According to the TSA (Transportation Security Administration, I believe) web site, the carry on size restrictions are waived for "media cameras", but they still have to be capable of being stowed safely on the aircraft. I think this means that as long as it will fit in the overhead compartment you're OK even if the bag is larger than the official carry on size.
I carried my JVC 110 in a Camrade case on several flights in June and even though the case was a good four inches longer than the carry-on limit I had no problem except for having to sort of scrunch the bag down a bit to get it to slip though the opening of the overhead compartment. The Southwest flight attendant helped me squeeze it in, and the TSA security folks were actually quite helpful and hand checked it for me. Once I showed them what was in the bag they didn't require me to take the camera out and run it through the X-ray machine in a separate basket, even though the sign said video cams and laptops have to be removed from their bags. Your mileage may (and will!) vary
I think you're lucky to be arriving at Denver instead of boarding there as the Denver airport has one of the worst security setups I've seen in a lifetime of business travel. The problem is that there are basically just two sets of security lines for the entire airport and I've had waits of well over an hour in these lines. San Francisco is pretty easy because the terminals are separate so there are a lot of separate security stations scattered around the airport and you don't get 2 million people trying to squeeze through one or two checkpoints like Denver.
If you know which airports/airlines you'll be using, I'm sure somone here will have relevant experience and advice about each of them.
The situation really varies by airport and airline. For example, LA is generally OK, but the Southwest terminal is an absolute nightmare for checking things. In San Jose CA the American/Southwest terminal is also a horror show, but if you depart after 6 or 7 PM it's wide open.
FYI - this happened a few days back There are some good(???) videos floating around the web. Don't be surprised by anything.
http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal...u-hits-a-2395/