Mike Beckett
Well-known member
I thought I'd break this out from the AC-90 raincover discussion.
I started with the Petrol Deca PR410 raincover: http://www.petrolbags.com/product/PR410
As mentioned in the other thread, this was a nightmare to put on. Absolute nightmare. First, you need to remove your shotgun mic - and even then, you can't get the Petrol's coldshoe mount anywhere near the top coldshoe on the AC130. So then you have to stow your mic somewhere safe and dry, and reconfigure your audio to the in-built mic. I had to add a Rycote adapter on the shoe to get it close to the Petrol's shoe mount. This was far from ideal. Also, it was quite tight, and difficult to open the LCD screen and access controls.
Encouraged by some other discussions, I decided to go for the Kata CRC-15 PL, the revamp of their old CRC-15. The Kata site recommended the CRC-14 for the AC130/160. A bit of digging made me a bit wary of this; it recommended the larger CRC-15 for the Canon XF300, and it's slightly smaller than the AC130/160! So I went for the CRC-15 anyway.
Kata CRC-15 PL: http://www.kata-bags.com/crc-15-pl-compact-rain-cover?tab=description
Result: I'm happy. It took me one minute to put it on the first time (as seen in photos). Not perfect, but I managed. The important thing is that you can quickly throw it over the top and you're rain-proof, if not able to film. I actually start by slipping the mic opening over the softie on my shotgun mic, then pull the cover over the rest of the camera. Then you use the drawstrings around the viewfinder and pull the little hood over it, and then use velcro and a drawstring to secure the front around the lens hood.
Good news - you can reach the focus/zoom/iris rings quite easily, open the LCD screen (and pretty much see it if you're looking down on the camera). You can also quite easily access the zoom rocker at the right hand side.
I discarded the sleeve that goes in the bottom, but that can be used when handheld to give extra protection around the bottom of the camera.
I'm not sure how good the CRC-14 would have been, I would think it would be a bit tight to be comfortable.
(Sorry about the photos... it was pretty hard to get a well-lit shot of all that shiny plastic!)
I started with the Petrol Deca PR410 raincover: http://www.petrolbags.com/product/PR410
As mentioned in the other thread, this was a nightmare to put on. Absolute nightmare. First, you need to remove your shotgun mic - and even then, you can't get the Petrol's coldshoe mount anywhere near the top coldshoe on the AC130. So then you have to stow your mic somewhere safe and dry, and reconfigure your audio to the in-built mic. I had to add a Rycote adapter on the shoe to get it close to the Petrol's shoe mount. This was far from ideal. Also, it was quite tight, and difficult to open the LCD screen and access controls.
Encouraged by some other discussions, I decided to go for the Kata CRC-15 PL, the revamp of their old CRC-15. The Kata site recommended the CRC-14 for the AC130/160. A bit of digging made me a bit wary of this; it recommended the larger CRC-15 for the Canon XF300, and it's slightly smaller than the AC130/160! So I went for the CRC-15 anyway.
Kata CRC-15 PL: http://www.kata-bags.com/crc-15-pl-compact-rain-cover?tab=description
Result: I'm happy. It took me one minute to put it on the first time (as seen in photos). Not perfect, but I managed. The important thing is that you can quickly throw it over the top and you're rain-proof, if not able to film. I actually start by slipping the mic opening over the softie on my shotgun mic, then pull the cover over the rest of the camera. Then you use the drawstrings around the viewfinder and pull the little hood over it, and then use velcro and a drawstring to secure the front around the lens hood.
Good news - you can reach the focus/zoom/iris rings quite easily, open the LCD screen (and pretty much see it if you're looking down on the camera). You can also quite easily access the zoom rocker at the right hand side.
I discarded the sleeve that goes in the bottom, but that can be used when handheld to give extra protection around the bottom of the camera.
I'm not sure how good the CRC-14 would have been, I would think it would be a bit tight to be comfortable.
(Sorry about the photos... it was pretty hard to get a well-lit shot of all that shiny plastic!)
