A1 Rain Cover at DVinfo.net

Jeff Johnston · January 30th, 2008, 11:50 AM

Greetings! I'm seeking a rain cover for my A1 -- for use when it comes back from Canon service after they address the crap-level dropouts and glitches in a new camera, that is.

I'm familiar on paper with the various Porta Brace, Kata and other rain covers, but don't have local dealers where I can check any of them out hands-on in real life. Ideally, I'd like one that has enough space up top for a 416 in a K-Tek shock mount, but that may be dreaming on my part and might call for custom work.

Do any of you have any firsthand experience you can pass along, recommendations pro or con? It's still deep in the rainy season here in Eugene and I must needs venture out soon.

Thank you for the advice.
Jeff Johnston

Rick Llewellyn · January 30th, 2008, 12:05 PM

I have the PortaBrace and like it a lot for both rain and dust. There is not enough room on top for a shock mount, but you can use just about any mic in the built in mic holder along with some kind of a big fuzzy.

It is made of fabric rather than plastic, so it is a little heavier, but also then gives more protection.

The two downsides are 1) the bottom row of buttons and switches on the left are a little hard to get to, but workable; 2) the flip out viewer is hard to see and use with the cover- probably true for all these covers.

On the plus side the cover is very cleverly designed to fit around everything and still give you access to the controls without having one of those big baggy plastic sacks.

Rick

Bill Watson · January 30th, 2008, 01:55 PM

If you do a search you'll find a number of threads on this subject.

I made my own rain jacket, by the way. Works great:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=102058

Robin Hall · January 30th, 2008, 02:21 PM

I bought a Kata CRC-14 for My A1, fits the camera well even with the shotgun mike in place. I haven't really had a chance to work with it on the camera for an extended period so I can not endorse it 100% but I didn't see any great issues with it during my short test outing, the top access is nice to have too.

Allan Black · January 30th, 2008, 03:02 PM

I've just got the PortaBrace RS-XHAG1, same as yours I guess Rick. Haven't used it yet, but looking at it, it's made of a 3-ply Nylon Fabuthane fabric.

Is it completely water repellant, how quickly does it dry out? I mean it's not going to get totally soaked, I hope.

Wonder if ScotchGarding would be good. The tin doesn't say yea or no for Nylon.

Cheers.

Annie Haycock · January 30th, 2008, 05:02 PM

So far as I can see, Kata haven't made a "glove" for the A1 yet. But has anyone got any experience of these items? I'd like to know whether or not I should hold out for them to bring one out. I'm look for something that will give a bit of protection against knocks - waterproofing could be a separate issue if necessary. For the long lenses on my stills camera, I'm using neoprene sleeves which seem to be effective.

David Thanh · January 30th, 2008, 05:56 PM

I ordered the Porta-Brace CBA-XHAG1 earlier this month. I wanted something that included a raincover but that provided the camera with some armored protection as well. I'll post how it is when it comes in.

Norman Lang · January 30th, 2008, 09:02 PM

I bought one for my A1. Reason? I have one for my XL H1. I took the camera on a wilderness camping/fishing/raft trip on the Aniak River in Alaska. It rained all week. Aside from having to wipe the rain from the lens, my camera was protected and dry. The best part is that I was in and out of the raft, up and down river banks and I actually took a few spills into the mud. Nice to have the protection. So nice. It is one of my favorite pieces of gear. This year I am taking the A1 on the trip with the new cover and with no doubt it will be safe from the elements.

Tripp Woelfel · January 30th, 2008, 09:33 PM

I got mine shortly after I got my A1. I've used it mostly in snow since it really hasn't rained recently. It's well constructed and does an excellent job of keeping the snow out. I especially like the gasket around the lens and the opening on the top with a small shock cord around the opening so you can carry it by the top handle and still keep the bad stuff out.

Getting to the buttons on the left side of the cam are not a problem, but picking the right ring to twist is tough with gloves on. Not so bad with bare fingers.

For my money, it's one of the best things in my kit.

Annie Haycock · January 31st, 2008, 11:03 AM

I couldn't find the PortaBrace CBA-XHAG1 on any supplier's website here in the UK, so I made a few enquiries to companies who supply other Portabrace products for broadcast work. It seems the CBA-XHAG1 is only just on the market here, and stock is scarce. At around £220, prices are almost double that in the US - considering there are still almost $2 to the £.

