any commerical camera rain gear recommendations?

davidweaver

Many of us know about the ziploc and hefty bag tricks, but what if I'm in the rain all day and have to shoot in it? I carry a hefty bag in my kit but what about the products that are made for shooting (working) in the rain? My bag has a built in waterproof cover, I keep a foul weather jacket in my car, what about my camera?

Does anyone have any experience with these products?

Aqua Tech? Storm Jacket?

gryphonslair99

Take your pick. Top of the line and very reliable.

http://www.aquatech.com.au/c--47--sportshieldprofessionalseries.aspx

For you.

http://www.aquatech.com.au/c--59--fieldjacket.aspx

jww

I like aquatech and have an SS 300 and SS 600 that have performed flawlessly in rain and heavy downpours for hours.

I almost got the jacket, but found that it fit a bit weird.

Art Scott

No experience with any of the commerical jackets....I still rely on trash bags and my Motorcycle rain gear for me.

jww

Even thought I have the aquatech stuff, I also have trash bags, zip lock bags, and sometimes a tarp. The commercial stuff is great, but trash bags or a tarp can be a lifesaver if a shower pops up.

fwiw - Aquatech stuff doesn't go on instantly like a tarp or a trash bag. It can actually be a hassle if you are new to using it.. If I think it is going to rain later in the day, I usually will leave it off till later, but go ahead and attach the eye pieces earlier. If I know it is raining before I get to the event for example, I have everything on and ready to go that morning or put it all on the night before.

gryphonslair99

Same here. I always have a package of these in the bag and a package in the vest.

http://www.optechusa.com/product/detail/?PRODUCT_ID=73&PRODUCT_SUB_ID=&CATEGORY_ID=8

davidweaver

Those are good. I bouht one and used it in a pinch, its still a bit limiting and it's not very reuseable. What I'm looking for is something that I would use for 3-6 hours in a continuous rain. I'm planning for Austin City Limits. A downpour would probable delay a performance but a constant mild rain would not.

Of course, once I buy something it will not rain during the event. But if I don't buy something then it will pour. :-)

gryphonslair99 wrote:

Same here. I always have a package of these in the bag and a package in the vest.

http://www.optechusa.com/product/detail/?PRODUCT_ID=73&PRODUCT_SUB_ID=&CATEGORY_ID=8

Howard Barlow

I have a couple of Katas. Not as pricey as the Aquatech, but work well. In below freezing and snow, the clear plastic stays soft and pliable.

Photoskipper

Check on this one, looks nice but vvvvvvvvvvvvery expensive

http://www.gitzo.com/Jahia/site/gitzo/cache/offonce/pid/17148;jsessionid=144856AA7E5DC154E087941F8A84058D.worker3

davidweaver

It's got GITZO in the URL. It had to be expensive. I have a very roomy foul weather jacket that will accommodate my hip bag (Think Tank Speed Racer)

I'm looking hard at the aquatech gear now.

Photoskipper wrote:

Check on this one, looks nice but vvvvvvvvvvvvery expensive

http://www.gitzo.com/Jahia/site/gitzo/cache/offonce/pid/17148;jsessionid=144856AA7E5DC154E087941F8A84058D.worker3

rpcrowe

I just returned from ten days on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula
All the folks there said that this was the coldest and wettest Summer ever and I believe them. There was only one day without rain.

I misplaced my OPTECH Rainsleeves and didn't notice it until the day of my departure. Calumet Photo in Escondido, CA had no Rainsleeves in stock. In fact the only still camera rain cover they had was the Kata E-302. So I settled for the Kata E-302 Raincover on my 40D with the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens. I would have preferred the Kata E-702 because it would have fit the lens better but, none was available so I settled for the E-302 and supplemented it with some Saran Wrap for the lens.

I was also able to purchase a pair of OPTECH Rainsleeves at an Anchorage camera store.

Between the Kata for my 17-55mm lens and a Rainsleeve for my 70-200mm on a 30D; the combination worked great. The weather was so bad that I hardly ever used my 300mm f/4L IS lens because you couldn't see far enough most of the time.

The Kata is a lot more substantial than the Rainsleeves but, the Rainsleeves do the job very well and at about $3.50 each can be considered expendable.