Weather Repelling With Air

Hello Everyone! I have been trying to come up with a design that would allow me to set my camera outside to take pictures during a lightning storm and not get wet. The idea from storm chasers and Sean Casey in particular came to mind. What if I used a 12 V air compressor and hooked it up with two hoses so that it blew out from a custom hood on my camera lens, to blow the rain and snow away from my lens? Has anybody ever tried this before? It would need to be battery powered... I've found a 300 PSI air compressor on eBay for $14-ish.

Ps: I may build a Lexan box and hood for lightning photography; that is what this apparatus would be attached to.

Those 14 dollar "300psi" air compressors aren't pushing out 300psi. It just means that given enough time they can build up to 300psi.

Good point. Wonder how much air I'd need...

how about an umbrella and a light stand?

Scatterbrained wrote in post #15219254
Those 14 dollar "300psi" air compressors aren't pushing out 300psi. It just means that given enough time they can build up to 300psi.

Yep, and go have lunch while they try to do it!!

D. Vance wrote in post #15219268
Good point. Wonder how much air I'd need...

A lot. Some car manufacturers (Acura comes to mind) use a combination of compressed air and hydrophobic glass instead of wipers. It's a good system, but requires more air than a $20 compressor is going to generate. You could always use a longer lens and shoot from under a porch or carport; out the window, through the garage, etc. Maybe find a parking garage and use the floor just under the top.

Scatterbrained wrote in post #15219292
A lot. Some car manufacturers (Acura comes to mind) use a combination of compressed air and hydrophobic glass instead of wipers. It's a good system, but requires more air than a $20 compressor is going to generate. You could always use a longer lens and shoot from under a porch or carport; out the window, through the garage, etc. Maybe find a parking garage and use the floor just under the top.

You guys got me thinking... Originally I had a setup like this:

Compressed air isn't clean without doing a lot of work...filters and driers

D. Vance wrote in post #15219268
Good point. Wonder how much air I'd need...

There are 2 ratings to consider with compressed air. PSI is obvious but you don't really need a high rating. It doesn't take 300pis to push water off a lens.

The other rating is CFM or Cubic Feet/Minute. If you need 10 CFM to keep the lens clear but that cheap ebay compressor can only provide 2 CFM then you're going to drain the tank faster than it can fill and will run out of air.

2mnycars wrote in post #15220241
Compressed air isn't clean without doing a lot of work...filters and driers

Perhaps I should have explained a bit more... I want them spraying out so that it pushes the rain away before it ever hits the lens.... If I was shooting horizontally, I wouldn't worry so much about it, but I have to shoot at a higher angle, meaning rain will try to come in on my lens.

krb wrote in post #15220364
There are 2 ratings to consider with compressed air. PSI is obvious but you don't really need a high rating. It doesn't take 300pis to push water off a lens.

The other rating is CFM or Cubic Feet/Minute. If you need 10 CFM to keep the lens clear but that cheap ebay compressor can only provide 2 CFM then you're going to drain the tank faster than it can fill and will run out of air.

Yeah, I guess so... It may not be a good idea. I just enjoy coming up with ideas for camera accessories , and I occasionally like to share them.