Do I need weather protection???

Saturday it was raining hard most of the day. Could I still venture forth with a Canon Mark III and a 600mm IS lens, or do I risk damage? Given the dollar investment I was afraid to do it.

If there is a risk how does one avoid it and still shoot in inclement weather?

thanks in advance,

Peter

I would not shoot in steady rain without (1) an umbrella clamped above the camera and lens--assuming it isn't too windy, or (2) one of the rain jackets made for big lenses. Actually, with the rain jacket, I'd use two, as one isn't enough to cover both the lens and camera. Use one to cover the lens from the hood back to the tripod foot, the other to go from the tripod foot back over the camera.

I agree with Cliff. I make my own lens/camera foul weather sleeves out of pants legs of camo PVC raingear. Cheap, waterproof, camo, weigh nothing and fold up to the size of a deck of cards.

I agree with the previous responses that it is always best to protect the equipment as much as possible, and I do that to the best of my abilities. Having said that, I went on a trip to Iceland last year and for 3 weeks subjected my 1Ds Mark II and various L lenses to constant rain and mist from innumerable waterfalls. As much as I tried to cover everything up (including umbrella or rain coat), everything got wet constantly and I had no problems throughout the trip. The "weatherproofing" on the upper level Canon equipment does work rather well in my opinion. If I was going to consistently be out in the rain I would buy one of the rain sleeves available on the market. Umbrellas are a little too bulky/awkward unless you have another person to hold it for you, even the clip on ones IMO.

Several people I encountered along the way with less than "professional" SLR's or point and shoots did have problems. My brother's Minolta A200 quit working once near a waterfall when a sudden gust of wind blew heavy mist in his direction. After a few hours of drying out it functioned again.

In emergencies you can put a large Ziploc bag over the camera and cut a slit in the side just big enough for the end of the lens to fit through. For more protection of the lens just slip a hood over the end of it so that only it protrudes through the plastic--Larry

I'm with Steve. I use a big rubber band to clamp the cuff to my lens hood. While I've used plastic garbage bags the same way in a pinch, the open end is more subject to being blown off the camera by wind than the PVC pant leg. Without the extra billowing plastic along the length of the setup, the PVC pant leg is also much less subject to billowing from side gusts. Having just barely caught a tipping tripod, I'm now really concerned about those side gusts and billowing plastic bags. Lots of sail area when things go wrong, and even heavy camera gear will "sail" when winds are strong- with or without the plastic bag.

I use a trash bag when caught in the rain. I poke a hole in it large enough for the lens hood, then put a rubber band around it to hold it in place.

Personally, I don't like to be cold or wet, that's one of the reasons I live in the Sonoran Desert. If it goes from a sprinkle to a rain, I generally pack up and come back another day.