MADE Products CA00259-0MP Camera Armor for Nikon D200 Digital SLR (Black)

by Made Products

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4 x 5 inches ; 8.8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000MCLNKW
• Item model number: B000MCLNKW
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 17, 2003

Product Description

Color: Black

Manufacturer Description

The toughest protection for your camera: We custom design each of our cases to fit the camera like a glove. All controls and access points are still accessible and you can use your camera at a moments notice. No more missed photographs trying to get your camera out of its case. Rugged, custom fit cases that provide protection from impact and abrasion while allowing full access to all features of the camera. Great for outdoor use (currently being used for nature photography, climbing, cycling, bungee jumping, canyoning, aerial photography, forensics, photo journalism, etc), working with multiple cameras (wedding photography, industrial applications), or other activities where full-time protection is required without a lot of additional bulk or weight. 4 part system includes Lens Armor, Body Armor, LCD shield, and lens cap lanyard. Works with most tripods, optional battery grips, flash guns, L-brackets, and other accessories. (Some customization may be required) Proprietary silicone material is heat stable to 420 degrees, provides protection from heat or cold, and gives the camera a secure, grippy feel. Does not trap condensation under the armor, and will not deform or lose its shape over time. Lifetime warranty.

Product Description

The toughest protection for your camera: We custom design each of our cases to fit the camera like a glove. All controls and access points are still accessible and you can use your camera at a moments notice. No more missed photographs trying to get your camera out of its case. Rugged, custom fit cases that provide protection from impact and abrasion while allowing full access to all features of the camera. Great for outdoor use (nature photography, climbing, cycling), working with multiple cameras (wedding photography), or other applications where full-time protection is required without a lot of additional bulk or weight. 4 part system includes Lens Armor, Body Armor, LCD shield, and lens cap lanyard. Works with most tripods, optional battery grips, flash guns, L-brackets, and other accessories. (Some customization may be required) Proprietary silicone material is heat stable to 420 degrees, provides protection from heat or cold, and gives the camera a secure, grippy feel. Does not trap condensation under the armor, and will not deform or loose its shape over time. Lifetime warranty.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great product depending on your use, May 1, 2007

By 

Christopher Sellarole "croosifyd" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: MADE Products CA00259-0MP Camera Armor for Nikon D200 Digital SLR (Black) (Electronics)

I decided to purchase this for my D200 despite the one review essentially because every person has a different use and expectation for the product. I did not buy this armor to protect against accidents such as the one described in the previous review. This product is not intended to prevent your camera from breaking in the event you drop it or beat it against something. It is more to protect the rig cosmetically. I purchase the same type of rubber armor for my ipod and blackberry devices. If you want something to prevent cosmetic damage to your camera while you are storing it in a protective case and desire to prevent minor bumps and bruises, this is a great buy. The lens piece is useless, but I love the fit of the body armor and I can still access all of the controls.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Has some usefulness but plenty of drawbacks, April 12, 2007

By 

Joseph Boone (Irvine, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: MADE Products CA00259-0MP Camera Armor for Nikon D200 Digital SLR (Black) (Electronics)

On a recent trip to Zion National Park, I managed to take a spill while climbing up a small rock formation. The result were a few scrapes for me and a small dent in the Nikon D200 I was carrying sufficient to forever lock my battery inside (a death sentence for the camera since there was no longer a way to recharge the battery). My lens was also damaged, though not as badly. Fresh off the experience of replacing such an expensive camera, I was highly interested when I saw this product. Camera Armor, the manufacturer, has developed a rubber body glove to protect cameras from impacts and scrapes. In addition, it comes with a rubber attachment to protect the front of one lens as well as a plastic shield for your LCD. The LCD protector is a bit of a mystery to me since the D200 already has one but you are free to use it or not so there is certainly no harm in Camera Armor including it.

