Camera Storage

[Mihun09]

I prefer Pelican cases despite the weight of them. It is about safe storage more than anything since I could not replace my DSLR in a timely fashion.

I have 3 now, the smallest was the first one, the largest the one I have used the past 2 seasons. It is great in that everything fits in it with room to spare but it was horrible trying to get the camera out mid lake. It fits under the bow seat no problem, but to get the camera out meant hanging my legs on the gunwales, pulling the case forward and turning it sideways, then opening it and fishing out the camera. Bit of a hassle and makes dumping more likely.

The mid size one is the new one. A tad smaller than I would have liked, but everything fits, and by everything I mean the DSLR, extra lens, remote cables, GPS and P&S camera. There are a couple other items that will go in during trips but I'll work that out. I usually store one set of truck keys as well as my ID in it during trips.

I will sell the big one soon to recoup the expense of the new one.

 

[Philtrum]

No Title

My big Pelican case sits in the garage collecting dust. I now use a Witz locker like the one in the picture. With cushioning borrowed from the Pelican, it holds my Canon 40D with an 18-200 lens, spare batteries and flash cards, and my Olympus TG-1 (if needed, since being waterproof, it usually lives in my PFD pocket). It's much smaller and weighs several pounds less.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Camera storage devices are of course dependent upon the size and amount of camera equipment one carries. For me, the days of multi-lens SLR's and DSLR's are over. I don't think any of the compact waterproof cameras can produce really high quality photographs -- though I used a small Pentax Optio for years -- but the high quality P&S cameras today have longer zooms and better lenses than the SLR's of yore. And they can be quite small.

THIS SITE can compare a number of cameras, with or without lenses, side-by-side to show sizes.

I now use a non-waterproof, high quality P&S with an optical 28-200 mm equivalent lens, the Nikon Coolpix P7800, which has an amazing variety of technical features and also takes very nice video. There are larger P&S cameras with much longer zooms and also more compact ones. My camera fits in a small Pelican box, which I keep cushioned with a microfiber cloth and some desiccation packs. It's very fast to access and put back, and takes better pictures than the big, heavy rigs I used to carry in large waterproof cases.

 

[red langford]

I stopped carrying a camera for awhile on trips because it was too big a PITA to get it out of dry storage and into my hands. Now my wife has a DSLR she totes around town and I have the point and shoot and it stays in my PFD pocket. If the weather is looking sketchy I'll put it somewhere drier. I truly admire the commitment to the craft to all you avid photographers who lug around big kits sometimes dedicating an entire portage trip to camera gear.

 

[redoleary]

I'm a pelican guy. Got one a few seasons ago for river tripping and just liked it so much that I use it all the time, in fact on the last backpacking trip I went on I carried it along. Granted it wasn't super high milage but there I was tromping along backpack on and carrying a pelican case in one hand. When canoeing I used to use a holster style camera bag that I would keep in a drybag, I felt certain it'd stay dry but was a PITA. I think I get faster access with the pelican, believe it or not, plus my camera gear list seem to keep growing, but it's something I enjoy and that's the price I have to pay.

 

[Mihun09]

Mike aka Canoeguitar is the one who lugs more camera gear than anything else, but his tripping is about photography. He has told me on his WCPP solo's that once camp is set up he paddles around and finds what he wishes to shoot the next day and gets up before dawn to set up and wait for the light to be just right. That is dedication to ones craft. For those who have never seen Mikes work, it can be found here... http://mikemonaghan.ca/

For me, it was a matter of that perfect situation winding up blurry yet again. We were sitting at a port having a meal and I was looking downstream when a moose stepped out into the river and started up towards us. I shot video and stills and everything turned out blurry as heck. Shortly thereafter I was at the camera store spending my life savings on a starter DSLR kit. The next time I saw a moose I got that non blurred shot that made the expense worth it.

 

[red langford]

Being in one of those photos Mike takes is sort of like brush with greatness for me. Almost, but not quite as good as the time I was interviewed on CBC radio.

 

[Philtrum]

No Title

I got this shot with an Olympus TG-1, a waterproof P&S. Since I don't enlarge beyond 8x10, it's enough camera for me.
Couldn't ask for better depth of field.

 

[Canoeguitar]

@ Mihun09 & Red Langford - Thanks for the compliments on the photography.

As a DSLR shooter there is no substitute for the Pelican case. I feel pretty confident that no matter what happens to it on the outside, the gear will be safe & sound on the inside. One of my cases, the one that I use most often, has put up with a ton of abuse. I just sold a tank of a lens that I've dragged all over the bush for years, and the buyer felt that he was getting a nearly new lens. Testament to the protection of the Pelican case. They're also a safe place to chuck your sunglasses when the clouds roll in ;-).

For this year's trips I've updated the lens line-up somewhat. A bit lighter, with a bit of an improvement in utility and image quality. Also, a new lens on the way - a killer for low light & night shooting. I ordered it 4 months ago and am still waiting (major back order). I hope it gets here before the paddling season starts!

 

[Mihun09]

I'm a pelican guy. I think I get faster access with the pelican, believe it or not, plus my camera gear list seem to keep growing, but it's something I enjoy and that's the price I have to pay.

I'll sell you my large Pelican, model 1450, for $90 Cdn plus shipping. You never lose a yellow Pelican on a portage

 

[redoleary]

I'll sell you my large Pelican, model 1450, for $90 Cdn plus shipping. You never lose a yellow Pelican on a portage

Thanks, but I think that's the same model I already have. My goal is to not have some much gear that I need a bigger one. Problem is my Lee filters take up a fair bit of room, not so much the lenses cuz I only have 2. One of the reasons I haven't gotten another lens is there is no where to put it!

 

[redoleary]

Wow! Mike, that is some stunning photography.

 

[theonecanoe]

I love Pelican cases... very durable and secure. A few years ago I posted a video on this forum showing our Pelican case setup, using a 1200 and a 1400 series case. Since then we've upgraded to a video system that uses memory cards instead of tape. We've also added a larger case, a Pelican 1500, which is big enough to hold a DSLR and a Camcorder as well as extra lenses, batteries, audio gear and a video light, but we only use that bigger case on trips that don't require a lot of portaging. Here's a re-post of that original video if you are interested in having a look at our setup.
Thanks -Wayne

 

[Guest]

The last couple of times I visited Coleman Military Surplus they had two sizes of US Mil-spec Pelican boxes in stock.

https://colemans.com/

I have the smaller size, which is identical to a (and almost certainly built by) Pelican. It is essentially a Pelican 1510 case, roughly 12” x 9” x5”, only black in color.

The one I have was around $20 and the larger one in stock, perhaps twice that size, another sawbuck or so.

I couldn’t find them in their catalog. The 1510 equivalent I have is marked “AN/PAQ-4C light, aiming, infrared”.

Great box, almost certainly made by Pelican (Contract DAAB07-96-C-J201).

I didn’t really need or even want one, but for $20 it soon found a use. Next time I’m up in Pennsylvania I may buy the larger size.