Hard Cases? at DVinfo.net

Alessandro Garabaghi · October 15th, 2007, 11:44 AM

So i got a quote on the camera and asked for a Pelican 1510 hardcase in the price. They place told me they would not sell a hard case for the camera unless a signed a written discalaimer as dust could affect the camera and moving parts? As long as i kept it in a bag with silica gel i would be fine, but they didnt recommend keeping it in a hard case?

Has anyone ever heard of this?

John Kary · October 15th, 2007, 02:42 PM

Why a retailer would talk you out of buying additional protection for your camera is beyond me. Hearing that from a retailer would make me question the quality of service they are providing and their real knowledge in the products they sell.

Just think of how you might be treated by them if something were to go wrong with your new camera... are you confident they would provide good customer service, or make you jump through hoops to even buy the camera with the configuration you want.

What retailer is it? Look them up on ResellerRatings.com.

Bob Kerner · October 15th, 2007, 04:33 PM

Sounds like utter nonsense! Find a different shop. I've used Pelican cases for photo and astronomy uses and have never heard of this.

It is true that the pick and pluck foam may leave some debris (dust) in the case. Just vacuum it out. Or buy a case with moveable dividers.

Bryan Gilchrist · October 15th, 2007, 05:32 PM

Sounds like they are looking for a reason to void your warranty up front. I'd go to another dealer. They probably sell gray-market or refurbished stuff.

Alessandro Garabaghi · October 16th, 2007, 12:45 PM

I assure you they are very reputable and sponsored on this site.

Btw where in FL are you located?

Terry Shaw · October 19th, 2007, 05:01 PM

I keep my XL2 in a Pelican 1650 and the local rental house does the same.
I've never had a problem.

Terry

Damon Gaskin · October 19th, 2007, 07:46 PM

You may want to also look at B&H at the Portabrace cases. They are running a special where if you buy a case that is larger such as the 2500F, you get say the 2400F for free. I just ordered mine yesterday after my friend has had her pelican for a few months without any problem(I will comment on that later in the post. But here is the page for the portabrace hard cases:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=&cltp=&clsgr=

Hopefully the link worked as I had to do a search of their "Video Professional, then went to Camcorder Cases:Hard and selected the Porta Brace Cases". I actually checked the portabrace site and for the special your running you really can't beat it.

As for the retailer saying you have to sign a waiver, I would personally not trust them for a few reasons. First, pelican has their warranty which is fine for equipment in their cases, then, my friend as I have said has her pelican and that thing is built like a tank. Yes, when you first pluck the foam, there is a little dust, but after that, your fine.

Another reason is that I fly R/C helicopters. I went to an event in Indiana this summer and when I saw guys with helicopters separated for traveling in a pelican case, on top of their transmitters in pelican cases, that says something. I actually have a buddy that is a sponsored pilot and he takes his heli's with him as luggage in this fashion and has never had a problem. He said he usually has to pay extra due to the weight(most of the guys I have seen that do their machines in this fashion actually ship two helicopters to a case with the booms removed and in a separate plucked area of the case), but they ship them in the cases, with the canopies on(fiberglass that has been painted and clearcoated with automotive paints) and complete without any problems. So my confidence is definately boosted there. Also they ship and transport their radio's in the smaller Pelican cases(I will probably do the same with my smaller Portabrace) as they are sturdy.

So, yes, I agree with the other posters completely. Find another retailer or order from a Pelican distributer. I also would notify Pelican, as I am sure they would not be too pleased with how their products are being represented by this seller(basically saying that the cases would cause problems with "non-inexpensive" video and other equipment could cause liablity issues directed towards Pelican) as Pelican does state(and I can attest to how sturdy they are) how durable their cases are.

I with all of this confidence and experience went with the Portabrace because after downloading the PDF's on the cases and looking at them, though I don't particularly care for the navy blue color, It looks just as sturdy as the pelican to me. Besides that, you get two for the price of one. But portabraces website is www.portabrace.com.

Check them out though as it is a sweet little deal with either case you get. But I wouldn't go with the retailer that advised you of that strange info..

Martin Smith · October 20th, 2007, 10:32 AM

My friend and myself ended up going with Storm Case for our XL2's
He ended up purchasing the larger one than shown in the photos because he wanted to store his camera in an upright position. I chose the smaller version shown in the photos for my storage and transport.

Jim Andrada · October 20th, 2007, 09:17 PM

Looks like you did your homework well in figuring out the layout.

I have 3 of the 2500 cases and I use one for the still camera, one for the Canon GL2, and one for the audio equipment. I got the 2500 which they bill as a carry-on with wheels, but the interior is really small - I probably should have gotten one a couple of inches bigger and just casually tried to carry it on board - it would probably work OK. Not sure what I'll use for the JVC HD110 yet

Which size cases did you get?

