I was recently out shooting a sunset when it began raining... it wasn't super heavy so I continued and got a lovely rainbow to boot but when I got home I noticed all my shots had an identical array of shadows which was presumably from minute rain spots on my lens. I would like to know if there is a way of avoiding this.
Does anyone have any useful tips on how to photograph in the rain without a) getting spots on your lens that will need removing in post or worse yet b) damaging your equipment?
Gallon-sized plastic bag. Cut out the corner, stick your lens through it, screw the lens hood back on the lens. Should give you room to get your hand / head in the bag to use the camera. Keeps the camera dry. Try not to point your lens up into the rain.
@justjim@steampowered@archaeofrog Some really great idea's there... I really want to shoot lightning at some point but was worried about rain... I think a combination of the plastic bag, the lens hood and a filter to protect the lens is probably about the best I can hope for
I use a camera rain cover to protect the body and most of the lens. raindrops on the lens can't be totally avoided so always use a protection filter to avoid damaging the front element of your lens. As said above, use an umbrella when not shooting and only point the camera up to the sky when taking a shot. For most photographers this is standard practice but take a microfiber lens cleaning cloth with you so you can clean your lens / filter when needed.
As others have said, a hood is really necessary to keep as much rain as possible off the front element.
Remember that consumer-level cameras and lenses almost always have no waterproofing at all, so are very susceptible to temporary or permanent malfunctions in rain if they are not protected from the rain. The front element of a lens is typically the most resistant to rain actually causing damage, it's when rain gets in around the zoom/focus rings on the lens, or into the switches on the camera gear, that problems can arise.
Even pro-level cameras are far less waterproofed than most people think -- Canon's 5D Mark II, one of the more weather-resistant pro-level cameras available, is rated to withstand exposure in heavy rain for at most three minutes. A plastic bag (either home-made, or the ready-made photographic options such as the Optech Rainsleeve) is really essential if photographing in the rain.
If you do get water drops on the front element, they can produce some interesting effects, especially in the dark:
@abirkill Those are some great images... and I see what you mean about the rain drops adding to it. Thanks for all your great advice! I just had one question about getting rain on the front element...is there any risk of damaging the element itself that you know of by getting it wet? Also, i am sure I heard somewhere that you should avoid wiping the lens elements as much as possible.... is that right?
@gazbadger There's no real danger directly caused by getting drops of rain on the front element, but there certainly is danger of damage whenever you clean a front element, especially 'in the field'.
While cleaning a front element that has rain on it with a perfectly clean cloth is absolutely fine, there is the danger, especially outside, that your cloth could have picked up a particle of dirt or grit, which would then scratch the front element when you wipe it. For this reason, if you plan to need to clean/wipe rain off the front of the lens in the field, rather than waiting until you get home where it's easier to make sure your cloth is perfectly clean, then it is advisable to fit a UV filter, which is a lot cheaper to replace if scratched.
If you get salt water on the lens then more care has to be taken, as when it dries the salt will crystallise, and that can scratch the lens element when you try and wipe it off. In this case, you should soak one cloth in clean water and rest it on the front element without moving it for a few minutes, to allow all of the crystallised salt to dissolve, and then wipe the lens with a second, clean and dry cloth.
@abirkill Thanks again Alexis... that's all really helpful stuff and I am sure it will really help. I had never even considered the salt crystallising but I guess it stands to reason now I think about it.
I will keep a sealed lens cloth in my bag from now on.... hopefully if I do need to wipe.clean the front element in the field then that should keep it from having picked up any abrasives.
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Remember that consumer-level cameras and lenses almost always have no waterproofing at all, so are very susceptible to temporary or permanent malfunctions in rain if they are not protected from the rain. The front element of a lens is typically the most resistant to rain actually causing damage, it's when rain gets in around the zoom/focus rings on the lens, or into the switches on the camera gear, that problems can arise.
Even pro-level cameras are far less waterproofed than most people think -- Canon's 5D Mark II, one of the more weather-resistant pro-level cameras available, is rated to withstand exposure in heavy rain for at most three minutes. A plastic bag (either home-made, or the ready-made photographic options such as the Optech Rainsleeve) is really essential if photographing in the rain.
If you do get water drops on the front element, they can produce some interesting effects, especially in the dark:
While cleaning a front element that has rain on it with a perfectly clean cloth is absolutely fine, there is the danger, especially outside, that your cloth could have picked up a particle of dirt or grit, which would then scratch the front element when you wipe it. For this reason, if you plan to need to clean/wipe rain off the front of the lens in the field, rather than waiting until you get home where it's easier to make sure your cloth is perfectly clean, then it is advisable to fit a UV filter, which is a lot cheaper to replace if scratched.
If you get salt water on the lens then more care has to be taken, as when it dries the salt will crystallise, and that can scratch the lens element when you try and wipe it off. In this case, you should soak one cloth in clean water and rest it on the front element without moving it for a few minutes, to allow all of the crystallised salt to dissolve, and then wipe the lens with a second, clean and dry cloth.
I will keep a sealed lens cloth in my bag from now on.... hopefully if I do need to wipe.clean the front element in the field then that should keep it from having picked up any abrasives.
Is it your own?
Thanks for advice