View Full Version : dvx at the beach...bad idea?
blackdogs377
03-14-2009, 04:25 PM
I took my dvx100b to the beach to film stuff today...just wanted to know if i shouldn't have done it? And if i do it again, what should i avoid in the future?
commalot
03-14-2009, 09:23 PM
Sand is the big danger. I've been wanting to do that myself and I was thinking of enclosing it in a plastic bag and being careful.
jambredz
03-14-2009, 10:22 PM
u can try gettin like a kata rain cover for it. I;ve also avoided goin to the beach with mine. I shot sumthing today in a kinda dusty environment, and was surprised how dirty my dvx got, so i can jus imagine the beach with all that sand and salt in the breeze.
Get a raincover for it and keep ur uv filter on. Change tapes in a dust/sand free environment (car...inside some kinda building ect). Keep ur blower and brush (from cleaning kit) handy.
blackdogs377
03-15-2009, 09:49 AM
thanks guy. i like that advice. I noticed that no sand got into the camera yesterday so thats not really a concern unless its really windy, and i was even running around shooting a beach volleyball game chasing after the players and stuff.
I've shot with the DVX on a beach before and never had any problems. Just don't put the camera on the ground or anything (even if it's on a blanket) and you should be okay.
Alex H.
03-17-2009, 09:44 AM
I've shot at the beach... actually taking two trips in May (St. George Island and Wrightsville Beach) and my DVX will be with me.
Aside from keeping the camera off the ground, sunscreen and condensation are the other two concerns. Don't handle the lens or tape stock, or stick your fingers into the tape compartment, if your hands are covered in sunscreen. The condensation risk is in moving from the air-conditioned hotel room/condo/beach house to the outdoors. I keep a dry bag with me, and I seal the camera in there before I go outside. I give it about 20 minutes to come up to temperature before I remove it. Same with my 35mm SLR.
Dry bags are readily available at most outdoors outfitters, and they are incredibly handy. If you are shooting on the water, hiking through creeks (in the mountains(, etc., you can use the dry bags to protect all sorts of gear. Yeah, Pelicans and the like are water-tight, but some times not practical. We had a shoot a few years ago in the Great Smoky Mountains and had to carry everything with us. Part of the shoot involved crossing a pretty active creek. We rigged a line and pulley, and moved everything across in dry bags... including the BetaSP camera.
When you're done, they fold up and stash in a backpack.