I was looking into the pelican storm series of cases. Im not too familiar on how it works but if I wanted the foam to be included, do I need to cut out the shape of of my gear or will they do it with precision?
Storm and Pelican are two different case companies. But make similar products. I know about Pelican. You can buy the cases empty, just plastic shells I suggest doing this. You can also buy them filled with "cubed" foam. This kind of foam completely fills the case and you can remove hunks of it by hand to fit your gear. But I like to buy a normal shot side bag and place the gear in the bag and then the bag in the case. This lets me travel with a hard case but then leave it in the car, hotel or whatever once I get there.
Also you will over the years be buying and selling gear and you'd have to re-do to the cube foam over time you swapped gear.
I've seen Pelican cases take some real abuse like when we dumped some video gear in a white water river and have to go after it. We were un-surprized it was still dry. I;ve have camera gear packed onto stake bed trucks with scuba tanks and what not dumped on top of my gear. No problems. And of course airline baggage machines can't damage the cases.
I did take a large wheeled case in for repair, I'd over loaded it, using it like a dolly and pulled it about a mile on cobble stone street and down some stairs with maybe 150 pounds in it. They gave me a new case under their lifetime "unconditional" warranty. They said the new design has stronger wheels.
When I see a guy with a fitted case I KNOW he is more into gear collecting then photography because to real shooters will take different gear depending on the project.
The other bad problem I hate with custom cut foam is when the foam fits a body with a small lens then I shoot with a long lens and I want to put the camera away for a few minutes, the foam is not cut for the long lens and I have to swap lenses to make the gear fit back in the case. Better if the case is not fitted.
