Nanuk 935 - A review after 2 years
Honestly, this case has changed the way I prepare/go to photography gigs. I used to have the classic issue of being unsure about exactly what I need for each shoot - do I need to bring all my lenses? What if the lighting is bad, will I need my flash? What if the client decides they want some drone shots all of a sudden and I can't do that for them because I left it at home?
This often resulted in me overpacking a backpack with everything I could fit in it, meaning it would weigh somewhere between 10-12kg and I'd be stuck lugging it around on my back to, from, and sometimes during my shoot. And guess what? I started getting a sore back and my chiropractor said I was doing unnecessary damage to myself...so I started to look for a solution.
I stumbled across hard cases with wheels (essentially like a carry on suitcase) that a lot of photographers seem to use, and quickly realised there are two main players in this game: The Pelican 1535 Air and the Nanuk 935. After watching a heap of Youtube reviews, I decided on the Nanuk 935 as it came with the foam/material dividers, as well as a super handy lid organiser. It felt like I could just get the Nanuk and it has everything I needed to get started. I ordered my Nanuk 935 via Sentinel Safety Solutions in Australia.
This case fits EVERYTHING! And I feel so confident that everything is safe as the hard shell is tough as nails - also, the latches to close it feel really heavy duty. Here is how I currently have it setup:
So I won’t list everything, but here is an overview of what is inside it:
Sony A7C II (review here)
Tamron 28-75mm f2.8
Samyang 24mm f1.8 (review here)
Mavic Mini + Controller
Godox V1s + Godox trigger
Wandrd Filter Case & Memory Card Case (review here)
Assortment of charging cables etc
Smallrig Magic Arm + Phone Mount
Miscellaneous audio recording accessories
As you can see, it fits A LOT. So now, whenever I have a shoot I will 90% of the time just grab my Nanuk case, throw it in the back of my car, and head off to my shoot where I know that I'll be covered in any situation. An added bonus of this case is that when you set it down at the location for your photoshoot, the case acts as a little work station/table where you can swap out lenses, throw your valuables in there, clean lenses, and also use as a place to setup your laptop + SSDs for any file transfers you might need to make on site. And if you are moving from one location to another, all you have to do is close the case, pop up the retractable handle, and wheel it to the next location (I'll add though that it doesn't work the best off-road, and if there are lots of stairs you'd need to lift it by its handle).
After a shoot, I get back and just wheel my case into my room and don't have to bother about unpacking anything and sorting out where to put all my gadgets as they all live permanently in my Nanuk 935.
This case has been one of my favourite additions to my photography business as has made things so much easier.
For situations where I know I will only need certain gear, or if I am travelling, I use the WANDRD PRVKE Lite which you can read a review about here.
If you would like to get a Nanuk 935 for yourself, click on one of the buttons below 👇