Should I be concerned about vibrations harming my cameras and lenses?

[adrianashoots]

In my apartment now construction work started for 1 year above me and currently the whole building is vibrating extremely because the top floor first gets destroyed above me, then a penthouse is build from new. Everything is vibrating and glasses can slide in the kitchen and fall off the table.

Can these vibrations harm my DSLR cameras and lens collection ?

Should I bring them to another place or can they stay in this room.

Thank you for any advice

 

[thinkinginimages]

In my apartment now construction work started for 1 year above me and currently the whole building is vibrating extremely because the top floor first gets destroyed above me, then a penthouse is build from new. Everything is vibrating and glasses can slide in the kitchen and fall off the table.

Can these vibrations harm my DSLR cameras and lens collection ?

Should I bring them to another place or can they stay in this room.

Thank you for any advice

Yes. Check to make sure your apartment/home insurance covers your equipment and all your possessions. Cover everything.

Are you renting or do you own? If you are renting this may be breaching your lease. This is getting into legal territory and you should check with whatever agency covers building permits.

I'm not a lawyer, but managed a lot of old properties in my time. This doesn't sound safe.

 

[MarshallG]

In my apartment now construction work started for 1 year above me and currently the whole building is vibrating extremely because the top floor first gets destroyed above me, then a penthouse is build from new. Everything is vibrating and glasses can slide in the kitchen and fall off the table.

Can these vibrations harm my DSLR cameras and lens collection ?

Should I bring them to another place or can they stay in this room.

Thank you for any advice

I advise you to take video recordings of the vibrating causing glassware to fall. That sounds like very extreme construction. I keep my camera equipment in a padded bag, so I don’t worry about vibration, but your situation sounds extreme.

 

[robgendreau]

Well if the place is shaking so much a lens walks off the table and smashes on the floor, yes, it could harm your stuff.

Otherwise consider many of us use camera equipment continuously on bumpy roads, etc with no ill effect. We've even mounted cameras on 4xx4s and such with no problems.

 

[LeicaEye]

I would move all my electronic equipment to a safe & stable environment.. IMHO - vibrations could & can be a killer.. L

 

[Autonerd]

Not sure where you live, but you should call a tenant's rights lawyer. In some places the landlord needs to relocate you for such invasive work. If glassware is breaking, I'd start by calling the police to get a witness. With any luck you live in a place where there is a "covenant of quiet enjoyment" or something similar.

Don't let your landlord push you around!



Aaron

 

[BBbuilder467]

In my apartment now construction work started for 1 year above me and currently the whole building is vibrating extremely because the top floor first gets destroyed above me, then a penthouse is build from new. Everything is vibrating and glasses can slide in the kitchen and fall off the table.

Can these vibrations harm my DSLR cameras and lens collection ?

Should I bring them to another place or can they stay in this room.

Thank you for any advice

To be safe, I'd pack everything away in storage containers with lots of padding. If you did decide to relocate, you could just pick it up and go. That's how I get by loading gear in the bed of my truck. Even a duffle bag works with towels or clothing to cushion it and isolate it from the shock and vibration.

 

[moficera]

Otherwise consider many of us use camera equipment continuously on bumpy roads, etc with no ill effect. We've even mounted cameras on 4xx4s and such with no problems.

Vibration and shocks can harm image stabilisation systems such as sensor and lens stabilisation (and linear focusing units as well). Powered on they might be less prone to failure but turned off sensors and IS units in lenses may move freely and get knocked around by shocks and vibrations.

For instance Apple advices you to not mount iPhones to powerful motocycles because of the vibrations of the engine.

 

[JuanVillarreal]

I fully agree: cameras and lenses are not particularly prone to damage by vibration. Normal use will subject a camera to some harsh conditions, and if you try to keep your camera too safe, you will be missing shots.

In your precise example, a single layer of bubble wrap around each piece of equipment or a soft camera bag will be enough to protect it from any vibration in normal circumstances. I would not be happy if my camera was screwed to a wall without any padding between them and there was the vibration you mention, but any other situation I can think of is ok, at least as far as vibration is concerned.