Protections: Rain covers vs. silicon cases

I am finding myself more and more running under the weather with my Nikon D750. Wanted to pick your brains on the need to protect it from the elements.

 

I plan to have that camera for a long time to come, and hence shading $20-$40 on protecting it from the weather seems a worthy investment.

So,

question #1: Is it worthy investment ? Should I even be concerned with it ? Or can I just rely on the weather sealing of the camera ?

question #2: So, if I will go with the protection for the camera, should I get a silicon case for it? Or is it better to get a rain cover ? For either case, what are the options anyone can recommend ?

 

Thanks.

For the months of October and November last year I shot hundreds of rolls of 120 film in my Hasselblads in the Faroe Islands during what is arguably their most rainy and windy season. These were by far the most challenging conditions I have ever photographed in and if I did not have proper rain gear for me and my gear, I would have been totally out of luck.

 

I use a couple of Think Tank Emergency Rain covers for working in wet conditions as even with weather sealing, moisture can and will finally make it into the gear and fog it up, especially with external focus and or zoom lenses. The silicone cases are more for impact resistance, for moisture you need to block it out completely. The Think Tank line also has more feature driven covers (Hydraphobia) but I found I did fine with the much cheaper ones.

Have been caught out with Think Tank Cases a couple of times and the built in pull out rain cover saved the day. When going light, a gallon or two gallon heavy duty ziplock bag in a pocket works well.

Have been caught out with Think Tank Cases a couple of times and the built in pull out rain cover saved the day. When going light, a gallon or two gallon heavy duty ziplock bag in a pocket works well.

 

Good point about bags, I would whip one out and put it over the camera until I could break out the proper rain cover if I felt the need. Often times I could just wait it out and then remove the bag and get back to work.

As the old adage says: "Save for a rainy day". I have them but mostly unused. A shower cap is much lighter and easier to tuck into somewhere.

As the old adage says: "Save for a rainy day". I have them but mostly unused. A shower cap is much lighter and easier to tuck into somewhere.

 

But clearly that is for you and your specific case, right?

But clearly that is for you and your specific case, right?

Oh one definitely needs to prepare for expected horrific weather, especially if it's not a huge inconvenience to carry this extra accessory.

Thing is, I suppose some guys use shower caps, but I've never known one. Inconvenience or not, having prepared for adverse conditions is never a bad thing.

And "horrific" weather is relative, I consider rain / snow to be a wonderful thing. I consider fire to be horrific weather.

Thing is, I suppose some guys use shower caps, but I've never known one.

I had used it. :-)

I consider fire to be horrific weather.

Hmm...interesting. But a fire extinguisher would be heavier and bulkier than a camera lens.;)

I have a few rain covers (one by Nikon for covering a large lens, and another by Kata) and I always keep one in my car but I rarely get to use them in practice. On the other hand, plastic bags that I can wrap around the camera and lens take much less space and in some ways are less clumsy, I use fairly regularly. They are suitable for light rain I guess. If it is only very light rain or snow then I often end up the equipment being subjected to it, but I've never had equipment failure due to this.

 

I agree rain and snow can be great effects so prepare to shoot in those conditions and enjoy the results.

Sorry, I haven't really understood the rain covering thing yet. - I mean practically, with a way to integrate it into my life.

If a camera isn't declared to be made for swimming and low effort snorkeling, it is not(!) "weather protected" period. Of course there is a gray zone for going happy go lucky at your own risk.

The problematic thing are the transitions. In good wether, I hang myself with cameras, stroll around, shoot. In bad weather I could park a car, remove camera straps, stuff SLR / MILC into lenshood attached plastic bags, get out, take 3 shots, come back. But how could I carry the camera or two of them all day long? Getting camera strap out of the bags is problematic. Same about suddenly needing a tripod, if you weren't wise enough to bolt your plastic bags down with your QR plate.

I own some cheapo raincover thing for camera on tripod. Surely handy formrecording moist stage performances or such but nothing to walk around with. Also: how to set up and break down gear, while it is still raining cats and dogs and you are commuting on a bike?

 

In light rain I am wearing cameras under my rain coat and should probably pocket a small towel or such.

Why is there no Nikonos D? :(

My old Nikkormat film cameras would shoot all day in the rain with only modest (umbrella and poncho) protection. On the other hand, they would quit a week later.

 

Have you ever tried to find a Nikon repair station on a Sunday in Caracas, Venezuela?

 

I think if you're going to do much of this sort of thing, a compact waterproof camera is a good addition to the kit.

But how could I carry the camera or two of them all day long?

 

I use this to carry my camera, but I have not tried it in the rain

 

LINK CCS G3 Grey Harness For 2 Cameras - Cotton - Camera Carrying System (cottoncarrier.com)

 

That little bag hanging off the left side is supposed to be a rain protector. Your plastic bag with another hole cut for the hub attachment and sealed around the attachment with a rubber band, should work.

