hardbox options for dslr

[pictish]

instead of taking up a pannier I was thinking of a hardbox strapped to back the question is which type peli type plastic or the trusted old metal boxes.
the kit im taking is

canon 5d 6 batteries
100-400 ism canon
f4 17-40
2x canon converter
about 8 gigs of cards
17" screen laptop+ 3 batteries acer
waiting on my bro to get me a macro lens and a flash from thailand or around there. and may get a 50 prime as well.
lowepro vertex 300 bag
160gb laptop harddrive with a cardreader attachment[very cheap about 70 quid off ebay and extra hardrives can be plugged in] runs on aa batteries
may get a mini videocam as well

been up a few hills with backpack its a bit heavy but very comfy.Got a tamrac one[ thionk expedition 5] which is not as comfy and several of the standard slingbags from lowepro the bigger ones are better as u can put a webbing belt through the back puts the weight on your hip not your shoulder[ think its an aw400]. Also got one of those lowepro quick access bags cross sling shoulder bag pretty handy for a dslr and 2-3 lens plus other bits and bobs.

would certainly never wear anything on my back or keep hard things in my pockets while riding seen plenty of injuries at work just from guys falling on radios, keys, tobacco boxes, prisoners and each other and thats just on foot.

[CrazyCarl]

From what I understand from your post, you want to put ALL of your gear in this box? Chargers, batteries, lenses and all? That would be a big ol' heavy box sitting way up high on your bike. How do you want to handle the weight distribution?

Probably either plastic or metal would work just fine. If the camera gear you're carrying is worth it's salt it should be able to take a bit of punishment anyway.

A couple considerations:

Plastic boxes, tend to be black and if you're riding in an area with intense sun, you may expose your internal gear to excessive temperature variations. On the other hand they may be cheaper, lighter and are usually extremely waterproof.

Haven't really used metal boxes myself but I would guess that they would not tend to get as hot and if they did, would loose their heat faster. Their weight would be a consideration as well I suppose and from what I hear, can be down-right pricey!

As usual, it's 6 in one - 1/2 dozen in the other.

CC

[pictish]

the kit actually fits in the bag and i would put the bag in the box. It is a heavy weight though and that was my worry.

[Rebaseonu]

Man, you are a real gearhead!

Why you need 6 batteries? And 3 for laptop? 100-400 is one heavy beast... How about taking just one lens and your camera and feeling much better?

[CrazyCarl]

Yeah 6 batteries does sound like a bit much unless you're only getting 100 shots per battery (which I assume is not the case with the 5D) or you plan to be without power for more than a week in cold environments and shooting heavily every day.

Regardless, I suggest splitting your gear up a bit because they don't all need to go in the top case. The top case is nice because it gives you a mini staging area and is quick access. For fastest access, I would of course suggest not "strapping" it in because that ends up being a pain in the long run.

Some of your batteries and non-immediate essentials can sit somewhere else on the bike...maybe even in a charging pouch.

The 100-400 is a heavy lens but it's the only way you can really get wild-life shots, plus it also works great for discrete portraits. Still no all-in-wonder lenses out there.

Debated about bringing a laptop before but decided I didn't need it unless I was doing live posting. Laptops are expensive and very delicate unles you get a hardened one like Panasonic offers but that is heavy and very expensive. A back up drive is small and nice to copy pictures though and your 8GB of cards will go fast on a 5D.

Also, in the lens line up there seems to be a shortage of primes (2.8 or faster) which are great for lots of stuff and can be used wide open. Big gap between 40 and 100mm as well.

This could go on and on but the main question is what kind of riding and photography do you want to do? Where will you be going? How long will you be on the road and what do you want to do with this material after you're done?

CC

[jljones]

If you're going this route, get a Peli or Explorer case. You cal always paint it white and line the inside with foil to keep heat out. They are genuinely water and dust proof, or should be and very strong. I'm not sure a metal case will offer the same protection but i've always used Peli and Explorer cases and trust them.

You may want to cut down on 'stuff' though...

[pictish]

just came up witha quick camera option when i finally get round to it my main stuff will go in a big pelicase[bag inside] to replace a top box .
But u can get canon 350d now for 200 quid with 18-55 which is the same as some point and shoot. so maybe that would make a good one for the tank bag as its pretty small and light but still can give decent pics. Also means things go wrong at a special moment you got a backup camera if your main lets u down.