Plano Four Pistol Case
(Poor-man's Pelican Box)

Plano Four Pistol Case Plano Four Pistol Case - Inside

 

More Canon Images...

8/21/2010

Plano Four Pistol Case

I have some vintage camera lenses that came with really nice leather storage cases. As much I like the dedicated cases, I do not want to spoil them by lugging them around in the car or truck. And in fact one of these cases has a zipper that failed leaving it unsuitable for storing camera lenses on the go.

When I started looking for portable cases to store these lenses when I go on the road, I came upon the Pelican and Otter Box style cases. These are everything they promise - rugged, water and dust proof, and capable of withstanding years of hard abuse. And they're pretty expensive. Now I really want to protect my camera gear, and when I'm traveling under hostile conditions I use Zero Halliburton cases that are the metal version of the Pelican and Otter cases. But for car or truck-based trips where I am not going to be subjecting the gear to rough handling, and a lighter case would be appropriate, enter the Plano Four Pistol Case.

Make no mistake about it - this case is not waterproof. It will keep a casual splash out of the case, but I would not recommend this for heavy wet conditions, like a boat for example. Go with the high-end cases meant for this sort of activity.

The foam lining is not the same grade of foam as the Zero Halliburton. This foam is a lot softer and does not support the same amount of weight. It appears that this foam is not meant to be cut though it does have pre-scored cubes for that purpose. I cut the solid piece of foam and used it for the top layer. The two lenses, both large (300mm and 400mm) soon showed that the foam would not support their combined weight. I got another piece of foam from factory computer packing and made a second layer of foam. This cured the problem and now the lenses stay in their cut-outs and do not shake around when the case is closed.

The case itself closes and latches well, is lightweight and reasonably compact. They're large enough for quite a number of items. I use a second one, not cut out, to transport our walkie-talkies, charger bases, and rechargeable battery chargers and power cords.

There is a provision for locking the case, though that's really silly because the hasp could be cut with a razor knife. I like to look at this feature as an additional way to secure the cover and "keep honest people honest" since it really would not prevent a motivated individual from getting into the case.
 

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Manual

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Manual

 

 

 

      

     

    

  

     


 

 

Return to Pentax Index


Click or the [ BACK ] button on your browser to return to the previous page.

Photos, Layout and Design © 2010 Paul M. Provencher All Rights Reserved.
Contents of this Web Site may not be used without written permission

Hit Counter Visitors since 8/21/2010

Home