Dear all
I was wondering how you go about protecting that nice tech cam setup of yours when going to more difficult landscape locations, ie antarctica, iceland, etc. or even in tropical conditions (ie rainforest) or deserts. Is there some sort of plastic cover one can buy with cutouts for the lens front and the back with rubbers or so?
I imaging adding a UV filter to the lens is also a clear must.
I saw in some Alpa posts from Ryan Ni that the used some sort of plastic contraption - feedback highly appreciated.
Also about backpacks - what in your view is the most well protected bag for trips under heavy wind, snow, rain?
When using the XF system I wonder how to protect any protruding lens as well.
Many thanks for your feedback all!
Best
Paul
Hi Paul,
Your question(s) cover many different conditions. Arctic cold, rain forests, and deserts are all very different. Here's my experiences...
COLD: This year and winter in the high Arctic from mid-Feb to mid-Mar w/ XT and XF. There is no moisture (its all frozen) when its always below 0F and down to -40F/C, and one needs to assume the wind blowing, sometimes "blow you over" hard. Keeping batteries warm/next to body is critical, otherwise they're useless and nothing else matter after that; i.e., your camera is useless. I learned to plan out the shot before pulling any gear out of the pack to reduce exposure to the elements. I used "Ziplock Big Bags" to change out backs and lenses - facing into the wind so the bag's opening end was leeward. Amazingly, in one series of images after a back change, the "dust" on the first images disappeared in the later ones. I assume the small ice particles that got onto the sensor during the change in the bag in 30-50mph winds and snowstorm, melted from the back's heat and disappeared. ***In constant sub-zero the haptic glove choice is crucial.*** I tried 4-5 brands and settled on the Hestra biking glove (no I'm not sponsored). Its thicker and every other brand lost shape and wouldn't "haptic", and my fingers remained warm enough for the few seconds required to make the shot before stuffing them back into my mitts.
RAIN: I shoot in Scotland every year (sadly, probably, not 2020) and in 2018 spent a couple of weeks in the Faroe's, where in both locales the weather is always "Scottish" and rains, snows, sunshines, and is windy, all in the same day. Suitable sized plastic baggies with slits cut for the lens work well enough with some rubber bands/bungies. I've yet to find a suitable designed cover for cameras and lenses that works any better and most don't provide enough room for my hands/fingers. In most cases i just keep everything covered w/ a suitable sized plastic bag until my image moment appears, then uncover what's necessary to make it, re-cover, repeat as necessary.
DESERT: It's only about the dust when the wind blows and I've not found a remedy. Dust gets onto and into everything and requires hours spent in post cleaning up the images is my only solution. Last year I actually sought out a dust storm and shot it w/ my XF. The result has been one of my most successful images, but I'm guessing there are at least 40 dust bunnies I had to discover and remove in post.
PACK: As a former climber/mountaineer I'm particular and I've tried everything, and for my various tech cams find the ThinkTank First Light 40 to be far and above the best. Its deeper and handles my Arca Rm and thus the smaller P1 XT, but more importantly, the dividers are really rigid and the lenses can be secured tightly. Its not s sloppy pack and carries well on the plane and on the back. I love my Lowe 450AW I've used for 3 or 4 years for other cameras b/c its lighter, but the sturdiness of the TT for tech and lenses works really well. For nearly 1 month this year my tech gear traveled nearly every day in the TT pack on a snowmobile in what was at times extreme conditions and everything returned home w/out issue.
To conclude this long-windedness, I've found the right plastic bags or baggies can work well and I keep my gear in the pack or covered until needed.
Hope this helps,
Robert