Pelican 1564 Review with Pictures

I guess this isn't really a review since all Pelicans have essentially the same features and benefits. The big questions you have to ask yourself when choosing the right Pelican are:

How much equipment do I want to store in it?
Do I want to have a 70-200 stored vertically?
Do I want padded dividers or foam?
Do I want the lid organizer?
Do I want wheels?
And just for fun... What color do I want?

After deciding that I wanted a Pelican case, I found it hard to find the right one even after answering all of these questions. The Pelican "model numbers" are a bit confusing at first because they are so similar. Initially, I ordered the 1614 from OpticsPlanet.com, but was told a day after the order that it was backordered. I saw a 1564 in stock at B&H, so I decided to give it a shot. Here are my answers to the questions above:

How much equipment do I want to store in it?
Do I want to have a 70-200 stored vertically? YES
Do I want padded dividers or foam? Padded Dividers
Do I want the lid organizer? YES
Do I want wheels? YES
And just for fun... What color do I want? Wanted Olive Drab, but settled for Black

The added bonus was that it fits under my bed with only 1/16" to spare. 1/6" is tight, but hey, it fits.

You'll also see that I have a pretty solid "Strobist" set up that fits perfectly in the case. Note, if the width of the case was even 1/8" shorter, the Bogen lightstand would not fit.

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lid organizer holds tons of stuff. the little elastic loops on the top right are perfect for my cybersyncs.

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Thanks for the review with pictures! It really helps on deciding which one fits my need.

I had one question. When you order a Pelican case and opt for the padded dividers and lid organizer, does it come with the upper foam piece (as in the case of the pick 'n pluck)? Is the extra foam piece even needed for extra support or is it not needed?

leks wrote in post #7480818
Thanks for the review with pictures! It really helps on deciding which one fits my need.

I had one question. When you order a Pelican case and opt for the padded dividers and lid organizer, does it come with the upper foam piece (as in the case of the pick 'n pluck)? Is the extra foam piece even needed for extra support or is it not needed?

Yes it came with the foam in the lid and the organizer was separate. The organizer comes with 6 screws to mount it on the underside of the lid in 6 pre-drilled holes. It was simple.

Pelicans are great cases.....I have only broke one in my years of owning them.

stathunter wrote in post #7482037
Pelicans are great cases.....I have only broke one in my years of owning them.

What on earth did you do to it?

mhthomps wrote in post #7482020
Yes it came with the foam in the lid and the organizer was separate. The organizer comes with 6 screws to mount it on the underside of the lid in 6 pre-drilled holes. It was simple.

Thank you.

Vascilli wrote in post #7482126
What on earth did you do to it?

i know throwing one off the roof of a house, and off the wing tip of a c-130 wont break them....so i wonder what he did too

Vascilli wrote in post #7482126
What on earth did you do to it?

yokotas13 wrote in post #7484424
i know throwing one off the roof of a house, and off the wing tip of a c-130 wont break them....so i wonder what he did too

Piqued my curiosity too!