I am planning on getting a Pelican case for my new XL-1S. I have read every post I can find on the subject and have narrowed down my choices due to size and price. I will either be going with a 1600, 1610, or 1620. Question...does the 1600 have room for the MA-100 shoulder attachment? I know the 1610 and 1620 do because they are pretty large cases. But that is also a problem becuse I like to travel light. But would it be beneficial for me to have a larger case (like the 1620) to carry more gear, or store ALL my equipment in one place. Give me some good answers XL1ers, my new camera arrives this week and I will be treating it better than my wife!!!

Kelly

I purcahsed the 1620. Not only do I have the MA-100 but the canon wind jammie for the nat mic. Tracing my xl1/s so I can put it in the case much like a portabrace does(not on it's side) gave me plenty of room for battery, light, wireless receiver, Lav mic case, and 3 pak filters along the hinge side. Just pluck the foam along the base and depth, around each component and all this is do-able. good luck

Thanks--I would love to have a place to put everything all the time just for safety. Thanks again.
Kelly
BTW what do you mean "pluck" the foam. I assumed you cut it out or do you literally tear it out?

Pelican Cases CRANK!

I don't know the model number on mine, but it gets under the size gate on the xray machines at airports, and I can fit all my stuff in them, but I have take the camera apart. Since 9-11, I almost always have to put the camera together for security to prove it's a camera.

I can fit the bare minimum into one case, that houses the lens, body, MA100, VF, mic, a .6 WA converter, 2 batteries, support rods and grips. The mattebox gets tossed into the other box with charger and anamorphic lenses, backup lens, and filters.

phew.

/A

The Pelican 1620 comes totally filled w/ 1"X1" perforated foam so you can make each component area as wide and as deep as you like.

I use a 1620 too. Plucking is easy, the foam is sort of cutout already so you just grab a sqare push it to the side and you see a criss cross squares pattern so you can pluck out foam easily even in perectly straight lines and its not messy either. but be carefull and do it slow as you can't un-pluck. I set mine up so that the camera stands upright when the case is lying on its side. I detach the mic and pluck a hole for it and have my 3x lens in there too.

I've used Pelicans for years, but have always had some issues with them...those latches, for one. Hard on the fingers, especially in cold weather (I'm aware that there's a nifty tool available to help open them, but c'mon--a tool to open a case??) and six latches on a large case means a lot of effort every time you open and close them.

There's a new line called Storm cases that I recommend anyone in the market for a Pelican look at. Equally nice construction and many great features, including a much more user-friendly latch and rubberized handles that ease the carrying load. They've gone full-tilt after the Pelican line by building their cases to similar dimensions and pricing.

I'm not affiliated with the manufacturer, but I own a couple and am very impressed with the results, and I never want to go back to those old latches. Try a google search under "storm cases" and check 'em out!

Thanks for the info, Charles. I went to their web site (possibly under construction still?)...the URL is http://www.stormcase.com/.

They don't really specify which model is right for a DV setup. Have you had a chance to see which model seems to be an appropriate size?

John:

How long is a piece of string...! I guess the case would definitely depend on what you want to put in, for some it would just be the XL1 standard kit, for others it would have to hold multiple lenses, B&W viewfinder etc...

I looked at www.stormcases4less, a reseller, and they list the Storm line as well as the Pelican, so you can compare dimensions. The Pelican 1620 that was referred to earlier is similar to the Storm 2750 in size.

In the past, I have laid the gear out on a carpet, allowing enough room inbetween components for the foam padding and measured the perimeter to determine which case to get. It's always safer to order one size larger than you need, to maximize the padding.

Is the foam in the Storm cases as easily "plucked" as is the Pelican cases? I checked out the cases4less website and there are some great prices! The 2750 case looks best for any XL1 user. I recommend everyone checking it out.

Yes, Kelly, the foam is similar to the Pelican design.

