A camera rain cover, like many accessories in the photography space, seems expensive for what it is. After they are just thin sheet of clear plastic in a particular shape. This is where our DIY instincts kick in. If you can relate, then you’ll want to see these two options for a DIY camera rain cover.
DIY Camera Rain Cover with a CD Spindle | Option 1
If you’re the sort that likes to DIY everything under the sun (or clouds) then I’ve got just the project for you.The guys over at DIY Photography have put together another great option for those of you looking to make a rain cover and can’t afford the $6 for an OP/TECH 18-Inch rainsleeve that come two in a pack (can you sense the sarcasm?).
This project involves a plastic bag and an old/empty CD or DVD spindle. It is actually quite ingenious, and it works great (yes I made one). If you are curious about this and would like to learn more head on over to DIY Photography and learn how to build one yourself.
What I did With This….
I actually merged this project with one of those Op/Tech rainsleeves that I mentioned earlier. Basically for those of you that don’t have lens hoods the rain sleeve doesn’t quite get the job done on its own. By adding this device onto the end of your lens, minus the plastic bag and in addition to the rainsleeve, you basically have your own DIY lens hood for a rainy day. It won’t work to block any light or flares as a traditional lens hood would, but it shields the face of the lens from the rain well enough. You could even paint the thing black if you like your gear to match.
Cool DIY Camo Rain Cover | Option 2
Rob Gipman, a photographer from the Netherlands, built this neat DIY water resistant sleeve for his Canon 100-400L lens. The best part is that it is just a bit of fleece and a combination of a few different water resistant solutions.
Rob put this together for his Canon 100-400L, but since it is just fabric you could easily modify it a bit to fit your lens and camera combination. The water resistant solutions are cheap too, so for under $30 you should be able to build this yourself and have a very effective rain cover.
I am actually thinking of maybe doing this for my Nikon 300mm F4 and D7000 combination, though I would modify the cover to go over both the lens and the camera. The weather around here can get rather wet about every month except July and August, so a cheap weather cover like this could be a great addition to my arsenal.
Conclusion
In the end it comes down to a matter of what is acceptable to you. Some people would never use a DIY solution for their photography, and others strictly use DIY solutions – those of you with open minds have the real dilemma here…
