Avoiding Salt Water Damage

[wls]

I'm currently at the beach, and I'd love to take my digital camera to the ocean and get some great shots. Only someone instilled the fear of God in me when it came to getting my camera anywhere near salt water, sea splash, and wind with sand.

Yet, I also see setups of professional photographers at the beach, and they seem to be throwing caution to the wind, sometimes even getting in the water. What gives?

What's the rule of thumb, especially with an expensive camera?

[Nicole]

One thing that I'd recommend is a kind of cheap UV filter. You want to talk about an area where you can risk scratching your lens, the beach is it. Sand, salt water blowing in the air. I've used my camera at the beach, and what I've done is once I got back home, used a damp cloth to wipe everything down and I washed the filter off. It was no worse for the wear, but that filter was disgusting, so I was really glad it wasn't on my lens!

[Saralonde]

I agree with Nicole about the filter. If you're really worried about blowing sand getting in crevices, put your camera in a large plastic bag or even one of those free shower caps they give you at hotels.

[inkista]

... Yet, I also see setups of professional photographers at the beach, and they seem to be throwing caution to the wind, sometimes even getting in the water. What gives?This is probably because they have the even-more-expensive professional-grade cameras and lenses that are weather-sealed. :)

[Jargon]

This is probably because they have the even-more-expensive professional-grade cameras and lenses that are weather-sealed. :)
Good point! One of the reasons why the L series of Canon lenses are expensive is that they are weather-sealed.

[wls]

There's the rub, though. I've got the L-Series 70-200 lens and a nice protective filter, but the camera is an EOS-5D (which if I'm correct, is not weather-sealed).

Even so, it would seem to me that salt water is a corossive, and just getting on the camera wouldn't be a good thing.

I had no problem taking it on a cruise ship, but then again, that was well above the water level. I suspect the real issue is more of sea splash being carried on the wind.

Thus, perhaps I've answered my own question. It depends on how violent the waves are crashing, how close you are to the water, and how strong the breeze is.

[Jargon]

I guess the pros upgrade their equipment more frequently than the rest of us. So they can afford to take chances with their gear.

[Sime™]

Hey there.. Was going to say yesterday (but got busy at work...terrible! where are my priorities) Was on the Malecon in Havana (http://www.flickr.com/photos/visper/474748010/in/set-72157600139559825/) a few weeks back and after taking about 40 photos my uv filter had had enough. I thought i'd been careful and covered my lens between most shots.. What happened was really interesting. It was a Hoya HMC Pro filter which I had read good things about, however, when I tried to clean it with a little lens fluid and one of my cleaning cloths it sortof hazed right up.. like it had combined the salt water / salt and the cleaning fluid and gone weird. Swapped lenses.. continued on.. Later that day, took my filters off and washed them in a sink with some soap and water... came up perfectly. Weird, but hey ho....

[matthewchj]

About the L lenses... not all are weather sealed. And the front of the lens isn't sealed. You need to attach a filter to the front end to complete the sealing.

[Jargon]

About the L lenses... not all are weather sealed. And the front of the lens isn't sealed. You need to attach a filter to the front end to complete the sealing.
Thanks for the clarification. You're right about not all the L lenses being weather-sealed. But not all the weather-sealed lenses need a filter to complete the weather seal, just the front focusing ones. The internal focusing and rear focusing lenses are completely weather-sealed.

[yokolok]

Thus, perhaps I've answered my own question. It depends on how violent the waves are crashing, how close you are to the water, and how strong the breeze is.

the wind carries the salt also so whether you are along the beach or inside a house by the beach, your equipment will still get some salt on it...so the best thing really is to wipe everything down at the end of the day with a damp cloth rinsed with fresh water...

and as long as there are external moving parts - the other worry would be how fine the sand is as it can get into just about anywhere...your shutter release button, the crack between your lens and the filter, the zooming/focusing rings, and the lens mount...

so basic items to bring would be a blower, a brush, cleaning cloth...

[matthewchj]

Here's some articles I found on the DPS blog:
Beach Photography and Digital Camera Maintenance (http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/beach-photography-and-digital-camera-maintenance/)
10 Beach Photography Tips (http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/10-beach-photography-tips/)

[jodi]

eeeek i my camera basically lives at the beach
im off to find a good online shop that sells filters and a cleaning kit!!!

