Any one used the EA50 in the rain?

[Jerome Cloninger]

Too close to the action more like it, BUT it was fun especially for my first time. Can't wait for August!

[Don Bloom]

Here's a true story for ya! When I was shooting NASCAR (Robotic cams on the walls-no flycam that was someone else) we would cover our very expensive cameras with...wait for it, a $.25 garbage bag held together very tightly by...yep wire ties. Since there were no mics or viewfinder on the camera it was really a very good solution especially since we would have up to 10 cameras placed around the track AND there might be 3 different races at 3 different tracks on the same weekend. Trucks, Nationwide and Sprint Cup! they don't always run at the same track on the same weekend. Before leaving the track at night we would cover the entire assembly, camera, lens and robo head with another garbage bag just in case it rained overnight. Keep in mind we might be at the track for 4 or 5 days. Now the best part. We covered the glass of the very expensive lenses with.......a piece of window pane glass from the hardware store and would use electrical tape to secure it to the lens hood. Believe it or not, even with these great Sony or Ikegi cams and beautiful Canon or Fuji lenses we used there was no noticeable diffraction or distortion seen in the video truck. The thought was this. Better to break a $.30 piece of glass then destroy a very expensive lens and frankly even clear filters were quite costly, so their solution was window glass. I can't tell you how many of those I had to change during a race. the crap that gets thrown up in the air at a race is incredible. If I was teching (sitting trackside in a comfy golf cart wating to get called on the radio to do something to one of the cameras) I obeyed 3 rules. 1) Eye protection-darks or clears depending on time of day 2) Hearing protection at all times and 3) NEVER turn your back to a hot track. You can't duck what you don't see coming!
Anyway garbage bags and hardware store glass....shhhhhhh, don't tell anyone, it's a trade secret! ;-)

[Jerome Cloninger]

Are you serious? Interesting! Luckily, I only have to film bits and pieces. I spent a limited time in the pits and "hot track" time. But definitely have to be on guard! Even in the pits! Victory lane was a mad house. I learned quick to not worry as much about blocking other peeps, but only worry about getting in the network's shots. I didn't block shots, but it's a free for all there and one photog Todd me everyone else will adjust except for network. I caught his drift quick. LOL. He could tell I was a rookie for the races, but not just an amateur (he was very interested in the EA50)

Anyways, I may definitely do the window glass at the motocross....

[Don Bloom]

Tracks be it the pits or the midway can be dangerous places. The midway is where a bunch of people are walking around looking everywhere but where they are going and you're driving in a golf cart carrying a bunch of gear and there's only one way to get where you need to be and that's the midway. We carried an air horn for those occasions. Sooooo, you're the guy that got in my shot that time!!!!! ;-) lol
Yeah if your vest says ESPN or FOX or Speed Channel or TnT you're kinda like "Da Man" at least some of them think so. Most of the guys I met were good guys just doing their job like the rest of us.
It's a hell of a life style, though and the money can be really good.
I knew some guys that traveled 30 to 34 weeks a year. While the money is really good, the grind would get me. Good for some, not so much for others.

[Sander Vreuls]

I do a lot of outside broadcasting, and the company I freelance for has a lot of excellent equipment including raincovers.. however on handheld camera's they mostly prefer to use a garbage bag, because you can have it fit so much better than even the best built factory cover.. and at the end of the production you just rip it off and throw it away instead of having it get dried.

[Steven Digges]

Jerome,

Don said the window glass was on the robotic cams. They are mounted to the barrier wall and no ones face is behind it. Please do NOT put the window glass on your shoulder cam. You can't imagine what comes flying off that track and hits you in the face when you are poking your head into one of the holes in the fence cut for photographers. The window glass could severely injure you. I don't think he was recommending it for your EA50.

Steve

[Steven Digges]

I have avoided posting this shot and others because it could be seen a brag shot. I'm not boasting, this shoot was a blast. Since we are so far off topic I can say I know a little about staying safe doing our job and working in foul weather:


SteveShooting by PHXPHOTOGRAPHER, on Flickr


Jerome, I know you are getting into NASCAR at Bristol. You can see some of my NASCAR stills and other stuff on my Flickr link:

Me - a set on Flickr

The best seat in the house is in the flag stand!

Steve

[Jerome Cloninger]

Originally Posted by Steven Digges

Jerome, I know you are getting into NASCAR at Bristol. You can see some of my NASCAR stills and other stuff on my Flickr link:

Me - a set on Flickr

The best seat in the house is in the flag stand!

Steve

Steve that's awesome! I'll have to give you a ring sometime!!!

