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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> Sand.....do I need to worry?
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Showing posts 1 - 18 of 18, (reverse)
AuthorThread
 12/10/2004 12:42:01 AM · #1
Am heading out to the beach tomorrow to try and get some pics.....do I need to worry about sand getting into the zoom mechanism of the rebel? Am not planning on changing lens's .....at least I don't think I am!

thanks for any advice
sue
 12/10/2004 12:44:52 AM · #2
If you plan to bury the camera then yes. If it's a windy day and the sand is flying everywhere then it may be an issue, but as long as you dont go putting it on the sand or kicking sand on to it etc it should be mostly fine.
 12/10/2004 12:46:36 AM · #3
Keep camera protected until ready to use, inside bag. Lens cap off and on once through shooting. If it is too windy be on the alert. One grain can cause trouble. Observe caution and all will be well.
 12/10/2004 12:51:03 AM · #4
Thanks....it's pretty windy here at the moment. I'd put it off but need the photos before the 17th, this wkend could be my only chance to get them.

sue
 12/10/2004 12:51:29 AM · #5
the biggest thing to worry about is getting sand in your bag! be careful where you put it down, make sure the top doesn't pick up sand, and watch the straps. if you get in a rush putting it down and grabbing it up, you can get sand in and on everything...not fun :(

good luck, can't wait to see what you come home with!
 12/10/2004 12:56:09 AM · #6
make sue you have a lens pen or a bulb blower to take care of any sand. I change lenses at the beach all the time, keep your back to the wind when changing the lensand keep the camera close to your body while doing so, this will help. If the sand is packed and does not fly around much you still have to watch out for the salt spray, its very fine and you cant tell its there until later on when every thing feels gritty

James
 12/10/2004 12:59:12 AM · #7
Always good to have a UV filter at all times especially at the beach.
 12/10/2004 01:05:50 AM · #8
Thankyou all for the great advice :)

sue
 12/10/2004 01:13:54 AM · #9
What James said. I go to the beach or shore line a lot (I work about 1/4 mile away). I don't usually have to worry too much about sand, though I have put my camera away when the wind was blowing. But invariably after I've been there, even with no wind blowing, there's a layer of buildup on my lenses from the salt air. I'd suggest UV filters for protection, especially if you have expensive lenses. You probably won't get any damage, but why risk it.
 12/10/2004 03:18:50 AM · #10
I do a lot of windsurfing, and am therfor in windy places. Fortunately for my camera I normally surf on Lake Garda in italy which has fresh water, and no sandy beaches, however If I was a lot in sandy windy places I lould look at something like the Aquatech Sport shield. Shouldn't be too difficult to make.
 12/10/2004 03:44:01 AM · #11
Hi Sue stick it into one of those large ziplok bags from New World, you can cut a little hole for the lens to stick out, secure with rubber bands or a piece of no8.!!
 12/10/2004 03:56:03 AM · #12
I shoot on a windy, sandy (as opposed to a rocky beach), and salt beach very often. I don't know if I can think of any other advice then what has been offered here already. Hmmm...keeping back to wind and camera close to body when changing lenses, keep bag as least sandy as possible, keep camera in bag when not using, bring along cleaning options...nope.
12/10/2004 04:13:16 AM · #13
Originally posted by kiwinick:
Hi Sue stick it into one of those large ziplok bags from New World, you can cut a little hole for the lens to stick out, secure with rubber bands or a piece of no8.!!


I like it!!! Kiwi ingenuity! For non-kiwis.........No 8 wire is a tradition here. Used for everything from fixing fences, making car aerials, fixing the clothes line, to tieing the surfboard onto the roof rack....you name it No 8 does it!!

sue
 12/10/2004 04:20:05 AM · #14
Bailing twine is just as good. (Except for the car areal, But then you can use one of thos Maori Kotanga's!!)
 12/10/2004 04:25:16 AM · #15
Originally posted by aKiwi:
Bailing twine is just as good. (Except for the car areal, But then you can use one of thos Maori Kotanga's!!)


ROFLMAO...........tis true!!
 12/10/2004 05:02:22 AM · #16
A nice lens hood is also a good idea. Keeps the sun out of the lens or bumping the front of the lens into a sign, while eyeing the opposite sex or same sex(depends on preferences) :P

Message edited by author 2004-12-10 05:03:22.
 12/10/2004 09:31:19 AM · #17
I shot in a sand storm (30+mph wind) a few weeks ago. Certainly having decent, sealed lenses helps, though even there the fine sand can work its way under the zoom/focus rings. Almost all of the controls had sand under the mechanisms too, so most everything scratched audibly as they turned. I'd strongly recommend against changing lenses in that sort of situation too! All of the weather seals on the camera had sand impacted/ stuck in to them that I had to blow/ brush out before I could remove the lens.

I left my pack in my car and hiked in with just the camera and tripod. It was relatively easy to remove most of the impacted sand using a hurricane blower and after that I got the camera professionally cleaned. The lens still scrapes a little when I rotate the zoom rings though.

Even in the worse conditions, if you don't change the lenses or wipe the lens with anything, your camera will come through pretty much unscathed.
Be very careful when cleaning too so that you don't wipe any glass with something with small particles of sand on it. This sort of harsh environment (sand/salt etc) is a great place to have a UV filter over the front element of the lens too. If/when it gets too scratched, you can just throw it away.

If you take a bag and get sand in it, you'll never get it out.

I ended up disassembling the tripod too. The combination of sand from the dunes and salt water from other shoots that week were starting to make it scratch and corrode the bolts. A brisk clean in tap water helped stop most of that.





Worth it for the sand blowing off the dunes and dancing around though...

Message edited by author 2004-12-10 09:31:49.
 12/10/2004 09:57:33 AM · #18
I take photos at motocross races where it can get very dusty. I take a plastic bag (like bread comes in) open both ends, shake well to get all bread crumbs out, an slide it over my 100-400 zoom. I anchor the front of it by putting rubber bands on the sunshade and fix the plastic bag between the sunshade and the rubber bands. Pull the other end of the bag over the camera. The bag is loose enough to zoom your lens. Have a filter to protect your lens. I use a 1A
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