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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Cheap Roller Bag Alternative
Chuck Liddy, Photographer, Photo Editor
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PLANET | EARTH | | Posted: 12:19 AM on 04.20.12 |
| ->> Josh, the operative word there is "cheap". I'm a cheap old bastard but I wouldn't trade in my Think Tank roller for the world. In this day and age where no matter what venue you go to or how much security there is... your stuff might be stolen. I'll opt out for the Think Tank gear every time. Cable lock for the case, locking zippers and other options...here's my question to you...nefarious slimeball walks into photo work area....sees my bag..locked up...see's your suitcase/cheap way out bag...who do you think they will gravitate to? they (thieves) ALWAYS choose the easiest option...and that would be yours. I just never understand the philosophy of having $20,000 in equipment and worrying about $150 for good protection....but that's just me I guess. |
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Eric Canha, Photographer
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Brockton | MA | United States | Posted: 12:36 AM on 04.20.12 |
->> Josh all kidding aside.... you accumulate $30k of gear that you need to move from one job to another and it's the $350 bag that you take issue with? I mean I don't want to pile on but that's like the guys who buy a $2500 printer and then go looking for $1/gallon ink and print on generic Staples photo paper.
What Liddy said x10 |
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Richard Wolowicz, Photographer
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Montreal | QC | Canada | Posted: 12:48 AM on 04.20.12 |
->> "What Liddy said x10"
I will never get this ... carry around $30K-$40K of gear (depending ... some less, some more) ... why cheap out on the most important part of the whole equation ? Your bag and transport of said gear is what earns you a living.
$400 for a TT roller versus a $30 luggage convert ??? Really ????
I'll take my TT roller any day of the week and twice on Sundays ... it's what it was made for. Never had a broken piece of gear from my TT bag, or stolen.
Liddy has it right again ... Listen to experience here folks. |
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Louis Lopez, Photographer
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Southern California | CA | USA | Posted: 2:29 AM on 04.20.12 |
| ->> Don't know how much experience really comes into play. Just use your head, called common sense, believe some old guy wrote a book about the subject once... |
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Scott Miller, Photographer
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Sorrento | FL | | Posted: 7:27 AM on 04.20.12 |
->> I'll agree with Chuck on this one...
Plus I'll throw this out there too...
Ranks right up there with using a garbage bag as a rain protector for that $5000 camera and $10,000 lens during the rain at a golf/football/soccer/etc... game |
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Paul W Gillespie, Photographer
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Annapolis | MD | USA | Posted: 10:02 AM on 04.20.12 |
->> I will throw a not a bad idea to Josh. I work for a paper that provides our camera gear. They spent a lot of money 9 years ago buying us fast lenses and Nikon D2h camera and spent some more money buying us D3 bodies for four of us when they first came out. They have spent hardly a penny since other than repairing the gear and 3 d7000s last year. Our lenses are falling apart.
My point is I have a bad back and they are not going to buy me a $300 rolling bag, so a $30 alternative, that I can afford on my own, while not a perfect option is better than none. We also regularly use trash/grocery bags as rain covers. They are very penny wise and you know the rest of the saying. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer, Photo Editor
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PLANET | EARTH | | Posted: 10:14 AM on 04.20.12 |
| ->> As a full disclosure. My gear is provided by my company also...BUT...I chose every now and then to buy my own supplemental stuff to make my job easier...I purchased my own TT roller and TT shape shifter (among other things). I did this because I am responsible for the equipment given me. These are also things I just don't want to share...pool equipment, including roller bags, are often trashed in short order. If I trash that stuff it's on me and no one has to go searching for the "last" person who used it. plus it keeps me from having to go into the office. Yup, I could (and did) go that route, configuring a small samsonite roller into a camera equipment bag. that was an epic fail when it was dropped by a baggage handler and busted two brand new Nikon D2's. Lesson learned. but this is truly a personal choice. just the peace of mind was worth the investment. |
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Josh Peckler, Photographer
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Yuma | AZ | | Posted: 11:36 AM on 04.20.12 |
->> I can't agree more with all of you. I have never owned a roller bag, but if I did get one later down the line, I wouldn't go for this cheap alternative either.
For a student who might be just starting out or the extremely cheap photographer, this might be a option if they don't want to drop $300 on a roller bag.
Like they say, you get what you pay for.
Also I can't lie, I have used a garbage bag as a rain cover once. I wouldn't do it again but at the time it worked in a pinch. |
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Yamil Sued, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Peoria | AZ | USA | Posted: 11:49 AM on 04.20.12 |
->> Let me throw this idea in the mix.
