Canon Hard Case HC-4200 Information at DVinfo.net

Ken Sivaraman · January 29th, 2007, 01:08 PM

Hello all,

I just received my XH A1 this past friday... and WOW. That's all I can say.

I purchased a plethora of accessories for it (based on information available on this forum and from CanonUSA.com). Surprisingly, I found little to no information on this forum about the Hard Case HC-4200 from Canon, so I wanted to provide some information.

Being new to the prosumer DV arena, this is my first case for a camcorder, but rest assured, it's pretty awesome.

The HC-4200 seems to be a pretty rugged case from the outside. It has aluminium corners, and the inside is lined with hard foam. There are also 2 pretty solid latches which keep the case closed securely. Inside, you will find a pretty deep case, which allows for the storage of a lot more than just the camera. You can keep your charging accessories, video cables and more with room to spare, but YMMV. The storage area has a moveable divider, so you can organize your accessories as you see fit. Think of this lower portion of the case as being shaped like a tub with a moveable divider. On top of this, Canon provides a flat foam insert that sits on the edges of the tub. This foam insert is perfectly mated to the XH A1/G1's bottom footprint. There are 2 velcro straps that allow you to attach the camera directly to this insert. The advantage to this is that when you remove the camera from the case, the foam insert is attached to the bottom to avoid any nicks, etc. and provides direct access to the storage in the tub. On the lid of the HC-4200, Canon provides two pouches to store extra batteries (very handy). And yes, even with the Sony eyecup (there are other threads that speak specifically about a Sony eyecup attachment that works perfectly with the A1/G1) attached to the XH A1, it fits perfectly (although you have to fold the eyecup onto itself). I doubt though that you could have an outboard microphone attached to the A1/G1 and still have it fit in this case. I would suspect that the outboard microphone would have to be removed in order to properly fit this case. Also, this case, which will likely be heavy once its fully loaded, comes with a padded shoulder strap to ease transportation.

In any event, I am very happy with this case, and I have no doubt that it will fit virtually any airplane overhead storage (puddle-jumpers may be an exception). Heck, it may even fit under your seat if you lay it sideways. I think its well worth the $339 I paid for it to protect my precious A1.

I hope this has been helpful.

-Ken

Adrian Paul Spiteri · January 29th, 2007, 01:57 PM

where did you buy it from?

Chris Hurd · January 29th, 2007, 01:58 PM

Adrian, we refer all "where to buy" questions to our trusted site sponsors:

http://www.dvinfo.net/sponsors

Ken, thanks for the detailed report... do you have any photos you can share?

Adrian Paul Spiteri · January 29th, 2007, 02:03 PM

I can't find this case in particular at Dvinfo sponsors. BHphoto and tapeworks don't have them. I would appreciate if you could guide me as a hard case is what I'm after.

Adrian Paul Spiteri · January 30th, 2007, 05:01 AM

Can you post some pictures of the case with the camera inside please.

Ken Sivaraman · January 30th, 2007, 07:59 PM

Okay folks,

As requested, here are the pix. There are 6 in total, so enjoy!

This is a picture of what the case looks like when first opened:
http://www.x3j.com/images/CaseOpen.jpg

If you were to look straight into the case, this is what you would see:
http://www.x3j.com/images/CaseTop.jpg

You can then remove the camera from the case. Notice, as I mentioned, that there is a piece of foam that attaches to the camera and seperates it from the rest of the storage beneath:
http://www.x3j.com/images/Platform1.jpg

Once the camera is removed from the case, this shows all the storage available:
http://www.x3j.com/images/CaseInside.jpg

As I said, the lid provides room to store two extra batteries:
http://www.x3j.com/images/CaseLid.jpg

Lastly, you can see a picture of what the foam platform attached to the camera looks like side by side with the case, as well as the aluminium corners of the case I spoke about in my original post:
http://www.x3j.com/images/SideBySide.jpg

-Ken

Ken Sivaraman · January 30th, 2007, 08:03 PM

I will let the forum administrators decide whether or not to delete this reply. Since you can't seem to find this case using the forum's approved retailers, try DigitalFotoClub (www.digitalfotoclub.com), which is where I bought mine.

