How To Clean Rain Spotting Off A Camera Lens
Hillary Grigonis / Digital Trends
As a lensman, you lot don't need to exist a storm chaser to appreciate what a little inclement atmospheric condition can practice to make a scene more than interesting. Clouds can add together texture to the heaven, while pelting can brand a tiresome surface reflective — in fact, it'due south a common practice in Hollywood to hose down streets to get the wet pavement await fifty-fifty on dry days. Only if you want to be able to shoot in the elements, yous'll need to protect your gear — or else that astonishing rainy 24-hour interval photograph could be accompanied by an expensive repair pecker. And so how do you protect your camera and lenses from the rain, snow, or common cold without but playing it safe and staying indoors?
Shooting in bad weather is about three things: Understanding your gear, knowing how to protect it, and following a few camera intendance nuts.
Know your gear
Understanding the limitations of your gear will both help you capture better photos and extend the lifespan of your current camera. Many loftier-terminate cameras are weather sealed, which means they tin withstand pelting and snow without additional protection — but this does not mean they tin can be submerged. Ensure that both the camera and the lens, as well as any other electronic accessories like a flash, are also weather sealed before heading out without additional protection. Big amounts of water can potentially yet harm a conditions-sealed camera, still, and so even these high-terminate models are all-time used with a pelting cover in bad storms.
Cameras, lenses and flashes without weather-sealing should apply a cover or another form of protection even in low-cal rain and snow. Without protection, even pocket-sized amounts of moisture tin find their way into the camera, causing damage.
Chances are, you may already have some bad weather accessories already in your camera bag. A lens hood may be designed for keeping out lens flares, but that extra ledge helps keep the face of lens clear from pelting drops and snowflakes. Keep several dry lens cloths on hand, as well.
Hillary Grigonis / Digital Trends
Keeping camera gear safe in bad atmospheric condition
Just like there are dozens of options when it comes to picking out a new camera, weather protection gear isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, and higher-end options tin can be quite expensive.
With each selection, notwithstanding, in that location's one more than thing to bring along — a towel. An ultra-absorptive, not-annoying towel such as microfiber works best (you can oftentimes observe them in the automobile intendance section), but you'll need to bring forth something to wipe the front of the lens and the sides of the camera if they get wet. You'll likewise need a spot to continue that towel away from the rain, preferably in a waterproof camera bag.
The do-it-yourself solution
Keeping pelting off your gear doesn't accept to be expensive. Photographer Chase Jarvis suggests using a shower cap to help keep pelting off a photographic camera body. Some photographers apply Ziplock bags or another blazon of plastic bag with holes cut for the lens. (Just make sure at that place are no leaks earlier putting your camera inside, considering… yikes.)
Every bit ever, duct tape is your friend here, too — we accept used it to secure an umbrella to a monopod on at to the lowest degree one occasion. You could too rig a backpack to hold an umbrella, leaving your easily free to work the camera. Depending on the backpack (and with a large plenty umbrella), this could exist done with the pocketbook's tripod strap system, or by taking this hiker's idea of using cords to attach the umbrella. DIY camera rain covers are seldom pretty, but they're inexpensive — and some of them tin exist crafted quickly if some unexpected rainclouds ringlet in.
Official photographic camera rain covers
Photographers don't have to choose between putting a garbage bag over their photographic camera or spending hundreds on rain gear — in that location are a number of cheap photographic camera rain covers that are worth spending a few dollars on for better protection and easier access to controls.
A camera "poncho" is much like a DIY plastic bag, only it is designed to fit snugly over the photographic camera. Most utilise a drawstring to cinch the embrace securely around the lens, and at that place'southward normally an choice to pop the viewfinder through a hole in the back, and so you have an unimpeded view. The plastic is generally sparse enough to admission most controls, or may have a side opening to put your manus inside the cover. The OP/Tech rain-sleeve two-pack costs simply $ten, and while not expressly made for the greatest durability, these sleeves should last through multiple uses.
Such plastic covers don't accept up much space in a camera bag, so they work well for photographers who don't often shoot in the rain but want to remain ready, just in case.
For photographers that spend more than time in the rain, upgrading from poncho-style to an actual camera "jacket" is another option. Several accessory companies make these, using waterproof materials similar to a a raincoat. Likewise, these options are designed to concluding longer than the plastic covers, but they are more expensive. Vortex Storm Jacket, Ruggard Rain Shield, and LensCoat all make camera jackets, which range from $25 and $75. Think Tank's Hydrophobia-serial rain covers are built with professional photographers in mind, with back up for long lenses and tripods, and start at around $120.
Easily-free umbrellas
A newer category in pelting protection, a hands-free umbrella keeps abroad the rain while leaving your hands unencumbered — without a messy DIY duct tape job. These solutions piece of work best on rainy days without much wind, or the wind could button some of the pelting towards the gear. Ane option is an add-an umbrella holder that attaches an umbrella to a monopod or tripod. Tripod umbrella clamps range from to a $240 loftier-end model past Novoflex that works with a $145 umbrella.
Nubrella
Not shooting with a tripod? The Nubrella ($75) is an umbrella that you wear that retracts into a backpack when not in use. It might brand you await a footling silly, but that's inappreciably a high price to pay for getting the shot.
Don't forget about the gear you're non using — and yourself.
Protecting the gear that's not in your hands is essential, likewise. Make sure your camera purse is waterproof, or use a rain cover. Manhy bags include rain covers, others are waterproof without them, and some aren't set up to get moisture at all. Know what type of bag you take before you ruin your extra lenses.
Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends
While keeping gear dry is a priority, don't forget about keeping yourself dry, too! No, y'all don't take electronics insides to fry, but the more comfortable y'all are, the longer yous'll be able to stay out and shoot.
If y'all're going to be working in cold conditions, bring plenty of extra batteries — batteries don't like being cold and will belch more apace. Keep the spares in an inside jacket pocket, where they'll be protected from the elements and will exist kept warm by your body heat.
Understand basic camera care
Protecting your gear in bad weather condition doesn't terminate in one case you've stepped indoors. Never put a camera away while wet, dusty or super common cold. Be sure to wipe down the camera with a dry out towel. Ideally, yous should also leave the camera outside of your handbag for a few hours to allow any backlog moisture to dry out.
The same idea applies for shooting in common cold weather. Putting a camera away moisture or common cold can create condensation on the inside of the gear — and that'south not something yous can just wipe abroad with a towel.
DSLR and mirrorless shooters should also avoid swapping lenses in wet (or even dusty) conditions — caput for embrace and brand sure the photographic camera is completely wiped downwardly before making the switch. The same is true for swapping batteries or memory cards. Picket out for any accumulated water around the battery and memory carte du jour door seals, and make sure they are dry before you close them up over again.
Don't be a fair-conditions photographer — know the limits of your gear, add weather protection accessories and understanding a few camera care nuts. For a few bucks, yous can easily protect your gear to get that rainy twenty-four hour period shot.
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Source: https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/how-to-protect-your-camera-in-bad-weather/
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