It sounds like a case of the FM not liking the passengers, regardless of the weight / size of carry-ons.

If they didn't have a scale and one of those bins you can stuff your bag into, it sounds like the whole thing was out of line.

To the OP: Before people start flaming, could you tell us maybe what kind of bag held the 15k worth of equipment. I assume it's a brand name case if you carry such expensive gear.

P.S.: How much does $15k worth of gear weight?