Well this is going to sound really stupid but hear me out. I too was ill over the cost of a raincoat for my betacam. I used to scowl at the sky in frustration on rainy nights as the scanners would go nuts with accident calls, trees down, lightning related fires, and so on. Sitting at home was costing me money, but I was damned if I was gonna pay $300 for a camera's raincoat.
Well one day my wife goes shopping and comes back with a new comforter for the bed. It's packaged up in a really heavy clear plastic bag, with a zipper. I eyeballed it cautiously and noted that it seemed about the right width and depth for a betacam body. It was rectangular, and held it's shape even without the blanket inside. I asked her what she intended to do with the bag.
"Oh I was just going to throw it away." she replied.
"So you wouldn't mind if I cut it up then?" I asked.
"No.... why?" was her reply. I said "You'll see" as I headed to the kitchen to get the big scissors from the junk drawer.
I cut the case in half lengthwise, and then cut a hole big enough for the lens to poke thru. To use the cover, I would put the lens thru the hole and pull the rest of it over the camera, like a toaster cover. Once I put it on for the first time, it was a simple matter to cut a small hole on the side for the viewfinder. The open bottom allowed easy access to the controls and tripod mount, and the top kept the critical parts of the camera nice and dry as the rain fell. The only drawback was I couldn't use my lights, because they would melt the plastic if I did! But a small portable floodlight solved that, and I already had one anyway for when the on-camera lights just weren't enough.
Plus, being made out of clear plastic, I could see thru to the audio meters and switches and such. Worked every bit as good as the expensive camera cover, but it only cost me $40 at walmart and came with a free blanket
LOL, go see if your boss will approve some blankies - Explain the cover idea and then tell him you can also use the blankets to keep warm with inbetween live shots! Or use 'em to wrap up that pretty little reporter so she think's you're her hero... who knows what that might get you in return.....
