I'm liking that CamRade bag a lot, the one TapeworksTexas is giving away if you buy the A1 from them.

i second the recommendation for the pelican 1510. i fly quite a bit, and, after a horrendous experience with checking in gear, suffice to say i will never do it again. the 1510 will fit the a1 and all supplied accessories pretty comfortably. i also have a portabrace bk1 backpack coming shortly, and will let you know how that works out.

FYI - DVi sponsor ZGC has this Holiday Special deal for the XH A1 which includes a case:

"Nov. 16 - Dec. 31, 2006
Purchase a new Canon XH A1 Camera and receive a FREE Portabrace PB-2500F Field Production Vault hard camera case"

Case details are here: http://www.portabrace.com/product_detail_B.php?id=3519

So far all my cam's seem to fit in the pelican 1510... I've got two and they
work out very nice for me...

It has a couple of options... one is the pick foam where you can create your case to specially fit the equipment.
Another is the divider insert that is a nylon/foam with velcro strips and you
can create many different profiles to fit the equipment.
and of course you can purchase the case without anything... stuff socks
and towel around your equipment...

I got the divider insert as its easy to adjust to my still cam, vid cams and underwater housings...

No problems so far carry on the airlines.....

plus a lifetime waranty to boot...

I just called B&H back before they processed my order and got the Petrol bag. This'll be the first non-Portabrace bag I've bought in over 20 years, but what the hell, it's also the first non-Sony video camera I've bought in over 20 years.

It's the Petrol PCUB-1N U-Bag. About 17" inside length with removable dividers. It's sized for a Z1, so the A1 ought to fit too. It comes with a rain cover for the camera too. $149.

My XH-A1 is on order and I'm definitely going the pelican route. I'd really prefer to have a carry case (no wheels). Does anybody know if the 1550 will fit the XH-A1 with room for a shotgun mic, extra battery, and 2-3 tapes?

Thanks guys!

I picked up a Pelican 1510 today at B+H. It was hectic in there as usual but I had a chance to look at some other things, didn't see the XHA1 out on the floor, but talked to a salesman who said they've been getting great feedback already from customers who picked the units up as B gear on some higher end production.

I tried out the 1550 and it wasn't for me. It didn't have the depth I needed to put the camera in without turning it on its side. The difference between the 1550 and 1560 (I think) is the depth and wheels.

Cody, thanks for the response. I was planning on putting it on its side. Will it fit then do you know? There isn't any disadvantage to having it sideways? Thanks

I just "plucked" mine into a 1510 last night. Fits fine on its side. How the camera lays actually depends on the orientation of the case when set down of course (the 1510 has two carrying handles and sits upright like travel luggage or lengthwise like a suitecase).

Thanks guys, I think I'll go for the 1550. It has such comparable dimensions to the 1510 and if it works for you Phillip I'm sure I can squeeze it in. I think the 4500ish bucks in that case deserve a pelilock on each side. Or maybe I'd just be better off with a kryptonite braided steel bike cable locked to my body :)

Thanks for your advice guys!

I think that's true, Chris. I was going to try it out, but it was easier to go ahead and get the Petrol when I talked to B&H. I've seen it in person and know I like it, plus they throw in the camera rain cover. I'm recommending TTW to two more people who are getting the A1 in a couple of months, because I like the guy's attitude who posted on here. That 90 day interest free deal at B&H was easy and handy for me, otherwise I would have gone with TTW. B&H doesn't need everybody's biz. (I'm not knocking them--we have had great service from them for the past several years, probably spending over $60K.)

Some people have been talking about the merits of the camera in a hard case laying on its side or on its base. When I used hard cases, I always cut out the foam so the camera lay on its side. That way the base would be toward the bottom of the case when carrying and setting it down. Although, with good foam padding, I don't think it makes any difference at all. The airline baggage handlers are going to throw it onto the tarmac anyway to see how high it'll bounce (that is, if they don't lose it on the way to the plane).

Bill, those remarks are absolutely insulting to baggage handlers and certainly nowhere near 100% correct. Expensive cases are generally stolen rather than bounced.

Heheh--good point. That's why when you check gear, you gaffertape the latches, and then when you open the case you rip off the gaffer tape and slap it on the sides of the case. After a year or so of steady travel, there will be so many patches of gaffer tape all over the sides of the case that the handlers will think it belongs to some homeless dude and ignore it. I have some ancient cases with so much gaffer tape on them that they'd stop a bullet like a kevlar vest.

Just FYI for anyone interested, I've got 2 pics of the XH A1 in a Pelican 1510 case.

http://www.philipwilliams.com/optura30.aspx

Then click on the creatively titled "XH A1 in Pelican Case" link.

I'm not quite done "plucking" for accessories, but you'll get an idea of how much room is in there.