 

BTW, from time to time during the year, the Cotton Carrier line is heavily discounted. I purchased mine from BH during the Holiday Season a few years ago.

 

Long ago, my mother taught us kids to "come in out of the rain". ;) My mother was a wise woman.

Long ago, my mother taught us kids to "come in out of the rain". ;) My mother was a wise woman.

Wise indeed when shooting in rain is an avoidable option. I was shooting the Stonehenge in rain because I didn't know when I would be there again. I had a waterproof jacket and used a big piece of microfiber towel to wipe the lens. It was drenched toward the end. Another time was in Iceland shooting a waterfall. Water and/or rain kept coming toward the camera as it was extremely windy; the tripod could hardly stand still. Oh well, no rain gear either. The camera equipment were not damaged. That said, I do remember that, a long time ago when I was shooting film at the Niagara Falls, the mist damaged an N80. There was no rain, just moisture from the mist.

My Lowepro large shoulder bag and backpack have built-in permanent fabric rain covers that work well. I am rarely out shooting in the rain except when traveling when the tour schedule places me in a rainy location that I may never see again. I carry , buried in shoulder or back bag , the cheap, disposable($3-4 each) Op-Tech USA plastic camera covers which protect camera &lens from rain/snow. I can have the plastic cover in place over camera &lens, with a shielded hole in the rear to focus through. I was i n Norway at the top end of the Geiranger Fjord, waterfalls around me, rain pouring down. With a brimmed hat, waterproof parka, and covered camera I continued to shoot my D810 and had no problems then or later. Whenever I got to a dry covered area, and had a few minutes, I pulled the camera out and wiped off with a dry cloth from bag, which helped.

In dusty and wet and sometimes humid conditions I use rain covers made by Peak Design or Think Tank or other brands as long as they fit properly and are well made.

 

Shell

 

Joe

I use rain covers made by Peak Design

Peak designs look good - looking simple and easy. Thanks. I had the others - can't remember what brand names - that excel at encouraging people to keep them unused and spanking new. ;)

Edited January 9, 2022 by Mary Doo

. In a pinch, just grab one from the hotel.

Read a bit more about the Peak Design. Broke down and ordered one for my upcoming winter brrr trip to Vermont, as it nicely covers the camera and lens as it hangs from the shoulder. Thanks Joseph.

 

Out of 60 days on location in the Faroe Islands, 43 were rainy to very rainy, often with 15-30mph winds that did wonders for mixing salt air with the rain. Among things like medium sized plastic bags, the rain cover and 3-4 terry cloth hand towels, I also carried a black shower cap. The shower cap did two things, it was a very fast deployable cover in using shorter glass for when I was getting the dedicated rain cover out and it also served as a light block for when there was direct light hitting the dark slide side of the film magazine during long exposures.

 

But by far the best piece of rain gear I had for my camera was the dedicated rain cover. My Hasselblad lived in it, I was able to swap film backs under it and just keep on working. In my opinion, if you feel a dedicated camera rain cover is too much of a pain in the rear to use...then you ain't truly working in the conditions that it is made for.

For modest, light rain and drizzle, I've resorted to the absorb rather than deflect method.

 

A thick cotton short-sleeved T-shirt with the lens down an arm/sleeve 'tube' with the rest of the fabric kinda rucked up around the tripod head and body.

 

For heavy, persistent rain, no, but for nuisance drizzle etc if works well enough. It's possible to make a 'tunnel' to view the back screen in LV too.

 

Lens hoods are an important part of keeping drops off the front element/protective filter. Sometimes I think the depth of a hood is compromised by the need for reverse storage etc.

I used to use plastic bags. They were CHEAP. But were not easy to configure, with rubber bands and masking tape.

After using a camera "raincoat" I switched. The "raincoat" was easier to setup around the camera than the plastic bag, and easier to use.

I still carry plastic bags to cover/put my bag and gear into. And as was mentioned, it is faster to yank the plastic bag out of my pocket and cover the camera, than to put the camera into a "raincoat."

One thing that I learned, thankfully not the hard way, was that when shutting down, I had to be careful how I removed the "raincoat." A lot of water ends up on the raincoat, and has to be drained off before removing the raincoat, or that water could drain onto the camera.

B&H is crazy efficient, the Peak Design shells have arrived and I had to squeeze the Z7ii into the medium and an Olympus M43 into the small size. It definitely looks better than having the camera in a shower cap, plastic grocery bag or a meat-packing-zip-lock bag. However, I will need to explore how functional (or not) this setup really is. For now it looks like one can more conveniently shoot with a transparent shower cap or zip-lock bag, without exposing the camera and lens to the elements.

 

Edited January 11, 2022 by Mary Doo