Severe weather shooting

M

mcbob

Veteran
So I know some basic tips... combo of ziplocks and rain slickers (for me, camera, and gear), pelican case for toting stuff, towel/shammy, silica gel... but of course most of the rain shooting I've done has been baby-play sprinkles and such. No real deluges yet.

With a chance of such a thing possible soon, I'm researching anything and everything to keep gear working and getting the shot. Format will be doc/reality style. Camera will probably be in the EX/HPX form.

I'm thinking of mounting a GoPro at the same framerate on a cold shoe as a "failsafe" master wide if the camera craps out or I blow focus while being pelted with hail.

I know some mics don't enjoy high humidity... which ones (short shotgun and wireless lav set) work OK?

Eager to hear anything and everything. Thanks.
 
One of the best accessories I've used for stupid rain is a good golf/camera umbrella, you need an assistant in some cases but even in wind+rain (within reason) an umbrella just out of frame can keep the camera and lens dry. I always have one in my tripod case.
 
The Countryman B6 lav mic with cap and Countryman EMW lav mic are water-resistant.

Voice Technologies makes a waterproof lav : VT500WATER

Rode states that their NTG3 shotgun is almost completely resistant to moisture, and is a good fit for harsh conditions.

...Lastly I've heard of sound guys using non-lubricated / non-talc powder condoms to keep water out of their lav, pencil, and shotgun mics.
 
The Gustbuster is the best umbrella by far and well worth the extra $$, but be wary of flying anything big in the wind (leave the softbox at home). -If you're running hot lights then pick up some oven bags from the supermarket -normal clear garbage bags are great on a Lite Panel, but will melt immediately on anything else. Condoms on microphones (non-lubed). Also, think ahead about drastic temp and humidity changes. Running inside for a quick interview can turn into 30 minutes waiting for the lens to stop fogging (externally) and have woken up the next morning to find a hazy spot of humidity on the inside of my lens (takes much longer than 30 minutes to clear up). The main thing is to limit your time in the wet- everything fails eventually no matter how much you prep-I've done many hurricane live shots through the open door of a seaside motel.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top