Camera VS Playa Dust?

A place to discuss all things involving power and technology (including cameras). Generator tips, alternative energy, lighting your camp/bike/art/self, sound systems and more.
ScoutDG
Posts: 42
Joined: Mon May 08, 2006 7:50 pm

Post by ScoutDG » Thu Aug 14, 2008 9:02 pm

My cameras survived 2 prior Burns. However, I've a friend whose nice camera was killed by the dust, so best to take reasonable precautions

... unless ...

My friend had wanted a new camera anyway, but the damned things are expensive. This way he didn't have to convince his wife he was being extravagant by buying a new camera when his old one worked perfectly well.

User avatar
Firmwood
Posts: 45
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 10:23 pm
Location: San Francisco

Post by Firmwood » Fri Aug 15, 2008 4:07 pm

[quote="munney"]:arrow: Lomography Rules :idea:





[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lomography[/url]

[b]Be the Event[/b][i][u]

:roll: [/u][/i][/quote]

*hifives*

Damn you broken code!

User avatar
Captain Goddammit
Posts: 8589
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 9:34 am
Burning Since: 2000
Camp Name: First Camp
Location: Seattle, WA

Post by Captain Goddammit » Fri Aug 15, 2008 6:50 pm

Camera VS. Playa Dust:
My money's on the playa dust!
GreyCoyote: "At this rate it wont be long before he is Admiral Fukkit."

User avatar
mdmf007
Moderator
Posts: 5340
Joined: Wed Mar 08, 2006 7:32 pm
Burning Since: 1996
Camp Name: ESD
Location: my computer

Post by mdmf007 » Sun Aug 17, 2008 4:36 am

PLaya dust by 5 points.

User avatar
CapSmashy
Posts: 1917
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 12:29 pm
Burning Since: 2007
Camp Name: Terminal City://404 Village Not Found
Location: Awesome Camp 2.0

Post by CapSmashy » Sun Aug 17, 2008 8:59 am

If they Playa dust wins, I get new camera gear courtesy of Allstate. :)

I covered $6k worth of gear for less than $200 a year with a Craftsman type replacement warranty with no deductible.
Playawaste Raiders cordially invites you to suck it.

Alligatorz
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 11:02 am
Location: Denver, CO

Cameras

Post by Alligatorz » Sun Aug 17, 2008 9:43 am

I just have one thing to add: Be careful when cleaning your camera lens off while on the playa....even if you use one of those special lens cloths that doesn't scratch your lens (which is the only thing you should use), playa dust can still scratch your lens when you're rubbing it off.....not quite like a sandpaper effect, but you get the idea).....as such only wipe it off if its something that you can't simply photoshop out later....you are going to get dust spots on your photos regardless - that's what photoshop is for.

With that said, I had a wonderful experience with my D70 last year and really didn't have a problem with dust. I always left it in my camera bag except while shooting and wasn't stupid enough to take it out for a messy dust storm shot. You're going to have to give your camera a good internal cleaning when you get home. Watch out for the sensor....one bad move and your camera becomes an expensive paper weight....If you don't know how to clean it, take it in for a professional cleaning. Most stores will do that and charge around $20-$40.

I tried the ziplock thing but it was more hassle than it was worth...if you can do that and get the shots you want, more power to ya.

Good luck with getting great shots this year!


If anyone is bored, you can see my shots from last year here:

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea ... =320080750

User avatar
CapSmashy
Posts: 1917
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 12:29 pm
Burning Since: 2007
Camp Name: Terminal City://404 Village Not Found
Location: Awesome Camp 2.0

Post by CapSmashy » Sun Aug 17, 2008 11:57 am

For lens cleaning, blast it with some canned air if there is a bunch of dust on it and follow that up with a rocket blaster and a lens pen before you get around to wiping it down. The blasts and puffs of air and brushing should remove anything on the lens making the lens cloth unnecessary.



I had very few touchups to do in photoshop afterwards.
Playawaste Raiders cordially invites you to suck it.

User avatar
somekind
Posts: 194
Joined: Sat Aug 19, 2006 2:27 pm
Location: chill valley
Contact:

Post by somekind » Sun Aug 17, 2008 3:35 pm

My camera fits in my pelican case just perfectly.

It's the one in this photo:
Image

It's not pocketable with the case, but it's well protected.

The big problem with taking a camera is losing it.

I read so many "lost camera' threads after last year.

People even lose those little cards. Don't do that.
http://burningmanvideos2007.blogspot.com/

If someone offers you drugs, it's a cop.
If someone asks you for drugs, it's a cop.
If someone fucks you for drugs, it's not a cop.

User avatar
rana
Posts: 34
Joined: Sun Oct 05, 2008 5:30 pm
Location: St. Petersburg, FL

Post by rana » Tue Mar 24, 2009 12:14 pm

Has anyone tried using a condom, like they do in this instructable, but just one?

http://www.instructables.com/id/Dual-Wa ... /?ALLSTEPS

Seems like it would work pretty well, but I wish they had sample pictures.

User avatar
poisenloaf
Posts: 50
Joined: Tue May 27, 2008 5:32 pm
Location: San Diego, CA

Post by poisenloaf » Tue Mar 24, 2009 4:48 pm

I'm going to try a waterproof point in shoot like the newer Olympus 1005SW (~$200). I figure if it can handle being submerged 10 feet in water, it is probably impervious to playa dust as well. I'll just make sure to clean it really well when I get back.

User avatar
pizzamancer
Posts: 357
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:56 pm
Burning Since: 2008

Post by pizzamancer » Wed Mar 25, 2009 4:35 pm

I didn't bother reading the rest of this thread, but I wanted to hop in and say that the playa ate my memory card. I carried my digital camera in a pouch, and by day 3 playa had creaped beneath the glass on the back display. Still took pictures though.

Everything was fine until 3 months later actually. I went to pull some video footage I had taken and boom. No data at all. I ran a data recovery program and got the pictures back, but my vids were lost.

This year it will live in a plastic zip lock.
Image

User avatar
RedheadBarbie
Posts: 123
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 6:59 am
Location: Austin, TX

Post by RedheadBarbie » Sat Mar 28, 2009 10:29 am

Ummmm, actually some of us do get wet over a big lens. It's a better pick up for me than trying to ply me with booze.

It is astounding that some people think a person with equipment that can be used to make art is not participating.

That word is used a lot but what exactly qualifies as participating? Is it in the secret handbook?

Post Reply

Return to “Power & Electronics”