Again, congratulations on your layout. Getting the foam cutoutdone correctly is tricky and you've done a super job.

Damon Gaskin · October 21st, 2007, 03:41 AM

Yes, I agree, your layout is great. I hope I do as well of a job with my case. That is really cool the way you have it setup!

Martin Smith · October 21st, 2007, 10:43 AM

just a tip: when you begin the foam plucking you of course will begin from the bottom layer up, this of course doesnt make it any easier...

And afterwards I applied a spray coat of 3M super 77 spray adhesive between the layers. I did mask off areas that glue should not be and masked off an additional 1/4 inck ftom the inside edge areas. After the spray glue set up a minute or so I carefully set down the appropriate areas on top of each other and weighted down the whole stack with a few phone books. Now the whole foam area acts as one piece of foam. Worked out really well.

I have looked things over and have to this point not noticed any type of dust/micro foam debris that would or could get into the camera to cause any sort of damage.

Charles Papert · October 21st, 2007, 02:04 PM

A hard case like a Pelican or a Storm (also my case of choice of this type) will protect against dust better than any other kind of case since it has a rubber gasket. This is why they have purge valves--they are airtight and watertight. Completely erroneous statement by the seller.

Jim Andrada · October 21st, 2007, 02:28 PM

Martin,

By the way, do you remember what size the case was?

Martin Smith · October 21st, 2007, 08:51 PM

the case is the M2950
bought it here: http://www.cases4less.com/detail_storm_2950.html

Alessandro Garabaghi · October 22nd, 2007, 03:07 PM

Im going to go with the Pelican i think, or maybe the one posted that comes with the free case, still havent decdied.

Not to cause any problems but the company was zotzdigital, and i feel like they have nothing but a great reputation and knowledge in the video market. Anyways ... maybe he was just placing the worst case scenarios out for me.

October 15th, 2007, 11:44 AM	#1
Alessandro Garabaghi Regular Crew Join Date: May 2007 Location: Orlando, Fl Posts: 132	Hard Cases? So i got a quote on the camera and asked for a Pelican 1510 hardcase in the price. They place told me they would not sell a hard case for the camera unless a signed a written discalaimer as dust could affect the camera and moving parts? As long as i kept it in a bag with silica gel i would be fine, but they didnt recommend keeping it in a hard case? Has anyone ever heard of this?

October 15th, 2007, 02:42 PM	#2
John Kary New Boot Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lawrence, KS Posts: 11	Why a retailer would talk you out of buying additional protection for your camera is beyond me. Hearing that from a retailer would make me question the quality of service they are providing and their real knowledge in the products they sell. Just think of how you might be treated by them if something were to go wrong with your new camera... are you confident they would provide good customer service, or make you jump through hoops to even buy the camera with the configuration you want. What retailer is it? Look them up on ResellerRatings.com. __________________ Titus Films \| Lawrence, Kansas www.titusfilms.com / blog

October 20th, 2007, 10:32 AM	#8
Martin Smith Regular Crew Join Date: May 2007 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 66	My friend and myself ended up going with Storm Case for our XL2's He ended up purchasing the larger one than shown in the photos because he wanted to store his camera in an upright position. I chose the smaller version shown in the photos for my storage and transport. Attached Thumbnails

October 21st, 2007, 10:43 AM	#11
Martin Smith Regular Crew Join Date: May 2007 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 66	just a tip: when you begin the foam plucking you of course will begin from the bottom layer up, this of course doesnt make it any easier... And afterwards I applied a spray coat of 3M super 77 spray adhesive between the layers. I did mask off areas that glue should not be and masked off an additional 1/4 inck ftom the inside edge areas. After the spray glue set up a minute or so I carefully set down the appropriate areas on top of each other and weighted down the whole stack with a few phone books. Now the whole foam area acts as one piece of foam. Worked out really well. I have looked things over and have to this point not noticed any type of dust/micro foam debris that would or could get into the camera to cause any sort of damage. Last edited by Martin Smith; October 21st, 2007 at 10:44 AM. Reason: spelling

October 21st, 2007, 02:04 PM	#12
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	A hard case like a Pelican or a Storm (also my case of choice of this type) will protect against dust better than any other kind of case since it has a rubber gasket. This is why they have purge valves--they are airtight and watertight. Completely erroneous statement by the seller. __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

October 15th, 2007, 04:33 PM	#3
Bob Kerner Major Player Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New York Posts: 388	Sounds like utter nonsense! Find a different shop. I've used Pelican cases for photo and astronomy uses and have never heard of this. It is true that the pick and pluck foam may leave some debris (dust) in the case. Just vacuum it out. Or buy a case with moveable dividers.

