MADE Products CA-1112-SMK SLR Camera Armor for Canon XTi Digital SLR (Smoke)

While rock climbing I put a scratch on my lcd and a ding on my camera body before I realized some body protection was in order. The armor fits tight like a glove and has a plastic lcd protector built in. Its best that you memorize how you use the buttons on the camera before you use use the armor because it can be difficult to read the armor's embossed button names. Luckily I had been using the camera a lot for about 7 months before I ordered the armor so I had my camera features and buttons memorized.The plastic lcd cover is shiny and can interfere somewhat with seeing the lcd image clearly when outside. I use the lcd for a general check of composition and rely on the histograms for exposure info so the degraded lcd image is not a big deal for me.When I first received it I took it off for non-climbing photography but now just leave it on all the time. All the access ports are not covered by the armor and you can still use built-in or external flash with the armor on.I don't use the lens hood. I haven't tried it but prefer my other lens hoods.

I had this item on my watch list for 5 years before I bought it. I watched the price drop to less than 20% of its original price, and finally bought it.I'm glad I did. The camera may be old, but I paid $900 for it new.This camera armor does a great job of protecting your camera. It makes it a little difficult to change the battery. It also covers the markings on all the camera buttons - unless you use your camera frequently, you'll forget what all the buttons are and will have to play around to figure it out.This is by no means a waterproof case, but it will do a good job of protecting it from minor bumps and drops.

I haven't put this through a torture test or tried to drop my camera to test it at all but it should work as it is intended. Its going to give you a little more grip as the rubber is soft. I imagine a small drop would cushion it a bit and help prevent small dings and scratches. The lens hood is ridiculous. I'm sure someone might think its useful, but to me it just looks goofy.

I bought this because I thought it would be a good idea to have on my camera during backpacking trips, but it collects dust like a dust magnet. My concern is that it will end up attracting more dust into my camera. It also makes it a little more difficult to press some of the buttons, but I'm sure most of that is just getting used to it. I do however like the lens hood.....when I don't want it around my lens all i have to do is fold it back instead of screw something off. I'm not going to use the camera body armor, but I am going to continue using the lens hood.

This is a good cover if you use the stock lens that came with the camera and if you do not use the various buttons very often. Maybe I had the cover on wrong, but I had a difficult time hitting the buttons. This probably also had something to so with the little screen cover provided. It does feel like it would absorb the shock of the camera maybe lightly hitting a hard surface so I can give it that.

