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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Filter Case

D

david_winters

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Looking for case suggestions for my personal filters. I've got about 20 filters, a mix of 4x5.65, 5.65x5.65, and 138mm round. Looking for a small hard case which stores the filters in such a way that they are sorted and easy to access. Currently I keep them in a soft tool bag, but after several close calls in the truck, surrounded by hard cases and cable, it's time to find a durable solution.
 
Brook Willard said:
Have you considered contacting a case company to build you a real filter case? It'll beat a Pelican any day...
Click to expand...

Brook,
Curious what you mean by a "real" case? Do you mean ATA type?

Do you feel they're better than Storm or Pelican?

M
 
Yeah, an ATA-style case. I feel they're better than plastic style cases because they're sturdy, heavy and match up to normal camera cases. The amount of padding is up to you and whoever builds your case... they're 100% custom.

They're not light, they're not convenient and they're overkill in most situations. Case selection has as much to do with the environments that you'll be using them in as anything else. Need to fly pack? Need to put a ton of gear in your car? Maybe an ATA-style case isn't best.
 
I just find them too heavy and well... old fashioned in the sense that they rely on their strength through traditional materials and ridgidity instead of more modern materials which absorb impact with a slight amount of deflection against a foam interior. Plus the Storm cases are waterproof. And for camera cases, you can put a nice full Red Kit in a 2975, and have wheels and a handle... And if you want to toss it on a plane, you're still good to go.

I know ATA have been popular in the film business for years, but I'm wondering how much of that has to do with tradition vs. an acceptance of new materials.

Have there been any qualified torture tests done to compare the two types?

The most important consideration is protecting the gear, but if those two factors are equal (between ATA and Storm for instance) I'd pick light weight and convenience any day....

Thoughts?
 
Mark,

I just went through the same thing, and I decided to buck tradition. I'm old school in most of my gear opinions, but I decided to abandon my ATA stuff in favor of Pelicans. I know I'm going to catch some shit for it, but I'm ok with that. I added up in my head the number of busted ATA vs pelican cases I've seen over the years, and ATA lost (only by a little). Keep in mind I've only seen 4 busted ATA cases and 2 Pelicans in 15 years. Since I'm not planing on running any kind of rental business with the exception of some special situation, I'm not to concerned about looks. I've seen ATA's rust, busted side panels (both fiberglass and ply) broken hinges, etc etc but the Pelicans I've never seen get breeched.


EDIT: of course I recommend replacing the shit foam of the pelican with nice custom cut foam.
 
ACME cases
Titan cases
or A&J cases
 
I have a great filter case that I purchased from A&J that is the best of both worlds - it is an ATA style case made with lightweight materials. Filters are held in individual slots. The whole thing fits inside my accessory case for shipping and I can simply lift it out when I want to take my filters with me. I also always carry a few empty filter pouches in case I'm on a crane or just need to put them in the ditty bag.
 
The best thing to do is just call them and tell them how many filters you have and roughly how you would like the case layed out then they will send you a quote. Mine is a Di Lite case and is VERY light weight. Here's their contact info:

[FONT=arial,helvetica]A & J Cases[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica]11121 Hindry Avenue[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica]Los Angeles, CA 90045[/FONT][FONT=arial,helvetica] (800) 537-4000 toll free[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica](310) 216-2170 voice[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica](310) 216-2694 fax[/FONT]
 
A couple of you have asked for a picture of my A&J filter case. I grabbed a 4X4 case and took a couple of quick shots. A&J will make cases to accomodate any size filters.

1391_1204576372.jpg


1391_1204576510.jpg



1391_1204576568.jpg


I also should mention that If I had to do it all over again I would have them include a small compartment in the back to hold a few soft filter cases for those "run and gun" situations when you want to have a filter or two with your assistant or in the ditty bag. Would also be a good place to keep a cleaning kit.
 
That's a beautiful filter case. I already have a similarly-sized extra ATA hard case and a few extra Pelican 1550 cases. Somebody said something about ordering custom cut foam. Plus, those white inserts in the A&J case look so simple. Any ideas on where I would start if I wanted to order just the foam or the white inserts? Thanks
 
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