Vanguard Supreme 53F

We have looked at different types and styles of camera bags but the Vanguard 53F isn’t your normal camera bag. The Supreme 53F is a hard-sided case more at home in the cargo compartment of an airplane than it is being used as a daily equipment hauler. While other companies selling hard cases have been around for many years, Vanguard has a lot to live up to. Let’s take a look at at the Supreme 53F and see if Vanguard has succeeded in building a better mouse trap.

53F with Handle Extended

Overview

Vanguard’s Supreme line of cases are watertight and airtight up to a depth of 15 feet, dustproof, virtually indestructible, resistant to corrosion, and can withstand extreme climate variations.  All of the Supreme cases are design to withstand temperature variations from -40° to 203°. The Supreme cases have quick release latches that are easy to use, and the comfort grip handle is ideal for carrying heavy equipment. With pad lock receptacles on each case, they are ideal for airline travel.

Features

The Supreme 53F is as rugged of a case as you are going to find anywhere. The case itself in extremely strong and durable with very well designed latches that lock easily and securely. The retractable handle locks into place in both the extended and retracted positions. The main handles have nice padding to make it more comfortable to carry. Internally, an O-ring helps keep the case water and dust resistant while the octagonal pluck-foam allows for almost any shape of object.

Secure Latches

• Water, air and dust tight
• Resistant to 264.5 pounds weight pressure
• Automatic pressure equalization valve
• Padded handles
• Metal lined padlock holes
• Waterproof name tag
• Locking travel handle
• Two layers of thick pluck-foam

Specifications

• Inside dimensions: 22” x 17 3/4” x 7 7/8”
• Outside dimensions: 24 3/4” x 20 1/2” x 9 1/2”
• Weight: 22.93lbs

Usage

Rubberized Handles and Pressure Relief Valve

The 53F is nice and big, too big for carry-on luggage on an airplane but not too big to be considered oversize for regular check-in luggage. The wheels roll smooth on flat surfaces but are too small to work well off-road or and in grass.  With two layers of foam included, you could have two levels of regular camera gear or remove one for larger items like studio strobes. The travel handle locks securely when retracted so you don’t have to worry about it coming out when it is being shipped.

Results

Having used other hard cases that are similar, the others just don’t stack up to the Supreme 53F. The latches are the best I have seen on cases of this type and the padded handles make it more comfortable to pick up when loaded. Knowing that when the case is closed my gear is safe from water and dust because of the integrated O-Ring gives you piece of mind. The only thing I would change if I could is the thickness of the pluck-foam. The 53F comes with 2 very thick sheets of foam but I would prefer 3 or 4 thinner sheets for more versatility but that is just being picky. It’s not everyday that you need a super rugged hard case, but when you do, the Vanguard Supreme series of cases is as good as it gets and with a street price of around $230, you get quite a case for the money.

Big Roomy Case

Product Review Scorecard

Author: Kerry Garrison

• R-Strap Camera Strap Courtesy of BlackRapid
• Fast Track Photographer Audiobook courtesy of Esquire Photography
• Dojo Wedding Tools Presets for Lightroom
• Dojo Power Tools Presets for Lightroom

All together this is about a $200 prize package.

Example from Roberto Valenzuela

Example of Converging Lines from Roberto Valenzuela

Contest Rules

Please get this right so you do not get disqualified. To enter your image into the contest, upload it to your Flickr account. You will need to be a member of the Camera Dojo Flickr Group and then you can add your image to the Group photo pool. You must tag your image with the words Contest and Lines. This will allow me to find them easily.

You must only upload images that you took yourself. We will post the winner’s pictures on CameraDojo.com but you will retain all copyright to the image. We suggest you have a watermark on your images as well. The deadline for entries is Feb 28th 2009 and the winner will be named on the following podcast.

Here are a few other examples:

Current Entries

The Wolverine GEO is a GPS accessory that attaches to the latest Nikon or Fuji DSLR’s to tag your exact location every time you take a picture. No need to guess where you took a picture, no need to manually associate each picture with location. The Wolverine GEO takes this burden away and map-tag your exact location onto your picture wherever you are. Paired with a compatible digital SLR camera from Fuji or Nikon, the Geo presents a user with the ability to embed in images geospatial data in the form of GPS coordinates in the image’s metadata during exposure. List Price: $189.99.

• GeoTag photos anywhere in the world
• 20 parallel satellite tracking channels for fast acquisition
• Easy to install – Plugs into the camera 10-pin connector and Hotshoe
• Ultra compact design with low power consumption
• Draws power directly from camera
• Includes easy to use application software to map pictures
• Compatable with Google Map, Google World, Picasa and others

For more info, head over to Wolverine Data