Digital camera

[Kevin]

Having a good, weather resistent carrying case will avoid a lot of condensation/moisture issues common in corroding the internal mechanics and electronics in a digital camera. While we may find carrying the camera in a coat pocket to be convenient, it's often the worse thing for the camera. Body warmth and sweat will increase the moisture content of the air inside the coat, so when you pull the camera out into the colder air to take a photo it condensates. This causes more issues than simply a foggy lens, it also condensates internally which can lead to corrosion in time. Best thing to do is to use a carrying case that holds the camera away from the body. In the winter, use lithium ion batteries (they hold a charge better in the extreme cold where normal NiMH and alkaline batteries fail).

I'm currently using a cheap leather carry case with some internal padding and a neck/shoulder strap. I hang it around my neck so it's always available but not in the way. Some people use the waterproof and air tight containers common to paddle sports. EMS sells a variety of these for around $15-30. Unfortunately none of them are padded, and I would be affraid that continuous jarring of the camera could cause issues over time.

The most important thing to remember is to allow your camera to air dry if it gets wet. Even a small amount of moisture can corrode. If a non-water resistent camera gets submersed, it may not be destroyed. First, do NOT power it on. Powering it on only gives the camera an opportunity to allow electricity to flow through the moisture and potentially short something. If allowed enough time to dry completely the camera could work as good as new. It would be helpful to open the camera to allow air to circulate over the internal parts, aiding in evaporation. Most cameras will dry in a few weeks. Yes, it takes weeks but what's better - a working camera or being impatient by turning it on before it's dried and shorting it out?

[Boreal Chickadee]

On the trail if it's not raining I use a 97 cents padded case (WalMart) held to my shoulder strap by a carabiner. There is also another very lightweight carabiner that runs through the wrist strap and then the D loop on the shoulder strap. That's the jsut in cse it falls out back up!

Dunked a camera once when we capsized. Opened the battery door, removed those, took out the film and left it on the dashboard of the car opened for days. Worked like a charm once it dried out. I let it dry for about four or five days before I tried it. Still works!

[Edelweiss]

I presently use a padded, nylon camera case with zippered front panel for my rechargeable batteries and extra compact flash card. I can either attach it to my backpack belt (there's a velcro and snap flap, or attach it to a strap and put it around my neck (hard to hike this way thoough.) The case, however, isn't waterproof and because it is soft-sided, there is the potential for damage if it falls when I take off my pack. Does anyone know of any hard-sided, waterproof cases which could be used with a digital camera? Kevin mentioned that EMS sells them, but I have the same issues with making sure there is padding inside the case for protection Mine is a Nikon 4300 (about 4 years old) - not as small as some of the mini digitals I have seen, but still a compact size for hiking and backpacking.

[forgedin78]

I have a pelican micro case for my camera. I can't remember where i got it now, but there were many different sizes, and im sure you can find them somewhere online. I modified mine a little bit by adding some extra padding here and taking some out there to make it fit nice and snugly. Its definetly not ultralight-weight, but it is waterproof, rugged (they claim it will hold up to a truck), and it even floats.

[Edelweiss]

I have a pelican micro case for my camera. I can't remember where i got it now, but there were many different sizes, and im sure you can find them somewhere online.

Thanks for the suggestion, forgedin. They look very good, but larger than I had imagined for the dimensions of my camera.

http://www.all-pelican-cases-4-less.com/detail_pelican_1050.html

[111t]

If you carry a very compact point and shoot... see if it will fit in a surplus decon container...



These are waterproof boxes that cost as little as $2 from surplus stores. Way cheaper than a pelican... loss proof lid and a stout clip as well! Good for 101 other aplications as well... Mini first aid Kit... you name it. These have become very popular with geo-cachers.