How to wrap a camera like an Alexa mini or Amira in the rain? 
 cameras water-proof 
 By Jacob Geyer 

 on 12/15/19, 6:58 PM • 461 views
Hey all, 


i would like to find some resources that can demonstrate how to do the oddball things a second should be able to perform on set (without a first having to even ask), one of which is wrapping a camera body such as an Amira or Mini with a cap it without have the camera overheat! 
 

 Rozemarijn 

 On 12/18/19, 7:51 PM


Hey Jacob,
I had to ask my 2nd to be very honest. He does an amazing job in covering up the entire setup in the blink of an eye. I have added some photos.
He is using a see-trough table cloth which he buys at the budget store here in Holland. (Action) Which is very nice because you can still see the buttons. Strapping it with an elastic band or coco clips. As far as overheating, just dont leave it on all the time, like Gunnar says.
And we also use the backpack covers, but they are obviously not transparant.

 
 

 Gunnar Mortensen 

 On 12/18/19, 1:16 PM
I wouldn’t worry too much about over heating. In between setups uncover the back fans and should be fine. Also tape some silica packets underneath to help with condensation. This all depends on outside temp but I just covered all my cameras with cap it’s outside Pasadena for an epic weeklong water ballon fight with no issues. 
 

 Chris Steel 

 On 3/21/20, 6:29 PM
My method using the thick plastic "Poly Bag" which is pretty ubiquitous in the UK:
Remove eyepiece. Take a 4x4 polybag or similar, place it over the camera so one corner is tight against the battery, use a big elastic band to pin this in place. Pull the bag towards the mattebox making sure the seam is running straight along the top handle. Flatten the bag against the mattebox, leave a 2 finger width gap then cut the polybag so the lens side of the bag is completely open. Cut the sides (the skirt) of the bag so that it doesn’t get in the way of mounting to a tripod. Put another large band over the mattebox to hold the bag in place at the front. Make a hole for the eyepiece to sit in a comfortable position. With Alexa cameras, the rod the eyepiece is on can be used to make a whole by pushing it through the bag directly into the rod mount and giving a twist or two. Pull the rod away and get rid of the disk of plastic it just created and mount the eyepiece through the perfectly sized and positioned hole. Place a shower cap over the eyepiece.


This whole process can be done on less that 2 minutes, in heavy rain and high winds, even without an umbrella as the camera is completely covered for the entire process once the bag is over the camera. It can be a little fiddly and it doesn’t look fancy but it’s my preferred method. It can be done at the beginning of the day and left ready to go for later or done as and when you need it. I don’t make them during prep and I rarely use velcro or extra tape unless direct access to the top handle is required. I put eyebolts through the plastic just like the eyepiece for easyrig work.
Here's a kinda messy one rigged to a roller coaster

 

Makes a good splash bag for SFX too (Pictured left to right; Maeve the DoP, Sarah MUA and SFX, Baggs stunts and armourer)

 


 Matt 

 On 3/23/20, 10:54 PM
Something that works if you're in a pinch for time are Cap-It Bags. They've been really great for us in Portland where we deal with rain a lot and it's not the worst if you need to cut one. Also, the bag still allows you to use touch screen through the bag,if you need to (like on RED if you don't have the side handle). Otherwise, we've used similar waterproofing to what Rozemarijn posted.






