Camera Armor Protective Case for Nikon D3 (Black)

by Camera Armor

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.4 x 6.3 x 6.2 inches ; 11.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0029U2YPS
• Item model number: Camera Armor Nikon D3
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 19, 2010

Product Description

We shield while you shoot! Camera Armor is a line of rugged, custom fit SLR digital camera cases engineered to provide maximum protection from impact and abrasion while allowing full access to all features of the camera. The four-part system includes Body Armor, Lens Armor, LCD Shield, and Lens Cap Leash. We love our cameras as much as you do. That's why we designed Camera Armor - the only choice for full time protection. Each model is engineered to provide maximum protection while allowing full access to all controls, compartments, and ports. You focus on the shot - we've got you covered.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A worthy purchase, May 14, 2010

By 

B. Caesar "caesartg" (Leeds, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Camera Armor Protective Case for Nikon D3 (Black) (Electronics)

The flexible skin stretches over the Nikon D3 while giving access to all areas of the camera. Obscured buttons are labelled which could be handy (I heard other camera armor models don't have this). Also included is an LCD protector, which clips on to the lip below the screen at the back, 'lens armor' which is intended to protect your lens from side impacts, a lens cap lanyard which connects to the lens armor and finally a tripod extender screw.

The good:

- The main armor skin should help avoid minor scrapes of the D3 body and potentially lessen impacts. It doesn't greatly increase the bulk of an already bulky machine but those with small hand-spans may notice a significant difference.

- The lens cap lanyard is something that really should be built into most lenses. I've lost plenty of caps or dropped them and got them dusty, so this is quite handy.

- That D3 label on the front of the camera? Hidden and the body to my mind doesn't look quite as pretty. (Some might consider this to be a negative but I think the more generic a camera looks, the less of a target it will be).

The not so good:

- The lens armor only really fits one of my 4 main lenses and it stops me from reverse-attaching the sunshade for storage.

- The tripod extender tends to tighten on to my tripod plate rather than to the camera. Not such a big problem is you have the right tools to tighten it properly on to the body (E.g. An adjustable spanner).

- The armor skin gets slightly in the way of the on/off dial and some of the dials may take a little longer to access, requiring more pressure to be exerted to get through the skin.

On the whole, anything that can significantly protect an investment such as a D3 is a no-brainer and the camera armor seems to fit the bill. It is well thought out and very reasonably-priced - I'm impressed by the product. However, if you already find holding a D3 a bit of a stretch for your hand, then maybe this product isn't for you as it will exacerbate the problem. Also, some people might not like the slick rubberised feel of the skin, preferring the solid grip of the naked body - I think I'll get used to it.

A word of advice - if you do buy it, consider sitting on a bed or sofa when fitting it over your D3 body and especially over your lens. It would be a sad irony if you ended up dropping and breaking a lens on the hard floor installing something that is intended to prevent exactly that kind of damage!

--- UPDATE ---

Just a quick update a month later - I notice a lot of folk mentioning the dust and lint problem. I haven't seen this yet but that might have something to do with living in a place with high humidity (North Taiwan) and not having a moulting pet (also my camera is either out and about, in a clean backpack or stored away in a dry safe).

One good further positive I've noticed with the camera armor is that it works well with a 'sling' strap where the camera when not in use dangles from the hip. The camera slips and bounces around a lot less on jeans with the armor on than without due to it's rubberised non-slip surface. Also, I'm quite accustomed now to changes in the feel and button access due to the armor.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fits the camera very well, but lens cover is too bulky and it attracts a ton of dirt, June 17, 2010

By 

Just a guy (Westchester, NY) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Camera Armor Protective Case for Nikon D3 (Black) (Electronics)

(What's this?)

The most important thing about this is that it fits well and provides very good access to the buttons and dials. There is a solid LCD cover, which is nice. There is also a separate lens protector, but I gave up using that because it was far too bulky. The lens cover also prevents me from using a smaller hip style bag - you can't fit the lens cover into the bag opening. Also, the lens cover prevents your ability to store the sun hood backwards on the lens. Finally, it is a minor pain in the rear to keep putting the lens protector on each different lens. In the end, I just gave up on the lens cover.

The product itself is a fairly sticky rubber that is great for keeping a solid grip on this massive camera. However, that same gripiness also attracts a ton of dirt - even just random lint from sitting in a camera bag.

The largest positive is that it covers up the brandand model information. The last thing you really want is someone knowing you have a big fancy camera - it makes you too much of a target - especially when traveling to other countries.

This will not do much if you drop your camera, but it is invaluable for protecting against bumps and bangs if you have several bodies hanging around your neck.

I would probaly give 3 1/2 stars if I could, but this more of a three star product than it is a four star product - hence, my three star rating.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good rubber armor, but attracts dust & lint like mad, June 15, 2010

By 

buru buru piggu (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Camera Armor Protective Case for Nikon D3 (Black) (Electronics)

(What's this?)

$25 is a small price to pay to protect your expensive D3 from dings and scratches. The armor adds approximately 7.5 oz of weight to your camera and provides a non-slip grip. It comes with an "optical grade LCD shield" that goes over the screen, which is just a fancy way of saying "clear plastic square piece". The lens armor has a lanyard with an adhesive M-shaped anchor on the end of it to stick onto your lens cap. This is a great idea because I'm sure you've lost a lens cap or two over the years (I know I have), but I wish the anchor surface area were just a tad larger and the string better made. It seems to be just a nylon string looped through and knotted at one end.

The rubber is thickest at the bottom, as you might expect, measuring a quarter of an inch in thickness. It comes with a tripod socket extender because the thick base makes the camera's socket inaccessible otherwise.

As others have noted, this product picks up dust like nobody's business. I accidentally dropped it on the floor while trying to get it out of the box and it came back up covered with specks of dust and lint. The matte texture makes it difficult to wipe off without a wet tissue or cloth. A very good rubber suit, if it weren't for the dust attraction problem.