Think Tank Photo also makes rain covers. They are intended for unattended cameras (remotes), but might also be worth a look. They are set up to accomodate both a variety of lenses and a Pocket Wizard.
Doug
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
This past spring I worked with an Aquatech Professional cover for about four hours in a rain forest on Maui. For three of the four hours in a warm, yet steady, downpour I photographed with a Nikon D2X with the 17-55 lens. The Aquatech cover fit tight enough to actually USE the camera in the rain - the pouring rain. At the end of the assignment the camera was dry, I was soaked, but the camera - bone dry.
The difference is the Aquatech shells are articulated so they actually fit your camera and lens combination. These covers are well built and allow you to actually work in the rain. You can see the controls, change cards and work like a photographer should - in the rain. Most covers are designed to cover cameras on a tripod or be used in a stationary position. I hiked for about 2.5 hours up and down steep grades in the rain with the Aquatech. The other rain covers I own from reputable manufacturers fit more like a poncho or tarp.
Now, all this dryness at 85-90 degrees has it's downfall, so here's a tip, I used spray-on antiperspirant on my hand to keep it from sweating in side the cover. Aquatech covers also work well when it's dry, they make excellent dust barriers on dry windy days.
These covers are expensive, but if your really have to work, not just stand and take cover in the rain, spend the money and get a couple of Aquatechs. Your cameras will be dry and your repair budget will shrink!
Mike
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
I use a Lightware cover that fits up to a 600/f4. It works great and has nice velcro strips to keep it tight against the lens and camera while leaving a generous flap in the back for access to all camera controls. The only issue I have with my Lightware cover is when rotating the lens on a monopod from portrait to landscape and back...it's tight. For those of you using Aquatech, does their cover make it any easier to rotate the lens on a monopod?
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
I have the lightware cover as well as the Aquatech, and while they both provide some resistance when switching quickly from vertical to horizontal I found far less hassle with the Aquatech. I now use the lightware as a backup cover for the top of my camera case.
M
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
Used the Kata's in the Amazon rain Forrest for a tour done in April and they worked fine. Note however, while they keep the camera dry and you can shoot, it was raining pretty hard and I didn't get a frame that was worthwhile. After a few days, if I was in a downpour, I just put the camera in a bag!
__________________ Andrew Rodney
Author "Color Management for Photographers" http://www.digitaldog.net
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
I spent last summer on fishing boats and used an AquaTech cover. It fit nicely over my camera and lens. One hand went inside the bag to press shutter release, and I could adjust the zoom with the other hand from the outside of the bag. One thing you'll want to think about is how to clean the salt water from the front of your setup. The Aquatech leaves the front element of the lens exposed. Whatever setup you use, you'll end up shooting through something that gets sprayed with salt water (unless you're on a freshwater pond or lake of course). If you just wipe with a cloth, you'll smear salt all over the lens. What I ended up doing (based on the advice of someone on this board, I think) was to have two pieces of cloth in ziplock bags. One was moistened, the other dry. When the lens got wet, I would wipe it with the wet cloth, then dry with the dry one.
PS, AquaTechs are a bit hard to find - I got my through Calumet. I wasn't using it on a monopod, so I can't comment. I was using a 17-40 lens handheld.
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