I love my Canon Rebel XTi, especially its performance:price ratio, or bang-for-the-buck. You can spend lots more money on a Canon digital SLR, but additional improvements in overall image quality tail off rapidly for most non-professional photographers. This camera packs some serious imaging firepower.One of the places Canon engineers are suspected to have cut costs for the Rebel XTi, though, is in durability-- especially in susceptibility to physical damage. Digital SLRs are delicate beasts in any event, but the entry level models are thought to be a bit more prone than higher-end Canon SLRs to damage from a 6-inch plus drop to a hard surface, or a sharp bump from a camera swinging on its strap and tagging a concrete wall, or exposure to liquids including light rain. These incidents can easily toast a digital camera, and contrary to what many first-time victims expect, physical damage to a camera due to accident or water is expressly excluded from camera warranties.Some people who know the risks prefer to live out on the edge, anyway: ride bareback, and jam their iPod in pocket or purse or run carrying it with no case, or wave the Wii controller around without the strap, and if it dies in an accident or a display gets badly scratched, they may whine about poor workmanship and warranty coverage, but just buy another. Other folks readily admit their klutziness and worry that their camera will die at the start of a trip or whenever it is needed most and when a repair represents many lost photos, and start wondering how to better protect it.For butterfingered where's-the-seat-belt types-- like me!-- Camera Armor is just what the doctor ordered. It gives the Rebel XTi a small extra measure of protection against the countless slings and arrows of photographer misfortune and normal wear and tear.This particular model has a medium-gauge rubber-like skin designed to fit the XTi like a scuba suit. It seals most camera openings against water and dirt while still allowing full use of all camera functions. Even with Camera Armor in place, you can still swap out the battery, memory card or lens without additional hassle. Though solid skin covers all of the camera buttons, the suit is made with molded rubber buttons so it is still a snap to feel and operate them. Camera Armor comes with a rubberized lens protector for a typical mid-size kit lens as well-- some people like the lens protector, and some people don't-- but its use is completely optional. (It does attract dust, so I normally leave it off.) Camera Armor also includes a clear plastic shield held in place by the skin that covers an otherwise scratch-prone LCD display. The shield does not significantly reduce visibility of the LCD display. The skin does not cover the two dials or power switch on top, so they remain very easy to use but potential entry points for water into the case.Would a Camera Armor equipped XTi survive a tripod fall, a drop in a swimming pool or a downpour of rain? With luck, it might help a bit in some relatively minor accidents or brief exposure to some water, but at best, one is only reducing risk, not removing it. A very hard camera drop can still break any digital camera, especially an entry-level SLR, with or without Camera Armor. The rubberized skin does not waterproof the camera, and XTis are not designed to survive getting even a little wet. But against everyday minor wear and tear and the random sprinkles of life, and truly minor bumps which would break some XTis, the Camera Armor surely helps.I hit up against two "gotchas". First, depending on your gear, you may have some issues mounting a Camera Armored XTi to a tripod. The thickness of the rubberized skin that wraps just over the bottom edge of the camera leaves the screw mount easily accessible, but standard tripod screws are not long enough for the additional distance required, if a quick-release plate has to extend over two edges of the rubberized skin. Stretching the skin around the plate, or getting a longer screw to mount the plate to the camera body, or carefully trimming the skin so a plate fits flush with the standard screw but still firmly grips the bottom of the camera, or removing Camera Armor for tripod use are all potential workarounds, if a bit inconvenient or unsightly.Second, the plastic shield on some early release XTi Camera Armors partially interfered with the operation of the sensor which controls the automatic LCD display. As suggested on the manufacturer's website, I emailed them describing the way the sensor didn't work correctly, and they immediately mailed out free of charge a redesigned shield that restored full functioning of the LCD viewfinder with an apology for the inconvenience. (Great customer service that can no longer be taken for granted for a product in this price range!) Current shipments of the XTi Camera Armor come with the redesigned shield, so you would only need to replace yours if you happened to get the original model, as I did. (The problematic shield has a clear plastic window that covers the small sensor just below the viewfinder. On the redesigned shield, this sensor is left uncovered.)There are three other minor issues, which I can live with, but you may want to consider. First, the marginal added value of the protection of Camera Armor is a close call for me in terms of its cost, and this along with the tripod issue is probably the main reason I award Camera Armor only four stars instead of five. The price seems fair to me in terms of engineering design and execution, as this is a very well-made accessory, but one way of looking at a Camera Armor purchase is that as with most insurance products, you're buying some protection against gambling loss. Most people lose buying insurance, while only a few come out way ahead. (And to be clear, the Camera Armor manufacturer does not warrant against physical damage to your camera.) On the other hand, even if you never bumped your XTi or never got it wet enough to have damaged it only without the added protection, a camera will have fewer scratches if Camera Armor is used a lot, so this product could pay for itself in enhanced camera value if the XTi is traded in or resold in two or three years.Second, XTi buttons are labeled with small, raised rubber lettering or symbols on Camera Armor, but the labels are the same color as the rest of Camera Armor, making it a bit difficult to see which function is where in dim light. You can apply liquid whiteout to the labels to make them easier to read, and many frequent camera users wouldn't be bothered by this because they know what buttons control what functions by feel alone.Finally, Camera Armor is a little difficult to install, even after temporarily removing the lens and strap. Some patience and hand strength is needed to stretch the skin so it precisely fits the XTi body. After an initial installation that took me several minutes while I feared that it might not go on or that I'd tear the skin, the skin is now much easier to remove and reinstall, if necessary. If it wasn't at least a little hard to install, it wouldn't fit the camera tightly and protect it as much as possible, so I now consider this a feature and not a bug.Would I buy it again, or recommend it to a friend? Yes, definitely.

it get's in the way of the controls but does it job greatly

I hope this info helps prevent anyone else from making the same mistake that I did. After much research I incorrectly presumed that this armor would also fit the Canon Rebel XT. IT DOES NOT! The lcd screen and some other small button placement differences prevent one from using this cover. I accept responsibility for misjudging this product. It would have been helpful to have the protection for my Rebel XT when I travel.