-Ken

Bill Busby · January 30th, 2007, 08:15 PM

Does that foam platform allow for shoulder shootin'? ;) Coooo

J/K

Bill

Ken Sivaraman · January 31st, 2007, 09:53 AM

Bill,

Ya know, I would doubt that it would be comfortable. It is pretty square on all 4 sides. The other thing to mention is that you cannot attach the A1 to the foam platform with the tripod mount attached. I've aleady tried, using the tripod mount from a Libec LS-38(2A). It makes the camera taller, and thus blocks the lid from closing properly.

Just FYI!
-Ken

Ernanio Mandlate · February 9th, 2007, 02:08 PM

Hi Ken,

Could you tell me the weight of the case as it came without any acessories .. ? exactly the way u received it.. so i can calculate shipping for abroad.. plz?

thanks

Ken Sivaraman · February 11th, 2007, 03:13 PM

I don't have a scale, so I can't tell you the weight. If I had to guess, I would say that it is about 5 lbs.

Insung Hwang · February 12th, 2007, 01:55 AM

Does anyone know if the old case for the XL1/1s/2/H1 (which basically is the same shell as the 4200) be converted for use with the A1? Is it possible to get just the inside parts and reconfigure it?

Brad Tyrrell · April 7th, 2007, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Insung Hwang

Does anyone know if the old case for the XL1/1s/2/H1 (which basically is the same shell as the 4200) be converted for use with the A1? Is it possible to get just the inside parts and reconfigure it?

That's pretty much what I'm doing. I just pack other soft gear around the A1. I wouldn't want to fly with it or ship it, but it's adequate.

I'm shopping for another case though, 'cuz I never did like the Canon case for my XL1. Velcro straps, awkward getting to the bottom storage, no padding.

It'll make a nice attic storage case for the old xl1.

January 29th, 2007, 01:08 PM	#1
Ken Sivaraman New Boot Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 6	Canon Hard Case HC-4200 Information Hello all, I just received my XH A1 this past friday... and WOW. That's all I can say. I purchased a plethora of accessories for it (based on information available on this forum and from CanonUSA.com). Surprisingly, I found little to no information on this forum about the Hard Case HC-4200 from Canon, so I wanted to provide some information. Being new to the prosumer DV arena, this is my first case for a camcorder, but rest assured, it's pretty awesome. The HC-4200 seems to be a pretty rugged case from the outside. It has aluminium corners, and the inside is lined with hard foam. There are also 2 pretty solid latches which keep the case closed securely. Inside, you will find a pretty deep case, which allows for the storage of a lot more than just the camera. You can keep your charging accessories, video cables and more with room to spare, but YMMV. The storage area has a moveable divider, so you can organize your accessories as you see fit. Think of this lower portion of the case as being shaped like a tub with a moveable divider. On top of this, Canon provides a flat foam insert that sits on the edges of the tub. This foam insert is perfectly mated to the XH A1/G1's bottom footprint. There are 2 velcro straps that allow you to attach the camera directly to this insert. The advantage to this is that when you remove the camera from the case, the foam insert is attached to the bottom to avoid any nicks, etc. and provides direct access to the storage in the tub. On the lid of the HC-4200, Canon provides two pouches to store extra batteries (very handy). And yes, even with the Sony eyecup (there are other threads that speak specifically about a Sony eyecup attachment that works perfectly with the A1/G1) attached to the XH A1, it fits perfectly (although you have to fold the eyecup onto itself). I doubt though that you could have an outboard microphone attached to the A1/G1 and still have it fit in this case. I would suspect that the outboard microphone would have to be removed in order to properly fit this case. Also, this case, which will likely be heavy once its fully loaded, comes with a padded shoulder strap to ease transportation. In any event, I am very happy with this case, and I have no doubt that it will fit virtually any airplane overhead storage (puddle-jumpers may be an exception). Heck, it may even fit under your seat if you lay it sideways. I think its well worth the $339 I paid for it to protect my precious A1. I hope this has been helpful. -Ken

