bottom of those cases can be tough to deal with too. Is there no other solution?

I know of these disadvantages of hard cases, but I'm used to them and think they are worth the tradeoff: these cases are really pretty much indestructible.

I work as a camera assistant and pretty much all professional camera gear we get from rental houses are housed in heavy Pelican cases, from the smallest Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera to the the industry standard Arri Alexa, and kits of Arri and Cooke lenses. I've come to trust these cases above everything else used to store sensitive equipment, the extra weight doesn't bother me much.
Plus, when I'm photographing as a tourist I tend to leave everything at the hotel, locked away, and take with me only one camera and lens, which I pick on the spot, usually a prime lens. I sure lose lots of shots this way, but it also forces me to think a lot about what I'll shoot, and this way I also avoid wasting time in a new place fussing with camera gear... So, I'll never carry lots of stuff around, only when going from airport/bus station to the place I'm staying.
But thanks for pointing out the hard cases limitations, weight and bulk are certainly important considerations for people who like to carry a lot of gear on the street.

Virtual Photon wrote:

I have several Pelican cases that I use for both storage and travel.

I have a 1450 and a 1504 both with dividers that I use principally for storage:

And this is the 1400:

Wow, thanks for the tips with these models!

I'll look into them.
Especially with the pictures, it's much easier to visualize it this way!

Cheers!

___________________________
Max M. Fuhlendorf

Sam in Hawaii wrote:

I have a seahorse case, virtually identical to but a bit cheaper than a pelican that I used to carry 2 ex-sized nikons, 4 lenses, batteries, and chargers. It was lockable, the pluck away foam was replaceable, and no airline ever managed to damage anything. Get the largest size without wheels, you will eventually use all the space anyway.

edit; it's a Seahorse 630, cost $79 with foam. Might actually be too big for your purposes.

I hadn't heard of this brand before, will look into it.
The 630 is a bit larger than what I need, but maybe they have a smaller model which suits my needs. Thanks!

Michael Meissner wrote:

If you go for a somewhat smaller Pelican case, consider putting it inside of a backpack. That way it doesn't scream 'expensive gear inside, steal me'.

Yeah, I don't think I'll go shooting with all the gear, the case will probably never leave the hotel room. For people who like carrying a lot of gear when shooting, these Pelican backpacks sound awesome, though.

Thanks!

Another fan of the Pelican 1400, fits most of my gear and will fit in most over head lockers even on smaller planes (such as a Dash-8) and under the seat on smaller ones.

They really are tough and we use them as instrument cases that have gone underwater for brief periods with no water getting in. Also you can lock them or cable-tie them close. We use them for transporting but then back-packs for shooting.

Hope that helps!

Scott.