I got hit today with a £75 custom charge from DHL for my Pelican 1620 and extra bits. Thanks for the recommendation but I don't think I'll be using B&H again. I have to wait until wednesday to get my stuff as they had to re-deliver :/

I'm having a bit of a tough time sorting out my pelican 1620 and padded dividers - they're a real pain to move around due to sticking so much but the main problem is that i'm concerned about the accessories and camera moving up and down in the box. the top layer supplied is no good to me as the height of the camera prevents me from resting it on top (even without viewfinder attatched). So can I lay the camera on its side, enabling me to put the upper tray on top of it? Looking at y set up it works out better this way, making for an all round tighter fit, but Is it a good idea to keep it on its side during travel or is it best to keep it standing up?

Thanks everyone,

Kev

p.s. i have foam blocks too which i intend to cut to size and put in fabric and then place around the XL2.

Oh and my blocks are odd looking - like they're made up of loads of squares. looks tricky to cut, i hope they don't fall apart.

What would be cool is to get a huge sheet of microfiber cloth to cover the foam. Before I'd do that though, I'd have to try the foam myself and see if I find the amount of dust too objectionable.

I put the body of the camera off to one short side, in a "slot". Then I take two of the larger dividers, and use them to strap the camera down. I stick one side of the divider halfway down the edge of the slot, loop it over the top of the camera, then velcro it to the opposite side. Nice and snug. The viewfinders likewise sit in slots next to it, also velcro'd down in place. The tray sits on top of this, full of odds and ends. All very snug.

Guys, I recently bought foam rubber (actually probably polyurethane foam) from an Ebay seller, "e8ayboy," whose slabs are not pick-&-pluck, but new & high quality.

He lives about 20 minutes from my house, so I drove over to his photography studio to see what he had (& thus didn't pay any shipping). He raised the tailgate of his minivan, which was full of brand-new, dense grey foam slabs. For $60, I bought:

8 slabs @ 19"x16"x3"
4 @ 15"x13"x3"
4 @ 12"x2"x2"

I just now searched under his user name--he's always selling this stuff. He usually has "Buy It Now" prices--no competitive bidding.

FWIW, my Ebay ID is "johnsandel"--just so you don't think I'm shilling for this guy. He just gave me a great deal.

JS

hi richard, do you have any pics you can show me of your set up please? i'll try to post some of mine soon. I only used one of my leftover dividers and placed it up against the wall so that the top of the cam - the fitting for the viewfinder rests a bit more snugly while it is on its side. i was thinking of trying to shape the foam blocks to place over the top of the cam but it might be tricky to shape them as the spaces around it are different shapes when i do it this way.

I notice the camera gets very cold in the pelican case. Before shooting should I let it warm to the environment before shooting?

Kevin, I share the same concerns when it comes to transporting the case. I can move the blocks and camera around though according to the way the case will be carried. Right now, it's set up so that I can move the case on its wheels, vertically, so the camera will be standing on the shoulder pad.

If I flip the camera the other way, and carry the Pelican case like a suitcase, then the camera will be resting on the MiniDV door end, the way it was shipped in the original Canon boxes.

For longer trips, I plan on taking the camera apart and securing it the way Richard described.

I was going for versatility. I even attached velcro strips to the foam blocks so that they will stay in place against the Pelican divider walls.

Will the Kata CCC-1111 fit the XL2? I'm looking at getting another case (soft)

or

CCC-101

Thanks Richard for the help.

If there's a chance for condensation to develop, then I think that's a good idea to let it warm up gradually. Here where I live, that's hardly a problem. I imagine it is up in the UK.

The humidity here is what bothers me the most. I have to ensure a steady supply of silica gel packets is always in the case and with equipment.

Yea I purchased one of those gel packs. It arrived really dented somehow (was shipped inside the case :/ ) but i've placed it inside - not sure how good it'll be.

Kevin,

I just got back from the doc shoot, and leave in the morning for a gig doing fight choreography.

Itll be a while before I can shoot any pics for you.

R

no worries

For what it's worth, my understanding of X-rays and travel with video tape is that there should be no problem. The problem that can occur is the magnetic fields created by motors and such on conveyor belts via transport to and from the planes.

For that reason I always hand carry the tapes and ask to have them hand inspected. I do not send them through the conveyor belt X-ray machine.

Jim,

Good for you for convincing them. I was unable to convince them to hand inspect the bag of 15 tapes I was carrying. They insisted on x-raying them. No ammount of argument would stop them, in fact, I think it just irritated them.