Robin Hall · January 31st, 2008, 11:55 AM

Annie
The Kata CRC-14 that I mentioned is the recommended Rain cover for the A1, though Not specifically designed for it.
AS I said in my post it fits the A1 very well and sells for 1/2 to 1/3rd the price of the portabrace. Amazon. com has the CRC-14 on at $54 U.S. & I paid
$86 Cdn for mine. It will definately keep the camera nice & dry. I suppose it depends how much you figure you will need to use it, my climate really doesn't warant a $200 dollar + cover yours Might.

Annie Haycock · January 31st, 2008, 12:28 PM

Hi Robin
So far as I can see (and correct me if I'm wrong) the Kata raincover doesn't have any padding. I really want something that will give some protection against mild knocks. As my subject matter is always wildlife, I spend a lot of time crawling over rough ground. Generally I avoid being out in the rain because I wear glasses and can't see anything when it rains! And believe me, we have plenty of rain here, though very little snow.

Robin Hall · January 31st, 2008, 01:58 PM

No You are right Annie there is no padding protection with the Kata cover,
I missed the Some shock protection requirement in your other post.

Clay K. Carson · February 1st, 2008, 09:24 AM

I use Glad kitchen size trash bags. Very cheap and work great. I spent 10 days in Costa Rica. It rained every day. Worked like a champ

Clay

Chris Miceli · February 1st, 2008, 10:24 AM

Jeff,

I actually work here at Portabrace in Bennington, VT. I am confident you will appreciate the hand-made quality of our Rain Slickers. Since there are no dealers near you I would like to send you an RS-A1U that you can touch and feel. If you decide it's not what you're looking for we'll refund your shipping and pay to have it shipped back to us. Of course you'll be on your own when Colleen wants to know why someone sent her case back (you'll see her sewer signature inside your case).

If you're interested, please email me at chris@portabrace.com

Thank you,

Chris

January 30th, 2008, 11:50 AM	#1
Jeff Johnston New Boot Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Eugene, ORegon Posts: 9	A1 Rain Cover Greetings! I'm seeking a rain cover for my A1 -- for use when it comes back from Canon service after they address the crap-level dropouts and glitches in a new camera, that is. I'm familiar on paper with the various Porta Brace, Kata and other rain covers, but don't have local dealers where I can check any of them out hands-on in real life. Ideally, I'd like one that has enough space up top for a 416 in a K-Tek shock mount, but that may be dreaming on my part and might call for custom work. Do any of you have any firsthand experience you can pass along, recommendations pro or con? It's still deep in the rainy season here in Eugene and I must needs venture out soon. Thank you for the advice. Jeff Johnston

January 30th, 2008, 12:05 PM	#2
Rick Llewellyn Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Columbia, Maryland Posts: 61	PortaBrace mini rainslicker I have the PortaBrace and like it a lot for both rain and dust. There is not enough room on top for a shock mount, but you can use just about any mic in the built in mic holder along with some kind of a big fuzzy. It is made of fabric rather than plastic, so it is a little heavier, but also then gives more protection. The two downsides are 1) the bottom row of buttons and switches on the left are a little hard to get to, but workable; 2) the flip out viewer is hard to see and use with the cover- probably true for all these covers. On the plus side the cover is very cleverly designed to fit around everything and still give you access to the controls without having one of those big baggy plastic sacks. Rick

January 30th, 2008, 09:02 PM	#8
Norman Lang Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 29	Porta-Brace camera cover I bought one for my A1. Reason? I have one for my XL H1. I took the camera on a wilderness camping/fishing/raft trip on the Aniak River in Alaska. It rained all week. Aside from having to wipe the rain from the lens, my camera was protected and dry. The best part is that I was in and out of the raft, up and down river banks and I actually took a few spills into the mud. Nice to have the protection. So nice. It is one of my favorite pieces of gear. This year I am taking the A1 on the trip with the new cover and with no doubt it will be safe from the elements.

January 30th, 2008, 09:33 PM	#9
Tripp Woelfel Trustee Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: North Conway, NH Posts: 1,745	Another vote for Port A Brace I got mine shortly after I got my A1. I've used it mostly in snow since it really hasn't rained recently. It's well constructed and does an excellent job of keeping the snow out. I especially like the gasket around the lens and the opening on the top with a small shock cord around the opening so you can carry it by the top handle and still keep the bad stuff out. Getting to the buttons on the left side of the cam are not a problem, but picking the right ring to twist is tough with gloves on. Not so bad with bare fingers. For my money, it's one of the best things in my kit.

