Best equipment case for any serious photographer - Pelican 1510 Carry On Protector Case

First off, I really suggest buying the 1510 case WITHOUT the pick n' pluck foam because that foam is a one-time use kind of thing. You pluck/cut out the space for what you have currently and that's it. If you get new gear/lenses you'd probably have to buy new foam. If you're like me where you have a wish list of lenses and things, it's a smarter choice to buy the 1510 case without the foam and then invest into the padded dividers for this case. The padded dividers can be velcroed and adjusted anytime.

Anyway, for me it was either ThinkTank or Pelican. I ultimately went for Pelican because ThinkTank makes me look like a tourist and those ShootSacs do nothing for me. I know the female photographers will immediately say that it's too bulky to lug around, not feminine enough, not light enough, or something along those lines. And that's fine, to each his/her own.

What really sold it for me was Pelican's lifetime warranty and that you can bring the case with you on the plane. Being able to bring all my gear with me onto the plane is a huge advantage since there's $5k+ in that case and I dare not trust some luggage handler to toss my case with the other luggages.

And of course there's that inner-nerd in me that just wants to look like some bad-ass secret agent every time I open/close my case. Those double-latches lock sound so awesome. Also it's built for durability, I mean just read the features description for the case!


Pros: lifetime warranty from pelican, maximum size for carry-on at airports, bullet-proof, fire-proof, makes you look like someone from SWAT team when you set it down and open it, automatic pressure release valve, rolling wheels, TWO handles to easy carrying, double latches for security
Cons: custom nameplate isn't free? no real cons honestly

This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.