I shoot fishing tournaments and hunting stuff periodically and have been pretty lucky so far with regard to the weather. I don't really want to push my luck though. For all you nature, golf, sports, etc. shooters out there. How do you keep your gear dry when it's raining? I know there must be some sort of rain cover for cameras. (Something short of an underwater bag or housing.) I know the D3 and 70-200 are "weather sealed" but I would rather not find out just how weather sealed it really is.
This is not my idea but I can't remember where I found it on the web.
I took the trousers from a Coleman clear poly rainsuit ($20 on the auction site) and cut them in half right through the crotch. Then slit about 12" up the inside of each thigh. This gives 2 covers. Works really well...tested in Scotland!
My D3x and 24-70 spent several hours exposed to a steady rain in Olympic Nat park a week or two ago with no ill effects. I routinely shoot the pro gear in the rain and have never had a problem with it. I would NOT shot anything that wasn't weathersealed like that in those conditions, but the sealed stuff sure seems to work.
Just make sure to air it out thoroughly once you're done.
Used my old D70 with 80-200 2.8 and now a D300 with said lens in snow and rain. When I get a subject I want to shoot I pull it out, otherwise it stays under a jacket. But it has gotten pretty wet. Never had an issue yet. When I am done shooting I just dry it all off and toss it in my backpack (always has silica jel packets in it).
i use a racket bag (i also string tennis rackets), cut a hole in the front that is the correct size and gaff tape it to the lens hood, in back just cut a small circle the eye cup(rubber one for d3 and other circular finders) to pop through... works wonderfully not that i wont buy a think tank when i get the chance
Disposable rain sleeves are cheap at your local camera shop. I have a couple in my bag. That being said I've never used them, but I keep them their because they don't take up any room really if it really started to pour.
I've shot in rain,snow all kinds of stuff I shouldn't have prolly with my D80 and have never had a problem. That said I probly just jinxed myself for the next time I shoot in the rain .
Steve, good to hear. Just want to be sure I'm doing everything I can go give my gear the best chance to keep working if I wind up needing to use it in rain. (And by rain - I mean a downpour - not a light drizzle.)
Steve, good to hear. Just want to be sure I'm doing everything I can go give my gear the best chance to keep working if I wind up needing to use it in rain. (And by rain - I mean a downpour - not a light drizzle.)
; I'm in the Pacific Northwest
You should see my back yard right now (whoops I mean my lake)
Steve, good to hear. Just want to be sure I'm doing everything I can go give my gear the best chance to keep working if I wind up needing to use it in rain. (And by rain - I mean a downpour - not a light drizzle.)
Downpour is hard to define. I'll pretty much shoot until it's raining hard enough that even with a hood on, I can't keep the front of the lens dry long enough to get a photo (although if it's colder out, fogging on the front element becomes a problem - wipe, fog, wait for it to clear, shoot, repeat - I use lots of microfiber cloth, lol)
I've also been out in the snow for 2 -3 hours with no problems (d3x + 500vr). It was snowing so hard I had little piles forming on the tops of the camera. I literally had to chip ice off the controls to use them. No ill effects.
Sure, probably wouldn't be a bad idea to use a cover of some sort if you do it daily, but anytime I've been in the rain/ snow the camera proves tougher than me, lol!
Nov 19, 2009 at 07:42 AM
Andre Labonte Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
Two23 wrote:
I have a very fancy plastic sack I use. It says "Walmart" on it. Works like a charm. I keep several in my camera bag.
Kent in SD
+1 It's what I do. I also keep a towel in my tripod bag to dry my stuff of afterwards. And, like Steve said, air the equipment out in a dry place once done.
Ok, guys. Let's see some of those ghetto-fab walmart rain covers you all are so proud of.
I actually did attempt this but rubber bands didn't keep the bag where I wanted it and the bag instead of keeping the water off, seemed to catch more rain than anything.
Day 1 of an ultimate tournament I played (and shot) earlier this year was pretty much a continuous downpour, and the D300 + 70-200 got right soaked and never had a problem at all.
If I was going to be leaving the camera to sit for an extended period of time I'd set it down under an umbrella, and I also attacked it with a towel now and then, but in general it just got wet and kept on working.
I've used clear plastic bags and vinyl electrical tape with good success. I also have a pair of Optec (I think) rainsleeves that have lasted for several outings. I use them fairly often on whale watch boats, on several occasions they did double duty protecting my gear from both salt spray and rain. (What a day that was! Rain, wind, heavy seas, sea spray....I managed to stay dry for the most part, the gear didn't see a drop)
Nov 19, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Andre Labonte Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
oobie wrote:
Ok, guys. Let's see some of those ghetto-fab walmart rain covers you all are so proud of.
I actually did attempt this but rubber bands didn't keep the bag where I wanted it and the bag instead of keeping the water off, seemed to catch more rain than anything.
1) Cut the bag so that it is more like a sheet.
2) Don't use eleastic bands. Just drape the bag over the camrea like a rain poncho.
3) If it is windy, put a small towel on top of the bag for weight.
The point of the bag is to be a barrier to the rain falling down but not to catch it, so horizontal bag surfaces should only be above the camera/lens. Also, leaving things open from below allows access to the camera and lens controls.
I have shot for hours like this in the rain. The only parts of my gear that get wet are:
1) The lens hood
2) Some splatter on my front filter (keep soft cotton towel handy for wiping)
3) The back of the camera when I pull my face way. If things are bad enough, get a larger bag and put yourself under it too! Looks funny as hell, but I'm balding and wear glasses, so what the hell do I care!
They don't advertise any store at all, and can be utilized for their regular duties as well. 
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