February 1st, 2008, 10:24 AM	#15
Chris Miceli New Boot Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: North Bennington, VT Posts: 9	RS-A1U to get your hands on Jeff, I actually work here at Portabrace in Bennington, VT. I am confident you will appreciate the hand-made quality of our Rain Slickers. Since there are no dealers near you I would like to send you an RS-A1U that you can touch and feel. If you decide it's not what you're looking for we'll refund your shipping and pay to have it shipped back to us. Of course you'll be on your own when Colleen wants to know why someone sent her case back (you'll see her sewer signature inside your case). If you're interested, please email me at chris@portabrace.com Thank you, Chris

January 30th, 2008, 01:55 PM	#3
Bill Watson Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: Noosa Queensland Australia Posts: 248	If you do a search you'll find a number of threads on this subject. I made my own rain jacket, by the way. Works great: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=102058

January 30th, 2008, 02:21 PM	#4
Robin Hall Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: London On Posts: 43	I bought a Kata CRC-14 for My A1, fits the camera well even with the shotgun mike in place. I haven't really had a chance to work with it on the camera for an extended period so I can not endorse it 100% but I didn't see any great issues with it during my short test outing, the top access is nice to have too.

January 30th, 2008, 03:02 PM	#5
Allan Black Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sydney. Posts: 2,927	I've just got the PortaBrace RS-XHAG1, same as yours I guess Rick. Haven't used it yet, but looking at it, it's made of a 3-ply Nylon Fabuthane fabric. Is it completely water repellant, how quickly does it dry out? I mean it's not going to get totally soaked, I hope. Wonder if ScotchGarding would be good. The tin doesn't say yea or no for Nylon. Cheers.

January 30th, 2008, 05:02 PM	#6
Annie Haycock Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales Posts: 734	So far as I can see, Kata haven't made a "glove" for the A1 yet. But has anyone got any experience of these items? I'd like to know whether or not I should hold out for them to bring one out. I'm look for something that will give a bit of protection against knocks - waterproofing could be a separate issue if necessary. For the long lenses on my stills camera, I'm using neoprene sleeves which seem to be effective.

January 30th, 2008, 05:56 PM	#7
David Thanh Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 36	I ordered the Porta-Brace CBA-XHAG1 earlier this month. I wanted something that included a raincover but that provided the camera with some armored protection as well. I'll post how it is when it comes in.

January 31st, 2008, 11:03 AM	#10
Annie Haycock Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales Posts: 734	I couldn't find the PortaBrace CBA-XHAG1 on any supplier's website here in the UK, so I made a few enquiries to companies who supply other Portabrace products for broadcast work. It seems the CBA-XHAG1 is only just on the market here, and stock is scarce. At around £220, prices are almost double that in the US - considering there are still almost $2 to the £.

January 31st, 2008, 11:55 AM	#11
Robin Hall Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: London On Posts: 43	Annie The Kata CRC-14 that I mentioned is the recommended Rain cover for the A1, though Not specifically designed for it. AS I said in my post it fits the A1 very well and sells for 1/2 to 1/3rd the price of the portabrace. Amazon. com has the CRC-14 on at $54 U.S. & I paid $86 Cdn for mine. It will definately keep the camera nice & dry. I suppose it depends how much you figure you will need to use it, my climate really doesn't warant a $200 dollar + cover yours Might.

January 31st, 2008, 12:28 PM	#12
Annie Haycock Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales Posts: 734	Hi Robin So far as I can see (and correct me if I'm wrong) the Kata raincover doesn't have any padding. I really want something that will give some protection against mild knocks. As my subject matter is always wildlife, I spend a lot of time crawling over rough ground. Generally I avoid being out in the rain because I wear glasses and can't see anything when it rains! And believe me, we have plenty of rain here, though very little snow.

January 31st, 2008, 01:58 PM	#13
Robin Hall Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: London On Posts: 43	No You are right Annie there is no padding protection with the Kata cover, I missed the Some shock protection requirement in your other post.

February 1st, 2008, 09:24 AM	#14
Clay K. Carson Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Little Rock, Ar Posts: 49	I use Glad kitchen size trash bags. Very cheap and work great. I spent 10 days in Costa Rica. It rained every day. Worked like a champ Clay