GEAR BUYERS’ GUIDE
HARD CASES
Just like Hoover is a trademark, but is often used as a general term for vacuum cleaners, Biro is a brand of ballpoint pen and Kleenex a sort of tissue, Peli is the brand that many people call all protective hard cases. That’s because it’s the most popular and has been used by lots of filmmakers and photographers for years. Other brands make hard cases, but Peli is the best known of all. Hard cases like this provide the ultimate in protection from the elements and accidental damage. They are solid, crash tested to the extreme, have an air release valve to stop pressure build up, are dustproof and waterproof, and can float. They are also available in lots of different sizes to suit all types of different gear, from laptops and tripods to cinema cameras, monitors and DSLRs.
When you want the ultimate in protection, little comes close to a well-engineered, hard plastic roller bag
The penalty for the ultimate in protection is weight, as standard Peli cases can be very heavy, especially when packed with equipment. To combat this, Peli launched the much lighter Air range, which has now expanded to 12 different bags. Every part of the bag was pared down to shave off the grams, and many of the bags weigh up to 40% less than standard counterparts. The 1535 Air is a wheeled case designed to be carry-on legal on most airlines. Even the padded interior has been completely rethought tomaximise space and achieve minimumweight. The TrekPak insert uses preinstalled wall sections, divider panels, locking pins and an easy- to-use cutting tool. Simply lay your gear in the case, measure and cut the divider sections, and lock them in place with the steel U-pins. Extra divider material is included for when you want to reconfigure your case. There is also 1in top and bottom foam to give your gear protection. 4. PELI 1535 AIRWITH TREKPAK £379/$327 peliproducts.co.uk
Peli has reacted to the popularity of its Air range of cases by introducing deeper versions to swallow up even more gear. Like others in the range, the 1607 Air case uses two double- throw latches, alongside stainless- steel hasps, so you can use padlocks plus wheels and an extendable handle to help youmove it around. Inside is Peli’s new lightweight padded dividers system, which is a dual-layered system that can be configured to fit in your kit. The case is also available with Pick ’n’ Pluck foam, so you can customise your own shapes. 5. PELI 1607 AIRWITH PADDED DIVIDERS £518/$394 peliproducts.co.uk
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PRO MOVIEMAKER WINTER 2019
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