Shooting in the rain?

rutt

I've been noticing how beautiful it is when it rains here. I'd love to go out and shoot, but I'm afraid for my expensive 10D and lenses. I do have an underwater housing for my P&S, but the difference in image quality is huge and the point of the excercuse is to capture the beautiful soft light in the rain.

So, does anybody do this? Short of an underwater housing, are there any reasonable measures to protect the camera/lens? I've been thinking about an umbrella, but that seems to require an assistent which would place a lot of constraints on the excercise.

(There is always the drive-by-shooting approach, but that is also quite limiting.)

DoctorIt

How 'bout on a tripod with an umbrella in one hand?

I've taken some rain shots even without an umbrella (in not so driving rain). In days where the lens hood can keep drops off the front element, I've actually been out with my drebel and had plenty of drops get onto the camera. I know that was probably pushing it, but haven't had any problems. I think they're tougher little buggers than we might believe.

Matter of fact, that whole bicycle race I shot down in Somerville a few weeks ago, that was on/off rain all day. The 75-300 has a nice big hood, and when I wasn't actively shooting, I kinda hid the body underneath one arm.

HarveyMushman

Plastic bag.

pathfinder

rutt wrote:

I've been noticing how beautiful it is when it rains here. I'd love to go out and shoot, but I'm afraid for my expensive 10D and lenses. I do have an underwater housing for my P&S, but the difference in image quality is huge and the point of the excercuse is to capture the beautiful soft light in the rain.

So, does anybody do this? Short of an underwater housing, are there any reasonable measures to protect the camera/lens? I've been thinking about an umbrella, but that seems to require an assistent which would place a lot of constraints on the excercise.

(There is always the drive-by-shooting approach, but that is also quite limiting.)

I saw an add in the back of OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY for a raincoat for a camera and lens for use on tripod. Or use a zip lock freezer bag and a UV filter - or a trash bag. Galen Rowell in his book about the mental side of Outdoor Photography talked about using a leather chamois to dry off his lenses in the rain. Not sure I would go that far, but a freezer bag with the bottom cut out for manual access and a UV filter seems like a viable alternative. Carry an umbrella. I decided years ago that my camera can go anywhere I can go.

As you say, an underwater housing will work - I have a nice one for an F1 Canon - interested? I have not used it in years. I'll try to post some of my underwater pics sometime.

Andy

i shoot in the rain all the time ...

rutt wrote:

I've been noticing how beautiful it is when it rains here. I'd love to go out and shoot, but I'm afraid for my expensive 10D and lenses. I do have an underwater housing for my P&S, but the difference in image quality is huge and the point of the excercuse is to capture the beautiful soft light in the rain.

So, does anybody do this? Short of an underwater housing, are there any reasonable measures to protect the camera/lens? I've been thinking about an umbrella, but that seems to require an assistent which would place a lot of constraints on the excercise.

(There is always the drive-by-shooting approach, but that is also quite limiting.)

love the rain! i carry lots of different size plastic bags and rubber bands in my camera bag. and i've even modded a ziploc that works quite well:

click here to see how

here's an image i got with a baggie over my camera, on a tripod, secured by rubberbands:


incidentally, this photo will be up on the kodak times square jumbotron all day monday, april 26th, chosen as kodak potd....

and here's how the cover looks:



enjoy (shooting in the rain) photography :andy

rutt

andy wrote:

love the rain! i carry lots of different size plastic bags and rubber bands in my camera bag. and i've even modded a ziploc that works quite well:

enjoy (shooting in the rain) photography :andy

Great! Thanks, Andy. I knew someone would have this nailed.

wxwax

I've only tried once to shoot in the rain, in DC. I think I got some moisture in the lens - I had some wierd effects a day later. It's dried out now. My solution is to get a camera that's more weatherproof! At some point I'm gonna get a used 1D with L lenses - that package should be able to tolerate bad weather pretty well, plus a few baggies and a towel.

digismile

E-702 Elements Cover
Just read an ad in the May/June issue of Digital PhotoPro (pg. 22) f0r a rain cover from Kata Model E-702. Available from Adorama.com, bogenimaging.us
Looks interesting, but looks like you still might get some splash on the lens.

wxwax

That looks pretty nice. add a lens hood and you might be OK. But what that leaves out is the wind. If it's blowing towards the camera, you'll get drops on the lens unless you turn away. Might not hurt the camera, but will mess with the shot. I was shooting an interview last week in Homer, and the shot I wanted was not possible, because a light wind and a very light drizzle combined to continually spot my lens. I had to change my shot to something far less pleasing.