How to protect and care for you camera.

Most digital cameras are a bit pricey.  Because most of us can't just go out and buy a new camera every week,  there are a few things that you need to look out for when protecting it.

They are:
1. Dirt
2. Shock
3. Water




Dirt is pretty much everywhere!  It floats in the air, we walk on it, and it can easily get into our cameras. Dirt can cause problems with moving parts, damage mirrors, and get stuck on the sensor. The best way to of dealing with dirt is to avoid it.  If you are going to be around dirt, use a rain hood for your camera.  If you don't want to buy one you can make one out of a plastic bag. Simply cut a hole in the bag to put your lens through. Then use a rubber band to hold it into place.  When you are at the beach, desert, swamp, motocross race, or horse riding you need to be very careful.

The easiest way to get dirt into your camera is when you are changing the lens.  To help avoid dirt on the sensor, point the camera toward the ground.Then take off the lens and attach the new lens.

Shock-  Nothing scares a photographer like seeing a camera being dropped. Even from a few feet. A few years back I dropped a $4000 camera off the top of  my tripod.It wasn't fully attached and this experience will never happen to me again. It made me sick! Make sure your camera bag is not open when you
 pick it up,and make sure your camera is always on a stable surface before you let go of it(make sure it is locked in when you put it on a tripod). Just pay attention. Watch out when you walk through doors so you don't smack it against the doorway. Also, you want to make sure your tripod is on stable ground before
you let go of it. Just be careful.








Water is the third thing you need to watch out for. Everyone knows that dropping a camera in the water is definitely going to cause problems in most cases If you around water it a lot it might be a good idea to get an underwater housing for your camera. Be careful though, as they can still leak.If you do drop your camera in water, turn it off immediately and set it in a dry place for a week or so.  I had a friend who dropped his nikon DSLR in a creek last year. He said he put it in the oven at the lowest temperature for 3 days and it worked.  It worked for him, but I wouldn't try this unless it was a last resort! Rain can be an issue too. If you are out in the rain, try to cover your camera the best you can.  Use a rain hood. Probably the biggest issue with water is condensation. This happens when you take your camera outside in the cold and then bring it into a warm place like a house. Condensation can get into your camera, putting water marks on your sensor, or also into your lens. It can destroy a camera.  A good way to solve this problem is to carry a plastic bag around with you and before you bring your camera inside, put it in the plastic bag.  Make sure you squeeze the extra air out.  This helps the camera warm up without getting condensation on it.




If any of you have ideas that I haven't presented here, please post a comment and let me and others know. Thanks!!!!
Brian