MyCaseBuilder wants to protect your gear. They don’t care whether it’s electronics, guns, cameras, or geek tools you need for work. And they don’t care what kind of case you put it in either. As a matter of fact, they’ll even sell you a case, if you don’t already have one. Because what they offer goes between your stuff and the case. Custom cut foam inserts are their specialty, and they make it super easy to order one any way you want it.
Create a login on their site, and design your case insert online (seriously, try it now), using their free software. You can specify your own dimensions, or plug in a specific case, and it will do the math for you. They have a library of shapes and products to speed up the process too. Specific cameras, lenses, or just squares, rectangles, and circles, it’s all there. If you’re feeling brave, you can upload a photo of a product, and trace it. Their software even told me when depth (camera height) was an issue. Need cutouts so you can lift things out? No problem, those are easy to add as well. Basically, they thought of everything. Pricing varies by the size of the foam, and they even offer gift certificates.
Recognizing that it’s not always possible to get it right the first time, MyCaseBuilder offers two options for folks like me. First, their free Do-Over protection allows you to modify your design and get another insert for 50% of the original cost. Or, for as little as $7.99, they offer their Fail Safe Design Protection. If you screw up, just ship it back (at your expense) within 30 days. Mark up your design with the needed corrections, and they’ll send another out, shipping included. (Y’all know where this is going, with me driving).
Since I already had a nice case for my EDC (every day camera) setup, I only needed the foam insert. We made arrangements to try out their design software, and they would ship me an insert. Well, cameras and lenses are actually difficult shapes. When I was done, they shipped me the finished foam insert for the review. As it turns out, my measurements were a bit off, as were the location of the finger cutouts. To their credit, the staff at MyCaseBuilder is very patient, and not just with me. I’m not very good at this type of thing, but they are. Another phone call, and I was all sorted out, with a new insert on its way. It’s been a few months since, and I can say with certainty that my gear has much better protection than the usual pluck and pull foam.
As you can see in the photos, the foam fits my gear perfectly. Much better protection than a soft-sided camera bag. Two camera bodies, two lenses, two extenders, and a spot for batteries, filters, etc. This kit generally stays in the trunk of my car, ready for the next photo-op. In case you’re wondering, that’s a Canon EOS 7D with 70-200 f/2.8 lens up top. Below are my 1.4x and 2.0x extenders. And to the right is a Canon EOS 6D with 24-70 f/4 lens. That gives me 24mm, plus macro on the wide end, and 640mm on the long end. With pretty much full coverage between those focal lengths. And full frame coverage (6D) or high speed (7D). I’ve found that this setup works great for a quick trip through the mountains, or a drive along the lake, in search of wildlife.
Brian
I’d like to thank the staff at MyCaseBuilder for providing their insert for this review. More importantly, I appreciate their patience and expertise in walking me through the process. I can see so many applications for their products, from outdoor gear to fragile electronics. Check them out at MyCaseBuilder.com.