Storm Case iM2075; a review
So what
is a Storm Case? Well it is a hard plastic case, which is designed to protect
your stuff (usually photographic, optical or electrical equipment) from the
elements and impact damage. You will often find this type of case referred to as
a Peli case, in much the same way that people refer to all vacuum cleaners as
Hoovers.
The
Storm Cases are designed to perform the same functions as Peli cases so share
many of the same characteristics but have differences that do set them
apart.
My Requirements
I was
looking for a case for my digital SLR that I could take out in the canoe. It had
to protect my camera from submersion, in the case of capsize, protect if from
bumps etc and also be quick and easy to get the camera in and out of, all whilst
being as small as possible.
Up to this point I had used a Lowepro Dryzone
200. This is a waterproof camera rucksack, which is accessed using a waterproof
zip. The Dryzone is a wonderful piece of kit but it is quite big and really
suited more to when I was taking all my camera equipment. Also it could be a bit
fiddly to get the camera out and in. I wanted to be able to get my camera out,
take a picture and get it back to safety as quickly as possible. With the
Dryzone I missed a lot of photo opportunities as I did not want to risk having
the camera exposed for too long.
The
Solution
Stuart_Blink and Zippy from the forum are also
keen photographers and they too wanted to take their camera on canoe trips. They
at first got a Ortlieb waterproof camera case, which worked well but was a bit
slow to get into. Then for their other camera they got a Peli case. I could
immediately see the benefits of this. So I started to research the Peli cases
and learn a bit more about them and see which one would suit my camera (Nikon
D2x). During this research I discovered the Storm Cases and included them in my
options.
I wanted a case to be as small as possible but to fit the
camera, with lens, carry a spare battery, a spare memory card and a flash. It
turned out that the Peli case that would have been most appropriate was too
shallow for my camera. It was also considerably more expensive. The Storm Case
iM2075 was just a bit deeper and ideal for what I wanted.
So in January
06 I ordered a iM2075 from www.GaleForceCases.co.uk I even
managed to get a discount (always pays to ask).
In
Action
The case comes with foam that you pluck out to the
required shapes for your purpose. I found with a little planning I could fit all
I wanted in the case. The case was all I hoped. Compact, robust and easy to get
in and out of.
The
clips on the Storm Case have a kind of two stage opening process, which actually
makes them easier and quicker to open. I can retrieve the camera from the case
very quickly so I do not miss a shot while fumbling to get the camera out. It is
also as quick to return the camera, so it is at risk of a soaking for the
minimum time.
The cases are over engineered for what I need but it is
reassuring to know how much abuse the case will take, even if I am being careful
to avoid any such damage. They are indeed confident enough to guarantee the case
for life (more on that later). The case also had some functions, which I have no
real need of. There is a built in valve to equalize pressure. Handy for plane
travel or when you will be ascending or descending great altitude but not really
a necessity for me.
The cases also come in a range of colours, bright
yellow and orange so you can find them easily, although with my love of all
things subdued I went for black.
Six Months Later, a
Discovery
Six months after I got the case I figured it was
time to do a review of the case. I had used it for long enough to have settled
on my opinion of the case. I was delighted with every aspect of the case. It
held all I could want. It fitted neatly below my canoe seat and was allowing me
to get some great pictures while exposing my camera to the minimum
risk.
However, before I wrote the review I thought I had better actually
test how waterproof the case was. I knew it kept rain out etc but did not want
to wax lyrical about it only to find out it leaked. So I filled the kitchen
sink, weighed down the case and filled the sink with water. I came back about
four hours later to check the case and was shocked to find it had water in it,
about an inch. I thought that perhaps my test had been a little demanding, after
all the case was unlikely to be held under water for anything like that time. So
I dried the case and tried holding it under water for a few minutes. Again it
let water in. Not a huge amount but enough for me to be not
happy.
The Impressive Bit
I sent
an email of to the supplier, informing them of my discovery. I was kiking myself
for not having tested the case sooner. I could imagine the reply I was going to
get. “I am sorry Mr Kelly but you have had the case for six months and have been
clearly abusing it” etc etc. Boy was I wrong.
I sent my email on Sunday
night and Gale Force Cases replied on Monday. I was told that the manufacturer
would want to see the case and if I sent it back they would immediately send a
replacement. They did not even ask if I had mistreated the case. I was impressed
that they said the manufacturer would want to know but thought that this might
be a bit of salesmanship.
I posted the case back to the supplier on
Tuesday and had my replacement on Friday. Not only that but the manufacturer
contacted me on Thursday, by email. They were most apologetic that I had
received a faulty case. They stated that they manufacture 200000 cases a year
and that the have a fault rate of 0.1% but that this is still 200 cases a year
and they are trying to reduce this number. I was informed that they would be
looking carefully to see what had gone wrong with my case and seeing what
lessons they could learn from it. They also offered to send me a small gift as
compensation for my inconvenience.
In
conclusion
First of all I have tested the replacement case
and it is waterproof. Submerged for oven an hour it let in no water. I took it
out when I was practicing capsize drills and it let no water in. It is clear to
me that I had a faulty case at the start and that this is not the norm. If Storm
Cases had a lot of faulty cases there response would not have been as swift. If
you are getting a lot of failures you cannot respond to them all that
way.
In many ways the test of how good a company is not how they are when
things go right but how they react when things go wrong. In this respect I class
Storm Cases and the supplier Gale Force Cases and exceptional
companies.
As to the case itself, well I am still delighted with it. It
was stupid of me not to test the waterproof capabilities of the case before
using it for six months and trusting it to protect some expensive camera
equipment.
The main things that led me to buy the Storm Case are still
the same. The built quality is solid. The size is such that you can fit a
professional sized DSLR with lens and the price is better than the similar sized
cases from the competition. So in all ways I am very happy with the
case.
Further info
www.GaleForceCases.co.uk
Storm Case Web Site
This review was first posted on our forum so if you have any comments or questions post them HERE