When Nothing But Armor Will Do

By John Laposky On Feb 26 2007 - 8:00am

Made Products will be showing at the Photo Marketing Association show in Las Vegas early next month four new Camera Armor products for high-end digital SLRs. The form-fitting silicone cases feature patent-pending elastomeric protection, a rubber-based technology used in industrial applications and construction to protect vulnerable materials from adverse atmospheric conditions.

The four new Camera Armor products are designed to fit Nikon's D80 and D200 d-SLR models, as well as Canon's Rebel XTI and the higher-end EOS 5D. Previous models, for Canon's 30D and Nikon's D40 and D70 cameras, are already shipping to 19 countries.

"The unique thing about Camera Armor is the fact that it protects your camera wherever you go, regardless of what you are doing," said Graeme Esarey, general manager of Made Products. "Unlike other cases, you don't sacrifice much in the way of function. I can still change a memory card with one hand, the battery with the other and be ready for the next shot. But my camera is protected the whole time."

Camera Armor products come with "Body Armor," an LCD shield made from polycarbonate that protects the LCD screen from impact and abrasion, and "Lens Armor," a rugged protective ring that stretches to fit most common lenses. The Lens armor doubles as a sun hood, and can be rolled out of the way for wide angle shot. It comes with a leash that attaches the camera's lens cap to the lens armor with a silicone tab.

More models are in development, with a version for the Sony Alpha due out next month, and a higher-end model for Canon's Mark II series to follow. Camera Armor starts at $49.99.

Made Products was founded as an offshoot of Speck Design, the product design firm that also owns Speck Products, a leading brand in the iPod accessories market.