[wattsbw2004]

what about suggestions for the those of us who have point and shoot cameras. luckly i have a full warrenty plan with bestbuy but im going to the beach soon and need suggestions

[terryjoey]

Wow, I think Ill just go to the mountains instead of the beach.

[yokolok]

what about suggestions for the those of us who have point and shoot cameras. luckly i have a full warrenty plan with bestbuy but im going to the beach soon and need suggestions

your best bet would be to get one of those waterproof pouches they make for cameras and mobile phones...aquapac brand i think...

[matthewchj]

Canon makes dedicated waterproof cases for some (most?) of their point-n-shoot cameras.

[Cayobo]

I live in Key West, Florida, and the water, salty air and sand really take it's toll on my cameras.

I used to shoot with a Fuji Finepix S602Z, but the flash stopped working, so I had to send it in to be repaired.... long story short.... they said it was too rusted and gritty and would replace it for 1/3 the price.

I declined and bought a Fuji S5 Pro.

I'm looking into buying a camera condom (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/465476-REG/Camera_Armor_CA1114SMK_Nikon_D200_Camera_Armor.htm l) for this one so it would last longer than 6 years. (The Nikon D200 condom is compatible with the S5 Pro.)

I still use the S602Z for macro and super-macro shots, but upgrading to the S5 was well worth it.

[Halikat]

Hi, from personal experience last summer, salt water does a number on cameras & my previous point & shoot was inadvertantly destroyed by going 'swimming' with me last summer & getting too much salt water splashed up around it. I took apart the camera, cleaned & dried it thoroughly, however the poor little guy died :( Can't say I was _too_ disappointed though since it gave me the excuse that I needed to buy my new (& much better) dmc-fz50 :)

My recommendation though....don't take in the water. Near, fine, but not in :)

[Richard Britt]

Well lets see rules for cameras at the beach- First fear is a good thing, it keep use sharp so keep the fear just don’t let it control. Next there is no such thing as water proof and sand proof if there are exposed movable surfaces like focusing rings, function switches, battery door, memory slot door, USB access door, the best you can hope for is resistant. Then the question is how resistant. Resistance is a function of exposure. An extreme example would be placing the camera in the sand and moving the controls, resistance will be poor. Ok – Ok no one in their right mind would do that, but oh darn I just dropped it! :eek:

So now what? Well first (or for those who are counting second) that is one exposure issue lets look at others - Suntan lotion pretty gooey stuff I bet sand will stick to it like white on rice. Sweat is not so gooey but a lot of sand sticks to a sweaty hand or the bottom of a cooled wet glass. My point if you are going to take the camera to the beach, then clean and dry is the rule, the less sand that sticks to the camera the less chances it has to work is way into you purse or wallet. :(

Standing in Salt water? “Just say no” salt = corrosion = cancer = death to electronics and moving parts. Salt water can find its way into crevices that you can’t imagine and when it dries it leaves that gritty salt behind. If the demons are pushing you to take that digital picture out in water buy a through away and scan the print.
Wind - If it can lift your hair it can lift the sand or salt spray avoid if possible. And if you just have to get that shot of the Dolphin jumping over the sunset in 20 mph winds will minimize the time the camera is exposed and inspect and clean when done and before opening.

Any thing you can do to reduce the camera exposure to salt and sand while tooling around at the beach is going to help prolong the camera’s life. Putting it in a plastic bag if you are going to be walking around is a very good idea. Using lens covers to protect the optics - you bet. Don’t go from a cold AC room directly outside as condensation could form and if it does don’t wipe – wait. Don’t change lenses outside go inside where you have a chance to clean and inspect for dirt or dust before exposing the cameras interior. To clean the camera use a soft cloth and/or a soft artist brush around joints and/or a lens cleaning ball to blow any trapped dust from corners and from under function knobs and around access doors. I would use wet cloth only to remove oily/gooey substances that might get on the camera (caution with cleaning products). When opening the camera hold it in such a way so the lens is pointing down or the access door is pointing down. This will keep sand/dust that may be trapped in the seams from falling into the camera.

If you apply suntan lotion to the family and yourself clean your hand before handling the camera and then avoid touching yourself (no laughing) or others that could cause recontamination.

I have used cameras at beaches for years with no trouble. I don’t leave them lying around on or near the beach. I only take them to the beach when dedicated to taking pictures and clean when I am done. I may have missed a picture or two because the camera was not handy but than again I didn’t miss a picture or two because the camera was in the shop.

So take your camera to the beach and have fun just take extra care to keep it clean and dry and you will be fine. :D