As far as the advantages to one big case vs two or more smaller ones...definitely personal preference, but unless you are intending to fly a lot and want to limit the number of items you are checking in, I have found that several smaller cases are easier to work with in limited space. It can definitely be more efficient to have your camera body and related parts in one case, so that once you build the camera you won't need to access that case until the end of the shoot; and then have the active accessories (filters, batteries, tapestock etc) in another case which will fit on set more easily. Plus with these Pelican-type cases, the bigger they are, the more latches to have to work every time you go in and out of it.

Good luck with your purchases, if you end up with a Storm product let us know what you think of it!

I just ordered my Storm case (the 2750). I was very happy with the price but was a little perplexed with the shipping charges ($26.50 with UPS ground). I thought that was kind of high especially since they put thier own "handling fees" in there. Also, I only paid $10 for my XL1s shipment (thanks ZGC)! Will let everyone know how well the Strom case works out--I think I'll be satisfied. If anyone has any suggestions on the inside setup let me know before I start tearing holes in it.
Kelly

Recieved my Storm Case 2750 2 days ago. All I have to say is WOW!!! This thing rocks!! I was able to cut out a perfect shape of my XL1s lengthwise with the MA-100 attached. Plus I have plenty of room for everything in the Canon kit. I also have glued a piece of thin pegboard to the bottom of the 3rd foam layer and created rope handles so I can lift that section out to store additional gear in the reamaing 3 bottom layers. This thing is big, and will not allow me to carry on a plane. Not that I travel too much, but if I do, the camera will go with me on the plane (just like in the tv news days) and the case can travel with the luggage. I HIGHLY recommend this case to anyone and everyone. For $175 ($200 after shipping) there is nothing better that could protect this huge investment I just made. Thanks for the Storm Case idea!!! Oh yeah, the pop open locks on the case are too cool. There is a little button release you push before easily flipping the latch open--really awesome.
Kelly

Kelly, I'm really glad you like the case, I'm sure it will serve you well. I think Pelican has been resting on its laurels for too long so it's good to see another company build a better mousetrap by addressing the design limitations of the Pelican cases.

Cheers!

Kelly,

I've been patiently waiting for you to get back to us with your report on the Stormcase and I'm glad it worked out well. Any chance you could take a few snaps of the XL1 in place, as well as your mods and post a link here?

"…the camera will go with me on the plane…"

Surely the whole point of a case like this is to protect the camera in situations such as the hold of a plane? What type of case would you use to transport the camera on the plane then? I've a Kata bag for my XL1 but will need something stronger like a Pelican or Storm Case maybe in the new year, as I hope to film abroad. Would you not even leave your lenses in the Storm case when placed in the plane's hold?

Thanks

Simon,
I feel there is no greater protection than actually having the camera within my arms reach. And just like in the tv news days, I always try to carry the camera, extra batteries, a couple of tapes, and a microphone on board, just in case the rest of my equipment somehow doesn't make the same destination as I do. I would consider getting a KATA bag for the onboard travel. I personally do not own one, but have seen many and they are great for the price. And yes, this stormcase could take any punishment an airline could dish out. I will try to get a pic of my set-up for the futrure.
Kelly

Kelly,
Of course, you're right. Maybe I've just been lucky with my luggage arriving when I do, but there's no guarantee it will always be so. I've just got to persuade them to let me get on the plane with both my Kata bag and my laptop bag. Oh well, still a while away.

Hi Kelly -

Have you had a chance to get a pic of the camera in the case yet? I'm on the prowel myself for a case and would like to see how everythig fits into the case/bag before buying.

Thanks,
Mark

Hey Mark,
Yes I will be getting a pic of the case and setup here in a couple of days. The storm case I bought is truely awesome. I highly recommend it. The big thing for me was being able to put the entire camera (MA-100 and lense attached) into the case. Another thing that I read about in these post was using layers to be able to maximize the space. Meaning, being able to pull out a couple of layers and putting more gear under that layer. I will have some pics up in a few days--just trying to get settled from X-mas.