With summer the holidays arrive for many of us and it becomes trips, stays on the beach, the mountain, etc. and of course, as good fans, our photographic team does not miss any of these events (nor should we). What happens is that, in some cases, these opportunities come from conditions that are not the most suitable for the equipment, and not only inappropriate, but also harmful to our camera and our goals, if you are in the southern hemisphere where it is not exactly hot, do not think that this article is not for you, since cold and humidity can also be harmful to your camera , this does not mean that you have it at home, of course, it is the most harmful thing to her and to you. , but take certain precautions. These precautions (and don’t want to apply sunscreen?) These are the ones I’m going to talk to you about today, do you want your team to live as long as possible?Don’t miss that!
Before handling the camera, if your hands are wet dry very well. This advice, which seems so obvious, is often forgotten or not given the importance it has. Never forget it!
- If you’re going to be very close to the water and think the risk of mooring is high.
- Try using a waterproof housing even if you don’t plan to submerge or wrap it in plastic.
- You can improvise a blanket with a plastic bag and duct tape.
If your camera is splashed with water, clean it immediately and wrap it in a dry cloth. If it’s too wet, rice grains can help remove moisture. In this case, do not attempt to turn it on immediately to check if it is damaged. . You’d better wait till it dry out. And if the drama has happened when it has fallen into the water, remove it as quickly as possible, shake it, open as many parts as you can to dry them and hit it with a hairdryer to reach the most inaccessible parts.
When storing the camera, leave it in a dry place as moisture can cause fungi to appear. Silica gel saggings help absorb moisture. Mushrooms are also fighting by taking the camera for a walk from time to time, and I don’t mean like the one walking the animal, but taking pictures with it, that’s our weekly challenges, for example. not too much, of course) is also good at fighting these unwanted visitors. If your house is too wet, occasionally put on your equipment to sunbathe (a little).
Yes, of course, rain is water, but it’s not spontaneous splashing. The rain is constantly falling and should not be an obstacle to taking the camera for a walk, it should be a good reason to go out and take pictures. Of course, with good protection and not exactly an umbrella, it’s quite uncomfortable. To do this, there are protective and waterproof bags, like this one.
In an emergency, you can also carry a regular plastic bag in your backpack and adjust it as much as you can if the rain surprises you unexpectedly. Wrapping the camera in a plastic wrap for cooking can also be a good choice.
If water is dangerous to your camera, you can’t even imagine how harmful the saltpeter can be. If your camera is splashed with seawater, it can be severely damaged. That’s why it’s better to avoid disasters, how? Be very careful, keep the camera when you’re not using it in its case, and also prevent uns needed lens or battery changes. And before using the camera, wash your hands with fresh water or a disposable wipe. As a final recommendation, if you’ve just taken a bath, don’t hang the camera around your neck unless you put on a clean shirt, your body will be full of salt and friction can scare away some of these particles inside the camera.
A little sun can be good to avoid mushrooms, but too much sun can kill or damage your equipment, so if you’re not going to use the camera and it’s hot don’t leave it in the sun even if it’s inside your case, leave it in the shade, in the coolest, driest place where I can place it. If there is no shadow, cover it with reflective material, such as aluminum foil or thermal cover.
A sun watch can protect you from excessive sunlight and small accidental splashes if it is near water.
When you leave your equipment in the car, if it’s not in the shade, try to leave it in a place where the sun doesn’t shine at any time, such as under a seat or in the trunk.
You can also refer to the instruction manual to see the temperatures that your equipment can withstand, as they can vary from camera to camera, even if you’re not going to go to the extreme, it’s never necessary to know which limit you should never cross.
If you’re one of those people who likes to photograph the beach or travel through the desert, cover up the strange rally or approach dust or sand in any other way with your camera, so that their particles don’t deposit on the sensor or anywhere else. in it should take certain precautions, the first is to carry the camera in a suitable case, the second, whether you try not to change the lens or battery if there is wind or if you see that there are many dust particles In these cases, it is better to cover to do so.
Another important recommendation is to never leave the camera directly on the sand and keep the equipment bag as far away from the ground as possible. Carrying the camera in an airtight bag (such as a freezer bag) can prevent sand from entering the backpack. to get into the chamber.
In case the camera accidentally falls into the sand, it is best to start cleaning it on the spot, better to store it in a bag or packaged in a garment and clean it when you are at home, with peace of mind and away from any grain of sand or dust to be able to disassemble the camera safely.
Another very practical, simple and economical trick is to tape the slots and openings of the camera, such as those of the card, battery, ports or access to the microphone if you have one.
There are other liquids, besides water, that can harm the health of your camera, for example, now that we are in early summer in this hemisphere and it is very common to use the camera to photograph our descendants after coating them with sunscreen, we run the risk of filling our camera with this glu. Avoid drying your hands well or removing excess cream with a piece of paper, because with sweat, the cream may end up dripping somewhere in the room.
Also beware of cleaning fluids, if you have any questions about how to clean your camera, I advise you to read this full article published on the blog.
The cold can affect both the camera and the lenses, the first thing you need to know is that the battery discharges faster, so if you plan to do a winter session and it should be long, carry a spare battery so as not to run. If you use it near your body instead of in a backpack, your heat will protect the battery, or rather its charge.
As far as camera and lenses are concerned, it is important that no condensation occurs, this occurs with sudden changes in temperature, if you are outdoors in very cold and enter a place where the temperature is much higher, the vapors become liquid and these droplets are formed that, elsewhere, may seem harmless (as in the shower screen) but this in your camera can be deadly , can also happen the other way around. To avoid this, it is best to store the camera in its case before entering or exiting at a very different temperature, in fact, the more time the camera spends in the case during the session, the better for her (and for you, of course) Do not change the glasses outside in extreme snow or snowwater conditions and once collected it is best to let it pass for a while before taking it out so that it is gradually acclimated to the new temperature.
What if condensation has occurred? In this case it is best to wait for the equipment to adapt to the ambient temperature and condensation to disappear, at no time should you remove the lens, since in this case you can cause more damage when reaching the sensor, for example. be very severe, however, if it happens very often, it is very likely that the dreaded fungi will appear.
Taking these precautions into account, your team will stay in good condition longer and you will avoid unnecessary travel to the technical department, I paid for sand hazing at that time and it no longer happens to me, do not let it happen to you either?
If you found this article helpful, I would appreciate it if you would share it so that more photographic equipment can benefit from this advice Live your team!