FWIW Camera Protection - $100 projected

Camera Armor developing $100 weatherproof housing

Speaking of mistreating your camera, Seattle-based Camera Armor makes some pretty heavy-duty protective camera skins that recently grabbed our attention around the DCR office. While their regular stuff is pretty serious to begin with (think large rubber bumpers that mount to the front of your DSLR lens and prevent damage when dropped), they were showing off a prototype today of one of the more interesting all-weather DSLR housings we've ever seen.

Still in the development phase, the Camera Armor Extreme takes the company's ideas about gear protection to new levels, providing a polycarb shell that complete encases your SLR but still allows smart access to all the controls. Coordinating lens housings in two sizes (short and long, essentially) allow full zoom control through the housing via a rotating ring on the housing barrel.

Per Camera Armor, the Extreme was conceived of as a weather sealing and impact resistance solution for shooters looking to use their DSLRs in environments that are less than friendly to the long-term survival of delicate electronics. Although it's not a dive housing, Camera Armor notes that the Extreme has been "bucket tested" for water resistance as well – meaning your Extreme-enclosed camera should survive that dip in the ocean.

We had the chance to handle Camera Armor's prototype long enough to form some opinions about the company's general direction. First, installing a camera inside the Extreme, which also features internal bumpers to improve shock resistance, is as simple as sliding the device in and latching the housing's single steel clasp. The enclosure definitely adds appreciable bulk, but compared to many housings we're familiar with, this one's surprisingly manageable.

Best of all, the Camera Armor Extreme – slated to initially hit retails in versions for Canon and Nikon entry-level DSLRs soon after the first of the year – should sell for around $100. Compared to a full-on dive housing, the Extreme seems like a great deal, and if you're a Canon or Nikon shooter looking for a little bit (ok, a lot) of extra protection from water damage, especially, this might be the ticket.