1. What do you store your audio or camera gear in?
2. Reasons you do this?



I have a heavy duty leather tool bag that i use on simple local jobs and person shoots, i placed padded dividers in the bag to add extra cushion. The extra room allows me to chuck my audio gear inside the bag also.

Still have to get a pelican case for it though.

Kata backpack (R-102) so it's ready to grab and go if needed.

Before that I had a Petrol PCB-3N for my last, bigger camera. The backpack with the nice padded dividers and restraining straps is the safest place for my cam, even in the cupboard at home.

I have the Petrol with its multiple compartments separated by adjustable velcro pads. (You can configure for your audio, cables, battery and headphones.

XL-H1A travels in a Pelican 1510 as carry-on luggage. Used some Sears 1/2" tool box foam to make it form-fitting. Camera has to be broke down some though; mic and EVF removed. The case holds a small laptop and accessories, as well as passport, money and cell phones also. My checked bag is a large suitcase with a Porta-Brace case inside. I pack lots of gear inside the PB; dSLR, lenses, small video camera, cables, etc and use clothes to provide padding. The Porta-Brace is great for once I arrive and am walking around with my camera. The camera can go in the bag fully assembled and the bag can be carried like a suitcase or use the backpack straps. Good design. The suitcase will hold a tripod also.

HTH,
Mark

Matt,

I do not have a Hard case. Just simply use porta brace case for cameras. When I go to do a shoot I use plastic tubs from Walmart. I just slide in the back of the truck. One tub is for audio and spare video gear. the other tub is for steady came and vest and all that. Once there a portable dolly is kind of essential
Some of these tubs have a ridge half way down and it allows you to cut a thin plywood divider to set in the case so it is two levels.

When I travel I have back p0acks for the cameras so they can go with me in hand. I try to keep it simple.

I have matching Petrol bags for my two Sony V1U cams. I don't remember the model case but it is big enough that it has a main zippered compartment for the camera (including straps to strap it down) and then a small seperately zippered compartment for accessories. That compartment has movable dividers. It is big enough I can carry batteries, LANC controllers, tapes, lens cleaning supplies, brackets, etc. The bag is heavily padded to protect the contents and has a cool interlocking carry handle along with a shoulder strap. I have had these bags for two years plus and love them. Expensive - about $170 bucks each if I recall but worth it when transporting expensive delicate equipment.

I have a Wal Mart duffle bag for other accessories like cables, extension cords, etc that are not fragile.

I bought an aluminum hard case from Home Depot for about $30 that my Flycam arm and vest fit perfectly into.

Last but not least I bought a 61 key keyboard padded zippered case for my 8' Kessler crane. It fits perfectly. Even has a smaller zippered pocket where I put the zippered bag with the hardware used to assemble the crane. Only cost about $30 from Guitar Center on sale.

My Satchler tripod / head came with a nice padded case. My Bogen / Manfrotto I carry without one but plan on buying one someday. My Azden dual receiver wireless mic set came in a hard plastic case.

Stanley FatMax Rolling Tool box for the cameras, MRC units, and audio gear and a large tripod bag for the tripods. I mostly do multi-camera events and weddings which often require me to park some distance from where I set-up. I have a variety of foam pads I can insert or remove as needed. The FatMax has 7" tires and an extensible handle, which makes it easy to roll and even lug up and down stairs where elevators aren't available (which is most of the time in this rural area.) The tripod bag sits on top of the box when rolling. With the FatMax handle retracted, the box can sit upright in the back seat of my car, strapped in place with the auto safety belt.

KNAACK locking tool chest at the home office with road cases CHAINED on top of it when I'm not around. My gear goes out in a mix of KATA camera bags, STORM hard plastic (PVC?) cases, nylon soft sided tool bags, Plano tackle box sections and Gator road cases. USED to use aluminum flight cases but the weight started getting to me as I got older...

Rubbermaid containers for sundries like gaff tape and extension cords. Tripods go out in soft shell Manfrotto bags.

Here's what I use to store my gear:

The Panasonic HPX-170 camcorder I'm currently shooting with lives in an old Steadicam JR soft bag, perfect size for the camera, for air travel it fits under the seat, a bonus on crowded flights, I gave away the old Steadicam JR but this bag stayed with me.

Basic Interview Lighting Kit fits into a Kata OC-88 GDC Lighting Case with Insertrolley, I really like this case and I'm able to fill it with a Lowel LC-55 Rifa, Arri 300W Fresnel, Lowel Tota-Light w/ umbrella, 38 in. Flexfill, 3 Avenger A625B Light Stands, spare lamps, three extension cords, small toolbox, and gels.

Additional camera and sound gear fits in a couple of medium-sized Pelican cases and additional lighting gear live in a large Pelican 1650 case with wheels and a retractable handle. This is one tough case, it sometimes travels as checked baggage, it's nickname is "the beast."

My sound kit lives and travels in a HPRC 2550WF hard case w/ built-in wheels and retractable handle, I have travelled with this case many times and have checked it as baggage without any problems, but the form factor allows me to carry it on if I would like and on smaller planes when there's a gate check there's no worry about the contents. I thought of getting the Pelican equivalent but I really liked the design of this case better.

Manfrotto 503HDV head + 351MVB2K legs travel in their original bag, and has survived quite a few plane flights (it seemed risky at first, but now I don't worry about it).

I'm the looney one from what all my friends say...got the Pelican 1730 (about the largest case they make) and stuffed ALL my video/photography/audio gear into it (except lights/stands and tripods) Weighs a ton but has wheels and with the pick n pluck foam, everything has a place. Got sick of making multiple trips and having stuff scattered in different bags.
If I need to go light, I have a Petrol "Doctor" bag that works great.
Fun thing with the Pelican is seeing a client's face when I crack it open. I'm a one-man, two camera operation!

Pelican 1650 for my HVX and its specific accessories

Tamrac camera bag for Z1U and its specific accessories, since it goes on most mobile jobs

NatGeo medium camera backpack, holds laptop plus HV30 and its particular accessories

Lowel light kit in its own hard case

For general use and storage around the house I have a porta brace I use. For travel it goes in an SKB molded hard case

The extra room allows me to chuck my audio gear inside the bag also.

cringes...

why is it that video gear gets handled like a new born baby, while audio gear is an after thought.

For storage I use my carry case but I place all the items in sealed plastic bags and add some desiccant. Never hurts to keep things as dry as possible. I avoid the attic or basement or other potentially extreme place for heat.
I also periodically cycle the batteries. That's probably an old habit

Larger size zip lock freezer bags. Air tight basically, no dust infiltration possible in general terms. Then put those in whatever bag you want.

cringes...

why is it that video gear gets handled like a new born baby, while audio gear is an after thought.

Because optical alignment doesn't like hard knocks while some (most?) audio gear is less fussy :-)
I used to work in a hire dept. - some of the SM58's looked like they had been used to hammer nails in but they kept on keeping on.

Charles.

PS. My own audio gear rides in a medium size pelican hard case, color coded so I don't mix it up with my camera and Ki Pro kits

I'm too poor to afford to shell out on a legitimate case so my GY HD 100 sits on top of a pillow in a duffel bag. Then, I stuff two thick white bed sheets around the camera for added padding. Oddly enough I've actually used the sheets to drape over windows to darken up a scene if needed.