Need suggestions on how to protect Hassy in rain

[david_morein]

Some nice storms have been coming in to the West Coast, and

I'm looking for ideas on how to shoot in the rain.

I have a Hassy with a waist-level finder which can't possibly

be water-resistant. Has anybody come up with a solution for this kind

of problem?

[frdchang]

i use an umbrella,

 

if its raining very hard,

 

i still use an umbrella,

 

i tried the modified trash bag method... its not very good.

 

so the umbrella is best, unless you get some custom plastic enclosure... (if you find one, email me the info, but only if its less than 200 dollars);; of course i'm in a raincoat since the sole purpose of the umbrella is to protect the camera and not myself.

 

my hasselblad gets wet all the time, (not soaked, just a bit wet), and i let it dry the minute i come home.

 

of course this will probably shorten the lifespan of my camera (realistically this probably means i can't pass a fully working camera on to my great great grand children), but hey, you can always

 

a) repair it

b) get a new one

 

::another note::

make sure you get a lens hood, and avoid wide angle lens (the longer lens hood on short telephotos and on provide extra protection from the rain)

[ed_nazarko]

It's the best solution for all the cameras I have, other than TLRs. I tighten the drawstring around the lens and tie it; cut open the other end of the bag, and put hands and face inside. There's plenty of slack in the bag for moving around, the drawstring keeps it snug to the camera, leaving the part that really matters (front of the lens) exposed. Even in high wind (I've shot in Oregon coast storms this way) you don't have a problem unless you get the wind behind the camera, which'll invert the bag, just like it inverts an umbrella.

 

And on the rare dry sunny days, the white bags make a moderately effective fill reflector.

[q.g._de_bakker]

I just use the simple but highly effective route. No modifications, no trouble with wind, etc.<br>Just put the camera inside a transparant plastic bag. Fold the open end around the lens hood, and keep it in place with elastic bands.<br>Sure, you can't see as well through the plastic as through a hole. But well enough, so why build-in leaks? And operating the thing through the plastic may not be as easy as having your hands inside the bag. But it works, so, again, why add holes?<br>

[johnmarkpainter]

My 'storm camera' is a Pentax K1000! I leave the Hassy at home.

 

jmp

[tony_estcourt]

Elasticated shower cap, available for nothing from most good hotel rooms. It's just the right size to fit over the camera during showers. I also find a quick release plate for the tripod is handy in wet weather, I can leave the tripod in position and stow the camera whilst I take shelter.

[stephen hazelton]

So, John, how should I protect my Pentax K1000 from rain????

 

Actually, the few times I do venture out in rain, I use the umbrella technique. And if it's just totally pouring down, I stay inside.

 

You might also try an open car window, depending on which way the wind is blowing.

[william_linzenmeyer]

Another option that is better suited for setting up for a longer shoot is using a hunting blind. They are a tent type setup that usually has small windows in all directions. Most are light, small, quick to assemble and many come in a carry bag or back pack. They usually don't have floors in them. If you need to move a short distance you just pick it up and move it fully assembled. They are available in hunting catalogs like Cabela's or hunting stores. Cabela's has "Outhouse" and "Doghouse" models that are well suited and cost $60.00- $75.00 They are also great for wildlife photography to mask movement.

I hope this is helpful. Bill

[diegobuono]

I use a plastic bag with an hole for thel lens, I fix it to the lens with a UV filter (so the front element is protected from drop water), this way the filter could be hard to screw but you can bend the metal clip of the filter bayonet to loosen it. I recommend to use a hood too for better protection. You can operate under the bag; after composing and focused close the WLF to protect the screen from water (look at my previous post http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=003Rs8).

[david_morein]

These all sound like good ideas.

 

 

The shot I want to get is with a Distagon 40mm of the waves

coming in to the cliffs north of the Santa Cruz light house.

 

I drove by the other day, and just stared in awe at the sight,

hope another storm comes in this season.

 

The most challenging part of this is that the lenshood for

the 40 is not much more than a filter ring.

 

The K1000 idea would work, but I can't live with such a small

negative of such a glorious sight.

 

If a Pentax 67 outfit (w/45mm lens) was as cheap as a K1000,

I would acquire such an item.

 

The umbrella (perhaps clamped to a tripod) would work, except

that I don't have a decent umbrella. But it is something that

I'm going to have to investigate. How does one clamp an

umbrella to a tripod? In the past, I have clamped lighting

gear to my tripod legs with special clamps, so there has to

be some way to clamp to an umbrella. It sounds like the umbrella

has to have a wooden/plastic handle with a long straight section

on the grip.

 

The white kitchen bag idea sounds excellent, but more suited

to a camera with a prism and a grip, since it allows/requires

access from the back.

 

The camping blind idea actually sounds very interesting,

I shall have to investigate it for the future. What kind

of wind can these camping blinds take? Would they have to

be staked down?

 

The car idea won't work, because I can't get to the right

position on the cliff by car.

 

The elasticated shower cap is something that I'm going to

have to investigate, because I never knew that shower caps

were big enough to cover a Hasselblad!

 

Just because I'm short of time, I'm going to try the plastic

bag/rubber band idea. I can pre-focus the lens at infinity,

so all I need to look through the finder for is composition.

 

Thanks all, I'll report back when I have an opportunity to

try this out.

[terence_m.]

I second (third?) the clear shower cap. Although it distorts the viewfinder image a bit,it doesn't sound like you're doing any critical/close focusing. I use it on a Rolleicord all the time. Should be plenty of room for a Hasselblad as they're almost too baggy for the 'cord.

[william_linzenmeyer]

In response to your question about wind. These blinds should come with some stakes. This will be handy on some locations but not on others. If you can't stake it you might be able to hang some kind of weight on the inside in the center? Good luck ;-)

 

Bill

[diegobuono]

David,

don't clamp the umbrella to the tripod, tha umbrella has a big surface that will catch every breath of wind (imagine on a storm) trasmitting vibration to the tripod and thus to the camera. Use it with your hands and use it to save the camera from rain but from wind too.