Your experiences with Rain covers for camera and lens?

[metalman1010]

We are needing to pick up covers to put on our gear when having to shoot in not so favorable weather (mainly rain).

I have 2 mk II camera bodies and this is mainly when we have our 300mm 2.8 lenses on them when shooting.

Anyone have a preference of which rain cover gear you use and why you chose it?

Thanks,
Ross

[Cathpah]

i gotta ask why you're worried about rain covers? the mkII is weatherproof....shouldn't need one anymore with that camera.

if you still decide you need one then check out the options from Storm Jacket and Kata (I believe the kata is something like E-702). Those are the two most popular options....with very different designs.

[pauldowker]

i use a couple of Tenba covers, one for the 300 and one for the 70-200.

they are rc-14 for the 70-200 and rc-18 for the 300.

they were reasonably priced from the states, but have a look at cameras underwater as they do some really good hard wearing covers, expensive though.

Paul

[metalman1010]

Yes I know that technically speaking the gear is supposed to be "waterproof".

Then why do I see pros sporting rain gear for there stuff?

I would rather pay for some extra protection to put over my gear because if I have to change a CF card in the middle of shooting in a rain storm I would rather do it having something covering my camera.

I did check into the Tenba covers that were suggested and think that might be what we are going to pick up.

I did also check out the Aquatech Sport shields that were on the Cameras Underwater webpage. Yes they are expensive but for that price they sure do protect everything you need and more!

Thanks for the help and if there are any other suggestions please send them my way.

Ross

[Jon]

The 1D models are weather-resistant, not waterproof. There's a difference.

I have two Kata E-702 rain covers for my gear in the rain.

[oldsquawk]

Frankly, I just cover my 1D MkII and 500mm lens with a large, heavy duty trash bag. Can't beat how compact the bag is when folded/crushed down. One always goes with me in one of the cargo pockets of my cargo pants and I will pull it out during rain and even dust storms.

Yes, the 1D MkII and the big Canon lenses are weather resitant. I've had my equipment out briefly during a light to moderate sprinkle with no problem. A friend of mine took his 1D MkIIn and 600mm lens out in a downpour to photograph some ducks in rain and he fried the 1D MkIIn. He, too, thought the 1D MkIIn was "weatherproof"! :( The weather sealed lenses, BTW, are better weather sealed than the camera bodies.

[JohnJ80]

storm jacket

http://www.stormjacket.com

J

[Palladium]

IMPO - I use the best AquaTech Storm Shields ;)

http://www.aquatech.com.au/

I wish I had a dollar for every person I recommended them to - it would pay for my Mark III

[PacAce]

The 1D models are weather-resistant, not waterproof. There's a difference.

I have two Kata E-702 rain covers for my gear in the rain.
I had a chance to use the E-702 and the companion lens cover (I forget the model number) during our osprey shoot trip in Maine last weekend and it worked like a champ. When it was raining hard enough, the camera body was protected inside the E-702 and the clear plastic cover allowed me to continue shooting.

And when the rain lightened up, I just unzipped the bottom of the E-702 and positioned the cover over the camera body so that the camera was still protected from the rain but the back of the camera was accessible so that it wasn't necessary to look through the clear plastic cover to use the viewfinder or view the LCD screen.

[HoRnYTuRbO]

+1 on kata covers

[Jon]

I had a chance to use the E-702 and the companion lens cover (I forget the model number) during our osprey shoot trip in Maine last weekend and it worked like a champ. When it was raining hard enough, the camera body was protected inside the E-702 and the clear plastic cover allowed me to continue shooting.

And when the rain lightened up, I just unzipped the bottom of the E-702 and positioned the cover over the camera body so that the camera was still protected from the rain but the back of the camera was accessible so that it wasn't necessary to look through the clear plastic cover to use the viewfinder or view the LCD screen.E-704 - assorted sleeves for assorted big and fat lenses, in conjunction with the E-702. If you don't have big lenses or plans for them, the E-690 rain cover will take your camera OK as well, for a little less, but it's not that much less and isn't expandable, so I'd still say get the E-702.

[DocFrankenstein]

1D series can and will die if you shoot long enough in the rain.

I haven't used it yet, looking forward to but there's the potn raincover. Seems cheap and effective, especially considering the price.

[MazerRakhm]

+1 Stormjacket as well.

[MueveloNYC]

I have the optech $6 rainsleeve. Simple, very portable, yet quite effective.