Photography in the Rain - ideas on the cheap?

[holmburgers]

Hey guys,

So I'm going camping this weekend and the forecast looks like rain, rain, rain. That's ok I guess... just have to look back to Woodstock to know that it can still be fun. (I was there y'know!)

Anyways, it's a bluegrass festival, and I know there'll be some great pictures and I don't want the prospect of wet gear to stop me from shooting.

Any tips or tricks for "weatherizing" my Canon 35mm gear? I'm thinking about throwing on one of my beater lenses and putting it in a ziplock with a hole. But something more sophisticated would be good. Plastic, tape and whatever else I might have around the house are my tools. No time to go buy something designed for this.

Whaddya think?

[Lee L]

google "diy camera raincoat" and "diy camera rain cover"

(since we're international and multilingual: DIY = do it yourself)

Lee

[Jeff Kubach]

Sounds like you are on the right track!

Jeff

[Andrew Moxom]

I use a large 1 gallon ziploc for my hasselblad when I am going to likely face some rain. I make a small cut a little short of the lens diameter, then push the front of the lens through. I then attach my lens hood over it...

I then make another small slit for the prism viewfinder, and slip the rear of the bag with the slit over the eyepiece... you can then still access every from underneath, winding film, changing film backs, focus, aperture, shutter speed... The biggest hurdle is not being able to change lenses, so choose once!

[jeffreyg]

I've never tried it but what about rigging something with Saran wrap and a lens shade. Take a large umbrella and someone willing to hold it.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

[hpulley]

Canon 1V (1N to a lessor extent) with a sealed L lens is reasonably weather proof already. There are made for purpose camera plastic covers as well.

[vpwphoto]

Nikonos or plastic camera rain coat. To make one out of any plastic bag that fits a lens hood is nice to tape or rubber band the opening to. We made them that way all the time for photographing fall football games. Some would make one large enough for their head to fit under to.

[holmburgers]

I'm really liking the idea of a large ziplock or trashbag, and a small hole rubberbanded around the UV filter.

[Henry Halifax]

I use a clear shower cap on my SLR. They cost literally next to nothing and can wrap around a camera and lens. They come with a rubberband.

[mablo]

I use a Nikon FM. No need for rain cover.