camera and bad weather

[slayer7124]

how many of you guys have brought out your camera in bad weather (rain, snow, cold) to take some pictures? if so, how do you protect your camera? it was easy when i used my point and shoot camera. just kept it in my pocket, then when i wanted to shoot i just took it out, clicked a few pics and back in. kind of hard to do that with a d80.

im just askin cause i love taking pictures in/of the snow and i dont want to chance anything with my d80 that i got a few months ago. thanks

[mwfanelli2]

how many of you guys have brought out your camera in bad weather (rain, snow, cold) to take some pictures? if so, how do you protect your camera? it was easy when i used my point and shoot camera. just kept it in my pocket, then when i wanted to shoot i just took it out, clicked a few pics and back in. kind of hard to do that with a d80.

im just askin cause i love taking pictures in/of the snow and i dont want to chance anything with my d80 that i got a few months ago. thanks

If it's snowing, I really don't care much. Take some photos, brush the snow off, take some more. When I'm done, it goes under my jacket or into a bag if I have it with me.

Rain is different. For that, I keep the camera under my waterproof jacket, take it out to get a shot, then quickly put it back under the jacket. If I really need to use a tripod (rare for me in rain), I put a plastic bag over it.

Cold is not really an issue. I am careful about condensation when switching between radically different environments and I carry an extra battery in my pocket. If it is super cold, like 20F to 40F degrees below zero (as in Gunnison once in a while), I switch out batteries between the camera and my warm pocket once one starts to lose power. Besides, I can't tolerate that type of cold too long anyway!

None of my equipment is weatherproof.

[another view]

Same here - next time you spend a night in a hotel, grab the showercap. They make great camera covers for shooting in the rain. There are some really nice waterproof camera covers out there if you plan to do a lot of this - I have one that's not as nice as an Aquatech but gets the job done. Just be as careful as you can and make sure to dry out when you get home. I take all of the stuff out of the bag, leave the bag open and let it sit overnight - this is based on spending a fair amount of time in lousy conditions, not just a quick shot.

[slayer7124]

thanks for the input guys. im guessing a small umbrella would work just as fine if you really wanted to keep everything dry while shooting. plus, the lens could handle moisture more than the camera body itself, correct? seeing how all the electronics are in the body. im not talkin about a full on down pour but a few more drops than normal.

[mjs1973]

Michael and Steve pretty much summed it up. I made my own rain cover out of $5 poncho. Here is a thread that shows the cover I made, along with a cover that Loupey made for his camera.

My Ultra High Tech Waterproof Cover

[mjs1973]

im guessing a small umbrella would work just as fine

It would work fine, depending on the conditions. It might be hard to hold both your camera and the umbrella at the same time. Especially if you have a longer lens. It it's windy, it could make holding steady next to impossible. Of course you could always get someone to hold it for you.

[slayer7124]

It would work fine, depending on the conditions. It might be hard to hold both your camera and the umbrella at the same time. Especially if you have a longer lens. It it's windy, it could make holding steady next to impossible. Of course you could always get someone to hold it for you.

haha, i'll drag some unlucky soul along. i was thinkin umbrella if i was using a tripod and of course no wind. i dont have a long lens at all so none of that should be a problem. those covers look rather easy and look like they do the job. thanks for the link

[jeffp]

thanks for the input guys. im guessing a small umbrella would work just as fine if you really wanted to keep everything dry while shooting. plus, the lens could handle moisture more than the camera body itself, correct? seeing how all the electronics are in the body. im not talkin about a full on down pour but a few more drops than normal.

the lens also has a good bit of electronics, and also is a good entry point into your body for water. the worst ive taken my D80 into was poolside, down near the water and getting splashed by the incoming swimmers.

[SmartWombat]

im guessing a small umbrella would work just as fine if you really wanted to keep everything dry while shooting. plus, the lens could handle moisture more than the camera body itself, correct? seeing how all the electronics are in the body. im not talkin about a full on down pour but a few more drops than normal.

In my experience, no, and no.

Handling an umbrella and camera together is out.
Unless you can work the lens and the camera body and hold the umbrella with your third hand.

The electronics are in the body, but if your zoom lens barrel goes in and out, then water gets on the barrel when it's out, gets inside the lens as the barrel is shortened, and then the lens fogs up and you can't use it at all.
Regardless of the electronics, water and zoom lens* does not mix.

Even the 20D was well sealed enough not to fail in a rainstorm, but the 100-400 L IS lens was useless after zooming form 400mm to 100mm and back out to 400 just once.

If it's only light rain, I use a hand towel over the top of the lens and body.
Heavier than that and I'm usually wearing a poncho, so the camera and lens are protected under that.

For really serious weather I'd be wearing full waterproofs, and investing in an Aquatech cover for the camera and lens. Or some other brand that's similarly tailored to allow full use of the lens and camera.


*Unless you have something like the 70-200 L zoom lens where all the action is internal. The length of the lens does not change and it's very well weatherproofed.

[another view]

plus, the lens could handle moisture more than the camera body itself, correct?

No - the electronics were already mentioned but the glass shouldn't see moisture either. There's a nasty thing called lens fungus which can happen and it is not repairable. This isn't like green algae growing inside the lens, but a white haze that will etch the surfaces of the glass. If you take apart a lens that has this, it'll feel like someone took fine sandpaper to it. I got one that was way beyond hope with a package of stuff I bought years ago and was curious so I took it apart before throwing it out...

As Paul mentioned, push-pull zooms are really bad for this. Air (and therefore moisture) will be sucked in and out as the lens is zoomed. Well, really this will happen to some extent with any lens as it is zoomed and focused since the elements move within the lens barrel.

It's not like this stuff is incredibly fragile and I've never had a problem other than actually drowning a camera. I had exposed that camera to more rain than I was comfortable with at the time - several times - and not had a problem. Still, be as careful as you can.

[slayer7124]

thanks guy. yea im not going to be taking it out in a hurricane or anything of that nature, but when or if it does snow around here id like to head out. i'll bring my bag, or a plastic bag, or make a cover like other did just to be on the safe side.

[readingr]

I have a big black bin liner with a hole for the lens cut into the bottom which is taped to the lens hood. This is big enough to cover camera and lens and my head if I so wish and plenty of room for my hands to manipulate the lens and controls. I have a micro fibre towel for wiping the camera and lens down after use.

Roger