Author: Harry Guinness / Source: howtogeek.com
The biggest problem with photography gear is that it’s both fragile and expensive. This means that it’s easy to break and potentially painful—to your bank balance, heart, and soul—when you do. Let’s look at some of the ways you can protect your camera and lenses from bumps, bangs, and everyday life.
In this article, I’m going to be looking at this from the perspective of someone who probably does things with their gear that they shouldn’t. I regularly ski with my camera, shoot in the rain or sea spray, and just take my camera places Canon wouldn’t recommend a careful owner take it. If I’m able to keep my gear safe while I do it, you should be able to use my advice to keep your camera safe in day to day life.
Have Realistic Expectations for Your Gear
Cameras are electronics; get them soaking wet, and you’re going to have a very bad day. Similarly, lenses are tightly packed full of glass; if you drop one from six feet in the air, there’s very little that can be done to stop something smashing. This article isn’t about trying to make your gear bulletproof. It’s about making sure it doesn’t end up in situations where it needs to be bulletproof.
With that said, not all camera gear is the same. Cameras and lenses built for professionals, like Canon’s L-series lenses, tend to be able to take more of a beating. They use all metal construction and have rubber gaskets to weather seal everything. If you know you’re going to be using your camera in aggressive situations like, say, while you’re skiing or in the desert, then it might be worthwhile investing in gear that can take a bit more punishment.
This was a big factor in me upgrading my camera.RELATED: How to Buy Your First High-Quality Camera
Keep Your Camera Attached To Your Body at All Times
The secret to protecting your camera from drops is pretty simple: your camera should never be able to fall directly onto the ground from a height that can damage it. Instead, it should be attached to your body at all times with a camera strap. As soon as your camera comes out of your bag, put your strap on. Once the strap comes off, your camera goes back in your bag. Follow that maxim, and your camera can’t fall.
The neck strap that comes with your camera is… fine… but we’d recommend replacing it for a couple of reasons:
- You look stupid and it instantly marks you as a tourist (and target for theft).
- They’re not very adjustable.
- Hanging from your neck in front of your body isn’t the best place for your camera if you’re trying to do anything else.
I’m a big fan of Peak Design’s products. They sit nicely between the bad straps that come with cameras and the crazy professional holsters that let you dual wield cameras. I either use a Slide as a regular over-the-shoulder camera strap, or I use a Capture Camera Clip to mount the camera to my bag and a Leash as a safety lead. In either case, I’ve got a Clutch hand strap attached to the camera as well. Both setups mean it’s improbably my camera will ever fall far enough to hit the ground hard.
Keep Your Gear In the Right Bag
Throwing your camera loose into a regular backpack is asking for trouble. If it doesn’t get damaged from the…
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