question about pelican cases

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Ershin

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anyone here ever used one with the pick and pluck foam?

seriously considering getting one, and i much prefer the foam to the dividers, but id feel much better if i thought it was reconfigurable.

in a nutshell; if i pick out foam to make a shape for a piece of gear i upgrade, and then sell on, can i put the foam back in, as if id never taken it out? otherwise im only going to obsess for AGES over how to configure it the first time, knowing me


another question, anyone know the best place to get the cases for in the uk? i know it costs more because its a us company, but id like at least a vaguely comparable price if at all possible.

also, any alternatives to pelican, which have the same build quality, or at least, very close?
 
You have got more chance of nailing jelly to the ceiling than putting the foam back in. It just wouldn't happen. Not without it looking a mess.(imo)
The cubes of foam are attached by tiny 'threads' of foam (if you can call it that). Once removed, they would look obvious when refitted and not really be of any use. I think the foam is quite cheap to replace as a whole though. So not all bad news.
I chose the inserts for that reason. Not cheap, but very good and can be reconfigured as often as you like.
It's worth looking on Ebay for the cases, some decent offers pop up every now and then.

Kev.
 
goddamn it, i was hoping theyd be a friction fit..

thanks very much for the answer anyway ^_^ especially at this time in the morning >.>

since you seem to have used one before though, im guessing the foam provides a hell of a lot more cushioning than the dividers do, but presumably so long as you nestle everything in snugly itl still stand up to a fair amount of abuse?

i can just imagine having a pristine case but everything inside it trashed >.>
 
I have carried all my photo gear in a large pelican case which was handled so badly at an airport that one corner was broken off. There was no damage to the contents and the case was replaced free of charge under the lifetime warranty.

You need to carefully lay out your gear on top of the foam, to get the best configuration, before digging out the foam blocks. Alternatively, get the velcro-covered dividers, which is what I have used in my largest case (the damaged one) although I have foam in smaller ones. I have to admit that I prefer the foam to get a snug fit.
 
We use Peli-type cases for shipping our big lenses such as 300mm f/2.8s. But not Peli specifically - the make we use are Explorer cases. Physically they're essentially the same as Peli - ie indestructible, waterproof, etc - and the main reasons we use them are (a) they have a more useful range of sizes for our needs (but not necessarily yours); (b) they stack well (which probably won't matter to you); and (c) price. They're made in Italy and there are various places in the UK that sell them. (Calumet's cases are rebadged Explorers.) Recently I've been buying them from Jit-Pak online who are very reasonable, and they also stock Peli and Storm cases if you want to make direct price comparisons.
 
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I used a Storm for a while until my gear expanded too much but id go along with the general consensus and say use the dividers. It took quite a while of re-jigging before i settled on a configuration and even then i'd tweak it if i didnt need something or wanted to take slightly different kit.

B->
 
I have a 1510 and bought it new with the foam insert - Kev is right, you won't get it back in properly once you've picked it out, what's more if you are not very careful how you pluck it out to fit the equipment you will see it start to come adrift as you put things in and out.
I have replaced mine with the divider set which IMO is better, at least for me.
The biggest problem with the Peli is that I keep pinching my fingers when I close it - it's a vicious closer :D
 
awesome, thanks for all the help, going to make the decision a lot easier
 
markmullen said:
When you're plucking out the foam first mark it out with cocktail sticks, it will help you work out where to put stuff.
Click to expand...

this. lay your kit out on the foam, make sure you have a gap between each item and pop cocktail sticks around each item.

however peli do state that you can re-use the foam by supergluing it back together. just make sure when you pluck the foam you do it in large sections, otherwise doing that may take a while lol
 
I have 2 peli cases and if you take your time the pick and pluck foam is brilliant. I have the 1600 in which I can fit 8 lenses Nikon D300 and a TC. In my other one a 1450 it takes 2x SB900 -an SB600 (flash guns) also my Panasonic video camera with its batteries. I used a marker pen to outline around the gear.

Realspeeed
 
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neil_g said:
however peli do state that you can re-use the foam by supergluing it back together. just make sure when you pluck the foam you do it in large sections, otherwise doing that may take a while lol
Click to expand...

huh, that sounds possibly doable

though it sounds more like if you want to completely change the purpose of the case a few times, rather than re doing it everytime you have a shoot. pretty sure once youve super glued them together, they arent coming apart again, lol

regardless, thanks for the heads up, just wish there was a clear 'ones better than the other' to make it easier to pick :P
 
yeah, but its more a matter of space, and i hate throwing stuff away :P
 
i think i read somewhere that calumet do dividers that fit for like 25 quid matey, you should check it out
 
had a quick google for you, but i couldent find where the guy said it. pretty sure it was 15** though, so you might be in luck. i dunno what the price difference is exactly, but you could always check the fit, i guess
 
use a stanley knife blade to cut the foam it gives a better finish and you also get the entire blocks as blocks (if that makes sense)
 
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