Shooting in dusty environment advice?

J

J5 squared

Well-known member
I'm going to be shooting some freestyle motocross this weekend. The whole area is dirt and i'm sure with the wind the air will be very dusty. I had read it is a good idea to use masking tape to seal off the tape compartment and the heads. What other advice can you give me for keeping my camera in good order out in the dust?
 
Yes. Masking tape is a good idea. Gaffers tape would work better probably. Another option is to use a rain cover, they keep out more than just water. I heard of people using plastic bags as well. Good luck!
 
There are really thin clear small garbage bags that work well. They are the really cheap kind that will break from a wet paper bag if you threw it in it but they are so thin you can wrap the camera in it and still be able to operate everything without any hinderance. I tape it right up to the lens and leave enough extra bag near the focus. It works great in the rain also. You have to go to a 99cents store to find the really cheap ones though. Glad or heftys will be too thick.
 
Absolutely positively seal your camera up, or you will hate yourself for the rest of that camera's short life... dust will get in the focus ring, it'll get in the zoom ring, it'll get in the XLR ports... get at least a rain cape/rain jacket at the bare minimum.
 
Ok well now i'm freaked out. I simply don't have time to order a rain cover as the shoot is this weekend. Are rain covers something most rental places have? Are there any other DIY type deals you can recommend that i could throw together quick?
 
The place I bought my DVX from had rain covers in stock. I got the KATA and used it once for rain. It works quick with clear windows and room to work the camera.
 
If you dont have time to buy a rain cover, a plastic bag works just fine. In fact, they can sometimes be more waterproof than a real rain cover. Use Gaff tape to tape up your tape door, and keep a soft (camel hair) brush handy to brush off the exterior of the cam when you open the door up to change tape. This will help prevent dirt/dust from falling into the tape door. Also, a hurricane blower bulb is handy for dusting off the focus/zoom rings and all other movement points/switches on the cam. I recommend dusting it off every so often throughout the day. A plastic garbage bag, and some gaff tape will get you rain resistant in no time.
 
alright looks like i'll be going the route of the sweet plastic bag then. I have no gaffers tape either, i've never seen any in person in fact. Is it just like big masking tape or what?
 
Gaffers tape is SORT OF (not to be confused with) like duct tape. More specifically, it's a cloth tape that's extremely sticky, but does not leave residue on surfaces. Duct tape will leave sticky residue, and for this reason it should never be used on any of your gear. I highly recommend investing in a roll or two of gaff tape. It can be spendy at 12-18 dollars a roll, but its tough as hell and useful for SO many things. Check your local photography store, or online at places like www.filmtools.com or www.edgewisemedia.com for the stuff
 
PDX_DVX said:
Gaffers tape is SORT OF (not to be confused with) like duct tape. More specifically, it's a cloth tape that's extremely sticky, but does not leave residue on surfaces. Duct tape will leave sticky residue, and for this reason it should never be used on any of your gear. I highly recommend investing in a roll or two of gaff tape. It can be spendy at 12-18 dollars a roll, but its tough as hell and useful for SO many things. Check your local photography store, or online at places like www.filmtools.com or www.edgewisemedia.com for the stuff
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Agreed. Any sort of photography store SHOULD have it in stock, and it come's in useful for a wide variety of things. If you still have a couple days, go get some... don't skimp on this and use household tape.
 
If you can't find it then DON'T use duct tape!
Blue masking tape is good cause it doesn't leave the glue residue but the white/cream colored stuff is very bad.
 
I bought a roll of it from the local photography supply, stuffs expensive! For the rain cover I went to ACE hardware and found plastic for covering up windows in the winter to save heat. Got a 32x72 sheet of clear plastic for a buck, I think it should work ok when i get it all taped up. I wanted something clear so i can show off my camera a bit and look a little more professional than some guy running around with his hand in a garbage bag.
 
I'll be using a varizoom focus/iris controller and a libec zoom control mounted on a spiderbrace so i think once i have everything on cam set right i should be ok jus using those controls w the camera sealed. But if i need to i should be able to still press buttons through the plastic.
 
What about for someone who doesn't having controlers such as those? I'm going to be filming in a dusty enviorment within the next two weeks and am wondering how I can operate it under a bag...
 
KATA raincover.....if you have time buy one. It has nice draw strings for all the openings and a clear window all the way around. You can even have the LCD flipout open. I filmed a lightening storm with it. The camera sat comfortably in the rain on a tripod while I sat under cover.
 
I'll be buyin a cover soon, but for this shoot i just didn't have the time once i figured out i really needed one.
 
art metal art said:
KATA raincover.....if you have time buy one. It has nice draw strings for all the openings and a clear window all the way around. You can even have the LCD flipout open. I filmed a lightening storm with it. The camera sat comfortably in the rain on a tripod while I sat under cover.
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How much is a KATA?
 
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