GEAR BUYERS’ GUIDE SOFT ROLLER CASES Ideal for everything frommirrorless to cinema cameras, these airline-legal bags are a popular choice
For the ultimate in convenience when travelling, it’s difficult to beat a bag on wheels – especially when you are carrying a significant amount of weight, such as cameras and lenses. Although these roller bags are available in many different sizes, the most popular are in the airline-friendly size, so you can take them in the cabin with you and store them in the overhead bins. Of course, a fully packed bag will often be over your airline’s maximum allowance, although some airlines say that if you can lift it into the overhead lockers, then it’s OK. Just use your common sense and check with your airline before travel to check size allowances. Some airlines allow larger carry-ons, typically pan-Atlantic routes from the USA to Europe. If you pack a soft roller case well, you can usually squeeze in not only camera bodies and lenses, but mics, batteries, cables, a laptop or tablet and all your everyday travel essentials. Of course, if you’re not flying, these bags are often an ideal size for transporting in a car or on public transport. We check out three of the best flight-legal soft roller cases you should take a serious look at, all of which offer some really interesting different features, at different price points.
1. TAMRAC SPEEDROLLER INTERNATIONAL £389/$339 tamrac.com intro2020.co.uk
The outer shell ismade fromballistic nylon with a rigid, plastic-armoured wall to keep the bag in shape. Luggage-grade aluminiumwheels support and smooth in-line skate wheels take the strain and spin freely. The telescopic handle opens and closes with the push of a button and stows away in a zippered pocket. There are low- profile handles tomaximise space efficiency and top-notch YKK zips throughout. Inside, the light grey padded interior can be configured in lots of different ways, and there is a clear storage compartment on the inner lid so you can see what you have. This lid doesn’t stay up when opened, though, as there are no supporting straps. The bag comes with an exterior stash pocket for your bits and pieces, and a rain cover is included.
The Tamrac Speedroller International is designed to protect and carry heavy camera gear and a laptop across diverse terrain thanks to its large wheels. Tamrac was one of the first companies to realise many image-makers didn’t want a traditional shoulder bag and the company pioneered alternative solutions. The Speedroller is designed to carry two pro DSLR bodies, and four to six additional lenses and accessories. So there’s plenty of room for a couple of mirrorless cameras and, if you take out some of the internal dividers, you’ll get a cinema camera in there on its side. The separate, foam-padded outer pocket holds most 15in laptops and a small tripod can be carried on the side thanks to a stretchy pocket and adjustable strap.
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PRO MOVIEMAKER WINTER 2019
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