Yeah I have found it really depends on the person doing the inspection. It also varies from airport to airport although I haven't done as much travelling lately.

Any way to make or get a case with shielding to protect the tapes during travel?

You know, just like my big Paradigm speakers have a built in shield to prevent the TV from going beserk due to the high magnetic field it creates.

A thick aluminum box would do no?

The Kata case for the XL2 is found here:

http://www.kata-bags.com/Item.asp?pid=252&cid=67&perentId=1&ProdLine=1

I just purchased one. I am going to Haiti after Thanksgiving. I will return with footage to share as well as a report on the bag. I have high hopes for it as I am traditionally a PortaBrace fellow.

Cheers!
Luke

Luke,

Where in Haiti will you be travelling?

We hit Gonaives one day, Fonde Verettes another, and Mapou another. These are three areas that have been hit the hardest this summer by hurricane Jeanne.

By many accounts, more people died in Haiti this year due to one hurricane than in America on September 11, 2001. Actually, it was the rain that killed them and not the raging winds. During the night, floods rose between 20 and 30 feet in a span of about 30 minutes. Families were washed away. Thousands of lives were destroyed. Children literally went to bed that night with parents and had no parents by morning. And yet, the most affluent nation in the world (positioned only 700 miles from this tragety) hardly knows it happened and has done virtually nothing to help.

We hope to document some of the aftermath and bring those stories back to the US in an honest effort to educate and plead for help from the American people.

<<<-- Originally posted by Luke Renner : We hit Gonaives one day, Fonde Verettes another, and Mapou another. These are three areas that have been hit the hardest this summer by hurricane Jeanne.

By many accounts, more people died in Haiti this year due to one hurricane than in America on September 11, 2001. Actually, it was the rain that killed them and not the raging winds. During the night, floods rose between 20 and 30 feet in a span of about 30 minutes. Families were washed away. Thousands of lives were destroyed. Children literally went to bed that night with parents and had no parents by morning. And yet, the most affluent nation in the world (positioned only 700 miles from this tragety) hardly knows it happened and has done virtually nothing to help.

We hope to document some of the aftermath and bring those stories back to the US in an honest effort to educate and plead for help from the American people. -->>>

Good work Luke. This kind of stuff goes on all over the world, yet you never hear about it here in the states. We need more independant media out there to inform people about what goes on outside their borders.

A good deed, indeed, Luke. I've travelled to Cap Haitian on the north coast of Haiti years ago.

Be sure to go prepared for extensive nightly camera cleaning. The humidity, dust, dirt and salt in the sea air can be very hard on your gear. Fiind fresh water for cleaning the camera body and bring plenty of lense cleaning materials. Have good raingear for yourself and the camera as well as some plastic bags on hand for accessories and such.

Check out the battery charging options and the possible need for converters.

Be careful and safe as I understand that disease may be widespread in many of the affected flood areas. Check with the health organizations before you go to be sure you are properly immunized.

Please do let us know how it works out and post us some footage.

Good luck and best regards

Thanks Jim.

This will be my tenth trip to Haiti. I'm well on my way to speaking the language and everything. All of your advice is true and sound. Thanks for the helping hand.

Cheers!
Luke

Just bought a Pelican 1620 case today. Here are some pictures with my xl2 in it. I like this case because its deep enough to store the xl2 without taking it apart.

http://www.dvfilms.net/p1620case.html


Sid

Guys, My Canon's and I have traveled to Ialy, Africa, Chili. Argentina, Peru, Canada, Tierra del Fuago, the Amazon and all over the USA by plane, boat, foot, car, and cart. PLEASE. PLEASE, No matter what case you get, PLEASE take off the view finder and mic. Take the whole thing apart when in travel. That way it don't get busted up. Bob

I think you are right Bob. I'll take the VF and Mic off when I travel. When just storing or going from one location to another, I'll leave it in as one piece.

TSA locks
 

A note about locking luggage - it is a real crapshoot even wtih TSA locks. I haven't had any cut off this year (50,000 miles) but one of my colleagues has had THREE of the TSA locks cut off. It is clear whether TSA just doesn't understand the concept or they are just in too much of a hurry to figure out which key or combination to use. Some brands of TSA locks are sturdier than others - look around.

One colleague had a lock cut off then they used a cable tie to hold the zippers shut. They got to South America and had a heck of a time getting in to their gear since they had nothing with them to cut the cable tie with....

Sid, did you cut that foam yourself or was it pre-cut?

Matt