Installing the glove is a pretty simple and quick affair. You will need to remove your neck strap and can reattach it when the armor is in place. It took some fiddling, but once properly arranged, the rubber fit the camera snugly and was not prone to bulges or random movement. Many of the controls and buttons are left exposed but some of the buttons are covered to improve the structural integrity of the armor. In these cases, the button is clearly articulated in the rubber and it is labeled identically as it is on the camera. However, the label is simply molded into black rubber, whereas the camera labels are printed in white against the black case, which makes the armor version far more difficult to read. I also find that some of the controls are so close to the edge of the rubber that it is not as easy or comfortable to manipulate them. It may be that you would grow accustomed to this over time.

In terms of protection, it's important to point out that the product description is certainly overstating the case. The best protection for your camera is a hard case with foam padding. For portable protection, a good backpack or shoulder bag with sufficient padding would be far better than this Camera Armor. When you're out shooting, however, you will often wear the camera around your neck and it is not practical to put it away after every shot. In such circumstances this armor may be your only real option. As such, it is certainly better than nothing. It should provide very strong protection from scratches. The rubber will also provide some small protection from impact but you need to be realistic about what it can do. To recount my own accident, I would say that the sharp blow my D200 took would probably still have done the same damage if it had the Camera Armor on, the blow against bare rock was just too forceful for a thin bit of rubber to absorb. Any real impact against rock or concrete will likely pose a similar danger.

The lens protector is a nice idea but I won't be using it. First, if you use any filters, it will be very inconvenient to put them on or take them off while the armor is in place. Even adjusting a circular polarizer would be cumbersome. You can take the armor off and put it back on but this is a pretty rigorous process, especially if you have the fast lenses that are inevitably bigger around. Also, you can forget about using a lens hood. The armor will completely cover the threads that the hood attaches to. This is a deal breaker for me. I don't use many filters but I use a circular polarizer almost constantly and I can't accept anything that makes it difficult for me to use. Lens hoods are also equally essential on sunny days.

Finally, there is another drawback to this Camera Armor, although it will not affect everyone. The armor extends down to the bottom plate of the camera, though most of it is left clear. If you use a tripod, check the plate that attaches to your camera carefully. If it protrudes beyond the edge of the camera at all, then you probably won't be able to attach it while the Camera Armor is on. In my case, I use a bracket made by Kirk Enterprises that wraps from the bottom to the left side of the camera and is compatible with the Arca-Swiss quick release system. With the Camera Armor in place, the bracket won't even come close to attaching. This renders the armor unusable for me, as I simply can't give up my ability to use a tripod. I don't use one all the time, but it is frequently enough that I can't see swapping back and forth between the armor and the bracket every time.

This is a long review, so I'll summarize by saying that if you don't use a tripod (or use a small camera bracket if you do) and don't mind a bit less ease of use for your camera then you may want to consider this product. It will provide protection from scrapes and smaller bangs and the D200 is not a small investment. The lens armor is worth considering only if you don't use filters or lens hoods. It ended up being a waste of money for me, but for someone whose needs fit the product better it might not be a bad purchase.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars cosmetic protection, June 29, 2007

By 

eetree (Califonira, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: MADE Products CA00259-0MP Camera Armor for Nikon D200 Digital SLR (Black) (Electronics)

This is a great product, although more cosmetic protection than anything else. I have not dropped my new d200 yet, but if I did, I'm not sure this would help all that much. The armor is well made and fits perfectly over the camera body, giving access to all the controls, even buttons which are accurately labeled. I put it on soon after getting my new camera and have not had to remove it to access or learn any of the buttons or switches.

My only complaint is the bottom edge interferes with the battery compartment, and it's a bit of a struggle to get the battery in and out. I don't have a flash yet, but it looks like the way it covers the hot shoe might present some issues. I couldn't decide if I should use the lens cover or not, especially trying to figure out how it would fit over the hood, but once I got my circular polarizer and couldn't use my hood any more, it came in very handy.

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