Cameras at the Beach

jacqui583 · Apr 29, 2006

I'm planning a cruise for next Winter and would love to take my new Canon Rebel XT on the beaches with me. I'm concerned about sand getting into the camera or it getting damaged in any way.

So what are your beach tips/secrets to keep your camera safe but accessible?
--
Jacqui583

Phil Askey · Apr 29, 2006

Buy a Pentax W10.

jacqui583 said:
I'm planning a cruise for next Winter and would love to take my new
Canon Rebel XT on the beaches with me. I'm concerned about sand
getting into the camera or it getting damaged in any way.

So what are your beach tips/secrets to keep your camera safe but
accessible?
--
Jacqui583

--
Phil Askey
Editor / Owner, dpreview.com

Bruce Bradford · Apr 29, 2006

From experience, sand grit and salt air will get into your Rebel XT in short order. I can think of only three solutions:
1. Buy the underwater case if one is available for your camera.

Downsides: expensive and a pain in the axx to use it. Tends to be put aside after a few uses.

2. Buy a water resistant model like some of the Olympus or Pentax models. You can lightly rinse them off after the beach, and dry them thoroughly. This solution probably makes the most sense.

3. Buy a cheap (under $150) camera, and resign yourself that the beach will get it sooner or later. (In my case, the shutters stop working due to sand or corrosion. It is amazing what you can get for under $150, ie: Sony S90 4Mp for $144. Some 3 mP cameras sell for less than $100. In fact, I've gotten some nice 4X6 beach shots from a 2Mp Kodak.
Good luck!

Bruce

jacqui583 said:
I'm planning a cruise for next Winter and would love to take my new
Canon Rebel XT on the beaches with me. I'm concerned about sand
getting into the camera or it getting damaged in any way.

So what are your beach tips/secrets to keep your camera safe but
accessible?
--
Jacqui583

nickoly · Apr 29, 2006

It has an optical viewfinder.
It does a fine job.
It - and you - will survive a drop in the sand.
It costs less than $100.

What else do you need?

Leonard Migliore · Apr 29, 2006

jacqui583 said:
I'm planning a cruise for next Winter and would love to take my new
Canon Rebel XT on the beaches with me. I'm concerned about sand
getting into the camera or it getting damaged in any way.

So what are your beach tips/secrets to keep your camera safe but
accessible?
--
Jacqui583

Anytime you go to the beach you get sand in delicate parts. Your camera does too. I recommend something you're willing to throw away; probably not the Rebel.

--
Leonard Migliore

solenostomus · May 1, 2006

Check out http://www.ewa-marine.de . They sell rain capes and cheap snorkelling "housings" for almost any camera.
Here's an example of what it looks like :

It's the cheapest way to sand/water - protect a dSLR.

If you are still scared to take your camera to the cheap then go with the suggestions for ruggedized or snorkelling proofed cameras.

tbcass · May 1, 2006

I used my Fuji s9000 on my Carribean cruise last winter. Except from having to clean salt off the lens I had no problems. Maybe I was lucky and should think twice about doing it again.

--
Tom

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25301400@N00/

solenostomus · May 1, 2006

You might want to consider the Bonica Digital Snapper.

From "Underwater Photography" Issue 30 ( http://www.uwpmag.com/ )

... Digital Snapper, a 3 megapixel “camera
in a drysuit.” The camera itself is waterproof
and dustproof for snorkeling. When placed in its
underwater housing, it can then be used while scuba
diving. The Digital Snapper can be purchased alone
for $199 USD, or with a tray, arm, macro lens (wet),
and strobe for $599 USD
...

At B&H Photo:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&Q=&is=REG&O=productlist&sku=413006

The thing looks like this:

Zidar162589 · May 1, 2006

Better sign up for the gym and bulk up. It's important to look good in a Speedo at the beach.

Zidar
Alaska

--
'He's out there operating without any decent restraint, totally beyond
the pale of any acceptable human conduct.'

Apocalypse Now

andkno · May 1, 2006

might also be a problem. Avoid beaches.

--
kind regards
Andreas Knoop
http://www.fotografiskstudio.no/

Alex123 · May 1, 2006

This is 100% your responsibility and I think if something will be damaged you'll void camera warranty.

If you still want to do it there are three dangers on the beach: sand, water and salt (kids are dangerous to). Sand and salt are everywhere.
Sand may damage mechanical parts of lens and camera.

