10d destroyed in snowboarding crash?

[Dylan Couper]

That's what the heading could read if I don't get a hard shell case for my camera for an upcoming snowboarding trip!

Don't worry, I'm fine, and so is my camera, for now. Next weekend I'm spending a few days up mountain, and plan on taking my 10d with me. Based on the difficulty of some of what I'll be doing, there is a good chance that I'm going to eat some snow, hard. My biggest fear is landing on top of my camera, which will be in my non-camera designated backpack. To avoid this, I've been looking for a form fitting hard shell case.

Something like this http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...867416788&rd=1 but reinforced with metal, or hard plastic.


Any suggestions?

[Keith Loh]

Insurance?

[Gareth Watkins]

I'd love to know the insurer who'd cover you to go snowboarding with a 10D ..... here in France they'd just laugh.

Speakin gas a former Agencyu press photog... Most press agencies don't bother with insurance as it costs too much and there are so many exclusive clauses.... no street riots, no wars.....

Seriously though.... how about an underwater housing... this will offer good protection and stop it getting wet in the snow...

Check out this: http://www.marinecamera.com/canon_10d.html

cheers

Gareth

[Dylan Couper]

Gareth, interesting suggestion, but I've got the feeling it might be a little too expensive for my budget. Plus it is a little too big.

As Keith said, you can get insurance that will cover anything, including taking your camera skiing.

[Greg Patch]

Just a thought, when I'm climbing rocks or lurking around concerts with my camera I always stick a beer coozie around the lense, you know the thick foam ones, it has saved my lense more than once...

[Steven Digges]

Dylan,

I used to shoot for the US Ski Team and I am not a great skier, it hurt a lot. My photo backpacks, Lowe & Wave protected the gear in the most hideous of crashes. Besides the body you probably have lenses to take care of also. A photo backpack can do it all, I recommend the Lowe products. Their photo bags are built just like the mountaineering backpacks they make and then turned into a photo bag, not the other way around, as most are. The photo padding in my Pro Treker AW can be removed to use it as a regular backpack. When shooting snowboarding with 40 pounds of expensive glass in a pack the harness system is as important as the interior components. They are worth every dollar.

Steve

[Dylan Couper]

Thanks Steve
I carry my 10d in a LowePro Top Load Zoom bag, which is really just enough to hold the camera with a zoom attached. It is well padded, do you think if I carried that inside my regular backpack it would be safe? Safe-ish anyway? :)

I'd really ride light, but I definitely want to take the 10d with me, possibly a small video camera too.

[Steven Digges]

Put it in the middle of your pack padded with your extra layers of clothing and it will be fine. I would also detach the lens from the body so if it does take a shot both mounts will be safe. When taking a very cold camera into the warmth of indoor temperatures don’t touch it until it has warmed up naturally. Keep extra batteries warm in the pockets closest to your skin. Have lens cleaner handy to wipe off snow. I keep sensor swabs and Eclipse cleaner with me because I have to change lenses a lot in very dirty conditions. I also have 3 different kinds of shooting gloves that let me expose my index finger or other fingertips while keeping the glove on. You can find them at gun shops or surplus stores. Big Ziplock freezer bags are good for the snow, cut a corner off and use rubber bands to seal it around the end of the lens barrel, then just reach inside it and shoot. Most often I just keep one over the camera in rain and snow and then pull it off to shoot. If the camera gets so wet it stops working take the battery out (both of them) and let it sit indoors overnight to dry out, they usually fire back up. The camera is probably more durable than you think. I don’t have the luxury of keeping my stuff in the bag when things are nasty; it takes a fair amount of abuse. Besides, adverse weather makes for great shots. Have fun and be safe, I had a boarder miss his mark and land on top of me. I was OK but he got a ride down the mountain in the toboggan with a back injury. He was OK a week later. A US Team skier stuffed a Nikon F3 into my face and split my eyebrow open. Go figure, one of the worlds best skiers on a closed run and she decks me. When I told her to come very close I didn’t mean THAT close.

Steve

The video camera will be much more susceptible to condensation issues, becareful.

[Dylan Couper]

Thanks for the tips Steve.

One concern I have, is the packing the camera body/lens seperately in the backpack. This means putting the lens on while outside in the snow when I want to use it, which I'll probably have to do several times a day. Is it worth the risk exposing the guts of the body and back of the lens to snow and moisture?
I'm only taking the Canon 28-135mm IS lens with me, so I won't be changing multiple lenses.

[Steven Digges]

Leave it attached, that’s not a long heavy lens.

Steve

[Dylan Couper]

Good. That's what I wanted to hear.

Well, it looks like I am good to go. Thanks Steve!

[Jeff Toogood]

HA, I read this post topic and thought my old 10D had been destroyed!!

Glad that's not the case!

[Dylan Couper]

Heh heh, I was wondering when you'd read this post Jeff. :)

I just got back from Big White, got some good photos, despite it being foggy much of the time we were there. The camera survived fine. I should set up a pbase account or something and post them.

[Rob Yannetta]

Is there anyone that sells "accidental damage" insurance on new PD170s? I'd definately like to buy it.

[Dylan Couper]

Rob, do a search on insurance in the business forum. I can't remember the particulars, but yes, I believe there is.