weatherproofing my mamiya rz67

[Ron Spencer]

Hi everyone,

Could someone please help me with your own experiences. I would like to go out in the
winter to shoot, but many times it's snowing out, and I want to protect my camera and lens
from snow falling on them. Does anyone have any real experience on how to do this easily?

Thank you in advance,
Ron Spencer

[Ralph Barker]

Essentially, what you want to do is make a little raincoat for your camera. This can be as simple as a plastic food-storage bag, or as complex as a commercially-made, custom-fitted nylon fabric shell supported by a wire frame. Another alternative is to work under a tent-like cover that keeps both you and the camera dry.

[Ron Spencer]

Hi Ralph,

Believe it or not, never thought of the latter. That sounds like a great idea,
just kind of conspicuous in public places. Would be good in the more remote
places and definitely would be nice to stay dry too.

Ron

[george jiri loun]

Sometimes it's called an umbrella.

[John Layton]

When I had a Hasselblad system, I'd do a quick but effective "raincoat" with a large ziplock bag. placing the bag over the top of the camera with the bottom open so I could reach the controls, I'd stretch part of the bag tightly over the lens and screw a UV filter right over this - then gently remove the disc of plastic that had been cut through by the filter threads. I'd then do the same thing with the eyepiece - stretching plastic over the opening and re-inserting the threaded eyecup - and removing the little circle of ziplock material from this. This worked very well, gave great access to controls, allowed air to circulate from underneath so condensation wasn't a problem, and was very inexpensive!

[John Kasaian]

Switch to a wooden camera! They used to make boats out of the stuff!

[Jim Rhoades]

Any good camera is a whole lot toughter and more weatherproof than the photographer. Let the camera cool down below 32 degrees and just dust the snow off. Use a hood to protect the lens from gathering snow. Bag and seal the camera before you bring it inside. Allow it to come back up to room temps very slowly. It's really best just to leave it in the cold ie. trunk of car.

Winter is nothing compared to rainforest, mist and mold. A camera is a tool meant to create art for a wall, not to be the art hung on a wall.

[Henry Ambrose]

I'd agree with Jim Rhoades except that the RZ is electronic. If its really cold out the camera might not work for long or not function correctly and it would eventually die when the battery finally gives up. I've never taken an RZ out into real cold but I bet you'll just love it when the finder fogs and later freezes over from the warmth of your eyes and face being close to it. I guess that the waistlevel finder might the right choice except then you have the camera body more open to wet stuff?

I don't know about where you are using the camera, but where I live snow is often a slobbery mess closer to rain so you won't just brush it off. I'd go for the umbrella, keep the camera in a bag or in my coat until time to shoot and carry extra batteries in my pocket.

[John_4185]

The very best thing to do? Toss it into a river, a lake, a monsoon. Why would anyone suffer a monster like that, I don't know. THROW IT AWAY and come back to LF.

[Ron Spencer]

Thanks so far for all the input, even the humor. Thanks especially to John Layton, sounds like a simple and
effective way to weatherproof. I didn't consider the condensation factor either.

[Jim Rhoades]

Uh-oh, Damn Henry, your right. I forgot all about electronic shutters. I had a Mamiya 645 about 25 years ago. I humped that thing up to around 10,000 feet while skiing in the Alps. Talk of cold and snow. Anyway everything I shot at altitude came back overexposed by about 4 stops. The cold sucked the life out of all the fresh batteries. I dumped that piece of $#!+ camera and bought a Hasselblad. I've been skiing and shooting in the snow ever since with no problems. To keep this on L/F thread I also ski with a 4x5 Crown Graphic. Snow, even wet snow, just wipes right off. Keep a chamois with the camera.

Now that nut case John Kasaian skis with a 5x7 which is why he has a bad back. And this year it's 8x10. Hey John, is your physical therpist on retainer?