Nanuk 935-LIDO Lid Organizer for Nanuk Case - Premium Storage Solution for Camera, Drone & Tool Cases - Perfect for Travel, Photography & Professional Equipment Organization

I’d like to say that I bought this case after buying the 915 spark fly more padded case. I was so very impressed by that case that I knew I needed another of this brands case for all of my accessories.I’m going to quote my 915 review and then after that add the extras from this 935 that I enjoy, because they both have these features in common and it’s difficult typing on mobile.*********************************First off let me say that I have owned A LOT of hard equipment cases. Everything from pelican to monoprice and even a few Amazon basic ones, not to mention the slew of Chinese knockoff cases.Most of them had noticible issues from the unboxing to first use. Pelican cases have horrible latches that love to just pop open at the worst time, amazon basic cases usually smell like a chemical factory in Bolivia where they have never heard of regulation, monoprice cases are just really bad all over and their rolling versions are atrocious. The knockoffs are usually a little bit of each of these.Along comes this Nanuk which I had just happened to find because I bought myself a spark for my upcoming birthday, and I wanted a good heavy case with some precut holes for the gear. The case arrived today and I eagerly opened the box like a little kid.The only thing that I didn’t care for initially was that the case itself is not textured, which means you’re going to see every battle scar that it gets. Then I honestly didn’t care about the scars it would see, because behold the latches!!!!!! (***Angelic Chorus***)!!!!!They latch and lock closed***can I get an AMEN brothers and sisters***Sure it’s been attempted and similarly duplicated in other brands, but none of them work this well! I’ve literally been through hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cases through work and volunteer services and they have never had a single latch work so well.The interior pre cut closed cell padding has skin on the top layer!!! This is a great touch for precut, because it will hold its form so much longer!The hinge joints are nice and smooth so there’s no catches when you open or close your case.The handle can and does lock down when you push it down towards the case. This means no handle flop when it’s riding on your wheeler or on the hotel garment trolley. Granted that this feature can wear down in time (it has on all of the ones I’ve had in the past), but I’ll update my review should it fail too soon.Color choices!!! Hey now I’m not just stuck with black, grey or od green.... I chose the bright yellow since lime green wasn’t available and it looks great. It’s bright and noticeable from a distance. The red also looks great too, but I felt like being a little flashy.To sum everything up I’d say that this is probably the best case I’ve owned to date regardless of price range. This tiny little $70 case could smack around some of my $600-$700 pelicans and still have enough left over to fight off all the knockoffs.I was so happy with this purchase that I turned around and just purchased a 935 in yellow to match this one. I’d definitely recommend this brand to others and can happily say that I wasn’t bribed for my review I purchased this case and the 935 today at full price. Now I’m not saying that I can’t be bought off with some sweet sweet cases ;) ? lol.......I’d like it if the manufacturer would offer a closed cell single sided or double sided foam option for their cases though. The 935 I just ordered only had an option for the pinchpull open cell foam. This is great for your lower layers, but it ends up looking frayed and ragged after a while in the field putting in and pulling out gear.Thanks for the great case, and I hope I’m equally impressed with the one coming Saturday!!!*************************************Okay..... now for the awesome features of the 935 that I feel are worth mentioning. The first thing that you will notice if you’re familiar with other brands of hard equipment cases is that the lock holes are collared, and there’s not just some flimsy cheap metal bent around the edges.The top handle (when in the upright position) is a pop up handle that automagically goes back down when you release it. Many cases don’t even have this handle so this is a pleasant surprise.The baggage handle is one hand operated, and it’s two stage just in case you’re a bit taller. Another nice surprise is that the 915 practically locks into place in this handle using the grooves on the bottom of the 915’s case.There is the option to purchase a set of locking TSA latches that is really affordable for the 935. There’s also a few organizing items that you can purchase separately like the lid organizer and the padded insert foam upgrade.For the money I’d say this is a very nice and well rounded equipment case. Much like the 915 it has exceeded my expectations, and I will be looking at nanuk cases for any future purchases.My only complaint is the lack of a skinned closed cell foam package that would be available for their cases. The non skinned open cell foam gets worn too quickly with repeated use, and it begins to break down eventually getting all your gear nasty.I’ve included some photos of my 935 and 915 after some slight foam modifications. The 935 is used for all my accessories and extras for my spark.Both this case to have a really decent hard case storage solution for my camcorder and a few other video accessories that I'm occasionally lugging around the world.