EDIT: actually the best seat in the house that I found was in the most elaborate suite box snack dab on the start/finish line! My marketing contract guy was very jealous as he never once stepped foot in there ;-)

[Don Bloom]

There are no tracks that will allow still photogs to stick their heads thru a hole in the fence for the robo cams. First they can interfere with the cams, 2nd it is extremely and I underscore that word, dangerous to stick your head out there and can actually cause a crash. AAMOF if the glass had to be cleaned or changed the camera would be turned away from the track towards the grandstands so the tech could work on it safely, then the tech gives a thumbs up and the operator tests, left, right, up down. If all was good, the operator would have the camera shake tilt up and down as in "yes". The folks in the grandstand that saw that would all laugh. It was better than using a radio cause you can't hear diddly anyway.
Now most tracks require a safety cage around the camera position so civilians and still photogs can't get in there.
And no I am not recommending using plain old glass to protect your lens. The reason we did was simple. Money. It could get really costly really fast to keep buying clear filters for all of the lenses we had. Remember we're talking about a lot of cameras. Oh yeah, I forgot, they also covered the IRL including Indy and did the Direct TV Hot Pass so you're talking about a whole lot of cameras! Lots of filters, lots of money. The glass worked great for the robos on the wall!

Steve, I see you were just kinda hangin' around there. Nice! ;-)

[Steven Digges]

Don,

I did not suggest anyone ever should stick their head through the hole for the robo cam. You and I both know that is off limits. In fact, keeping still photogs (the stupid ones) from getting into those cages was a big problem for my track. They are not secured, there is a hole in the bottom of the cage. You simply bend over and stand up and there is nothing between you and the cars and you are in a cage of death if something bad happens because you have no where to go, you are in the cage.

The allowable place for credentialed still guys is a hole in the catch fence. Those holes are about six feet long and three feet high, just above the barrier wall. Cut in places with no fans behind them. So yes, there the cars were unobstructed with nothing between you and them. The difference between our spots and the robo cam cages was the cage. We could duck or run if need be. I did, but by the time I figured out I should it was usually to late :) As the old saying goes, you could reach out and touch them, if you wanted to loose your arm! The rule was you were not supposed to break the vertical plane of where the fence was if the hole was not there. In other words, don't be an idiot and poke your head out over the wall! Coming out of turn two the cars are literally up against the wall with inches to spare. It IS dangerous and scary, a lot of guys would not shoot at that hole. It was my favorite. If you look at the photos on my old flickr page you can see exactly what I'm talking about. Many of those shots came from my 16-35mm lens.

From about 1999 to 2005 I worked for ISC as the track photographer at PIR. My access to everything I wanted was amazing. When I started there was eight on track events a year. Now they only run NASCAR at that track and it is only twice a year. The Flickr photos are a very small sampling of what I shot there.

This shot shows what I am talking about. You can see the top of the wall, the cut fence, and the unobstructed race car. If you look at the other shots you will see cars almost touching the wall. It was a great ride while it lasted!


HS8S2561 by PHXPHOTOGRAPHER, on Flickr

[Don Bloom]

The last time I did the Milwaukee race we had to chase off 2 or 3 photogs who crawled into the cages to use the openings in the fence we had cams in. Needless to say they weren't happy but then neither were we. Most tracks have a couple of designated places for the still guys to shoot from and while they seem to be safer than other areas they're still not safe enough to stick your head out there but I've saw that as well. Track officals chased them off.
Again I refer to the Milwaukee Mile track, I was there teching the cams one time, was facing the track and BAM! Car hit the wall in turn 4 about 100 feet in front of the cam position where I was getting ready to change an ND filter setting (had to do it manually-4 position wheel) All I can say is thank goodness I had my safety glasses on or I doubt I'd still be shooting. A small stone rocketed by and hit me in the face luckily hitting the glasses and not my face. Best part was the glasses not only worked but didn't crack although there was a mark on them.
The shots one can get be it video or stills from the holes in the fence are amazing no doubt just have to be careful, use common sense and be aware of what's going on around you. After all that it was some of the most fun working I've ever had. Off course I've never been hanging off a mountain to shoot climbers so.... :-)

[Anthony Lelli]

I use a 10mil rain poncho , clear : by far the best solution when you need to get it on fast. All the "dedicated" covers can take 10-20 minutes to put them on and if you do it in a hurry then you risk to let something open or not sealed well and the rain will have no mercy. The 10mil vinyl is a little ticker than the cheaper ones @walmart or similar and offer a much better protection. Use the head aperture to tape it on the base of the hood and cover the camera sealing with electric tape. It's clear so you can see everything. Put silica gels (taped inside right on the camera) to reduce the condensation and of course a filter to protect the lens. One more thing: when you are done shooting (with any rain slicker) don't put the camera in a warm room right away (the condensation can harm the electrical parts): instead put the camera in the bag and let it settle for an hour at the outdoor temperature. I do this as a habit now after a friend told me about the risk of a massive condensation due to a sudden change of temperature.