All of the comments above are right on the money. Putting $50K of YOUR camera gear on a $30 bag is not the smartest idea out there. But, OTOH, this Calumet divider kit is not without merit. You can use this on a hard sided case like Pelican, Storm or Starlight (made in NC and really good quality product). and you will have the divider benefits on a super hard sided case that WILL protect your gear. Or... Use this divider kit on a crappy Walmart Suitcase to carry grip stuff that you don't want bouncing around loose. For arguments sake, you are going on travel with a bunch of Super Clamps, Magic Arms and tons of other grip stuff, you need to check the case, this would be a great solution to divide, separate and protect your grip gear so it doesn't bang into each other and get damaged in travel, and it's only a $30 solution.
My Roller is an Airport Security, my Backpack is a Street Walker Hard Drive, why risk my gear to save a couple of bucks?? |
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Preston Mack, Photographer
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Orlando | FL | | Posted: 1:31 PM on 04.20.12 |
->> I'm not sure if I would trust a Ross or TJ Maxx bag with the insert, but the Calumet bag sold for $189 seems like a good deal.
http://www.calumetphoto.com/eng/product/calumet_rc1188_rolling_camera_case/...
As long as the roller bag is sturdy and well made, this would be a great option.Thanks for the heads up. I currently use the Think Tank international roller and it is great - a premium product.
A little pricey, but as others have said, it is carrying 20K of gear, so you shouldn't go cheap on the bag. |
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Matt Kartozian, Photographer
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Scottsdale | AZ | USA | Posted: 1:52 PM on 04.20.12 |
| ->> I would be most worried about the zippers, handles and seams not being able to stand up to the 50+ pounds of junk I put in my TT roller. |
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Karsten Moran, Photographer, Photo Editor
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New York | NY | United States of America | Posted: 2:44 PM on 04.20.12 |
->> Don't forget the Lowepro x100 for $250.00.
It's seriously well made and has a built-in cable lock.
http://www.adorama.com/LPPRLX100.html |
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Philip Johnson, Photographer
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Garland | TX | USA | Posted: 6:33 PM on 04.20.12 |
| ->> Don't forget about the wheels on these low cost options. With the weight photographers put in these bags and the things photographers hit with these bags the wheels take a beating. |
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Michael McNamara, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Phoenix | AZ | USA | Posted: 7:01 PM on 04.20.12 |
| ->> Just think: you could get those do-it-yourself dividers and put them in a Tumi. Then you'd have a rolling bag that costs MORE than a ThinkTank. |
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Yamil Sued, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Peoria | AZ | USA | Posted: 7:39 PM on 04.20.12 |
->> Or better, put a TrekPak Kit on a Think Tank and you have the best of both worlds ;)
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/trekpak/trekpak
i'm seriously considering the TrekPak for my Starlight Roller to carry my Alien Bees
Y |
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Butch Miller, Photographer
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Lock Haven | PA | USA | Posted: 9:19 PM on 04.20.12 |
| ->> If you are a starving student ... it can be a temporary "fix" until you can afford the "Read Deal" ... for veteran shooters ... not so much ... |
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Butch Miller, Photographer
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Lock Haven | PA | USA | Posted: 9:24 PM on 04.20.12 |
| ->> That should have been "real Deal" ... I apologize for the typo ... |
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Randy Sartin, Photographer, Assistant
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Knoxville | TN | USA | Posted: 7:23 PM on 04.21.12 |
->> Yamil,
That TrekPack system is SLICK! |
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Yamil Sued, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Peoria | AZ | USA | Posted: 12:19 AM on 04.22.12 |
->> Randy,
I thought so too, I'm considering backing this project.
Y |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer, Photo Editor
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PLANET | EARTH | | Posted: 1:18 PM on 04.22.12 |
| ->> Stanley, that might be true but the fact of the matter is a case that is locked doesn't make an easy target, especially over an unlocked bag. Case in point...at the NCAA regionals in Greensboro two shooters had gear stolen out of their cases. They didn't have locks on them. It's a pretty well known fact that most thieves take the easy way out. They look at a locked bag and move to the bag or gear which isn't locked. At big events, where most of these thefts occur, I think I'll rely on human nature and have a locked bag. |
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Margaret Bowles, Photographer
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Tampa | FL | | Posted: 4:42 PM on 04.22.12 |
| ->> My first year with a roller, I bought one at Wal-Mart for under $50. It was waterproof and lasted one year, but it worked okay for that year. I carried the usual heavy glass in it and just wrapped everything. I now have the Think Tank and a Lowe Pro, but if you must do it cheaply, a cheap roller will work. Just find a carry on bag that has a sturdy frame and wheels. The frame finally bent on mine from the weight. That said, the Think Tank is one of the best investments I ever made. |
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Timothy Andrews, Photographer
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Pearl Harbor | Hi | USA | Posted: 5:35 PM on 04.22.12 |
| ->> That TrekPack looks awesome. |
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