protection from dust in africa

[drhu]

HI. I will be travelling in Africa. Other than common sense care for avoiding and removing dust does anyone have any tips for maximising protection from dust? Thanks!

[Jonbar18]

Use a good quality UV filter (don't go for a cheap shit one or you will lose quality). Much cheaper and easier to replace than a lens element if it gets scratched by dust.
and never, ever, ever, EVER change your lens out in the open. Put on the lens you think you will need that day and wait until you are inside or in a closed car to change it

[Doug Sundseth]

FWIW, a good quality UV filter is often as expensive as replacing the front element of a lens.

And if you're careful about how you clean (and if you leave your lens cap on during sandstorms), you'll not do any damage to the front element with dust anyway. Dust in moving parts of lens and camera, however, are a bigger problem.

First rule: Never change lenses when there's dust in the air.

Otherwise, you can try bagging your camera to keep dust out of the innards, but it's pretty awkward to shoot. You can buy a weather-sealed camera and lenses and get everything professionally cleaned when you get home. Or you can shoot with a less expensive camera and consider replacement a cost of the trip.

[Jim Bryant]

You're not going to be able to keep dust out of your camera and lenses. Just clean them off every evening and purchase one of those pocket rocket dust blowers.

[baldwincaren]

Otherwise, you can try bagging your camera to keep dust out of the innards, but it's pretty awkward to shoot.

[homank76]

What camera we talking about? Some have sensor cleaning built into them.

What part of Africa you going to? I would change the lens no problem, just keep the camera pointed down and swap the lenses real quick, should take less than five seconds. Of course if its a sand storm, I wouldn't do this. Any thing besides that I would though.

[gturner]

2 camera bodies - 1 with the zoom on and one with a wide angle. It will save you all kinds of drama. Even if you buy on older model body. That way you never need to switch a lens on the fly.

Other that that - pay attention when you do have to change a lens. Keep lens caps on and a rocket blower handy

[Biomech]

Africa is not as bad as it sounds. I don't think I changed lenses out in the desert, and I always put a UV on my lenses as soon as I get them and I didn't seem to have any problems - in fact IIRC I dropped my camera in the dirt once :P

Def. clean it each night though. And my cameras have anti dust systems built in so that could have been a factor too.

[SwissJon]

+1 on the UV filter.. I tend not to use them under ordinary shooting conditions, but if I was going somewhere Where the the blowing dust was sharp silica particles, I would.

You might want to either invest in a 18-2?0 zoom so you don't have to change lenses, or if you're like me, and insist, then get a lens changer bag, something that easily allows you to access your lenses singlehandedly.. Personally I would also like a 3rd hand too, but that's just asking too much.

You could always DIY. $15 dollar DIY Shootsac inspired lens bag Omaha Wedding Photographer | Daniel Valente Photography

Unless you're planning on going out in a sandstorm, you should be ok.. If you ARE planning on going out in a sandstorm, try one of these:
Kata Bags E-702 PL for DSLR with up to 70-200 lens - Pro-Light

[Biomech]

I would change the lens no problem

Care to elaborate? Why would you change it no problem?