"When I get to a place for the first time and know it like home, this is when I know my journey will be over"
– Unknown

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer."
Ansel Adams

"I was born lost, and take no pleasure in being found"
- John Steinbeck

"A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history - with the possible exceptions of 4x4's, handguns and tequila."

- Joaquin Suave

"A tourist does not know where they have been, a traveler does not know where they are going."

Pelican 1510 Review

This is our latest addition to our ever growing list of camera bags.  We've pretty much narrowed our bags down that were using while on dry land, (Check out our other reviews back on the Product Review Page), but we've slowly been amassing a collection of Pelican boxes to go out with us while on the water.

I had found a used Pelican 1500 box being sold on the internet that was pretty inexpensive and picked it up to see if it would work when just bringing two bodies with lenses attached.

This size box would work perfect if you didn't have the grips attached to the bottom of the camera bodies.  The Pelican 1500 box is much thinner than the Pelican 1510 box which is bigger and has many more options.

Shows the difference in size between the two boxes

These two boxes aren't even really comparable, but I felt it was important to show the difference between the two.  The 1510 is the biggest FAA approved airline-legal carry-on case available that Pelican makes.

The Pelican 1500 is ideal if you carry bodies that don't have grips attached or aren't Pro-Sized camera bodies.  If you have the larger bodies, then you're going to have to move up to the Pelican 1510.

I also like that the 1510 has a handle on the top of the case for carrying it in the vertical position and also has wheels and a retractable handle that allows you to roll it very comfortably.

The handles on the 1510 are larger, with more rubber to make it more comfortable when carrying.  Like all Pelican boxes, it comes built to withstand just about anything you can throw at it and comes with that no questions asked lifetime warranty.  You just cant beat that!

The Pelican 1510

You can order the case in many different configurations.  Since it's the largest carry-on available, you can even get luggage that fits perfectly inside the case.

I chose to have the padded dividers so I could configure the inside to suit my specific needs depending on what I wanted to bring out that day.

Like I said while reviewing the Pelican 1650 Case.  If you go with the foam, you have to cut out the foam to fit exactly what you're planning on carrying, and if you want to carry anything else, you're out of luck or you'll need two sets of foam inserts.

I really like that the padded inserts are rimmed with Velcro so adjusting them is almost unlimited and quickly done.  They have enough padding to keep the gear safe and secure, but not so much to take up all that much room.

I learned that holding the little items that would normally get tossed around in the box is very helpful if you order one of the Pelican 1519 Lid Organizer, so we made sure to order that too.  The box comes standard with a padded foam lid, which I usually keep between the lid organizer and the camera equipment just to keep everything tight and secure.

Pelican 1510 with the original foam piece

Pelican 1519 Lid Organizer

When I ordered the lid organizer for our Pelican 1650, it came with two sided tape to attach it to the flat lid.  Once I applied the two sided tape and filled the organizer with equipment, the tape would loosen and when lifting the lid, the organizer would be sitting atop all the camera gear.

I went to the local hardware store and got some Velcro with the most industrial strength adhesive I could find.  Since I attached it that way, it's never fallen off.  Plus I like having the option of removing it if for some reason I'd ever need to.

This Lid Organizer was sent with 6 stainless steel screws and washers where you were instructed to screw the organizer right into the lid where little nubs are provided to put the screws so they don't puncture the lid...seems easy enough.

Arrows point to the attachment nubs where you're directed to put the screws

Some of them were really easy to screw in.  But some of them are next to impossible because of how far down in the corner of the pocket they are.  Unless I want to find a small screw driver and put it through the mesh pockets themselves.  You might think this is simple when just looking at it, but try and hold a tiny screw with a washer attached inside the edge of a pocket and get it started and you'll more than likely use plenty of cuss words.  At least I know I did.  After about 20 minutes, I finally had all 6 in, and was almost ready to throw the organizer away!

The mesh pocket has no give, so it's impossible to get a screwdriver down there

Once that was done, I was ready to configure the inside of the box.  Since this case will be used almost every time we head out on the boat, it's useless to put too much thought into this.  I simply re-adjust the padded dividers depending to what I'm bringing with me that day and leave the rest of the dividers in a bag where we store all our gear.

The Pelican 1510 easily holds two bodies with grips attached along with longer zoom lenses with hoods attached in the shooting position.  This is the way I like to have my gear stored while out on the water so if a situation arises and we need the cameras in a hurry, you simply pop the two latches, grab the camera and start shooting.

Pelican 1510 with a Canon 5D MKII & Sigma 50-500mm Lens - You can see that the Canon 28-300 would still have plenty of room to have the body attached and the hood in the shooting position.  I simply placed this equipment in here for an idea of the volume the case could hold.

If you want to take the time to reverse the hoods and put lens caps on, you'll double your space and have room for lots of gear.

Here are some more images of the options the case has to offer.  In all, I really like this case and think it'll probably become my go-to case while on the boat.

On a Day like today, this is why you have the equipment in the Pelican Box

Nice Padded Top Handle for easy carrying

The bottom is flat to help it from catching on things
while loading or unloading in a plane cargo hold or in the back of the trunk

Handle extends far enough to drag behind you comfortably
or throw a duffle bag or another camera bag on there too

Reinforced Locks to help with Security

The hinges alone look indestructible!

Probably my only nit-pick is these small wheels and the fact that they're hard plastic and not smoother, taller and provide more clearance like larger Rollerblade wheels would

Every Miles A Memory