Best Cases for Lenses?

[jordan levy]

hmmm, maybe its better to go for old nikons? if so, i see so many different kinds, i see ais seem to be newer ones, but id like to try some ones that are older and less coating, any style or model proven to be sharp as well as great with flare? old nikon model recommends?

 

[Nick Morrison]

Nick, my absolute favorite case for most everything is the Pelican 1510. I use 2 of them for my sound kit, and a couple for camera accessories. I'm going to get a couple more to hold my rapidly growing set of Contax. I find that the 1510 is the perfect size and weight to easily carry around. And it is approved as a carry-on for pretty much every airline.

As I measure it, I think I can get 10 "normal" cine-vised lenses (with 80mm fronts) into a 1510. Not together with the bigger zooms, though...those might need one to themselves. The 1510 does have wheels, which might be a negative for a lens case (wouldn't want someone to inadvertently drag it over a curb or down a bumpy sidewalk just because the case has wheels on it) but unfortunately, Pelican does not make a non-wheel version of it.

Of course, the Innerspace and other ATA-style lens cases are great, but they are so heavy and awkward for everyday use...I just don't travel enough days of the year to make them worthwhile or necessary.

Hey Tom, great call on the 1510! Love these cases!

 

[Clayton Burkhart]

I'm going to make a suggestion, which many people will be at odds with here.
I have 35+ lenses and over the last 25 years I have found the hard cases, especially aluminum, but also plastic, attract too much unwanted attention.
From both the bad guys and the good guys. Border people know what they are, and junkies do too.
People know expensive and professional things go in them. So great for prestige, but not for incognito.
My glass never leaves my sight and it travels with me. I have found something simple like the Thinktank Acceleration backpack fits on all planes, carries
far more lenses, has excellent protection and is easily modifiable to whatever lens configuration I need for a job. So instead of taking three cases, I take one.

You might want to consider this alternative option.

 

[Dave Blackham]

Id certainly not label a case Zeiss lenses or Leica lenses or whatever, which is obvious to an opportunist. 17 50/50 150 or similar may work OK though so you can see what it contains but is not obvious to the uninitiated. Anything to avoid unnecessary attraction. Id always used to travel with a Globetrotter suitcase which looked like something out of the 1950's but is completely indestructible and solid, I still have it now after about 30 years of travel. http://www.globetrotter1897.com/collections/original/ Its now very scruffy and I cant imagine anyone choosing to take it over the new posh suitcases.

Also when labelling cases have more than one external label where they cant be removed by bagage handling equipment and also have two internal labels one obvious with address and one hidden so you can point a customs or other official to it to identify it if you need to.

 

[Nick Morrison]

I'm going to make a suggestion, which many people will be at odds with here.
I have 35+ lenses and over the last 25 years I have found the hard cases, especially aluminum, but also plastic, attract too much unwanted attention.
From both the bad guys and the good guys. Border people know what they are, and junkies do too.
People know expensive and professional things go in them. So great for prestige, but not for incognito.
My glass never leaves my sight and it travels with me. I have found something simple like the Thinktank Acceleration backpack fits on all planes, carries
far more lenses, has excellent protection and is easily modifiable to whatever lens configuration I need for a job. So instead of taking three cases, I take one.

You might want to consider this alternative option.

Funny you mention this Clayton, I've been thinking the exact same thing. I too have amassed a sizable lens collection and it has occurred to me that labeling them something obvious like "Please Steal Me. Zeiss Lenses inside" is obviously asking for trouble. Inconspicuous is best. That said the Pelican 1510 is small, and has wheels and a handle, and is very easy to navigate in an airport. Three of us boarded a plane two weeks ago, each with a small pelican or camera case, and we managed to bring as carry ons two Scarlets, all the lenses, and more. Worked great. And all the gear was never out of our site. Only the tripods and grip got checked below in steerage.

Id certainly not label a case Zeiss lenses or Leica lenses or whatever, which is obvious to an opportunist. 17 50/50 150 or similar may work OK though so you can see what it contains but is not obvious to the uninitiated. Anything to avoid unnecessary attraction. Id always used to travel with a Globetrotter suitcase which looked like something out of the 1950's but is completely indestructible and solid, I still have it now after about 30 years of travel. http://www.globetrotter1897.com/collections/original/ Its now very scruffy and I cant imagine anyone choosing to take it over the new posh suitcases.

Also when labelling cases have more than one external label where they cant be removed by bagage handling equipment and also have two internal labels one obvious with address and one hidden so you can point a customs or other official to it to identify it if you need to.

Again, Dave your note about labeing is apt. I'm trying to think of vague ways to label my pelicans (a big "W" for wides? Perhaps?). I've considered getting different colored Pelican 1510's too. They come in black, silver, green, tan. That may be a good solution. I'll know what each case is by the color, and some vague simple letter ("H", for "Hasselblads", maybe?).

 

[Tom Greenberg]

Hey Tom, great call on the 1510! Love these cases!

The 1510 is a great case. It is a unique shape with a lot of depth for a small case, making it suitable for all kinds of things. And I just love the end handle which makes it easy to carry without banging into your shins.

I just took delivery of another 1510 today (number 5) and it is going to hold 8 Contax Zeiss lenses. I had an engraved tag made for it that says: "Tom G. Primes". No clue to the bad guys what it contains...it just looks like that's my name, lol. I'll post a pic once I get it loaded up with lenses.

 

[Jimmy Gilmore]

I'm going to make a suggestion, which many people will be at odds with here.
I have 35+ lenses and over the last 25 years I have found the hard cases, especially aluminum, but also plastic, attract too much unwanted attention.
From both the bad guys and the good guys. Border people know what they are, and junkies do too.
People know expensive and professional things go in them. So great for prestige, but not for incognito.
My glass never leaves my sight and it travels with me. I have found something simple like the Thinktank Acceleration backpack fits on all planes, carries
far more lenses, has excellent protection and is easily modifiable to whatever lens configuration I need for a job. So instead of taking three cases, I take one.

You might want to consider this alternative option.

I have a large Tenba backpack that holds most of my changing collection of c/y and OM lenses. It works well in that I can swap stuff around, not so great on set though when I have assistants swapping lenses constantly. I always find myself double checking to make sure nothing got left behind. It is great for carry on though. There's probably no perfect solution for those of us who are glass addicted.