Water and Humidity protection for camera

[VMF]

Hi,

I'm about to spend a month in Cambodia taking photographs around Tonle Sap Lake for an environmental photo-story. Although it will be at the end of the wet season I am still conscious that the weather will still be very humid and not only that I will be around a lot of water (in boats and by it). Does anyone have any great recommendations for how to keep my cameras and lenses as moisture free as possible. I will be mainly using a digital SLR but will also have a back up 35mm SLR camera (I may even take my old manual SLR just for extra backup!!).

Any other tips (cultural or technical) about taking photos in Cambodia or the region much welcomed also!

Many thanks.
VMF

[Michael Fanelli]

Hi,

I'm about to spend a month in Cambodia taking photographs around Tonle Sap Lake for an environmental photo-story. Although it will be at the end of the wet season I am still conscious that the weather will still be very humid and not only that I will be around a lot of water (in boats and by it). Does anyone have any great recommendations for how to keep my cameras and lenses as moisture free as possible. I will be mainly using a digital SLR but will also have a back up 35mm SLR camera (I may even take my old manual SLR just for extra backup!!).

Any other tips (cultural or technical) about taking photos in Cambodia or the region much welcomed also!

Many thanks.
VMF

It sounds as if you need watertight cases. These are expensive but cheaper than buying a new camera! On another web site, someone destroyed a P&S just by moving back and forth between the very humid outdoors in Brazil to air conditioning indoors. Heavy rain would be a bigger problem than condensation.

[JSPhoto]

I suggest getting a pro body that has the seals needed to help keep the moisture out. I am constantly going in and out of places with huge temperature differences, including swimming pools. Nothing like going from 10 degrees above 0 to 80 and nearly 100% humidity at a high school swim meet!
Humidity is tough on cameras. I have even shot football games where you would swear it was raining looking at the camera, water dripping off it, but it works fine (well before the auto focus croaked recently - not due to humidity though). I had one camera that wouldn't even turn on if it was too humid.

JS