Travelers Video - Foul Weather Shooting

Foul Weather Shooting

Locations assume a completely different character in the rain. Just because it's raining is no reason to stop shooting. All that's necessary to get good shots in a downpour is to keep the camera dry. You could always try to make do with an umbrella, but it's awkward and more than a little risky - a sudden gust of wind could invert the umbrella and leave your camera soaked. The standard solution to shooting in inclement weather is a rain cape.

A Proper Rain Cape

There are a number of manufacturers of rain capes, but the one that I like the best is made by EWA-Marine, which manufactures a variety of underwater housings and inclement weather protection. They make a very nice and relatively inexpensive rain cape that works perfectly with my VX2000, and have models for most camcorders. Unlike some rain capes, this one completely covers the camera - more like a rain coat than an umbrella. I find that the rain cape works best if I wrap the camera completely and hold it from the outside, operating the controls through the cape. As an alternative, I'll put the camera on a monopod, which provides a nice, large "handle" for holding the camera. I've found that if I hand-hold the camera, with my hand inside the rain cape, the heat from my hand causes a considerable amount of condensation.

One problem with a rain cape is that it will muffle an on-camera microphone, causing the recorded audio to sound hollow, distant and distorted. When I shoot with my rain cape, I always use a Vivanco EM-216 stereo lapel mike. I clip the mike to the outside of the rain cape - the mike's wind screen keeps it dry and I get full-fidelity directional audio.

Here's my VX2000 wearing its EWA-Marine rain cape. Note that the cape is completely clear -- it looks blue in the photographs because they were taken against a color background to make the cape more visible. In these pictures the VX2000 is on a Manfrotto 3444D carbon fiber tripod - a particularly good choice for foul weather shooting as carbon won't rust. Note the side pocket on the rain cape that can accommodate the camera's LCD screen in either an open or closed position. The optical-glass port in the front of the rain cape attaches to the lens via a press-to-fit retaining ring which screws into the filter threads of the lens on the VX2000.

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One thing to watch out for: keep the optical port on the rain cape clean. The close-focusing ability of most video cameras means that rain drops will be clearly visible. A quick wipe with a microfiber cloth before each shot will ensure clear video in the rain and not of the rain.

I've used my VX2000 in its rain cape in everything from light mists to raging downpours and the camera always remained bone dry (though I can't say the same for the camera man).

VX2000 Rain Cape Clips

Here are some short clips that, not surprisingly, were shot in the rain.

Camera: Sony VX2000
Opening edited and composited in Adobe Premiere Pro. Animated title created with Ulead Cool 3D. Particle animation effect (rain drops) created with Wondertouch Particle Illusion.

Camera: Sony VX2000
One of the "At Night" video clips. The opening, in particular, was taken in a pouring rain. I got soaked, but the camera stayed nice and dry. In some scenes you can hear the rain hitting the mike -- a stereo lapel mike with a wind screen that was clipped to the outside of the rain cape. The wind screen kept the mike dry,

(more to come)

The Poor Man's Rain Cape

Take a large plastic bag and a UV filter. Cut a hole in the bag the same diameter as the threads of the UV filter. Carefully screw the filter onto the lens through the hole in the plastic bag.

It's not pretty, but it works. This clip from Niagara Falls was shot using an improvised "Poor Man's Rain Cape" described here.

Camera: Sony TRV-20

Opening edited and composited in Pinnacle Studio 7. Animated title created with Ulead Cool 3D.