Salt may be collected inside lens and camera covering glass or causing corrosion. (if my car is parked for about two hours near the beach, windshield will be covered by salt)
Water may cause corrosion inside camera and bring salt in.
Tips:

Keep camera and lenses inside Ziplocs, to save them from sand, salt and water between shots.
In humid, when getting in and out conditioned environments, do not open Ziplocs for about 20-30 min allowing equipment to get the same temperature as surrounding area.
Open Ziplocs only when you want to shoot and put camera back when finished.
If camera will get some sand turn it off. Do not rotate any moving parts on lens or open lens until sand will be removed. Avoid mechanical removing of sand use air puffers.

Good luck.

danegeld · May 1, 2006

jacqui583 said:
I'm planning a cruise for next Winter and would love to take my new
Canon Rebel XT on the beaches with me. I'm concerned about sand
getting into the camera or it getting damaged in any way.

So what are your beach tips/secrets to keep your camera safe but
accessible?
--
Jacqui583

I spent last week in Florida and took my XT with me to the beach at Ft. DeSoto. I did the same when it was brand new a year ago. I had no ill effects whatsoever from either trip to the beach and the XT is still working just fine. I do use a little common sense: I don't go in the water above my ankles, I'm careful to avoid getting spray (there's not much on the west coast of Florida) on the camera, and I always leave the camera around my neck to avoid dropping it. The biggest problem I've had is cleaning off the sunblock that inevitably gets onto the camera from holding it up to my sunblocked face.

----------------
http://www.pbase.com/tmalcom/

Chato · May 1, 2006

I went to the beach two three times a week for two years with my D1x. NOw for the last year, I've done the same with my D2x.

Both cameras are just fine. I go near the water, but I don't go In the water....

I rarely change lenses, but if I do, I back off from the beach 100 feet.

I once dropped my little Olympus point and shoot on the sand and had to spend some time getting the sand out of the sliding panel.

I've taken only the following precautions.

1. I don't go out directly on the beach during a sandstorm

2. I don't go near the water in REALLY rough surf.

Who knew it was this dangerous?

I should add, to be fair, that this is not a beach that has many humans. I've never been to a beach to shoot the bathers. Some little kid might, well, %$%^%$#

Dave

Chato · May 1, 2006

to another thread on this forum. This guy apparently shoots at Breezy Point, a place that lives up to its moniker

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1021&message=18251779

Dave

Gary Elliott · May 1, 2006

I will simply point out the following - sand is not the enemy, salt is.

Go look at the window of your car after it's been at the beach for awhile. See that slight film - it's salt, water and some other fine minerals. This is what you don't want getting into certain areas of your camera.

I've used a good plastic bag for toting the camera aound and I've used both plastic sandwich wrap and dry cleaning bags to provide some protection. Both help - I just tape them around the lens and the body, in several sections. Doesn't look great but works.

If you can taste the salty air while walking along then you know the salt is in the air. Unless you have a high-end camera and lens with weather seals there is a reasonable chance this stuff is gonna get where you can't. That means you won't even be able to clean it out from some areas. Salt works slowly but relentlessly

Gary

sandy2037 · May 1, 2006

I agree with Gary. I have taken many cameras to many beaches. Never had a problem. I carry the camera in a heavy cloth washable bag and take out only for pictures. If I get some water on it, I just wipe it off with a small towel. At the end of the day, I just wipe the camera with slightly moist cloth. Wipe the lens with lens cleaning brush. If I get sand on it, I just brush it off. Once I slipped and got my 20D in sandy water. I just took it out wiped it clean and let it sit out for overnight and brushed it the next day. It still works fine.

wy2lam · May 1, 2006

I carry with myself a Pentax Optio WP on my trip to Yosemite...and took a few pics very close to the bottom of Bridalveil Fall.

Your Rebel and lens will thank you for getting one of these...(the W10 is the newest one, but you can also get the WPI and WP for cheap I guess)

Above water picture quality's pretty good actually. Compact, stylish, and use SD cards.

Kyle Jones · May 1, 2006

Dynamic tension, yeah, that's the ticket.

--
Latest Street Photography Digest thread:
http://www.wonderworks.com/streetphotographydigest.html

jacqui583 · May 2, 2006

Thanks Alex123. This answer makes a lot of sense. I do have a "cheap" point and shoot digital but I'm always dissapointed when I compare the pics to ones taken with the Rebel.

Someone just suggested that to make your camera "rainproof"(as opposed to waterproof) to use the plastic bags but to install the filter over the bag to mark the bag, then cut out a hole in the bag so it's not obstructing the lens, then put the filter back on using the threads to secure the plastic bag in place. I'm not sure how good of a fit I'd get with that, but might be worth a try. I'd also have to see how far the lens needs to rotate when focusing since that wouldn't be an option with the bag secured this way.
--
Jacqui583

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