Vanguard Supreme 46F Hard Case

Comments about Vanguard Supreme 46F Hard Case:

I've bought this case as a safe method of transporting my medium format equipment across the world. It has safely protected my gear in the luggage hold of over 10 flights so far, and weighs just under 13kg (including my gear), so I can have a seperate bag for clothing etc. Very impressed, and very good value for money.

Comments about Vanguard Supreme 46F Hard Case:

What an amazing product from Vanguard. It is true to say that this is not the first watertight case on the market, but I have yet to find a case of this size in this price bracket. Having used other manufacturers cases in the past I will admit to being a little scepticle about the build quality of this case. I am very pleased today that I had absolutely no need to be so doubting! If anything, I would say that this case is a little over-engineered. The six toggle catches that secure the lid seem to be incredibly robust and provide a reasurring click as you shut the case. I have little doubt that both they and the o-ring in the lid create a secure fastening that keeps out dust and water.

The case itself is made of a very strong plastic that does not deflect or flex under pressure - In a recent house move several boxes were accidentally stacked on top of the case and there were no visible signs of damage to either the case or contents. The handle itself is robust to the point to being almost too big, however it is coated with a non slip rubber jacket that prevents the case from falling out of a wet hand (a very nice touch from Vanguard). The holes that are provided for padlocks are large enough for good quality padlocks to be fitted, which whilst they make an obvious statement when travelling, I find them to be very useful when I leave my equipment stored at home.

When supplied with foam, the interior of the case is both roomy and offers an array of different possibilities for storage. The case swallowed with ease my; Nikon D700, D7000, Nikon 50mm f1.4, Nikon 35mm f1.8, Nikon 24mm-120mm, Nikon 105mm f2.8 VR Macro, Sigma 70-200 f2.8, Nikon SB 900 and MB-D10. One important note is that although the case if very deep, I didn't feel confident that my D700 and MB-D10 would be adiquately protected when placed in the case vertically. This is because this setup left the the camera standing about 3cm proud of the top of the foam insert. My only concern was that with the lid shut, there would be too much compression on the camera (considering the apparent strength of the case I was probably being paranoid!)

I have only a few gripes about this product and the first is of my own making. When fully loaded it is very heavy, the weight of the case itself does not help this. It may well be Airline carry on approved, however I doubt that it would meet any weight requirements for hold baggage. As I have said, this is entirely my own fault as I filled it and if I were to travel with it, I have no hesitation in saying that it would more than adequately withstand any heavy handling it may meet as hold baggage.
I am yet to be convinced the hexagonal foam, but this is just a personal preference. Finally - The bright orange latches and handle do highlight the quality of the case, however they also stand out like a sore thumb, particularly if you were to add a padlock to the case. Ultimately, the orange and black colour scheme stand out and in my opinion identify the fact that the case is likely to hold valuable and fragile equipment. This not a serious issue for me, but is might be for others. I would add that Vanguard show all of the cases in this range in an all-black colour scheme.

Ultimately, I am incredibly pleased with the Vanguard Supreme 46F hard case. It presents a viable and well thought out alternative to other manufacturers out there. The best part about is the competitive retail price and a build quality that I can say as a user of other manufacturers cases, is equal to others on the market. I would thoroughly recommend that when looking for a hard case in the future, you consider the Vanguard Supreme, before making a decision.