October 15th, 2007, 05:32 PM	#4
Bryan Gilchrist Major Player Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 224	Sounds like they are looking for a reason to void your warranty up front. I'd go to another dealer. They probably sell gray-market or refurbished stuff.

October 16th, 2007, 12:45 PM	#5
Alessandro Garabaghi Regular Crew Join Date: May 2007 Location: Orlando, Fl Posts: 132	I assure you they are very reputable and sponsored on this site. Btw where in FL are you located?

October 19th, 2007, 05:01 PM	#6
Terry Shaw Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 42	I keep my XL2 in a Pelican 1650 and the local rental house does the same. I've never had a problem. Terry

October 19th, 2007, 07:46 PM	#7
Damon Gaskin Major Player Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Auburn Hills, USA Posts: 217	You may want to also look at B&H at the Portabrace cases. They are running a special where if you buy a case that is larger such as the 2500F, you get say the 2400F for free. I just ordered mine yesterday after my friend has had her pelican for a few months without any problem(I will comment on that later in the post. But here is the page for the portabrace hard cases: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=&cltp=&clsgr= Hopefully the link worked as I had to do a search of their "Video Professional, then went to Camcorder Cases:Hard and selected the Porta Brace Cases". I actually checked the portabrace site and for the special your running you really can't beat it. As for the retailer saying you have to sign a waiver, I would personally not trust them for a few reasons. First, pelican has their warranty which is fine for equipment in their cases, then, my friend as I have said has her pelican and that thing is built like a tank. Yes, when you first pluck the foam, there is a little dust, but after that, your fine. Another reason is that I fly R/C helicopters. I went to an event in Indiana this summer and when I saw guys with helicopters separated for traveling in a pelican case, on top of their transmitters in pelican cases, that says something. I actually have a buddy that is a sponsored pilot and he takes his heli's with him as luggage in this fashion and has never had a problem. He said he usually has to pay extra due to the weight(most of the guys I have seen that do their machines in this fashion actually ship two helicopters to a case with the booms removed and in a separate plucked area of the case), but they ship them in the cases, with the canopies on(fiberglass that has been painted and clearcoated with automotive paints) and complete without any problems. So my confidence is definately boosted there. Also they ship and transport their radio's in the smaller Pelican cases(I will probably do the same with my smaller Portabrace) as they are sturdy. So, yes, I agree with the other posters completely. Find another retailer or order from a Pelican distributer. I also would notify Pelican, as I am sure they would not be too pleased with how their products are being represented by this seller(basically saying that the cases would cause problems with "non-inexpensive" video and other equipment could cause liablity issues directed towards Pelican) as Pelican does state(and I can attest to how sturdy they are) how durable their cases are. I with all of this confidence and experience went with the Portabrace because after downloading the PDF's on the cases and looking at them, though I don't particularly care for the navy blue color, It looks just as sturdy as the pelican to me. Besides that, you get two for the price of one. But portabraces website is www.portabrace.com. Check them out though as it is a sweet little deal with either case you get. But I wouldn't go with the retailer that advised you of that strange info..

October 20th, 2007, 09:17 PM	#9
Jim Andrada Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Tucson AZ Posts: 2,211	Looks like you did your homework well in figuring out the layout. I have 3 of the 2500 cases and I use one for the still camera, one for the Canon GL2, and one for the audio equipment. I got the 2500 which they bill as a carry-on with wheels, but the interior is really small - I probably should have gotten one a couple of inches bigger and just casually tried to carry it on board - it would probably work OK. Not sure what I'll use for the JVC HD110 yet Which size cases did you get? Again, congratulations on your layout. Getting the foam cutoutdone correctly is tricky and you've done a super job.

October 21st, 2007, 03:41 AM	#10
Damon Gaskin Major Player Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Auburn Hills, USA Posts: 217	Yes, I agree, your layout is great. I hope I do as well of a job with my case. That is really cool the way you have it setup!

October 21st, 2007, 02:28 PM	#13
Jim Andrada Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Tucson AZ Posts: 2,211	Martin, By the way, do you remember what size the case was?

October 21st, 2007, 08:51 PM	#14
Martin Smith Regular Crew Join Date: May 2007 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 66	the case is the M2950 bought it here: http://www.cases4less.com/detail_storm_2950.html

October 22nd, 2007, 03:07 PM	#15
Alessandro Garabaghi Regular Crew Join Date: May 2007 Location: Orlando, Fl Posts: 132	Im going to go with the Pelican i think, or maybe the one posted that comes with the free case, still havent decdied. Not to cause any problems but the company was zotzdigital, and i feel like they have nothing but a great reputation and knowledge in the video market. Anyways ... maybe he was just placing the worst case scenarios out for me.