Protective case for one filter

Question

I carry around one 72mm filter (a CPL), and I'm looking for a good, small case to protect it, one that I can put in my pocket.

What I'm envisioning is hard plastic with a foam insert for the filter. Many filters come with such a case, but mine didn't; it's a nasty one and the filter rattles around all the time.

I've poked around but have found only cases that carried many filters, weren't hard-sided, or both.

Can such an item be obtained without a filter already inside it? And if so, where?

Answer 1

You could try...

• buying the cheapest 72+mm filter you can find (whether it be on eBay or a retail shop or some kind of photography market/swap-meet)
• if you've got friends into photography, they may have an old filter they don't use, or a spare case from a filter that's broken/lost/permanently-affixed (have you asked around for old/spare cases?)
• just get some thin foam or cloth from a stationery/arts shop to glue into your current filter case to stop the filter rattling around

Answer 2

For a DIY answer, if you can get your hands on an old metal cigarette case, they should be large enough, and some thin packing foam, you could roll your own (no pun intended). The cigarette case can be found at a myriad of antique shops around, I've seen them plenty of times in such environments, both in the States and Canada, and they're usually only a few bucks.

Update: Adorama has a 4"x4" Lee pouch for one filter. A little larger than your filter, but at $8.95 it's hard to go wrong.

Answer 3

I ended up with this case from B+W. It's exactly what I needed except for the lack of inserts, but two layers of corrugated cardboard worked well.