Rain Sleeve Needed

[picworx]

I wil more than likely be in a rainy forest shortly shooting grizzlers, even though the MKIII and 100-400 is weather resistant I would feel better with a rain sleeve.

I need one that will cover the camera and this lense?

Kata has several and Optitech has one, which one is best, anyone know?

Thanks in advance

[rdricks]

I've used the Optech Rainsleeve with good results. They are large enough for the 100-400 extended. (In fact the photo on the package is a 100-400)

I used them last year at Niagra Falls and never worried about the water. I can definitely recommend them, and always keep a two-pack in my bag. I do not have any experience with the Kata sleeves.

[Jon]

OpTech's RainSleeve is a pretty light-duty (WRT wear), inexpensive solution. I keep a couple stashed in my bags for emergency use. The Kata E-702's a serious, heavy-duty and snag-resistant solution that will stand up to repeated or extended use and doesn't need a great deal of care in use. I have two of those which I bring when I expect to be out in the rain.

[picworx]

Thanks folks, just trying to see if I can get the Optech here in Canada, shipping from the US is 3 times the cost of the 2 bags, crazy?

[brucea]

make your own out of plastic trash bags. lots cheaper, just as effective.

[LuckyRobJ]

I couldn't find them here in the GTA either. I picked up a two-pack of the Optech ones last time I was in NYC for like $6 at B&H.

Did you try ebay?

Also, try phoning stores that carry these in the US and ask if they can just mail it in a envelop via USPS. They're light and fairly thin/compact so I doubt it will cost more than a few dollars postage.

[rklepper]

I use the stormjacket. Great solution and very portable.

[RPCrowe]

I used a Kata E-690 and two OPTECH rain sleeves for my three cameras in Alaska. I had misplaced my OPTECH sleeves just as I was packing to go on my trip. A hurried trip to the local Southern California Calumet store found that they had no Optech Rain Sleeves and the only still camera cover available there was the Kata E-690 which wouldn't cover a "professional lens" such as the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS. I opted for the Kata anyway (I would rather have had the E-702 but, that was not available.)

I found a pair of OPTECH Rain Sleeves in an Anchorage camera store and picked them up.

This has been the wettest and coldest Alaska summer in many years (if not the coldest in history) and it rained almost the entire time I was on the Kenai Peninsula.

Both the Kata and OPTECH covers worked well. I supplemented the Kata cover with some narrow Saran Wrap to protect the lens and it worked just fine.

The OPTECH sleeves also worked very well but, if I were to be shooting in wet conditions like the Kenai this year, I would definitetley get the more substantial Kata covers (most likely the E-702 versions).

You can access camera controls and replace batteries and CF cards with both the covers I used. However, I wish that OPTECH would sell one cover for the $7-10 that a set of two runs and have that cover be a bit more substantially made.

IMO, either of the covers beats the heck out of a plastic trash bag.