C300: Rain covers for C300? Porta v camRade v Sachtler/Petrol v ewa-marine

[Jim Feeley]

So I need a new rain cover for my Canon C300. I'm looking for something with a longer lifespan than a plastic bag. I mainly have experience with Portabrace covers (on other cameras), though I've seen Petrol & Kata covers work well enough. I've been on water jobs with ewa-marine underwater bags and those have worked well...but I'm looking for just a rain cover. I've heard of but know little about camRade.

Here are four covers I'm considering:

Portabrace RS-C3500
http://www.portabrace.com/rain-slicker-for-canon-c300-c500.html

camRade wetSuit EOS C300/C500
https://www.camrade.com/products/protection/raincovers/wetsuit-c300-c500

Sachtler (formerly Petrol) Rain Cover for Canon EOS C100
http://www.sachtler.com/products/bags/video-camera/camera-protection/rain-cover-for-canon-eos-c100/

ewa-marine VC-300 (a rain cover, not the V300 underwater housing)
http://www.ewa-marine.com/index.php?id=724&L=0


Obviously, keeping the camera dry is the top priority followed by easy access to controls and screens, room for extra gak, and ease of putting it on and taking it off. I do kind of like the "this is just a camera everybody; stay calm" aspect of the see-through Sachtler and ewa covers. Though I'm not sure the Sachtler fits the C300 with its handle-mounted screen. Orca doesn't seem to have a rain cover that's compatible with the C300.

So I turn to all of you...at least, especially those of you who've used camRade and ewa-marine rain covers...what do you think of camRade's stuff in general, and if you have experience, with the C300?

Any other models or brands I should consider?

Thanks a bunch!

 

[slavikb]

Hi Jim,

I don't have any experience with the other covers you mentioned, but I do happen to have a couple Petrol covers for the C100, and just tried one on a C300II. If you have the choice, I'd rule it out for a C300. It's a very tight fit even with the monitor rotated to its low setting. In a real world shoot it would be frustrating to get it to fit while the rain is coming down. It's definitely designed for a C100.

Incidentally I haven't had to use these with our C100s, but kept them around for a potential long shoot that needed to be out in the rain. For most situations where it's been raining, we've taken out our C100 and C300II for brief periods of time and taken a few shots, not worrying about a little rain on the body. But it's nice to have around just in case.

 

[Jon Roemer]

I have the Porta Brace one for the C300. Used it in the rain and heavy snow a few times. Worked out well.

Some info in this blog post.

 

[Jim Feeley]

Thanks you two!

Slavikb, in general, I liked Petrol's stuff. But alas, I don't see a C300 cover from them. And Ofer, the main force behind Petrol iirc, now runs Orca and also doesn't have a C300 cover. Dang.

Jon, glad to hear the Portabrace bag worked for you (and nice video of the Frank Lloyd Wright house at your link). Do you recall if the cover was easy and fast to get on and off the camera?

Anyone else have any thoughts?

 

[Jon Roemer]

Jon, glad to hear the Portabrace bag worked for you (and nice video of the Frank Lloyd Wright house at your link). Do you recall if the cover was easy and fast to get on and off the camera?

The cover is relatively easy and fast to get on/off. It splits via zipper from the bottom of the front of the lens to what would be the front base of the camera. It has snoot to go around the lens which gets tightened with a draw string. The snoot on the back for the EVF is neoprene.

From the back of the camera it has clear panels on top, on the left, and on the back to read displays and see the buttons. It has three places of access to the buttons and controls on the left and the right of the camera.

Additionally, there is a zipper on the top for quick access to the monitor - it's really designed for the monitor to be in the hotshoe on top with the screen point to the back.

Can't say that I've used it in a heavy rain. Have used in light to moderate rainfalls and in very heavy snowfalls. I would say it's easy to do but it does take a minute or so to do.

Thanks for checking out the film! There's one more which shows the dismantling in progress (FLW fans love this stuff!) - Deconstructing Wright.