How to maintain dvx in dusty conditions?

K

krish

Well-known member
Ok, so i am off to India for a 5 month assignment shooting documentaries. I will be spending lot of time on the dusty roads and beaches of India. Any ideas about how to safe guard my precious DVXb? I will not have a luxuary of having a backup Camera so I am particularly worried about
1 Extreme Sun
2 Dust and Sand
3 High temps

Also, while on the field is it advisable to wipe the lens with anything or its better to leave it alone.

would appreciate any advise.

Thanks,

-Krish
 
Use gaff tape to tape closed the tape door. This will cut down on some of the dust, yes it's a pain, but it will help out. Also, use LOTS of canned air and clean your camera often. Dust it off before opening the tape door, and keep all the moving parts dusted off, like the LCD door pivot, focus/zoom rings etc etc. As far as the lense goes, ALWAYS make sure to keep your UV filter on. And if it gets really dusty, do NOT wipe it. Blow it off with canned air, and bring along a camel hair brush to brush the dust off. wiping it will scratch the surface. As far as sun and temps go, try and keep it as cool as possibly, and out of direct sunlight when you're storing it. I would suggest bringing along a pelican case if at all possible, and also having a backpack or soft case too. Get a rain cover also, this will help keep some of the dust off, and also of course the rain if it happens to do that too.....canned air is a must! although I don't think you can fly with it, so you may have to try and buy some once you're there. As a backup, bring one of those big air blower rubber ball things so you wont be completely screwed if you're unable to get canned air. hope this helps!
 
Read the production notes about shooting in Iraq in this thread:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=45255

According to that he DVX seems to cope pretty well with sun/dust/sand.
Besides what has already been said by PDX DVX, you may consider using food wrapping film to protect your camera in harsh environments. It is cheap, easy to find, quick to setup and more effective than many expensive professional covers. Just care to remove it once shooting is over to avoid condensation.

Lutnik
 
PDX_DVX, thanks for some great advise. Where do i get a camel hair brush? just any regular store?

About the canned air, can i carry it as a checked in item? How is it different from say a can of shaving cream? Just Curious.

Of course in the worst case i will have to search for one over there.

Thanks again as always I can count on you guys,

cheers,
 
krish said:
PDX_DVX, thanks for some great advise. Where do i get a camel hair brush? just any regular store?
cheers,
Click to expand...


A good place where to shop for cleaning stuff including Camel's brushes is:

http://store.yahoo.com/cinemasupplies/cleansup.html

BTW, look at those little jewels I've been using for years:

http://store.yahoo.com/cinemasupplies/1stmabr.html
http://store.yahoo.com/cinemasupplies/3stmabr.html

They're just great! Currently out of stock at Filmtools, but you can find those or similar ones at any large camera shop close to you.

Ciao

Luca
 
Krish, I seriously doubt that you'll be able to carry canned air even as checked baggage. I would say count on not being able to, and start trying to explore your other options. If you can find something like this, you'll be in pretty good shape.

http://store.yahoo.com/cinemasupplies/bigblower.html

I am at work so I can't go to the link that lutnik pointed out, but I am sure it's a good resource. www.filmtools.com is an EXCELLENT resource for camera cleaning supplies. And even though I said not to wipe your lense, it would still be a good idea to bring along a microfiber cloth for cleaning your LCD and EVF. I always try and keep one of these handy, they are an awsome cloth

http://store.yahoo.com/cinemasupplies/filmikclot.html

Here's a link to the cleaning supplies on filmtools:

http://store.yahoo.com/cinemasupplies/cleansup.html

You can pretty much find anything you'll need for cleaning your camera there. They routinely sell to cinematographers who deal with lenses that cost several times more than your DVX alone, so you know that you can pretty much count on the products they sell. Also would be a good idea to bring along a cleaning tape, just in case you have to clean the heads. Although this is a last resort for me. Make sure if you get a cleaning tape that it's a panasonic one....and oh yeah, make sure you use Panasonic MQ tapes, they use dry lube which in turn wont attract dust as much as wet lube tapes.
 
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More than the dust, I would worry about the soaking-wet humidity. Perhaps, have dessicant packs in the case and near the lens etc.
 
Yeah deffinetly also something to think about, especially when moving from air conditioned places to hot humidity. I had a friend who was shooting there a few months ago, and it was so bad he eventually just left is camera (in the case) outside on their balcony because it would take so long for the camera to acclimate between environments. However, he had a soft case, so having a pelican with dessicant packets may do the trick, you also wouldnt want your camera to get stolen off of the balcony.....
 
Thanks Guys, this is some great links and tips. I will make sure that i am covered.

Cheers,

-Krish
 
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