# Alternative to pelican cases??



## wgp1987

Hey everyone. I would really like to invest in a pelican case but can't afford them at this time. I would like a hard case but it doesn't have to be water proof. Does anyone know an inexpensive alternative to pelican?? Something from a smaller company or a direct competitor??


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## usayit

what's your budget.

From my research, Pelicans that I was interested in where actually cheaper than the soft cases of similar shape from Lowepro.  You can also use the typical luggage with divider inserts or everything packed in their individual pouches and cases.  I also the following at the containerstore a while back but I don't recall if the dimensions would work for you:

The Container Store > Commercial-Grade Plastic Cases

There's one on Route 17 north (NNJ)


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## wgp1987

Free would be nice! Less the a hundo ($100) would be good i guess. Not sure what i Really want yet :/


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## MissCream

A Stork case?


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## wgp1987

MissCream said:


> A Stork case?



Im assuming this is sarcasim. Hardy har


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## wgp1987

The Container Store > Commercial-Grade Plastic Cases20" x 15" x 8-1/2" h Commercial-Grade Case Black is only $36.99 ... 
Pelican 1560 Case with Foam (Black) 1560-000-110 B&H Photo Video22.06 x 17.93 x 10.43" _(56 x 45.5 x 26.5cm) _(WxDxH) $155

Similar storage space but HUGE PRICE DIFFERENCE. I would like to see the quality of the "Sturdy, lockable snap-lock closures" are on the container store option. Anyone own one of these?


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## gsgary

Calumet do their own make, you pay for quality and Pelican is quality, what do you think all the camera crews use when they go shooting in the Amazon, in the end it depends how much you care for your gear


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## Derrel

Those commercial-grade plastic cases Usayit is suggesting, from The Container Store, look pretty darned good for the price!


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## Ryan L

Derrel said:


> Those commercial-grade plastic cases Usayit is suggesting, from The Container Store, look pretty darned good for the price!



I am not sure if I would trust my body and lenses in these, but 3 of my strobes are in a case like this, its not super protective, It should have high density foam to absorb more impact, the clasps will eventually snap off from bending, but for that price I wouldnt mind buying a bunch just to keep my misc. gear in. Too bad I don't have any of those stores near me....they don't ship very many of their products.


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## wgp1987

Derrel said:


> Those commercial-grade plastic cases Usayit is suggesting, from The Container Store, look pretty darned good for the price!



right???


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## wgp1987

Ryan L said:


> Derrel said:
> 
> 
> 
> Those commercial-grade plastic cases Usayit is suggesting, from The Container Store, look pretty darned good for the price!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I am not sure if I would trust my body and lenses in these, but 3 of my strobes are in a case like this, its not super protective, It should have high density foam to absorb more impact, the clasps will eventually snap off from bending, but for that price I wouldnt mind buying a bunch just to keep my misc. gear in. Too bad I don't have any of those stores near me....they don't ship very many of their products.
Click to expand...


If i couldnt afford a large pelican for everything then i was just going to keep my gear in my backpack and use one of those cases for flashes and lighting accessories as well.


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## wgp1987

gsgary said:


> Calumet do their own make, you pay for quality and Pelican is quality, what do you think all the camera crews use when they go shooting in the Amazon, in the end it depends how much you care for your gear



I care very much about my equipment. Thats why i desire pelican and not another camera bag. :/


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## wgp1987

If you guys bought or own a pelican do you prefer the foam over the dividers?


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## c.cloudwalker

wgp1987 said:


> If you guys bought or own a pelican do you prefer the foam over the dividers?



I used to own a Pelican and I have also owned (and still do) home-rearranged crates for my gear. I liked both the foam and the dividers for different things. The problem with this thread is that you don't say, unless I've missed it, what exactly you want to do. Foam is great (best?) for specific gear while dividers can be adapted for various gear so that both are useful. In different ways.

I got my one and only Pelican case when I got my first 3 strobes. Cut out the foam to fit and they were safe as could be. In the long (longer) run though it was just one more case and it was a pain in the neck. I ended up buying used/wheeled musicians/sound crates that I customized for my photo gear. The rack system used in those made it so easy to make my own drawers to fit in there for MY gear that it was the ultimate pleasure fitting my gear in there.

Now, I did say used. New, those things are way not cheap. However, there are musicians giving up their dream career all the time and they can be picked up used (barely) often enough for fairly cheap (kinda like a yard sale price) if you live near a big enough city.

Those cases come in different sizes and I had a few of them I could pile on top of each other and strap together depending on the job I was going to.

Just something to think about.

BTW, the more precise your question, the better the answers you will get.


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## wgp1987

c.cloudwalker said:


> wgp1987 said:
> 
> 
> 
> If you guys bought or own a pelican do you prefer the foam over the dividers?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I used to own a Pelican and I have also owned (and still do) home-rearranged crates for my gear. I liked both the foam and the dividers for different things. The problem with this thread is that you don't say, unless I've missed it, what exactly you want to do. Foam is great (best?) for specific gear while dividers can be adapted for various gear so that both are useful. In different ways.
> 
> I got my one and only Pelican case when I got my first 3 strobes. Cut out the foam to fit and they were safe as could be. In the long (longer) run though it was just one more case and it was a pain in the neck. I ended up buying used/wheeled musicians/sound crates that I customized for my photo gear. The rack system used in those made it so easy to make my own drawers to fit in there for MY gear that it was the ultimate pleasure fitting my gear in there.
> 
> Now, I did say used. New, those things are way not cheap. However, there are musicians giving up their dream career all the time and they can be picked up used (barely) often enough for fairly cheap (kinda like a yard sale price) if you live near a big enough city.
> 
> Those cases come in different sizes and I had a few of them I could pile on top of each other and strap together depending on the job I was going to.
> 
> Just something to think about.
> 
> BTW, the more precise your question, the better the answers you will get.
Click to expand...


