Photogear on Carry On

[GeronimoDF]

Hey Guys,
Just got my housing for my Nikon D100, and trying to figure out the best way to pack it. What do you guys do? Carry on or luggage? If carry on, what do you put it in? Secondly, when you go on vacation, what do you guys find the best bag to get the housing, strobe and camera on the boat? I hate those divers that have twenty bags. Just looking for the easiest and most professional way to get to the boat.


Thanks,

Daniel

 

[celo]

I carry all cameras, flash and strobes in a backpack carry on the plane. The only camera related item is the 35mm film which goes with the regular luggage. I will also carry the backpack on the boat. After we are underway I assemble everything and put the pack in a dive bag.

Hey Guys,
Just got my housing for my Nikon D100, and trying to figure out the best way to pack it. What do you guys do? Carry on or luggage? If carry on, what do you put it in? Secondly, when you go on vacation, what do you guys find the best bag to get the housing, strobe and camera on the boat? I hate those divers that have twenty bags. Just looking for the easiest and most professional way to get to the boat.


Thanks,

Daniel

 

[SubMariner]

Hey Guys,
Just got my housing for my Nikon D100, and trying to figure out the best way to pack it. What do you guys do? Carry on or luggage? If carry on, what do you put it in? Secondly, when you go on vacation, what do you guys find the best bag to get the housing, strobe and camera on the boat? I hate those divers that have twenty bags. Just looking for the easiest and most professional way to get to the boat.

For the plane we put the photo gear in a pelican hardcase (or similar) nestled in cut-out foam. Be prepared for it to have to be checked, no matter what the size (ergo the pelican hard case). Smaller airlines especially have severe weight restrictions for carry on, so it's best to make sure that you have something that will withstand the luggage gorillas.

If you are using film, have it with you so that it can be hand searched. With the strength of the newer x-ray machines, the chances of damage have increased, regardless of whether or not it is checked or carry on. When we did film, we used those lead film shield containers, but I don't know if they've updated them to be able to withstand the x-rays from the new luggage screening machines.

As for onboard, we fully assemble our cameras and carry them onboard the boat. They usually reside in the camera bucket to/from the divesite, to be handed down to us when we are in the water.

Hope that helps,

 

[gj62]

Luggage screening machines are more powerful than the ones used to check carry on - at least according to the folks at my airport.

ALWAYS carry your film with you...

 

[nwdiver2]

If you put film in your checked luggage going through the US, now it will be cooked by the giant scanners. Using lead foil bag is useless they crank up the power cooking things even better. Get a back pack like the Lowe Dry Zone 200 it will carry housing camera several lenses, 2 medium strobes and all your accessories, but not all plus laptop. It fit the carry on size as set out by most airlines (not Qantas though) If need be use a photographers vest with the camera around your neck and all sorts of other stuff in the pockets, this lightens the back pack if it is going to be weighed. Don’t plan on talking nice and getting it on, it may end up under the plane packed as if it should be under your seat.

The pelican case Idea worked but now some airline are saying nothing over 5kg (11lb) on board, this is where the vest comes in handy. My housing (subal), camera D100, 3 lenses, 1 ds50 1ds 125, cords, ttl devices, x-drive to store pictures on, 2 ports, batteries and chargers (some go in checked bag) weighs 12 kg, I can make it look like 5kg and they have never weighed it. My buddies pelican case weighs 12kg and looks it, it has gone under the plane every time in the last 2 years, and not by choice.

 

[Gilligan]

As for the dive boat part of the trip I use a soft beverage cooler. It will insulate your camera/housing from the heat thereby preventing condensation from forming in it when it hits the cooler water. If you only have the camera & housing a 6 pack size cooler works. If you have a strobe setup then a larger one is needed. You can pad any extra space in the larger cooler with those inflatable "water wings" that kids wear on their arms. The cooler can also double as your own private rinse tank if necessary.

Footnote: I recently E mailed Pelican Case asking them about marketing some of their hard cases with insulation as I think there are certainly enough underwater photographers out there that would be interested in them.