Any suggestions for a gear cabinet?

[Stuart Richardson]

Currently I store my cameras in bags and a pelican case, but I have quite a lot of different cameras and lenses, and it would be nice to have a single large cabinet or chest of drawers that purposefully stored my gear. That would allow me to keep the bags empty so that I could just load them up as needed.

There is a Japanese designer and Hasselblad shooter in Sweden named Ikuru Sato, and he made something quite brilliant: http://www.ikuru.net/work/ctd/hasselblad/hasselblad.html

While I don't need something this customized or nice, I was wondering what sort of storage people here used, or how they customized a normal cabinet to better suit camera gear.

 

[Dale Allyn]

Wow, that's a nice cabinet.

Perhaps at the other end of the spectrum: I have two of THESE back to back to create a work island (clear on all four sides). Plus one of THESE against one wall in which I store most of my cameras and lenses. The later has shelves inside. (I opted to eschew the little metal leg "gators" on all.)

This Varde series is better made than many of the Ikea offerings IMO. The back panel on the smaller side unit I have is just lightweight, but could be beefed up. The other units have a stout back panel. They have several other configurations in the series now too – seen here.

Edit to add: Some of the Varde components are missing from the linked page above, but are visible in this section. Some of the base combos and upper units aren't shown in the other page.

 

[TRSmith]

I use one of these as a combination charging station/laptop workstand and lens storage. Wicked sturdy and very nicely finished. The inside is completely customizable in terms of shelving, etc. When the door is down, it makes a very comfortable stand-up workstation. It works especially well in my case since my office is small and this takes up very little space when folded shut.

http://www.anthro.com/furniture.aspx?computer-cart=enook

 

[Stuart Richardson]

Thanks guys, those are both interesting options. Ikea is definitely a consideration too, as they have a store here and it would be easy to get ahold of here.

 

[RGoldman]

I use a fireproof gun safe. Not as elegant as the other solutions here but it does keep my gear safe and sound at all times!

 

[Jan Brittenson]

Perhaps at the other end of the spectrum: I have two of THESE back to back to create a work island (clear on all four sides).

I have one of the large bases - it's the base for my Epson 7600 and Imacon scanner, and a small lightbox. The drawers are perfect for film holders, ink, and other knicknacks; the shelves for paper boxes. I also have a smaller unit side by side to extend it a bit; currently the 3800 sits on that.

I have an older Ikea bookcase for cameras and lenses. It has two doors on the bottom, two open shelves, and glass doors up top, with lighted interiors. It's fine in every respect except a bit unstable - but bolted to the wall with 6 brackets it's rock solid. :grin: A piece of plastic with two holes drilled in it goes over the little round doorknobs - to keep them from opening in a quake and dumping all my preciouses on the floor.

By the way, those Värde bases are SOLID.

 

[Oxide Blu]

I use a fireproof gun safe. Not as elegant as the other solutions here but it does keep my gear safe and sound at all times!

Just a quick note on this -- there is no "fireproof" gun safe. Safes for personal property are rated for heat/time before paper inside will combust. How a safe is tested for its rating can be a minefield -- the testing is not industry consistent. Stick with UL (Underwriters Laboratories) fire rating. It is most realistic, takes into account cool-down time. When considering the fire rating of a safe you should also consider the response time of your local fire dept. In a metropolitan area you can usually get by with a heavy/thick steel box without any heat barrier.

That said, I like the way you are thinking. In Calif my camera box is one of these: http://www.sturdysafe.com/model3224-6.htm

One last note about safes -- they can be open in a couple of minutes with a common cordless grinder and a cutting wheel (available at Home Depot for $70). You'd be surprised by how many people put their big fancy gun safe in the garage next to their power tools.

 

[Stuart Richardson]

Those safe photos are hilarious -- do they come with a model wielding a shotgun? While the idea of a safe is nice, I live in a 4th floor walk-up, and I don't really want to put anything in that cannot be easily moved by two people. In fact, the more modular the better. I don't really need a secure, fireproof place, just a place to keep it from being strewn about the place and shoved in the corner in bags.

On the Värde stuff -- it is funny how much more solid and confidence inspiring they are than the regular MDF based stuff from Ikea. I think we forget how much better real, solid wood is than mdf/particle board/plywood etc.

 

[Oxide Blu]

Yeah, there are some real winners of her and guns on that website. She's the owner's daughter -- no idea what is happening with her and the safe pix -- maybe an aspiring model?

 

[Robert Campbell]

I've seen these Varde freestanding kitchen units at Ikea. I didn't think there would be much of a market for them...until our daughter went flat hunting in Berlin. Rental flats there usually have no fittings in the kitchens -- a few pipes coming out of the wall and nothing else...