Overseas Case for Equipment

[pcsmythe]

Any suggestions for overseas camera cases? We're looking into Tenba cases, but want to be able to lock (handcuff) our equipment to a fixture. The case needs to fit under an airline seat (I'm not checking my equipment).

[leob]

What about peli-cases, they are of course more heavy but also much more durable ( i guess the plane could crash and your stuff would survive..)
Otherwise, if you don´t need the amount of protection the tenba-cases are a very good but expensive choice.
Peli Products Germany
Best wishes

[Chuck Albertson]

I use the Pelican 1510:

Pelican | 1510 Carry On Case with Foam Set (Black) | PC1510B

It carries a fair amount of gear, has wheels, and complies with carry-on regs for most aircraft (small RJ's and puddlejumpers may be a problem). If you have to check it, it can be locked, and for the same reason can be cabled to a plumbing fixture in your hotel room.

[leob]

WOW,
i just saw the price difference between b&h and a german shop,
80€ at b&h against 270€ in Germany... shit i should have bought one just for fun at my trip to new york.

[noah_addis]

That's a pretty large case for Leica gear. I have one of the smaller pelicans that I use at home to keep stuff in when I'm not using it. If you insist on a hard case, I'd check out one of the smaller pelicans, unless you're bringing multiple systems and need the space. Wheels are great, but depending on where you're going they can be of limited use on uneven terrain. And a case like that gets very heavy if you need to carry it for any distance.

I generally don't travel with a hard case, looks too 'official', looks expensive, attracts attention and it's too heavy. I travel with a domke 803 satchel.

You could check out the pacsafe line, they're soft cases with steel mesh built in to prevent theft.

Personally, I would doubt the safety of locking a case to a fixture in a room. There's nothing that says 'steal me' faster than something expensive-looking that's obviously locked up. And if you'll be away from your room for any time, it would be super easy to cut your lock, cut the fixture it's attached to or cut open the pelican case.

Generally when I travel I have much of my gear with me, but I always leave a body and lens in the room for backup. Generally, I throw it at the bottom of my bag with my dirty clothes. A good thief would look there, but a petty one won't.

Definitely don't check your gear. One problem I've faced is that bags that fit the standard carryon size here might still need to be checked on small planes, sometimes they ask you to check it after you've boarded, which is scary since they carry it out on the tarmac and who knows what happens from there. So the smaller the bag, the better to prevent this. I've been forced to check carry-on sized bags overseas, but never something as small as my small satchel.

Do make sure that your gear is insured though, and make sure your insurance company knows where you're traveling.

[troyfreund]

Check out ThinkTank Photo--- Maker of pro photography equipment - camera bags, digital camera cases: Think Tank Photo

[peter_n]

Originally Posted by noah_addis

I travel with a domke 803 satchel.

I second Noah on this. Last trip to Europe a few weeks ago I took a Domke 803 clone (better inserts) with two MP bodies and 24, 35, and 75mm lenses and the bag was also stuffed with film, maps, books, documents etc. That is a small satchel and it barely fit into the (fairly stringent) Ryanair case-shaped jig which is at their check-in desk. In Germany they were pretty strict about only one carry-on and it's size. Absolutely and positively don't check your gear. It will not arrive at the other end.

[dikdik]

Originally Posted by pcsmythe

Any suggestions for overseas camera cases? We're looking into Tenba cases, but want to be able to lock (handcuff) our equipment to a fixture. The case needs to fit under an airline seat (I'm not checking my equipment).

Hello pcsmythe,

to our experience the best quality you'll get with the Pelicases. There are different sizes. It's quite impossible to destroy them. They are not only watertight. They prevent even more - most important for our trips - absolutely perfect for dust. The equipment is really safe in each situation. We use them since years and we had never - really never - any problems.

The only problem is the danger of theft of the complete case within the airport area. We have tried to prevent this desaster - until now successfully - by labelling outside the cases. We use for this purpose most striking marks of dazzling colours by simple coloured tapes or plaster or something like that.

If you are located within the EU try to buy directly in the States (B&H or others). It's much more cheaper despite additional transport and different taxes. Some years ago we had to pay an additional "antidumping-tax" (whatever this might be - German laws!!). It doesn't matter. It's almost cheaper in the States.

Good luck
and best regards
Dikdik

[gvaliquette]

Peter:

Also consider the Lowepro DryZone series of backpacks:
Lowepro - Waterproof

Some years ago, I bought a DryZone 100 to take my R gear to Namibia. It was perfect to protect the equipment from the omnipresent dust, it is comfortable on the back, even fully loaded, and it does not look like a camera bag! I have since used it in Tanzania, in New Zealand, and on domestic trips. A purchase I do not regret.

Guy

[pcsmythe]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I plan on investigating. The crucial thing, in my mind, is that the case needs to fit under an airline seat. With airlines now charging for bags, I suspect that all overhead cabins will be packed to the hilt by the time we get our seat.

Does the Pelican fit under the seat? The Tenbas are advertised to do so.

On this particular trip, we're taking two Ms, three M lenses, an SLR with two lenses and maybe a Mamiya 7 with a short lens. All film cameras so also 100 rolls of film.

We plan to take two cameras on each outing and leave the rest of the stuff in the room.