Advice on carrying camera

[keith_plechaty]

<p>I've decided to ditch all my camera bags and just use a black rapid strap to carry my EOS 30D along with one additional lens that I was thinking of putting on my belt loop inside of a thinktank skins lens holder. My question is, what happens if it starts raining? What do people normally do in that case? How would you protect your camera? Do you carry around an additional little case for the camera too?<br>

Thanks for the help!</p>

[rnt]

<p>If you're going to hang things on your belt you could consider a camera holster- but that's almost a bag. You can get camera/lens 'raincoats' for protection- disposable ones are pretty cheap and come in a small plastic envelope. You can also shoot with these on the camera.</p>

[BrianS1664879711]

<p>I generally don't carry a bag and if it starts raining, or blowing sand, etc I just open my jacket and put the camera inside as best it will fit.</p>

[noreen]

<p>When I am out with my camera but not my backpack and there is a chance of rain, I keep a rain sleeve of appropriate size handy in my pocket or in a belt pouch that I tend to wear. I'd also have a rain jacket with me; in the event of a downpour, I put my D300 (still in the rain sleeve) under my jacket, tucked under my arm. But if I think it's really going to rain (as it sometimes does in the tropics where I've been traveling lately), I don't leave my backpack behind.</p>

[waltflanagan]

<p>I have a camera bag and keep a ziploc bag in the camera bag. If it starts to rain all the gear goes into that. If it's good enough to store liquid food in it's good enough to keep the rain out.</p>

[john_macpherson]

<p>Yes as Walt says - stick the lens/camera/whatever in a poly bag (inside the belt pouch). I live in a wet place and it works for me.</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>I don't think I've ever had occasion to walk around with just the camera and maybe one spare lens and nothing to put it in. At one extreme, I'm going somewhere specifically to shoot, and I'm going to need anything from filters to flash to multiple lenses etc so I'm carrying a full camera bag at least. On the other end, maybe trying to travel light on vacation, I might carry one body and my 24-200 "vacation" zoom. But in that case my wife or kids or I always have a backpack or bag of some kind with us. Working in Washington, D.C., and having traveled around a number of other big cities, I don't advocate walking down the street with a DSLR casually slung over your shoulder screaming "steal me." I see that done all the time by tourists, and can't imagine more of them aren't seeing the strapped cut and the camera gone just like a purse snatching. Whether it's on my way to shoot a job or on vacation taking snapshots, the camera stays packed away -- but easily accessible -- until there's something to shoot, or I'm at least in the watching-for-photos mode.</p>

[noreen]

<p>Those Ziploc bags can be life (well, camera) savers. I keep a small assortment of sizes, including one large enough for my DSLR and 70-300 lens, in my backpack, which is not entirely waterproof in a truly drenching rain.</p>

[DickArnold]

I shoot some venues like airshows where bags are not allowed. In an airshow I carry a body, a 100-400 in its Canon lens case with a strap over my shoulder, and a 24-105 on the camera. I stuff a plastic garbage bag in my back pocket to cover the camera if it rains with either of the two lenses on the camera and the other in the case. It' big enough. I also carry extra cards and at least one battery in my pocket. Otherwise when allowed I carry stuff in a back pack where I have to walk around a lot. I have for over twenty years always had a big green garbage bag in my camera bag or back pack. I just shot a swim meet in the pouring rain. There was some cover but I stepped out and took pictures. I took a new Tenba camera bag with me. It came with a rain cover. Every thing stayed dry except when I stepped out to shoot where I made sure the camera did not get too wet. I shoot a lot of swim meets and I use a clear or UV filter to keep water off the the lens. I have deck access and get splashed a lot.

[SCL]

<p>If it looks like rain, or I am anticipating rain, in cool weather I just put stuff inside my (waterproof) jacket. In warm weather I usually either have a waterproof fanny pack, backpack, or plastic/vinyl raincoat.</p>

[john_macpherson]

<p>A useful thing is an elasticated clear plastic shower cap - available free in a motel near you.</p>

[lachaine]

<p>If I just go out with the camera and nothing else, I put a used plastic grocery bag in my pocket. If it starts raining, I cover the camera with it.</p>

[lauren_macintosh]

<p>I always have plastic grocery plastic bag in my pocket then I just un-crumple it and use it no weight to it at all.</p>

[craig_gillette]

<p>+1 on the plastic bags. Even when carrying rain wear, camera bags, etc. Nothing like several inches of 20% possibility of thunderstorms to show up leaky zippers and seam seals, etc.</p>

 

[JDMvW]

<p>Make sure you know whether your state laws allow open carry and whether you can carry them concealed without a permit. ;)</p>

<p>You can also buy tiny packets that have a complete thin plastic rain coat in them. They are very compact, even more than the grocery or other plastic bags. They are single use items and usually very cheap.</p>