Protecting equipment from sand

[vazime]

I will be shooting in the desert. Any suggestions on how to protect my camera/lenses from sand???

[Photorob]

GOOD LUCK!! I was just in Colorado and managed to get dust on my sensor. One trick in the field would be to keep the camera in a large plastick bag ie. perhaps ziplock and certainly would not think of changing lenses in the field. Good luck and if you are comfortable cleaning your sensor do not do what I did and leave your eclipse and pads at home. Finding someone to clean it for me was a real nightmare and not cheap. I guess I will try myself next time this happens.

[robertwgross]

I shoot at Death Valley at least once per year. A UV filter would not be a bad thing to have in front of any decent lens. On some days, sand blows quietly, and on other days, it storms sand.

If there is anything blowing at all, I do not change lenses out in the open. If I must change a lens, then I try to do it inside a vehicle. If I absolutely have to change a lens and I am miles away from my vehicle, then <don't laugh> I pull a thirty gallon garbage bag over my head and torso and camera. I can change the lens and have the bag off within twenty seconds or so. At the end of each day, I check for sensor dust and clean it if necessary.

---Bob Gross---

[meow]

Once when I had spent a couple of weeks on a small island consisting of noting but sand one of the oculars fell out of my binoculars just as we got back to the mainland. The threads were totally eaten by sand.

This island has no solid ground, no soil. It has vegetation though, even forest. No "desert storms" or anything fierce like that. Just sand, sand everywhere. Be very aware of sand. :shock:

[henkbos]

I shoot a lot in the desert and winds can be quite bad. Never had any problems. Just use common sense. Stand with your back against the wind when you change lenses, preferrably change them in the car.

If weather is really bad, sand WILL get anywhere. I only had to clean my D60 once in 3 years and done dozens of real desert drives.