GEAR
MINI TESTS
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
MANFROTTO PROLIGHT RELOADER TOUGH-55 HIGHLID £289.95/$329.99 manfrotto.com
no internal cover – a useful addition in rough conditions. The main thing I missed was some internal pockets for very small accessories like cables and memory cards, or a dedicated sleeve for a laptop, all of which would have cut down on the number of bags required. That said, it’s easy to bungie an additional small bag to the top when using the pull-out handle. At 4.6kg, the Tough-55 HighLid is by no means light on its own and gets pretty hefty when fully loaded, so while it claims to be carry-on friendly in terms of size, check for weight restrictions if you’re flying. Moving the case is a breeze, though. It has two decent handles, one rubberised, and another of grooved plastic, which at its longest was comfortable for a tall user like me. Releasing the handle is a bit fiddly as you need to bend back a retaining clip, wherein quite a lot of force is required. You also need to bend down to do it as, unlike many rollers, there’s no release button in the handle. The case’s lid locks open to prevent it
Manfrotto’s ProLight Reloader Tough-55 HighLid is a decent size, with internal dimensions of 26x17x50cm, and I managed to fit in a good amount of gear, including two DSLR bodies, a 16-35mm f/4, 20mm f/1.8 and 24-70mm f/2.8 lenses, an external hard drive, spare batteries and some other small accessories, including radio mics. You can also fit a gimbal, small slider or monitor with a bit of rearrangement. The case can carry a tripod using the accessory strap, which mounts on the lid. The depth of the HighLid version is greater than the LowLid version by 3cm, and that was welcome, though if you’re using a DSLR with a grip it’ll need to go on its side. Some greater modification was required to fit larger lenses or camera bodies, but the inner is easy enough to change. The internal dividers are a good thickness and attach securely – they’re mostly nylon, but a couple have a brushed surface that lets you attach elasticated straps to tie in items. There’s nothing holding the inner itself into the case, and
SPECIFICATIONS Type: Roller case Internal dimensions: 26x17x50cm External dimensions: 35x22.5x55cm Tripod connector: Yes Storage for personal items: No Weight: 4.6kg
falling or blowing closed, and its locks are big and strong (bordering on stiff) to open; they have a trigger- style inner lock so they won’t open accidentally, and there are four locking points for padlocks, two of which are metal reinforced. It has a great feeling of solidity, and took plenty of punishment, including me jumping up and down on it, without buckling. Around the lid there’s a rubber gasket to stop water and dust. KS PROMOVIEMAKERRATING: 8/10 Large, sturdy and practical. A little on the pricey side, but there’s no doubting the quality Pros: Excellent build, lots of space, good handling Cons: Lack of internal storage options, quite heavy
IMAGES A good deal of versatile room, plus it‘s tough as old boots
“It has two decent handles, one rubberised and another of grooved plastic”
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SUMMER 2019 PRO MOVIEMAKER
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