2 Topics

K I'm after advice for 2 topics please

First:

Miranda and I are going on a study day next month and knowing our northern weather it's more than likely going to rain something rotten. Is it better to make our own waterproof outfit for the camera or to buy one?
And any advice for either?


Second:

Tripods. I don't want to waste money on a cheap tripod and it be utterly useless so was wondering what other people recommend


Thanks for listening

Rain protection: I'd rather make one than buy one, but that's just me. How good are you with a sewing machine? If you're handy with one, you might consider fashioning a robust and durable cover out of urethane-coated nylon. Just model yours after some of the hardcore raincovers available on the market. That's what I'm going to be doing for this winter. I'm also going to try including a hood so I can see the back of the camera and a clear plastic window so I can see the top of the camera.

In a pinch you can use a trash bag, but that's not a very durable solution. The price is right though. Once I even duct-taped a clear plastic page protector over the top of my camera and telephoto and that worked nicely for a few days.

But here are a few links you might find useful:
http://fotosharp.com/camera_rain_covers.html

http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototips/camera-rain- gear.html

And this outfit in Australia makes very high quality rainguards, but they're pricey. Take a look at the basic sports model.
http://www.aquatech.com.au/c--46--sportshields.aspx

This one looks pretty solid, too:
https://www.photoproshop.com/product_info.php/cPath/21/ products_id/397


As far as tripods, can't help you. I've got an el cheapo that I got as a gift. It's served me pretty well, though I don't use it all that often.

What Bob said.

One popular way to fight the rain is getting a shower cap. They're pretty cheap, and if you can find a clear one you can see your viewer through it.

I invested in a fairly heavy duty Bogen Manfrotto and have been very pleased with it. The nice thing about the heavier ones is that they don't shake as much as the cheap ones. This is particularly important when using long lenses and low-light applications. What I like about the manfrotto's is that the legs will extend all the way to 180 degrees, which allows you some versatility with your setup. This is a good thing to have outdoors where you don't have perfect surfaces to set up on.

Personally, I like the ball heads because they're very quick to set up and adjust. A lot of tripods come with the video heads that have separate knobs for tilting and panning. For still photography, the ball heads are much quicker.