Camera in the desert heat

[Gig103]

I'm fairly new to Arizona still, and this upcoming summer is my first. I was wondering how it's safe to treat my camera in the heat.

I would like to have my camera with me, but my company doesn't allow me to bring cameras past the security gate. I have not worried about it until now, but with temps already hitting 100F, and hotter inside the car, is my camera (Canon Xsi) going to be okay?

[Wazza]

I wouldn't personally leave my camera gear in a car unattended anyway. Plus those scorching temperatures, would be even more in the car. Could do some damage beyond 100

[FlyingPhotog]

Personally, I wouldn't leave it in the car where temps can exceed 140 degrees...

It may not do any obvious immediate damage but over time, the cumulutive effects of prolonged exposure might lead to some glue softening and possible distortion of plastic and or foam parts.

One thing you might consider is putting your camera in a cheapie foam cooler (no ice...) which will work as an insulator. Just bring the cooler inside at night to it "cold soaks" in the air conditioning. If you leave in in the car full time so it gets hot, it defeats the purpose.

[Gig103]

Thanks for the advice - the cooler might be a good idea for the days I want to shoot -- I work near Falcon FIeld (Jay you probably know it), so I was hoping to start getting some aircraft shots at lunch or when leaving.

[Cosha]

how about a small CPU fan?

[neilwood32]

Personally, I wouldn't leave it in the car where temps can exceed 140 degrees...

It may not do any obvious immediate damage but over time, the cumulutive effects of prolonged exposure might lead to some glue softening and possible distortion of plastic and or foam parts.

One thing you might consider is putting your camera in a cheapie foam cooler (no ice...) which will work as an insulator. Just bring the cooler inside at night to it "cold soaks" in the air conditioning. If you leave in in the car full time so it gets hot, it defeats the purpose.

Or get a cooler box that is powered from the car. That way the box should remain cool even at midday. Only issue is that you would need to make sure it didnt get too cold as condensation would be a problem.

[birdfromboat]

I heard an interview with a nat geo photog that always kept everything in pelicans, had some designated as 'drying boxes, with lots of silica gel in there to pull out the moisture at night, some designated as coolers, white paint (or wrapper, not sure) outside, with wet towels evaporating to cool everything inside. I like the cooler idea too, just be sure to keep the ice away from the goods. I trust my pelican cases so much I might even fully submerge one if I really wanted to keep the inside stuff cool. A pelican with a wet towel on top would be tough to beat.

[rdenney]

Much of my photographic life was spent in Texas, with frequent trips to the desert Southwest. Cars get extraordinarily hot when parked in the sun. Don't leave your cameras in the car when it is parked.

Beyond that, just use them. All my cameras have been to the desert and survived there.

As for cases filled with silica gel, remember that silica gel can only absorb so much moisture before it gets saturated, at which time it has to be baked out to dry it. But that is certainly NOT a problem in Arizona, where dryness is a bigger problem than moisture.

Your head will need the wet towel more than the camera, though.

The laptop computer is another matter altogether.

Rick "who would worry more about static discharge than heat, especially when handling flash memory cards" Denney

[birdfromboat]

whoa, static discharge.....never thought of that. I live in a rainy region, I can't get a spark for nuthin, but wow....do you have to deal with that in the southwest? what do you do about it? how do you go about picking up a card when you might be charged? there is no metal frame to ground yourself to, can you charge your card and kill it?

[20droger]

Touch something grounded before handling your card and you will be okay. We live with lots of static electricity and have yet to lose a card.

As for heat, don't leave your camera or computer in the car in the sun. That's just asking for trouble.

[nphsbuckeye]

Or don't bring your camera with you when you're at work...

[ryant35]

I've wanted to open up one of those 12VDC powered coolers remove the cooling part and leave it in my trunk. And put some insulation on the inside of my trunk. I just don't want to kill my battery, so maybe a second battery in the trunk wired up front. But that gets expensive and takes up a lot of room. So I just bring my backpack in my office when it gets hot, no security here.

[birdfromboat]

I know of an airconditioned pet carrier available, runs on rechargeables. can't remember the name.

[20droger]

I know of an airconditioned pet carrier available, runs on rechargeables. can't remember the name.
A simple google of "air conditioned pet carriers" yield lots of results. The first two are:

http://www.luxuryhousingtrends.com/archive/2008/03/pet-carriers-wi/

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/30/komfort-pets-climate-controlled-pet-carrier/

Get one large enough to not only carry your gear, but a schnauzer to guard it. You can name him "Aperture," because that's what he'll put in the hand of anyone foolish enough to reach in.