How do I get my violin, dslr, and laptop on a plane?
My dslr gear is small. I have the following items
D3200 body and kit lens
Nikon 50mm f1.4
2 B+W and filters
One flash, batteries, cleaning kit and flash triggers
I do not even have a tripod.
and that is it. I have a B&W headphone, one small WD hard drive and a 15.6 MacBook Pro.
My violin is precious and I want to carry it with me all the time.
I have two options
Buy a slim satchel type bag that will hold my dslr gear and laptop
Or get a small camera type holder like the Nat Geo explorer and put it in my large suitcase as check in. I can lock my samsonite checkin baggage to avoid theft
What shall I do?
Most airlines allow 2 carry-on bags so get a bag that can carry both your laptop, dSLR, and whatever else you need to bring and carry the violin in it's case. I'm not totally sure however about the lithium batteries of the camera. AFAIK, as long as you just carry one and it's in the camera, you're safe. There's a trend lately banning lithium batteries in the cabin.
Take camera on plane - to avoid theft and damage through dropping checkin luggage
Check the airline's rules regarding batteries - some insist on them being carry-on, others want them in the hold. Others don't care! Assuming you're only allowed one piece of cabin luggage I'd take the violin (they're personal!) and make sure the rest is securely padded with spare socks, jumpers etc. If you've got a camera bag, so much the better.
I'd put the violin in the overhead compartment so that I could keep an eye on it.
I'd put the camera gear in a bag and stow it under the seat in front of me.
I'd put the MacBook in my check-in luggage.
I just love you naive dolts that think you can safely put valuables in your locked check in bags. 1: Unless you use a TSA approved lock the TSA will cut it off. They have the legal right to do this and to thoroughly search any luggage going on the plane. 2: Every luggage thief in the world has a TSA approved lock passkey. 3: Theoretically, every piece of luggage that goes on a plane is x-rayed. What this does is tell the luggage thieves which luggage to steal.