What do you guys do to protect your Cameras?

[herzeleid]

Hi, RD Crew.
I´m gonna be filming this baja 500 at El Borrego, and maybe at El Saldaña. I was wondering... what do you use, or do, to protect your cameras from little stones and dust???

I messed up the lens cover at the past SF 250 because a little rock got stuck in there and I broke the cover.

Pictures and advises are welcome.
Thx in advance.

 

[jareds]

I always use a filter... i also tape up my camera to stop dust from getting in.....

 

[Stimpy]

I Know Gabe Lara uses a (Camera Bag) to protect his HD camera.

 

[herzeleid]

Thx jareds & stimpy for your replies.
I might wanna create a "camera bag" with plastic or something... don´t have the time to buy one, cuz the race is this weekend. Isn´t the sound affected? Do the cameras overheat?

Well, thanks for the info guys.

 

[mattb]

Get a large ziploc and cut a hole for the tip of your lense and put your hands in throught the bottom. That's the simplest way to accomplish w/o any time to buy something.

 

[Vtr_Racing]

This is a great thread and thanks for starting it. I have been wanting to find out the "secrets" the pros use. Do you guys do your own cleaning of your cameras? Or do you send them out to be cleaned? Video equipment, do you take the camera apart when it gest dirty. Blow it off with compressed air etc... I take mine to the camera shop and they clean it but I never bothered to ask.
Digital SLR Canon EOS
JVC Digital Cam Corder DVR

 

[baja tambo]

Carry a towel and cover your camera when there is no action going on.. there is still dust and dirt in the the air. Tape up any opening to seal out dust, around the tape housing is the place to start, filter is good to protect the lens, don't rub any fine dust as it will scratch the lens, Remember you are more important than any picture or video, use a spotter to help you stay safe.

 

[Kartman]

Nothing at all, other than clean it once in a while.

 

[WickedGravityVideo]

If you have a tape camera, it helps to use 1" wide blue gaffer tape ( available at Wally World) and cover the minidv tape transport door. I don't like sky or uv filters over lens -- causes artifacts when shooting into light. If I see rock spray coming my way, I turn away, both camera and my face. The other thing I do is use cameras that you can buy for less than $1000 - and always carry an extra camera in case one breaks or malfunctions. I always keep my lens clean, carry cloth and moistened eyeglass wipes (from Wally World eyeglass department). Cameras last between 6 months and 2 years before total meltdown.

The trick thing as of the past year or so is to buy and use a flash memory camcorder - way less mechanical stuff to go wrong, and no dust-created audio or video dropouts ("glitches"). Cheap flash memory is a wonderful new thing for videography.

 

[Chongo]

Try this I have this on my camera and it works great.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/shop/12670/Digital_Digital_Camera_Skins.html

 

[SteveinAZ]

What about SLR lenses...hate to have a nice, white Cannon full of dust. I know they should be sealed, but we know how things are not quite up to oof-road racing par.

Steve

 

[herzeleid]

Whoa... many good advices!!!
I liked the idea of the ziploc. I´ll try that one in this race.
WickedGravity... what kind of camera do you use under $1,000?

 

[dan200]

Doug, are the wipes you are talking about like these.

http://www.discountofficeitems.com/...utm_source=froogle&source=froogle&ref=froogle

When we were working a pit at Caliente a friend saw my cleaning my glasses with my shirt and gave me one.

He said the were specifically made for glasses. They worked so great. All morning I was wiping my glasses with my shirt cuz we were in the dust all day. Then I used one of these and at the end of the day my lenses were the only part of me that wasn't caked in dust. It felt like having new eyes.

 

[M_Solms]

What about SLR lenses...hate to have a nice, white Cannon full of dust. I know they should be sealed, but we know how things are not quite up to oof-road racing par.

Steve

I use these on the push-pull lenses and only on the twist lens if it is real dusty.
They work good but you still have to bite the bullet and send the lens in to be cleaned once in awhile.

http://www.stormjacket.com/SJ1.html

 

[Kartman]

What about SLR lenses...hate to have a nice, white Cannon full of dust. I know they should be sealed, but we know how things are not quite up to oof-road racing par.

Steve

Stop being a woman and just go get the shot. If you want to shoot off road your gear will get trashed, full of dirt and ruined, its part of the job.

 

[pappawheely]

Stop being a woman and just go get the shot. If you want to shoot off road your gear will get trashed, full of dirt and ruined, its part of the job.

 

[pdsurfer]

I use some dumb dumb. It si a littlie bit of work to get off but it comes off.

 

[CharlieIII]

Another good photo to use, is the photog (forgot his name) standing on the outside of the turn behind the telephone pole getting blasted by the Fiberworks TT. Don't recall any seeing any dust protection on his gear, I may be wrong though.

 

[bajabird]

Nothing at all, other than clean it once in a while.

x2, cameras are tough,
only add on is as suggested a filter to protect the expensive lens, filters, or even a clear filter.... they are cheap

 

[DanDan]

x2, cameras are tough,
only add on is as suggested a filter to protect the expensive lens, filters, or even a clear filter.... they are cheap

No way am I putting a cheap piece of glass in front of my lenses. They put nasty effects in the pictures at times, although I have seen a few shots where the effect was kind of artsy and added to the picture. A proper lens hood provides more protection than a filter with the exception of getting hit by roost. In the case of roost, just stop shooting and duck.

I have spent my time in the dust cloud and the camera gets comically dirty at times but I get very little dust inside the camera. The dust gets in the SLRs when you are changing lenses and I try to keep that at a minimum.