HM100 protection
 

I'm looking at solutions to protect my HM100 in both difficult weather such as rain, wind and dusty conditions, and just day to day knocks and bumps (as I'll be living in a small vehicle camping 99% of the time. I expect two different solutions are needed.

Have many manufactors released a HM100 solution yet?

I've found the following:

camRade WS GYHM100 wetSuit
camRade | WS GYHM100 wetSuit | WS - GY HM100 | B&H Photo Video

IMO the best rain cover is a ziplock plastic bag and duct tape. The gadget shown in your link has wrong place for LCD cover!

I like your style! It suits my budget! But its usually worth trying to find a really good bit of kit before calling on the duct tape ;-)

Duck tape is fine for a days shooting, but if you are in a rain forest for two weeks you start to appreciate a well made piece of kit, if one exists.

John, I did not shoot in hot rainforest, but I live for the past 12 years in NW Washington State and had my share of rain. I can ensure you there is nothing better then a plastic bag. Any gadget sawn and made of fabric will start leaking- it's not if but when.
The unit you send link to will not work with LCD on HM100, as the LCD rain cover is in the wrong place. I think this model was for EX1, not they say you can use it with HM100? Look carefully at the picture and compare it with your camera.

The Picture at the B&H site is not correct (it's a Sony camera), but the Camrade brochure does list a wetsuit for the JVC GY-HM100 camera (on page 6):
http://www.syntex.sk/pic/dokumenty/1...CHURE-2009.pdf

I don't know if there is a Camrade website or not that has more info.

Texax Tapeworks (also a sponsor here) sells Camrade, so a call to them could answer the question I'm confident.

B & H have the wrong picture, no big deal, we get the general idea.

I'm just as concerned about dust and wind laced with dust/sand etc and as a lot of my shooting will be handheld or on the move I'm not sure how practical a plastic bag will always be (the camera will be put in out and out of it protective box about 20 times a day etc

So I'm keen to see what is available and assess it. Being UK based means I'm keen on solution that can be bought here easily if possible etc

These are the kinds of places I will be filming so you have some idea etc:

IHANA.COM* big trip* -* stuck
IHANA.COM* big trip* -* diary - July 2002 - Paragua, track to Candelaria

explore photography sudan

BigSky Adventures
BigSky Adventures

Camrade also makes a 'white' version for desert use, which could be great for desert work because it would reflect the heat of the sun. But they only list it for the HM700 and not the HM100, which is a bummer.

I think having something like this with you is probably a good idea. Certainly if it works, and is designed to fit the HM100 well, it's certainly worth $160 or so.

Tim, I reside in NW Washington, where we have rain forest, but I also spent my share of time in the deserts. The biggest problem posed for any camera is moisture and dust. However HM100 has no moving parts, so a lot of problems that would normally occur with tape are eliminated. On the top of that you don't change lens, so dust and grime can't get onto a sensor (would be an issue with HM700).
Unfortunate fact is that all these units (I owed PortaBrace and Kata) have no taped seams. My advice would be to make sure unit you intend on buying has this feature or it will leak and let the dust through. I would invest into several UV and polarized filters, as they will get wasted in dusty climate.
I think you would be much better off buying this Ewa-Marine | VHD Underwater Housing for JVC GZ-HD7 | EM VHD
I used similar unit for DVX100 and as far as moisture protection Ewa is the bomb.