Protecting Your Digital Camera From Sand and Water

Summer is here and this means a lot of photo opportunities around most especially outdoors when you feel like getting much sunshine together with loved ones and friends. With students off from school, many are thinking of ways to enjoy their vacation and one of the favorite destinations of youngsters is the beach. But while you are enjoying your time swimming, playing on the sand or just sunbathing, you also risk damaging your digital camera if you don't take care of it properly.

Remember that at the beach, your most loved photographic equipment is exposed not only to sand and water but also to heat and salt. These elements are not good for the camera so make sure to keep them away from the device at all times.

Here are ways to protect your digital camera and its accessories. When these tips are put in practice consistently, you can be sure to have a well documented summer holiday and a happy camera as well.

• Never leave your camera on the sand. Keep in mind that these tiny particles of the sand can get into the small corners and openings of your device. Plus they can also cause scratches on your lenses. So even if your camera is inside the bag, don't let it touch the sand. To avoid this, put a clean towel, plastic bag or an extra shirt under the device first.


• If you're a hobbyist and are heading to the beach to take some great shots, stick to just one lens. Do avoid changing lenses while you're already at the beach so you don't expose them to sand. If this can't be avoided and you really want to change your existing lens, don't do it in a sandy area but rather go inside a restaurant, in your car, any enclosed area or in a car park where you'll be away from sand that could be blown by the wind.


• It's standard procedure that you carry your camera and other digital camera accessories inside a bag. But again, when you take out your device for a photo shoot, keep it closed and put it on top of a chair, table or log but please not on the ground. Make sure to clean your bag as well when you get home. Giving it a vacuum is the best way to get rid of sand.


• For photography enthusiasts who are passionate about the sand and sea, purchasing a rain cover or even an underwater housing will protect your camera from sand, water and the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Having a UV filter is also ideal and it even helps in capturing clearer images.


• There's also a cheap alternative which you can find at home. It's the Ziploc plastic bag which you can use to cover your camera while you're not taking photos and you have nowhere else to place your gadget on while at the beach. Putting the camera inside the plastic and locking it will ensure that no sand particles will get inside the device.