Accessory to protect my 40d from a day at the beach?

Double Negative wrote in post #5822860
Best accessory? "Common sense."

Use your camera and enjoy it! Do try to keep it away from the sand:

- When using it, keep it around your neck - don't put it down on a towel
- When not using it, put it in your camera bag (close it up always)
- Keep the lens cap on when not shooting
- Do not change lenses if possible, otherwise shield it from wind and move quickly
- Maybe wipe it all down with a slightly damp rag when you get home

Great Advice! I live very close to the beach. Also watch the sand on your hands - the salt water makes them kinda sticky. Definitely wipe in down to remove the salt from the air.

Enjoy

I took my 5D with 24-70 in my Domke F-5X bag to Fiesta Beach (or was that Siesta Beach?) last July. It was great, but the sand was very fine. It's one of the top 10 beaches in the country. I never let the bag touch the sand and the camera was in the bag the whole time it wasn't out for shooting. Common sense, watch for wind, don't leave the bag lying around unsupervised and definitely use the lens cap when you are not shooting.

I'm suprised that no one has suggested uv filters on the lenses.

My wife is a sheller. Ask her favorite activity and it will be walking miles of beach collecting shells and seaglass. I always take my camera. I use a Slingshot AW bag, the camera goes right in the bag unless I am shooting. I use the AW cover if I want to put the bag down, and I do so carefully. I also limit changing lenses, and if I have to I make very sure the wind is not blowing.

Thanks again for the suggestions. I'll look for an AW bag for it (I don't think ziplock makes bags large enough, do they??

Raivyn wrote in post #5843689
Thanks again for the suggestions. I'll look for an AW bag for it (I don't think ziplock makes bags large enough, do they??

They certainly do! When I marinade for grilling I use their large ziplocks. Their largest bags are 2ft x 2.7ft.

Raivyn wrote in post #5843689
Thanks again for the suggestions. I'll look for an AW bag for it (I don't think ziplock makes bags large enough, do they??

yes they do. I keep a couple in my camera bag. Once has been modified with holes for the lens to stick out, etc... and the 2nd just a bag in case I want the camera completely sheltered

I took all my kit to Mexico for a beach wedding and my only issue was condensation the morning after when trying to do some portraits. If my brain hadn't become a big pile of sweat and cerveza, I would have thought it through to actually use the zip-lock baggies I had brought for that purpose.

Oh wow! I'll have to swing by Target to hunt down these large ziplock bags, and punch holes in them for the lens. I tend to get sand in everything, but since there is a bag large enough, it sounds like a great solution!

We actually have a practically brand new Powershot G5 that was given to us as a gift a couple of years ago. We took it out of the box to charge the battery, took a sample photo, and stuck it in a drawer; maybe even in a camera bag. I have the original box with all the accessories still perfectly wrapped, but can't find the camera because we moved! I'll probably go through boxes in the garage tomorrow in the hopes I find that camera; that would be a good one for these kinds of events, too.

cdifoto wrote in post #5844422
I...If my brain hadn't become a big pile of sweat and cerveza...

ROFL! Worthy of Hunter S...

Raivyn wrote in post #5844527
Oh wow! I'll have to swing by Target to hunt down these large ziplock bags, and punch holes in them for the lens. I tend to get sand in everything, but since there is a bag large enough, it sounds like a great solution!

I had the zip-lock baggies just to put everything in until it acclimated to the temp changes. The hotel rooms were nice & cool and the external temperature was hot & humid. Slapping the kit in a sealed bag in the room means the condensation forms on the bag rather than the gear when you go outside. Pull out the gear after a bit and you can use it like normal. You don't need to use your kit inside a baggie unless it's actually raining or you're exposed to major water spray. I took the 10D + Sigma 12-24 + 580EX II on a catamaran and it was fine, even after getting some salt water spray on it. I simply avoided getting soaked. In case it did rain though, I brought along these.

forgive me if this is taking from the OP thread...I just felt that it was along the same lines.
What do you do when it's very cool in the morning and you ride in the warm vehicle down to the beach in the morning and get your gear out and set up. Then there is the condensing issue from going warm in the truck to cooler beach air? Hard to wipe down when the camera is damp, since u may inadvertently rub very small grains of sand on the lcd or lens. How do u clean this and take the shot before the sun starts rising over the water?
edit.....(it was a long night)......^ cdif may have answered this in a way.....

I got the sand in camera once - learned my lesson! Luckily it was the Rebel that suffered. But I love beach and you can't keep me off of one!

So I carry a large cloth bag (2' x 2') in my bag. I change lenses IN the bag, away from the wind if I have to. This one is actually the cloth bag that a Coach purse came in.

Otherwise, just common sense and the tips you've already read.

I know it might be late, but I'd suggest using ONLY one lens, and if you have to change lenses, do it in the cleanest, least windy place you can find - might be the toilet block if it's really windy.

It's just a precaution. I like to use one lens for the job, not much chance for me needing to change lenses. Depends on the purpose of the photos basically.

There is the underwatrer housing. Whatever you do make sure you clean the cam afterwards, fine dust can get in all the cracks that may be, even if it is weather-proof and brand new, don't take any chances. I can recommend a P&S for such a situation though, but I don't think I could use a P&S for so long after going DSLR.