January 29th, 2007, 01:58 PM	#3
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	Adrian, we refer all "where to buy" questions to our trusted site sponsors: http://www.dvinfo.net/sponsors Ken, thanks for the detailed report... do you have any photos you can share? __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

January 30th, 2007, 07:59 PM	#6
Ken Sivaraman New Boot Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 6	Pictures of the case Okay folks, As requested, here are the pix. There are 6 in total, so enjoy! This is a picture of what the case looks like when first opened: http://www.x3j.com/images/CaseOpen.jpg If you were to look straight into the case, this is what you would see: http://www.x3j.com/images/CaseTop.jpg You can then remove the camera from the case. Notice, as I mentioned, that there is a piece of foam that attaches to the camera and seperates it from the rest of the storage beneath: http://www.x3j.com/images/Platform1.jpg Once the camera is removed from the case, this shows all the storage available: http://www.x3j.com/images/CaseInside.jpg As I said, the lid provides room to store two extra batteries: http://www.x3j.com/images/CaseLid.jpg Lastly, you can see a picture of what the foam platform attached to the camera looks like side by side with the case, as well as the aluminium corners of the case I spoke about in my original post: http://www.x3j.com/images/SideBySide.jpg -Ken

January 30th, 2007, 08:03 PM	#7
Ken Sivaraman New Boot Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 6	Not sure if I can say this or not, BUT... I will let the forum administrators decide whether or not to delete this reply. Since you can't seem to find this case using the forum's approved retailers, try DigitalFotoClub (www.digitalfotoclub.com), which is where I bought mine. -Ken

January 31st, 2007, 09:53 AM	#9
Ken Sivaraman New Boot Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 6	Shoulder Shooting Bill, Ya know, I would doubt that it would be comfortable. It is pretty square on all 4 sides. The other thing to mention is that you cannot attach the A1 to the foam platform with the tripod mount attached. I've aleady tried, using the tripod mount from a Libec LS-38(2A). It makes the camera taller, and thus blocks the lid from closing properly. Just FYI! -Ken

January 29th, 2007, 01:57 PM	#2
Adrian Paul Spiteri Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Malta\| Europe Posts: 55	where did you buy it from?

January 29th, 2007, 02:03 PM	#4
Adrian Paul Spiteri Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Malta\| Europe Posts: 55	I can't find this case in particular at Dvinfo sponsors. BHphoto and tapeworks don't have them. I would appreciate if you could guide me as a hard case is what I'm after.

January 30th, 2007, 05:01 AM	#5
Adrian Paul Spiteri Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Malta\| Europe Posts: 55	Can you post some pictures of the case with the camera inside please.

January 30th, 2007, 08:15 PM	#8
Bill Busby Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 959	Does that foam platform allow for shoulder shootin'? ;) Coooo J/K Bill

February 9th, 2007, 02:08 PM	#10
Ernanio Mandlate New Boot Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 10	Hi Ken, Could you tell me the weight of the case as it came without any acessories .. ? exactly the way u received it.. so i can calculate shipping for abroad.. plz? thanks

February 11th, 2007, 03:13 PM	#11
Ken Sivaraman New Boot Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 6	HC4200 Weight I don't have a scale, so I can't tell you the weight. If I had to guess, I would say that it is about 5 lbs.

February 12th, 2007, 01:55 AM	#12
Insung Hwang Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 52	XL1 to XH A1 conversion Does anyone know if the old case for the XL1/1s/2/H1 (which basically is the same shell as the 4200) be converted for use with the A1? Is it possible to get just the inside parts and reconfigure it?