diy ideas on how to protect camera from rain?

[cheeseheadsaint]

Hey y'all! So next week I'll be shooting a tournament outdoors. It is likely it will rain but I still need to shoot. I'd be using my rebel XSi and 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. The latter is weatherproof -so I don't need to worry about covering my lens right? but I can't say the same for my rebel.

Any ideas on making a makeshift dslr rain cover?

[Rattlesnake]

I've seen several photographers using this sort of thing at outdoor events in overly bright sunshine or bad weather.

[AJ]

Can you set up a tarp at the sideline, e.g.
http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Tents/LightShelters/PRD~5000-629/integral-designs-siltarp-2-tarp.jsp

I'm sure your local hunting/camping store will be able to find a solution.

[that1guyy]

I have done this when in light rain. If it is pouring out it probably won't work:

Get a simple plastic bag, small, mid, or large sized bag depending on lens you want to use. Using scissors or similar create a hole in the bag on the bottom of it large enough for your lens. Be careful not to make it too big. Put camera in the bag, facing the hole. Do not poke your lens outside the bag. Use a rubber band outside the bag where the lens is so the lens and bag are close and tight. If you do it right, the camera should be completely protected and you should still be able to access the controls and use manual focus if necessary. AF works fine as well.
It works for me, make sure you keep a few extra "pre-cut" bags with you and some rubberbands as well. You can wrap a paper towel around the lens with another rubberband if you want extra protection.

[LetTheRightLensIn]

Hey y'all! So next week I'll be shooting a tournament outdoors. It is likely it will rain but I still need to shoot. I'd be using my rebel XSi and 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. The latter is weatherproof -so I don't need to worry about covering my lens right? but I can't say the same for my rebel.

Any ideas on making a makeshift dslr rain cover?

garbage bag

[cleon]

Some alternatives:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261097100209?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Waterproof-camera-rain-cover-for-Canon-Nikon-Sony-DLSR-/251172471845?pt=UK_Camera_Cases_Bags_Covers&hash=item3a7b0bc425

Or

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2047675.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0&_nkw=rain+cover+Canon&_sacat=0&_from=R40

[The Bad Duck]

I took a plastic bag, made a hole in it that fit to put the lens (70-200 /4) through, and kept the rest over the body, a 30d. Pouring rain fot two hours while I photographed puffins. Worked perfectly but it felt strange to pull the bag over my head to get to the body. Like an old time camera. But hey whatever works...

[Old Sarge]

I have done the DIY thing using the plastic bag from an ice bucket at the motel while visiting Niagara Falls and it worked alright.  Since then I have used http://optechusa.com/rainsleeve.html and keep one or two in my bag all the time.  Used it last year while shooting pictures of a grizzly at Yellowstone while it was drizzling rain and it worked really well.  Inexpensive also.

[motorhead]

Years ago I spent a very wet weekend shooting MotoGP and simply used a large clear plastic bag, taped the lens hood to it so that the front of the  lens was exposed and my hands and the camera where protected. It worked extremely well, better than I ever imagined it would.

And trust me, it was bucketing down, as it can only in a typical UK Summer!

[Don Haines]

Are you acting in an official capacity? If so, set up one of those four legged sun/rain shelters and shoot from there.

Be prepared to "rope it off" with yellow plastic marker tape or you will get crowded out of it by others. Also, wear one of those safety vests, you are a lot less likely to get bumped or crowded if you look official.

Plastic bags and tape do wonders.... Don't forget your lens hood! A small backpack with attached umbrella works as long as there is no wind.

[Doug Brock]

I know you said "diy," but the Op/Tech RainSleeves are so cheap, I'm not sure it is worth bothering to make another solution. I have used them at rainy events and they have worked fine. At one football game, _I_ was thoroughly drenched despite a poncho, but my camera and lens stayed dry and I got lots of good pictures. Everybody else either put their cameras away or were trying to shoot under an umbrella. I keep a RainSleeve in my camera bag just in case. They are sturdy enough that I am still using my first one (and the second from the packet is in another camera bag). (Even though my 70-200 is "weather resistant," I cover it anyway.)

http://www.outdoorphotogear.com/store/op-tech-rainsleeve-18.html

[RGF]

Trash bag with rubber bands around the lens opening ( cut a small hole)

On the camera end have the large opening so you can access as needed.  Gives basic access and is very low cost and low tech

[ChilledXpress]

I have done this when in light rain. If it is pouring out it probably won't work:

Get a simple plastic bag, small, mid, or large sized bag depending on lens you want to use. Using scissors or similar create a hole in the bag on the bottom of it large enough for your lens. Be careful not to make it too big. Put camera in the bag, facing the hole. Do not poke your lens outside the bag. Use a rubber band outside the bag where the lens is so the lens and bag are close and tight. If you do it right, the camera should be completely protected and you should still be able to access the controls and use manual focus if necessary. AF works fine as well.
It works for me, make sure you keep a few extra "pre-cut" bags with you and some rubberbands as well. You can wrap a paper towel around the lens with another rubberband if you want extra protection.

Could you better describe the hole you cut?!?! Did you take any measurements? Where did you source this "plastic bag"? Bands of rubber, not sure what these are?!?!? What type of scissors? I am left handed, do they make these left handed? Could you post a DIY video and a mini-review?

[dafrank]

Hey y'all! So next week I'll be shooting a tournament outdoors. It is likely it will rain but I still need to shoot. I'd be using my rebel XSi and 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. The latter is weatherproof -so I don't need to worry about covering my lens right? but I can't say the same for my rebel.

Any ideas on making a makeshift dslr rain cover?

I've quite frequently gone the plastic bag route and have never needed any commercial solution; it isn't elegant or pretty, won't allow you to appear very cool, but it just plain works.

Let me add a little more information about how to best do it. This may seem blindingly obvious, but always use a clear plastic bag, just barely big enough to contain your biggest useable lens and your hands inside the bag, with room for the bag to drape pretty far down past the bottom of the camera with your hands inside. The clear bag will allow you to see the controls and LCD display. Besides the hole for the lens, you can also create a smaller whole for the eyepiece and gaffer tape around it, and you may want to add a light UV filter to the lens and rubber band the bag to the end of the lens, over the filter, rather than at the base of the lens as has already been suggested; there's no sense tempting fate, even with a "water resistant" (not waterproof), lens in use like the 70-200.

That's about it, except to repeat the advice of others on bringing one or two backups for all the materials you use for this, in case of an unanticipated problem, and to bring a dry terrycloth towel stuffed inside your personal raingear to dry anything that does get wet. Plan ahead!

Regards,
David

[nebugeater]

Some of you are unbeleiveable.  Guy asks an question and gets it given too him because he "should already know" 

Maybe he is new to the hobby, never shot in wet conditions before, has a lot of $$ for what he wants to affored tied up in Equip and wants to protect it and just wants a little friendly advice on what work best for others. 

What happened to giving some friendly advice like only a few seem to be able to do any more.