My gear from home to AFG..

So I figured while I’m stationed here in southern afghan I might as well have my wife back home ship me my camera gear. What better time to practice low light shots, star trails, light painting, and get to know my 70-200 2.8 better, right? I recently purchased a 2x TC from a POTN member and it paired with my lens should make me really mad and needing a tripod really quickly..

This is an extremely dusty environment, and when I’m back from my deployment I’ll most likely drop my 7D off at the nearest camera store for a good cleaning. Anyone have any comments or advice for really dusty areas?

Finally, I have a 580II that I might not be able to use too often, as the bright flashes might make some of the Soldiers out here a bit nervous.. but we will see..
While my package comes, I am so nervous of having my gear go through the mail. Yes it is all insured, but 12,000 some mile trip through many hands is a bit nerve racking…

-james

anyone ever deal with this type of fine dirt/sand we have here? im guessing a rocket wont help much..

when you're not using it, keep it in a sealed bag to keep the dust off it. do you have a clear filter for the lens? they help seal things up. you could try putting tape over the exterior seams in on the body, might help. when you're using it...you're using it, not much you can do.

most important thing is get home safe.

bk2life wrote in post #14808495
So I figured while I’m stationed here in southern afghan I might as well have my wife back home ship me my camera gear. What better time to practice low light shots, star trails, light painting, and get to know my 70-200 2.8 better, right? I recently purchased a 2x TC from a POTN member and it paired with my lens should make me really mad and needing a tripod really quickly..

This is an extremely dusty environment, and when I’m back from my deployment I’ll most likely drop my 7D off at the nearest camera store for a good cleaning. Anyone have any comments or advice for really dusty areas?

Finally, I have a 580II that I might not be able to use too often, as the bright flashes might make some of the Soldiers out here a bit nervous.. but we will see..
While my package comes, I am so nervous of having my gear go through the mail. Yes it is all insured, but 12,000 some mile trip through many hands is a bit nerve racking…

-james

yeah, I agree, be careful but I can see getting great star trail shots in a country without much electricity. it's actually pretty easy to clean a DSLR sensor, look at the youtube videos

Get one of those Otterbox cases. They are most commonly used for Iphones, but you can get much larger ones too. They not only keep the dust out but give you another layer of protection during shipping.

Also, hit up the lens rental stores (they're online, like lensrentals.com) and ask them to send you some good packing materials. They might help out a soldier for nothing or close to it. You could box it up tight, put all that in the otter box, and rock and roll.

Most importantly, STAY SAFE.

And one more thing (I hope this doesn't sound arrogant): If you haven't been there before, do as much listening as possible to everything anyone tells you. Like any job, you really learn how to do it day one, and the training helps, but the real learning is on the job.

Good luck and, again, STAY SAFE.

Try sending a PM to forum member BaghdadFred. Pretty sure he is a staff photographer deployed in Iraq.

Not Afghanistan but I was in Jordan a couple years ago, touring around with a rental car. Pretty dusty place too but not really wind-swept, so there wasn't a lot of airborne dust. I had an old 20D with kit lenses, and paid absolutely no mind to local conditions when I changed glass. Sure, I had to give the whole thing a good cleaning inside and out when I came back, but everything worked absolutely fine throughout the trip and for a year after (at which point I sold the camera to Adorama to get a 5D2).

The 70-200 is weather-sealed, the 7D is semi-sealed I understand, so I think you should be fine. Your only risk would be when changing lenses outside, so either a) don't do it, or b) be real quick and real careful, and accept that you're going to have to do some sensor cleaning when you get back. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it takes a LOT of dust to do any permanent damage to a camera.

Also wow, southern Afghanistan. I'd go crazy with the portraits! (except I don't know if that's likely to get me shot, so probably I'd ask around first)

No need to do anything special - seriously
I shoot all types of motorsport (plus other sports) from circuit racing to rally and off road and apart from snow, have shot in pretty much all conditions - torrential rain, mud, 40ºC plus heat, dust and anything and everthing in between.

Dust isn't your worst enemy, but heavy rain is.
A light sprinkle generally won't do any damage but if it gets drowned, it could be a different story...
An ordinary plastic shopping bag (or garbage bag) is usually sufficient if you don't have heavy duty weather protection.

If it's dusty,just give it a wipe with a damp cloth.
Same thing goes if it gets a bit of mud on it.

This was from only a week ago out at a rally.

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outstanding info!!! this isnt the first time ive been here, and im a ten year veteran so i know my job pretty well..

yes looking forward to having some fun. there are lots of things to get photos of, and great low light learning. ill post pics as i go, and whenever my gear gets here..

again thanks!!

still no sign of my gear yet...

gettin nervous. that's alot of travel distance and no clue where its at in the world ..

Dust in the Middle East is definitely unlike any I've ever encountered. It just seems to get anywhere and everywhere. Southern Afghanistan seems to be the worst. I was mainly in the north, but I spent some time in Kandahar, and the dust was just insane. You could literally taste it in the air, and dust storms could easily last for a week or more. We had some weird mixture of dust and fog last time I was there. . .nothing like mud suspended mid-air. I'd definitely keep it in either a camera bag or even a large ziploc just to be safe, especially if you get a lot of dust in your room. Otherwise,I think you'll be fine. I elected not to bring my good camera on my last deployment because I knew I'd be pretty much a FOBbit the entire time not to mention very little free time for photography, but it's always a big debate for me.

Yeah, military mail. . .it actually has gotten much better. I've had packages take two months to get to me in the past, but recently about a week is more the standard, though 2-3 weeks certainly isn't unheard of. It's probably sitting on a C-17 in Qatar on a pallet full of medical supplies heading to Germany. Don't worry, though. It'll find its way to you eventually.

IslandCrow wrote in post #14870272
It's probably sitting on a C-17 in Qatar on a pallet .

lol now that's funny right there!!

still not here yet... in the meantime i ordered a 17-55 2.8, hood and uv filter. hopefully they all arrive at the same time

bk2life wrote in post #14816933
anyone ever deal with this type of fine dirt/sand we have here? im guessing a rocket wont help much..

Yes indeed, I am still sitting over here in Iraq and have gone out shooting in some horrible dust storms and conditions. Have also been under automatic gun fire, motors and also rockets over the time I have been here. I've also taken my gear out in rain storms and 130 degree heat. The 7D has taken a ton of abuse.

I passed through Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait last week where I saw many soliders heading onto Bahgram and Kandahar and accidentally knocked my full camera bag off the top bunk onto the floor. Smashed two loose UV lenses to bits but my camera gear and lenses were unaffected.

You mentioned mail. Ours is super slow also. I have ordered all sorts of gear from Adorama and B&H and not a single piece of gear was lost in the mail but it has also taken about 4-8 weeks to get to me so be patient.

Don't worry about a fancy dust free case. There is no such thing as dust free. When my camera gets really dirty I break it down and wipe everything off. Works good as new. Flashes? Generally most military don't mind at all being used.

My advice to you... shoot anything and everything and share your photos with everyone, they will love you for it.

Just wait until daylight becomes amber and you can hardly breath and go out shooting

aweomse stuff!

i got my first box today, my 7d body and the kit lens. it got turned on durin shipping so battery was dead. i had previously downloaded the 2.0 update, so im all updated and waiting for my other box with my lens and accessories..

ive already been blasting away.

i really like your staged pic, and will have to do that!!


ill keep everyone posted..