Help with specific materials list for camera case

[Dunstan Orchard]

Hi everyone,

I’m building a slightly unusual camera holster modeled off this design from the excellent Kinesis Gear company: https://kgear.eogear.com/collections/kinesis-bags-packs/products/kinesis-c447-bottomless-holster-case

I’ve never built a padded case before, so I’m looking for some best-practice/industry standard materials choices from those with more experience than me. The more specific advice the better. I don’t live near any stores, so I’ll be buying materials online.

1. I need a quiet outer material. Dyneema is way too crinkly for me to use around birds and wildlife. Cordura feels like overkill, but was going to be my starting point. Is there a light, quiet middle ground?
2. What material would I use to provide the padded structure for the front and back panels?
3. What material would I use for that soft yellow inner, that lets the dividers’ velcro stick to it?
4. What material would I use to provide the padded structure of the dividers?

I’ve owned cases and belts from Kinesis before. Their products are excellent, stand the test of time, and are well worth the money. But this time I want something smaller and better suited to my particular camera (Fujifilm X-T4 and 50-140 lens) that I can sling on the chest of my pack (Nunatak Bears Ears 50).

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Dunstan

[nunatak]

I made a basic 30 minute version of that for my G9 with a 100-400 zoom (200-800 equivalent)

View post on imgur.com

I used 200d pack cloth inside and out, but pulling out the camera makes too much noise. V2 will have spacer mesh inside (which might receive velcro?).

The structure comes from 1/8″ 4lbs Volara foam, with a disc of ½” foam below the lens hood. I wanted it light and soft. Others use 3/8″ foam thru out for a stiffer but harder to sew case

I skipped the Velcro shelves and instead did a pretty snug fit. This works.

Cordura is very quiet, but the parent company is a subsidiary of the Koch Industries, if that matters to you. Their 330d is not overkill.

Waxed canvas from Sailrite is quiet and would be seriously cool.

[Dunstan Orchard]

Oh, that’s great. Thanks for taking the time to post that, and for your ideas on improving it. Thanks also for the tip on Cordura/Koch. I’ll try to steer clear of those products.

Is the Volara foam something you’d always use for a project like this, or did you just have it lying around? Also, I can only find it in 2lb density. Am I just not looking hard enough?

(Some more googling reveals lots of people use Volara for this purpose, so I guess that’s going down as my default padding/structure material until I learn something new. Thanks again for filling in that blank.)

One feature I loved on the Kinesis holster is the scoop for your right hand to pull the camera out by the grip. I’m looking forward to seeing if I can work that into a simple design like this.

Thanks again!

[Author]

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