(Of note: I went for the version with padded dividers).There's not quite as much interior room as you would get in a comparably sized non hard case carry on. But the small loss in packable volume is a worthy price to pay for knowing that your valuables are safe from damage.I routinely pack mine with my compact camcorder (Canon XA40), camera monitor, microphone, and charger. And I can also squeeze a small travel tripod (Manfrotto Compact Advanced) in there if I really need to.A great addition to my video kit!I've had a couple Pelican cases and have tried several other camera bags to carry my beloved gear, but this 935 is the real deal. The lid organizer is genius and stores all the smaller loose items. The padded compartments fit multiple camera bodies, lenses, mics, batteries, and everything else I don't need to carry on my back. I can now lighten up my backpack knowing that my expensive gear is housed safely in this hard case.Also I should mention that the wheels roll VERY smooth, especially compared to the more cheap feeling ones on my Pelican Air case. The handle also feels very good on this one compared to my Pelican. Would definitely recommend to someone who is looking for a carry-on size hard case.Literally the best. Adjust to fit any lens and camera modifications and the zipper slots holds so much. My favorite case I have purchased.Really good stuffI have 2 Nikon Z6ii with 35,50, 85,24-70,70-200 lenses. Not all fits in this case. I though it would nice to have one case for all to carry. But no. Lil smaller considering I have to fit batteries, flash, and flash batteries as well.I love this case so far. The build quality is definitely there and you can tell the details were all meant to make it safe and more secure. I evaluated the Nanuk 935 and Pelican 1510 as candidates on paper. I also got two Pelican Storm iM2750s and needed a smaller case as a carry-on. Don't let pictures fool you. This case has a lot more room than you may think, beating out the Pelican by a few inches.In addition, the extending handle was well thought out, requiring a convenient, one-handed grab, extend, and go operation, with the release button right on the handle. The handle feels beefier and more secure than the similarly placed handles on the iM2750. The end handle next to it is also well thought out. Rather than the cheaper swing out design, it's a self-retracting, spring-operated, simple, yet impressive and strong handle. It's there when you want it, without any hassle, yet tucks itself away instantly when you don't, much like the pull-out handle does.For security, the points go to the Nanuk because it has two pieces of finished stainless steel flanges at each hasp point which reinforce each other. They are set up like two nails with the heads together, one in each half, when the case is closed and the smaller diameters face away from the heads creating an elegant yet secure closure to stick your lock through. You can see what I mean if you check out the pictures. As far as I could tell, the Pelican case had two pieces of stainless steel sheet wrapped around each lip and crimped to the plastic. The larger Pelicans have nothing but a hole in the plastic, so any lock is a nuisance at best to anyone seriously after the contents. Imagine TSA's bolt cutters and your plain plastic because they can't find the right TSA key...again.As for the materials of each case, they are VERY similar, with similar properties and strengths. The Nanuk is slightly more rigid and that may be due to size, or it may have to do with the thickness of the material at strategic points. The wheels on each feel different, though. The Nanuk's definitely roll better. It may be that the Pelican has more material at those particular points, but they were not as free-rolling on carpet as I'd like. The Nanuk's wheels are about 1/4" larger in diameter than the Pelican, and it's the smaller case. Go figure.The latches on each also are different. They are much crisper operating on the Nanuk, whose locking jaw (as opposed to the latching jaw) is more substantial and you definitely know if they're open or closed. No ambiguity. The latches on the 2750, on the other hand, give a weak sproingy kind of snap, and I found myself opening them and closing them again, just to make sure, and then looking at the others to see if the latch I was working on really was latched. Somehow, I dread the idea of TSA half-latching them all and my stuff spilled in a trail from Portland to Chicago. I don't know if Pelican was going to update these latches or not, but they're the ones that have the gray square in the middle.The Nanuk's edges appear to match uniformly and securely around the case. I cannot say the same for the Pelican. With all latches closed and the case empty, I noted a distinct wave in the seam between the top and bottom. Not that I plan to throw it in the water, but I'm thinking a difference of 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch, even with an O-ring, is starting to tempt fate.I'll see how each brand stacks up in the real world. Both have a lifetime warranty, and I have some idea how Pelican handles theirs. I have no idea how Nanuk's is handled, good or bad, but I'm very impressed with the product. I would not hesitate buying another 935, or the 960, which is about 60" in girth. Over 62", the airlines start charging for oversized luggage. When I pushed Pelican on what the largest case is that would safely pass the airlines without oversize charges, they told me the 2750. A couple of times. It's about 58" in girth so you lose a couple of inches versus the Nanuk as well there. Someday, someone will figure out that maybe they should make a case that's, oh, 61.9" in girth.I'm very surprised there aren't more reviews of this excellent line of cases.UPDATED November 17, 2014 - After a few flights and service in the field, I'm upgrading this to a 5-Star rating. It's taken some abuse, but it stands up to the job! I don't imagine the manufacturer gets very many warranty calls, but I know they are super-responsive.The case is very well made and but for my use slightly undersize. No fought of Nanuk, I should have checked better.Been using it for a few years and find it to be a really good case.No comparison, better quality, better colours and carrying handles are feel better and easier to use.You get what you pay for and now I realise why this is slightly more expensive. Bought all my inners from Canada, which was cheaper than buying anywhere else in the UK or europe.Great quality case but far too heavy for carry on luggage.As above Perfect.