How to Make Camera Rain Covers

Keep your camera dry in wet conditions.

Taking photographs in rainy weather or at the beach on a stormy day can result in your camera getting wet if it's not well protected. Ready-made camera covers are commercially available but may not suit everyone's needs or budget, so to ensure that your camera stays as dry as possible, here's an easy solution that costs no more than a few cents.This cover can be made quickly and easily, readily stored in your camera bag and takes no more than a few seconds to attach to the camera if you find yourself in the middle of a sudden downpour.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic freezer bag
• Scissors
• Elastic band
• UV filter

Instructions

Make a Digital SLR Camera Cover

1. Measure the diameter (width) of your lens at the distal end (the end furthest away from the camera). Using this measurement, cut off one of the bottom corners of a plastic freezer bag at a 45-degree angle. The length of the cut should be the same as that of the lens diameter.

2. Insert your camera into the freezer bag so that the lens faces towards the cut-off corner. Slide the lens into the hole, leaving two to three millimeters of plastic bag extending beyond it and make sure the bag covers the camera snugly.

3. Remove the camera and mark the lens size on the bag with a permanent ink marker. Store the marked plastic bag in your camera bag. Do the same for any different-sized lenses you may have so that you have a plastic protector for each one.

Keep Your Camera Dry

1. Slide your camera into the appropriate plastic freezer bag for the lens you are using until the lens fits through the opening at the bottom. Make sure you have two to three millimeters of plastic extending beyond the lens.

2. Stretch an elastic band once or twice around the lens to hold the plastic firmly in place. Make sure the elastic band is as near to the distal end as possible.

3. Attach a UV lens, making sure to catch the extending edges of the plastic bag in the thread. You will have to wipe the surface of the UV lens dry if it happens to get wet, but at least the surface of the more valuable lens underneath will remain clean and dry.

4. Remove the elastic band if you are satisfied that the UV lens is holding the plastic bag firmly to the camera. If there are any gaps between the lens and the bag, the elastic band will prevent water from tracking up the outside of the lens.

5. Bring the rest of the plastic freezer bag over and under the camera so that it is completely covered. Keep the UV lens clear by wiping dry as needed with lint-free cloth.

Tips & Warnings

• A large umbrella will keep the rain off your camera in most situations, but you will need an assistant to hold it for you. Alternatively, fix the umbrella to a tripod so that your hands are free to hold or operate the camera.

• Keep silica sachets in your camera bag to absorb any moisture or humidity that might damage internal camera mechanisms. Buy sachets made of fabric rather than plastic so that the silica can breathe, and dry them out regularly to keep them working efficiently.

• Use a clear shower cap stretched over the camera or drape a towel over the camera top instead of a freezer bag, and make sure to dry everything off properly afterwards.

• For lenses of 200mm or longer, use a much larger clear plastic bag, or two bags heat-sealed together.

• If you are using a compact camera, you can use your hand to cover the top of the camera while you are shooting. However it is still worth having silica sachets in your camera's carrying case to prevent any build up of condensation.

• If your camera has been out in the wet and cold, do not bring it straight into a warm room otherwise condensation will form on the inside of the lens and the camera. Instead, put it into the camera bag to acclimatize and use silica sachets to dry the camera out completely (see Reference 1).

• This camera cover protects your camera only against rain or snow. It will offer no protection if the camera is dropped into water or otherwise submerged.

References

• Digital Photography School: 7 Digital Camera Predators and How to Keep Them At Bay - 4. Moisture/Water, para 2

Resources

• Propack: Propasil - Desiccant Bags Free From DMF
• Aquapac: Waterproof Camera and Camcorder Cases