Lighting Kit Hard Case: Packing LED Panels and COB Lights

A lighting hard case needs a larger floor than a camera case, deep foam, and ideally wheels, because LED panels are wide and flat while COB lights come with heads, power adapters and reflectors that add up in weight. Measure every light with its yoke or bracket, then pick a case by its inner floor area first and depth second. For a typical two or three light kit that points to a medium wheeled case. Here is how to measure, pack and choose.

Why lights are awkward to pack

A camera kit is a set of dense, similar-sized objects. A lighting kit is a mix of shapes:

• Flat panels that are wide but thin, with a fragile diffusion face.
• COB point-source heads that are compact and heavy, often with a separate power adapter or control box and a cable.
• Modifiers: reflectors, barn doors, Fresnel attachments with glass, softboxes that fold flat.
• Power: mains adapters, battery plates, V-mount or NP-F batteries, extension cords.
• Stands and clamps that are long and rarely fit in a hard case at all.

The trick is to protect the fragile, expensive items in foam and let the robust, bulky items travel in a separate bag or a lightly padded section.

Real sizes to plan around

Every light is different, so measure your own. For a sense of scale, here are two popular lights with dimensions from the maker's own specification pages:

• amaran P60c panel: lamp head 27.10 x 21.30 x 4.34 cm, 1,880 g. It runs on NP-F batteries, V-mount batteries or mains power.
• amaran 200d S point-source light: 207 x 115 x 115 mm without its bracket, 1,560 g, powered through an external adapter.

Two things follow. A panel this size lies flat, since standing it on its long edge needs more than 21 cm of clear depth before you add any foam. And a COB head is small, but once you add its bracket, adapter, cable and a reflector, each light takes up roughly the floor space of a camera body with a long lens.

Which case for which lighting kit

Use these as starting points, then confirm with your own measurements in the Hard Case Size Finder. Inner dimensions are width x length x depth in millimetres.

The Vantage 335D-TR is our usual first suggestion for a two-light kit. Its 220 mm depth splits into a 180 mm base and a 40 mm lid, which leaves room for a full layer of foam under the lights and convoluted foam pressing down from above. It is IP67 rated and carries STANAG 4280, DEF-STAN 81-41, ATA 300 and MIL-STD-810G. All sizes are in the waterproof hard cases collection.

How to lay out the foam

Panels: flat, face up, in their own pocket

Cut a pocket the exact shape of the panel so it cannot slide. Lay it diffusion face up so nothing presses on the front, and let the lid foam hold it down. If you carry two panels, cut them side by side rather than stacked, or put a full foam sheet between layers.

COB heads: upright, with the reflector off

Stand each head upright in a deep pocket with the mount facing up, and pack the reflector or Fresnel attachment separately. A reflector left on the head turns the whole light into a lever every time the case is knocked.

Power adapters and cables: their own zone

Adapters are dense and heavy. Give them a pocket near the wheels so the case tracks straight. Coil cables loosely with a strap and keep them away from the diffusion face of any panel. Label each adapter to its light so setup on location is quicker.

Batteries: in the pocket, terminals covered

V-mount and NP-F batteries go in their own snug pockets with the contacts covered. If the case will be checked on a flight, take them out: IATA guidance says spare lithium batteries and power banks go in carry-on baggage only, never in checked bags, and batteries above 100 Wh need airline approval. Check the Wh rating printed on each battery.

Stands: separate bag

Light stands and C-stands are long and robust. A padded stand bag is cheaper and lighter than a case long enough to hold them. Short items like clamps, spigots and sandbags (empty) can fill gaps in a larger case.

Every Vantage case ships with solid foam sheets, a snap-off cutter and convoluted foam fitted in the lid, so you can cut the pockets yourself. Need a precise fit without cutting it yourself? We also make custom laser-cut premium foam inserts on request; ask through the Hard Case Size Finder. For the full method, see our guide to cutting foam for a camera case.

Heat, dust and weather

• Let lights cool before packing. A warm head sealed into foam straight after a shoot stays warm for a long time. Give it a few minutes on the stand with the power off.
• Dust. Fans on COB lights pull in dust on outdoor sets and at construction sites. An IP67 case keeps dust out in transit; blow out the vents before you pack.
• Heat in the car. Vantage cases work from minus 30 °C to 90 °C, but batteries and LED electronics inside do not like a closed car in summer. Keep the case out of direct sun where you can.
• Rain. Lighting kits often wait outside the venue door while crew unload. A sealed case means the kit is dry when you open it.

One case or two?

A three-light kit with batteries in a single case gets heavy quickly. Many crews split it: lights and modifiers in one wheeled case, batteries and chargers in a smaller carry case that stays with them. That also keeps batteries in the cabin when you fly and leaves the heavier case free to go in the hold. Read our guide to flying with camera gear in India before your next trip, and our hard case buying guide for the basics of choosing a case.

Frequently asked questions

What size hard case do I need for LED panels?
Measure the panel with its yoke, add 2 to 3 cm of foam on every side, and compare that to the case's inner width and length. Panels usually lie flat, so floor area matters more than depth.

Can I pack V-mount batteries in a lighting case?
Yes, for road travel. If the case is checked on a flight, remove them. Spare lithium batteries must travel in the cabin, and those over 100 Wh need airline approval.

Do light stands fit in a hard case?
Most do not, and they do not need to. Carry stands in a padded stand bag and keep the case for lights, modifiers and power.

Is the Vantage 335D-TR waterproof?
Yes. It is IP67 rated, which means dust-tight and protected against immersion to 1 metre for 30 minutes with the lid closed and latched.