hvx in heat and humidity

W

woof

Member
i will be using the camera in india and i am curious about its limits. the temperature will be in the mid to high 90's with humidity in this weather will i encounter any operating issues? pls. advise. thank you.
 
Shooting here in Savannah temperatures easily reach close to 100 with 90-95 percenet humidity. No problems. I would suggest perhaps keeping an umbrella handy to keep direct sun off the camera for prolonged periods. Had to do this with a pair of Cinealtas last year in Mexico. But, they are more sensitive to the heat I think.
Jim
 
Jim, I've only visited your fair city, but what I do remember most about it is the heat and humidity.

I took a trip there some years ago with my parents. We stayed at a hotel near the old water front, parked inside, changed, and decided to go to dinner somewhere after it got dark (this was late summer).

We walked out the dual automatic sliding glass doors, and it immediately became apparent why they had them -- they acted as an air lock. Personally I don't mind heat (I actually enjoy it), but my parents couldn't cope. It was just like walking into a sauna. My parents turned around on their heels and we ate in the hotel's restaurant.
 
If you're shooting to P2 cards, not much of an issue, I guess.

BUT...if you're using mini-DV tape drive, make sure to bring lots of silica desicant
packs to soak up humidity in the camera case. The camera will eventually shut
down from excessive humidity within a day or so--unless you protect against it.
I shot 16x9 mini-DV with HVX in Madagascar rain forest last summer. Camera
eventually shut down--even WITH packets of silica. Took a couple of hours back in Pelican waterproof case with silica before camera came back to life.
 
I've used the HVX-200 with the FS-100 here in the swamps of Louisiana. 100+, humidity 100%+, they hold up just fine. I take it out on boats before dawn when the fog is thick as soup, in the rain, with some common sense care, they hold up great.

I do take care to make sure they don't sit out in the sun any more than they have to. I try not to be abusive with my stuff, but they've held up fine. Not to mention the really dusty, dirty places I've been with them. Very durable stuff, if cared for properly.
 
We just got back yesterday from a two-week bicycle trip through Cambodia and into Laos. The HVX-200 survived the bouncing (it was mostly dirt road and trail), as well as the heat and humidity with few problems. Had silica in the Kota backpack, but I doubt that it made any difference. Finished the trip with high regard for HVX durability in the tropics. It did get a speck of dirt under the focusing ring, and is now in the shop for cleaning ($110).
 
Unless the camera is in an airtight container, the silica gel does squat, and if it was really humid, the silica gel will saturate in a day or two and just be dead weight. Must have been an awesome trip though.

I've biked in Moab and done to Kokopeli Trail from Grand Junction to Moab -- I cannot imagine taking my HVX on a trip like that. Freezing temps overnight in the mountains, dew and wet sleeping bags in the morning, dust and heat during the day, rain in the afternoon, and constant bumps and jarring. It would make for some great footage though!
 
NDTV uses all HVXs, dozens and dozens of 'em, no problems. I've used the HVX to shoot 110+ degrees in 90% humidity in a Bikram yoga studio, no problems at all.
 
I just got back from shooting in the Belize interior and on the islands. Used both tape, P2 and FS-100. 90-100% humidity and 90 degrees. ROCK SOLID.
 
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