Looking for a good bag for the A1

[Bill Watson]

I bought a Pelican 1520 case which takes the A1 plus spare battery, hood, extra tapes, a couple of lens' and my Sony UWP-C1 wireless mike kit.

I then scouted around and found a backpack that it fits very snugly inside for $57.00.

The back pack is for fishing tackle! Made by Abu Garcia. It has two long side pockets, one on the top flap and two on the front.

Can't believe how perfect it is for my purposes.

There's no model name on it but if anyone's interested I'll try and find out from the tackle store.

[Jeff Price]

Interesting approach. I know there is at least one company that does it the other way around. Think tank photo makes a backpack that fits inside of the Pelican 1510, I may take a look at one this weekend.

[Janiel Corona]

Thanks for the advice, Jeff. I honestly did not know that carry-on weight was such an issue in Europe, but now I will definitely make sure to take that into consideration when I buy my backpack.

[Eric Weiss]

i'm actually using an Eddie Bauer carry on bag from Target. It fits the
A1, Gl2, and HV-20 and a whole bunch of other carry on BS. I fitted it with foam inserts and use a portabrace sleeve around the gl2. All 3 cams right under the seat. I also carry on a Loweproe rolling backpack which fits my 20D setup, wireless mics, tapes, and all the other accessories for the video cams. That goes in the overhead. I pack my lights in a weather proof Petrol camera bag inside my checked luggage and swap it all around based upon our needs when we arrive at the destination.

Most "pro" bags are horribly overpriced and leave so much to be desired.
I once found a rolling sewing machine case for like $30 which was ideal for my XL1-s and Gl2. Top loaded.

[Janiel Corona]

Haha, thanks, Eric. I'll keep an eye out.

[David Sayed]

I bought a Petrol PWR-HDV bag from B&H (link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._Wingbag.html), which I'm liking quite a lot.
It fits the XH-A1 with Anton-Bauer elipz battery attached underneath, shotgun mic in the supplied bag, furry windshield (flattened), handheld wireless mic, wireless receiver, Anton-Bauer elipz on-camera light and boomerang handle support together with various wires and other bits and bobs.
The camera fits its compartment well and there are two velcro straps to stop it from moving around too much. The gull wing design means that you can get at the camera quickly, and there is an extendable handle and wheels so you can pull it behind you.
Constuction quality seems good. I have a Portabrace Hiker Pro backpack for my XL-1, which has been indestructible, but it is too early to tell how the Petrol compares.

[Ryan Hough]

Originally Posted by Paul Cronin

Nathan it could work perfect for that. The shoulder straps are great and the waist band keep it stable. Also loads of straps and loops on the outside to add extra gear.

Here is the link to the pack.
http://www.lowepro.com/Products/Back...yZone_200.aspx

Since it is not cheap you should make sure it fits you requirements. I have over 200 days on the ocean on both of mine with out a single problem. If you don't need waterproof which I think is worth every penny then they offer other packs.

Both pack and roller bag are rated as carry on bags with the airlines.

Sounds like a exciting trip and great oppertunity for excellent footage. Enjoy!

Hey Paul,
I have the same bag but I use it for my Canon 1Ds Digital camera. I re-arranged the padding in it and put the XH-A1 in there and the handle sticks above the bags bed. It will zip up but it doesn't fit so well in terms of height. The water protection carcass is also adds a lot of bulk to the ag and makes it somewhat cumbersome. I guess that is the price you pay for water protection.

[Paul Cronin]

Hi Ryan,

It is a tight fit on height but if you keep the camera in the middle it works fine.

Make sure you lube the dry zipper so it does not pop open. They give a tube of zip lube with the bag.

Yea the extra padding and dry bag liner do add the weight but they are worth it for me.

[David Sayed]

I have just realised that the Petrol PWR-HDV bag does not meet the current European carry-on requirements of 55 x 40 x 20 cm (21.7 x 15.7 x 7.9"), which is a major bummer.

[Nathan Quattrini]

for carrying I got the Petrol PCCB-2N. It has plenty of room, the handle is plastic which kind of makes a heavy bag uncomfotable to carry for long...also the shoulder strap is really short...haven`t found a way to make it longer. An ok bag, just wish it were a bit more comfortable.

For a backpack i`m considering this one
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...AW_Camera.html

Seems to have the right dimensions to hold it all fine, just not sure if it can go on a plane safely.

[Jeff Price]

I have my doubts that the bag you ;ist will work. As I recall it is two compartments - great for still photo gear but not so good for the A1. My Pelican case won't work because of the height issue (unless I sit it on its side, then it takes up mot of the case. The Kata bag I have works fine and it holds batteries, tapes, etc. - not a backpack though.

[Dave Park]

I got the porta brace dvo-2 after reading this thread. It fits all of the accessories, camera, and canon wide angle lens with hood. Not much else is going in there though.

[Christopher Warwick]

My problem is that I will need my equipment for both filmmaking work and run 'n gun. If I wasn't doing run 'n gun, I'd be choosing the Pelican cases in an instant because I prefer the protection they offer as opposed to any petrol bags. However, they aren't really practical for run 'n gun work, so am going for the bag option.

My own view is that stuff gets broken more quickly if the disipline is to throw it into a bag. If I have the pelican case with foam pockets, I'm more likely (psychologically) to be extra careful with the gear.

I like the production cinebags CineBags - Life on Location
but I'd rather not pay £219 plus VAT for one... That's a tad excessive I feel. Why is it most manufacturers of camera accessories feel they can charge the earth for it because it's cool to.

Does anyone know where I could ship a cinebag over to the UK for less that £250? I did go to Amazon and saw them there in the USA on sale for $175, which is cool... until they demand almost the same again to ship it to the UK. Ridiculous!

Christopher

[Corey Clark]

We have a Porta Brace case that included a rain slicker for the A1. Nothing but good things to say about it... solid, customizable interior and more pockets than I know what to do with.

Porta Brace | DVO-2U DV Case with QSM4 Quick Slick | DVO-2RQS-M4