I like a broad spectrum of thoughts and answers so i ask open and broad questions. When i desire a direct answer i ask a direct question... thank you for your insight. Ill possibly construct a diagram of what i desire or what i have been thinking about later. Im prepping for a gig tonight and dont have time to do so at the moment.


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## joealcantar

Calumet has their version of hard foam paded cases.  You may want to walk into a store if you have one near you to compare apples to oranges. 
-
Digital cameras, lenses and photo gear at calumetphoto.com
-
Shoot well, Joe


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## wgp1987

So i went to the container store today and checked out that case they have. It is certainly a decent case but you cant compare the quality. My biggest concern was what was physically holding the case together. The hinge and the locks. The hinge was small and seemed to be decent otherwise. The locks that held the case closed looked to be very strong but the grooves that hooked into each other were only a few millimeters of cheap plastic. I cant comfortably store my equipment in it, not my body or lenses but maybe flashes and other items. I think im going to opt for a pelican 1500 series just dont know which one yet. Im debating on the 1514 carry on version with the wheels and extending handle. Not sure if i want foam or dividers. Im thinking that foam cut out specifically to the contour of the items store would be more protection then dividers. The foam also seems to be less expensive. What do you prefer for yours? Foam or dividers and why ??


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## whiplash23

Once you decide which Pelican case you want (if you end up biting the bullet and buying one), check Amazon.  I bought mine from Calumet, but did so through their Amazon site.  I know I got free shipping (which was like $25), and I think I even got the case a bit cheaper than what they had on their main web site.

FYI, I use a Pelican 1520 with foam dividers and store the following gear in it:
Nikon D90
Nikon 18-55mm kit lens
Nikon 55-200mm VR
Nikon 50mm f1.8
Nikon 24-85 f2.8 - f4
2x SB-600s in their soft case
Misc stuff (couple of filters, couple of SB-600 bases, reusable silicon bead thingy, blower, small Rogue flash bender, and on occasion the flash and camera manuals)

I love the case, it was well worth the price (I think I paid around $120 for it with the dividers).


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## usayit

btw...

If you travel by plane a lot, you should consider the size of the case very carefully.    Mine is the Pelican 1510 w/ divider set which meets TSA regulations for carry on.  Twice they checked and I wouldn't be surprised if the frequency increases as they get stricter with policy.



Oh yes... get the divider set not the pluck foam.   (Mine originally came with pluck foam.. yuck)

1) You can pack more densely in a divider set
2) The "walls" of the divider set are certainly more durable.
3) Mine left "dust".


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## wgp1987

I am certainly going to invest in a pelican. I have been looking at the 1500 series myself. The 1550 gives the largest interior which will be more room but the 1510 does have the built in wheels and extending handle which is very convenient. Id actually prefer to buy the larger case and a folding/portable hand truck that can be used for anything. I have never been on a plane before and and do not travel. I am going to Chicago for the first time in a few weeks but i dont think im going to bring my camera since it is for work. I think the dividers would be more universal then the foam because i could constantly rearrange them but is the foam much better for protection. I feel that if im buying a case that is for serious protection that the foam should be the ideal choice. lost in my thought. I want a 1550 but not sure if i should get foam or dividers!! haha just shoot me plz


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## wgp1987

Pelican 1554 Waterproof 1550 Case with Dividers 1550-004-150 B&Hts extra for the orange but id like it to stand out


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## bobcov

wgp1987 said:


> c.cloudwalker said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> wgp1987 said:
> 
> 
> 
> If you guys bought or own a pelican do you prefer the foam over the dividers?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I used to own a Pelican and I have also owned (and still do) home-rearranged crates for my gear. I liked both the foam and the dividers for different things. The problem with this thread is that you don't say, unless I've missed it, what exactly you want to do. Foam is great (best?) for specific gear while dividers can be adapted for various gear so that both are useful. In different ways.
> 
> I got my one and only Pelican case when I got my first 3 strobes. Cut out the foam to fit and they were safe as could be. In the long (longer) run though it was just one more case and it was a pain in the neck. I ended up buying used/wheeled musicians/sound crates that I customized for my photo gear. The rack system used in those made it so easy to make my own drawers to fit in there for MY gear that it was the ultimate pleasure fitting my gear in there.
> 
> Now, I did say used. New, those things are way not cheap. However, there are musicians giving up their dream career all the time and they can be picked up used (barely) often enough for fairly cheap (kinda like a yard sale price) if you live near a big enough city.
> 
> Those cases come in different sizes and I had a few of them I could pile on top of each other and strap together depending on the job I was going to.
> 
> Just something to think about.
> 
> BTW, the more precise your question, the better the answers you will get.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I like a broad spectrum of thoughts and answers so i ask open and broad questions. When i desire a direct answer i ask a direct question... thank you for your insight. Ill possibly construct a diagram of what i desire or what i have been thinking about later. Im prepping for a gig tonight and dont have time to do so at the moment.
Click to expand...


Love your response. I came by looking for an answer to your question and what I've waded through has been a lot of pompous lecturing from people trying to protect you from yourself. It's okay to offer some advice as to why one might want to reconsider, but I find it annoying when people also don't answer the question.Imagine a message board back in the day of explorers..."You'll fall off the edge of the world if you go that way. You don't want to go across that ocean, dude!" in lieu of answering the question "anybody know how to get to the new world?"


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