So the excitement of booking a trip has passed and you are in the organisation phase of getting everything you need to take ready!
You may be thinking about how much of your kit you really need to take (in my experience I always regretted leaving a lens at home regardless of what combination I took!) or you may have a travel light policy – which I’m fast adopting!
Kit is an integral part of travel for me and I imagine, if you’re reading this, for you. Yes the advent of better and better smartphone devices means you can really travel light but I’d never make a trip without a camera – whether I’m travelling abroad or staycationing.
And whilst it’s insured – what you don’t want to happen is either losing it mid trip or damaging it. So here are 3 things to think about to keep your kit safe and working – wherever you’re going!
There are few dangers to a camera unless we are clumsy enough to drop it on a hard surface or into water but the following could cause harm:Water
- Humidity and condensation
- Dust/sand
- Water:
Know how weather sealed your camera and lens(es) are before you travel. Most cameras can take light splashing but..
Think about how much you need to protect it if it decides to rain a lot or you are taking it near the ocean, waterfalls, on boat trips etc where it may get splashed more than you’d like.
Have a micro fibre cloth to hand to wipe raindrops off your lens if you end up shooting in the rain.
Take a waterproof cover for your camera – or create one using that hotel staple – the plastic shower cap! See this video I made a few years ago on how to do this
,And think about a dry bag that fits into your camera bag if it isn’t totally waterproof or you are putting the camera into a rucksack or beach bag. Easily found in outdoor shops.
2. Humidity/Condensation:
The unseen danger to your camera – humidity can cause your camera to fog up creating condensation inside – where you may not be able to see it. If not dealt with it can cause mould build up inside.
This can be caused by moving to colder environments such as from an air conditioned room in a hot climate or from a warm hotel room to a cold one.
So let your camera acclimatise slowly in either direction – open the bag partially to start letting the cooler or warmer air in.
Save those little silicon bags you get in parcels and keep a few in your camera bag. Add in a ziplock bag big enough for your kit so that if you are concerned you can seal the camera with the silicon bags inside and allow it to dry out.
3. Dust/Sand:
This is a danger for both your lens and the internal workings of both camera and zoom lenses.
Avoid changing lenses where there is a combination of dust/sand and wind – even a microscopic piece of dust can cause problems plus it might get on the sensor of the camera causing you endless editing out of the resulting spots in your images!
Lenses can be scratched by dust and sand so avoid wiping the lens with a cloth and use a brusher brush instead.
Using a UV filter on the lens will protect it and is cheaper to replace should it become scratched. This will also save your lens if, like me, the camera hits the floor (see image below!)
To replace the lens – in this case £1-2K – but a new filter in the region of £50!
So travel with a few extra little things and enjoy both your travels and the great photos on your return!