Comments on: Tips for Using Your Camera in a Hostile Environment

By: Cheap Mobile Contract

Cheap Mobile Contract — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 23:37:57 +0000

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By: Petra

Petra — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 07:26:38 +0000

Here’s an extreme, camera wrecking environment for you: I work in a camera shop in a NZ tourist town and a few months back, we had one sightseer come into our shop with a melted Nikon D90. He’d decided to get his lens as far into a geothermal vent – The Devil’s Throat – as possible, so he could photograph deep inside it. The heat, moisture, and sulphurous gases completely seized the camera, partially melting the camera and lens casing; and when we removed the lens, his sensor was also bubbled and molten.

Now that’s what I call a hostile environment!

By: Alain

Alain — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 01:33:07 +0000

Hostile environment? Try Iceland. I’m just back from there. Got rain almost every day (at least some) and the two days without, I was shooting waterfalls, including one that we can go behind. Bough rain sleeves for my camera ($12 for a pack of two). I call them “icelandic condoms” now.

Besides, I did rain out my iPhone. I thought it was dead. Black screen, no life at all. It came back into life a month after, when it was finally dried out. The system has a “moisture” detector that cuts off everything to protect itself. Genius.

By: angad singh

angad singh — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 19:22:41 +0000

use a rain sleeve ..they come in really handy and protect the gear from water sprays etc..

also get a uv filter to protect the front element!

dont change lenses!!!!

By: jeoxenx

jeoxenx — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:16:15 +0000

I started using an Ortlieb backpack some months ago, when I went to Japan for 3 weeks. Since we were outside for the whole day, I just needed something really waterproof. So I bought the “Track” backpack, which isn’t a camera bag but just a normal backpack except that it is absolutely waterproof (except if you really submerge it for a longer time).
http://www.ortliebusa.com/CartGenie/prod-146.htm
I then put all the lenses, my camera and the accessories in small bags or neopren wraps
http://www.novoflex.com/en/products/useful-accessories/wraps/
so they don’t hit each other.
Additionally, I put a cushion in the bag at the bottom to avoid hitting something on the ground.

What I really like about this is, that it is waterproof, relatively cheap and highly flexible compared to all specialized solutions, e.g. I do have one really great camera backpack – and it doesn’t even have enough room left for a bottle of water and a jacket.

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 01:23:57 +0000

I’ve lost an OM1, an OM4, 35mm, 50mm, 135mm and 35 – 80mm lenses kayaking and bushwalking. I can say it hurts every time.

I lost my OM4 even though I kept it in a Pelican case. The lesson for me was to always!, always!, ALWAYS! check the purge valve is done up tight and to be sure that water will not run off your weather jacket into your case when you open it.

It’s been 12 years and I still miss my Olympus.

By: Jean-Marc

Jean-Marc — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 19:49:46 +0000

I am a commercial photographer specializing in Enduro type offroad Motorcycle races, and I get really (really) up close to the action. Often the bikes are passing a mere foot from me. What this means is that I (and my camera) get completely covered in dirt, dust, mud, water and just about all of whatever the motorcycles are riding on. In this sort of environment there are only 2 rules. 1.) don’t get run over. 2.) NEVER open any doors on the camera, or change a lens until you have cleaned the camera completely. I also keep a soft cotton towel and a hand-held mechanical blowing device. depending on whether the debris is solid, or just dust, I try to make sure that the camera is given a cursory cleaning after every single wave of riders has passed. This ensures that there isn’t a build up of dangerous substances. I also make sure that there is ALWAYS at least a UV filter on the lens to protect the front element from small bits of gravel that I can’t see. The big stuff, of course, you dodge. Another trick I use is to get the shot as they are approaching, and then shield the camera with my body as they pass, I can take a shower, the camera shouldn’t have to. JM

By: J. S. Strouss

J. S. Strouss — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:24:12 +0000

I’ve begun collecting those little silica gel packs you find around. I store them in a zip-loc bag. So far, I haven’t needed them for my D-40, but they did come in handy for my wife’s cell phone. I put the phone ( which had gotten wet ) into the zip-loc bag with the gel packets and a handful of rice, and left it overnight. The next day, it functioned perfectly. If you don’t want to scavenge them you can buy them in bulk on-line. – Jim S.

By: reed hutchison

reed hutchison — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:14:19 +0000

canned air can actually cause more trouble latter by blowing grit into the camera; not recommended.

By: Alex

Alex — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:55:05 +0000

I’m so glad to read that you actually take your camera out in rough weather. Initially I handled my DSLR like my old Film SLR; which I soon realized was an error. With film there was no sensor to get mucked up ( I think?); anyway, in the old days I never had an issue with blotches. With my new Canon XSi I often found squiggly things on the pictures. I then went totally in the other direction and treated the camera like a crystal vase.
I’m now just coming out of this hyper-cautions phase. A camera needs to be used; not treasured. Thanks for sharing your experience.