milton-chris Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Well, now that winter has arrived in Southern Ontario, it struck me that being out in the snow with my camera for 5 or 6 hours on a Sunday prolly is not a good idea without some sort of protection for it. I've looked around and come across this item: http://www.adorama.com/VDVMSJSMY.html - kind of a yellow mac with a lens window and right in my price range. I did some searching on photo.net and didn't come up with much else, however, I am a lousy user of search engines. I see so many discussions of shoots in the winter wilderness, rainforest, etc. - surely those folks must use something to protect their camera? What do you all recommend? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leopoldstotch Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Hmm...the price seems a bit high for something you won't use unless we have a storm like yesterday's. If you live in or near Toronto, check out mountain co-op (You have to be a member there). They have plenty of waterproofing solutions. I don't know if they have anything camera-specific, but it may be worth a look. I personally just use a plastic bag, cut a tiny hole in it, slip it over the lens, and put a lens hood overtop to make a seal. Cheap but effective, and it allows me to shoot in heavy rain. I think on a day like today, the extreme cold would be more of a concern than snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milton-chris Posted January 16, 2007 Author Share Posted January 16, 2007 Thanks Leopold - I'm in Milton, just on the 401 15 minutes west of the Airport and am a member of Mountain Eqpt Co-Op so I'll check there. As an afterthought, it was 9F in my yard today - are there specific things, other than carrying a couple of extra batteries, that should be considered? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leopoldstotch Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Yes, extra batteries are a must in cold weather, as well as keeping the camera dry (Don't want any condensation frezing). Also keeps it attached to your body for warmth if you're using it for extended periods of time. From experience, Leaving a digicam unattended in a car for 8 hours in -20 degree weather will screw it up, so always have it with on you. And yes, I'm quite familiar with Milton, I work for the official photographer at the annual Milton Triathlon in june at kelso lake. On that note..it always is colder in Milton, so just keep fresh batteries, and keep the camera warm & dry and you should be fine. If you're really bored one day, set up your XTi on the 401, mount it on a tripod, wear all-black, and watch the cars slow down. Just remember to run if the real OPP show up:) ...I have to stop these run-on answers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobatkins Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Tenba make a series of rainhoods for lenses and cameras. I wrote a short article on weatherproof lenses and hoods at http://www.lensplay.com/lenses/lens_weathersealed.html that you might want to look at. You probably want to avoid anything with any kind of plastic window that you have to shoot through unless you're actually going underwater, since it will distort the image somewhat. The really cheap route is a clear plastic garbage bag or even a showercap! Using a lens hood on the lens both protects the front element from the weather and gives you something to wrap the rainhood around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_roche Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Check out the XTi spec page on Adorama's web site. Scroll down the accessories list on the right side of the page and look for "Camera Armor Protection System" (about halfway down). It's not available yet, but it might be just what you need. Not sure if it would accomodate a long zoom though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeh Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Try this one, http://www.stormjacket.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogbert Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Storm covers are most use for sports/wildlife photographers who have to sit out in the weather for hours with the camera to take photos regardless of conditions. Unless you want to specifically take pictures while its raining/snowing, you are better off just keeping the camera in a weather proof camera bag/pack and pulling it out as needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_feldman1 Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 There are a lot of threads about this, including some ingenious solutions, in the Everything Else forum. My favorite is using a backpackers poncho with the face hole wrapped around the lens. Brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lester_wareham Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 There are a lot of expensive products out there but I just use a plastic bag with a hole, secure with rubber bands and or the lens hood. Very compact and cheap. I have seen pro photogs snapping celebs in the rain using a well known supermarket plastic bag as a rain hood. Its an old trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crabseye Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 The Adorama item is certainly more fashion-forward than the disposable shower caps I use. Nice and transparent. Walmart, 50-pack for a couple of greenbacks. This is an upgrade from my former protection, grocery store produce bags. They are somewhat translucent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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