How to Shoot in Rain with Digital Camera ?

How to Shoot in Rain with Digital Camera which are not of actually weather resistant professional grade. That includes most consumer and prosumer grade DSLRs. For example, most of the Compact Point and Shoot cameras, Bridge cameras, DSLR like Canon EOS 600D are not weather resistant and for any planned purpose for shooting in the rain needs extra protection for the full housing as well as the lens. It never means that, you will not take any protection for even the weather resistant DSLR cameras, water is most harmful for any digital device, next is dust and then snow. Snow is less harmful other than the battery compartment (ice melts on increased temperature) in lower temperature. Dust usually never creates immediate harm but the long term harm is more pathetic. Water, on the other hand, can make temporary or permanent damage of the components. This article on How to Shoot in Rain with Digital Camera exclusively excludes underwater photography.

Basic Idea on How to Shoot in Rain with Digital Camera

Some are tropicalized, i.e. more or less resistant to moisture through the use of many protective seals around buttons and seams. This allows these weather resistant cameras and optical parts to resist oxidation, water splash and dust, but not in any way mean that the material is fully waterproof. This is the basic reason why this guide on How to Shoot in Rain with Digital Camera is important for wall. On our wrist watches, waterproof is usually written. But we never wash our hand with soap while wearing a wrist watch. Because that feature of being water resistant is for accidental exposure, not for everyday deliberate exposure. Otherwise the coatings, straps will get aged soon. Water contains other polluted materials including acid or naturally existing corrosive salts.

Of course the professional series DSLRs can easily withstand a light rain for long time in minutes. But as soon as the rain intensifies, it is more reasonable to protect effectively. To protect your equipment from rain, there are many solutions : like using a single transparent garbage bag to cover the housing. In all cases, the lens is the first protection against the rain: it prevents water droplets reaching the sensor. If the sensor is water socked, practically it is difficult to say whether it will work ever again.

How to Shoot in Rain with Digital Camera ?

It does not mean that, you will runaway from the rain. In fact, rain is the most romantic natural event of nature plus it gives an unique quality of diffused light like studio setup !

Inelegant, but very effective solution is to use garbage bag and your wife’s hair bands (its mandatory to use wife’s. If you do not steal your wife’s, your wife will snatch for proper usage and using new might create issues that will produce lot of high pitch sounds and you will forget about photography. For unmarried, its mother instead of wife.) Elastic rubber for packing is bad idea to use because they are thin and produces band like pressure over a thin line. The elastic can effectively fix the bag on the hood of the lens and on the edges of the lens. Choose preferably a garbage bag of triple thickness, leak proof and durable. All basically belongs to the home ministry where males has no root access. However, never try to get a set for your own separately, you will be blamed of being an perfect example of careless, selfish man in this world. Do not forget to leave an opening in the lower part of the lens to retain access to the zoom ring and focus. Basically its a raincoat for your camera, but unlike the raincoat manufacturers, its more practical. Its very difficult to things we might want to do, while wearing a raincoat.

The improved version of the DIY garbage bag raincoat for your camera is RainSleeve :

The trick is not only buying that RainSleeve. That DIY project is for emergency purpose, RainSleeve type things are good looking solution.  You have to buy few hand towels to make your dry your hand and definitely your wife’s hair dryer to dry the body (only body, never focus on lens or other internal parts). Rain, particularly irrespective of age is the time for the couples. As we are not film stars, you need a tripod, some good sources of light and possibly few filters. Long exposures and high ISO are of obvious choice. Basically you will try to get candid.