Professional photographic gear and other electronic equipment are expensive and often equally delicate. But you already knew that. Handing off your gear to someone else—taxi drivers, airport baggage handlers, overnight couriers, and the like—the only thing safeguarding your gear is the case you use to transport it. If you have anything worth protecting, you should do it the way the pros do—with Pelican hard cases.
“Because the cases are waterproof and airtight, they can float—with a certain amount of weight inside.”
Even if you’ve never used a Pelican case, you’ve surely seen them. Wedding photographers, DJs, and field service technicians use them all the time. While they usually come in black, Pelican makes them in multiple colors, shapes, and sizes, as well as with wheels or without.
Pelican series hard cases are tested to be watertight, crushproof, and dustproof. They’re made with ultra-durable structural copolymers, watertight silicone O-ring seals, rugged latches, and automatic pressure-equalization valves that adjust the internal air pressure according to changes in the surrounding atmospheric pressure. The cases come in sizes that will fit anything from a cell phone to a desktop computer and everything in between. Along with stainless-steel hardware, Pelican hard cases are built to withstand extremes of hot and cold. Temperature ratings from -10° to +120° F, -10° to +199.4° F, as well as -40° to +210° F are a feature, depending on the size of the case.
Because the cases are waterproof and airtight, they can float—with a certain amount of weight inside. Buoyancy specifications are for salt water, and with properly distributed weight, the cases that are rated IP67 will remain completely dry inside for at least 30 minutes.
Cases with foam cushioning inside feature Pelican’s Pick ’N Pluck foam, which consists of pre-cut cubes that can be plucked as needed to create a cutout that fits whatever gear you want to carry in the case. All you have to do is trace the outline of the item you want to accommodate and remove the foam cubes within that outline.
Consult the chart below for sizes and special features of some of the more popular Pelican cases. The model number of each case is also a link to the product on B&H’s website. There you can see all the different colors and options available, along with any special features and pricing.
Model | Exterior Dimensions | Interior Dimensions | Handles | Insert | Weight | Buoyancy | Special Features |
6.82 x 4.75 x 2.12 | 5.31 x 3.56 x 1.68 | loop and carabiner | rubber lining | 0.55 | 0.75 | ||
7.50 x 5.06 x 2.12 | 6.50 x 3.87 x 1.75 | loop and carabiner | rubber lining | 0.70 | 1.26 | ||
7.5 x 5.06 x 3.12 | 6.31 x 3.68 x 2.75 | loop and carabiner | rubber lining | 0.81 | 1.74 | ||
9.37 x 5.56 x 2.62 | 8.25 x 4.25 x 2.25 | loop and carabiner | rubber lining | 1.00 | 2.49 | ||
8.12 x 6.56 x 3.56 | 7.25 x 4.75 x 3.06 | fold down | foam | 1.23 | 5.00 | ||
10.62 x 9.68 x 4.87 | 9.25 x 7.12 x 4.12 | fold down | foam | 2.87 | 12.02 | ||
13.37 x 11.62 x 6.00 | 11.81 x 8.87 x 5.18 | fold down | foam | 4.41 | 20.06 | ||
16.00 x 13.00 x 6.87 | 14.62 x 10.18 x 6.00 | fold down | foam | 6.39 | 30.00 | ||
18.50 x 14.06 x 6.93 | 16.75 x 11.18 x 6.12 | fold down | foam | 7.05 | 50.00 | ||
22 x 13.81 x 9.0 | 19.75 x 11 x 7.6 | fold down and retractable | dividers | 14.19 | 64.15 | wheels and dividers | |
19.78 x 15.77 x 7.41 | 18.06 x 12.89 x 6.72 | fold down | foam | 9.35 | 63.00 | ||
20.62 x 16.87 x 8.12 | 18.43 x 14.00 x 7.62 | fold down | foam | 11.90 | 69.89 | ||
22.07 x 17.92 x 10.42 | 19.92 x 14.98 x 9.00 | fold down and retractable | foam | 20.00 | 115.00 | wheels | |
24.39 x 19.36 x 8.79 | 21.51 x 16.54 x 7.99 | fold down | foam | 14.11 | 117.00 | ||
24.83 x 19.69 x 11.88 | 21.78 x 16.69 x 10.62 | fold down and retractable | foam | 22.30 | 199.93 | wheels | |
24.76 x 19.57 x 13.90 | 21.48 x 16.42 x 12.54 | fold down and retractable | foam | 24.62 | 149.91 | wheels | |
31.59 x 20.47 x 12.45 | 28.57 x 17.52 x 10.65 | fold down and retractable | foam | 28.06 | 181.0 | wheels |