Securely Storing Cameras and lenses

<p>Hi,<br>

I wanted to see how everyone stored their gear when they weren't shooting a gig. Also any advise on to store say 3 camera bodies and multiple lenses. I wanted to see what was the best way that was both secure and prevented mold on my lenses. I've looked into safes, gun safes, locking file cabinets, etc. If the safes are a good route, what size seems reasonable? under $500, under $300?<br>

thanks,</p>

 

<p>Where do you live and work? Climate plays a big role in storage strategies. </p>

<p>I leave my gear in the cases or bags I use to shoot with. I switch things around when I need to. But I don't live in a humid environment and don't really worry about mold too much.</p>

<p>If security is a factor, get a safe. One of my associates uses a large gun safe for his gear. Otherwise locking file cabinets might be a good idea.</p>

<p>I store them in a cool dry place in the bags I use when shooting.</p>

<p>I would think a safe would be a great idea if not in the garage or a place that is subject to freezing.</p>

<p>I store the basic camera and three basic lenses in the bag I use on a daily basis (but I do have a couple of heavy duty silica gel bags in there). The other lenses, my flashes, and all the other equipment I store in a normal, simple cabinet, with more packets of silica gel.</p>

<p>One advantage of a large safe is that you can store other items in there as well, like back up disks, other valuables, etc. Humidity is not an issue where I live but I do know that places like Cabela's sell a dehumidifier (Goldenrod) for use in gun safes to reduce the rust problem. I do find that combination locks slow down access so if you want ready access, that kind of lock may prove to be annoying if you need access on a frequent basis. The level of "security" involved will drive up the cost of the storage as you get into heavier materials, more resistance to prying, etc. If you can drill holes into your walls or a concrete floor, various types of screws, expanding bolts, etc., can be used to anchor the container to a stud or to the floor to make it harder to carry off.</p>