Cameras at festivals

[mjm]

Thought I'd ask this here since there seems to be a few photography buffs on the board...

I just bought my first DSLR (Nikon D40) and I want to bring it with me to High Sierra. So I'm a little bit worried about a) theft, and b) the heat.

When I don't have it on me, I'd rather not keep the camera in my tent because I've heard too many stories about people getting cameras stolen. But should I worry about keep it in a car considering how hot it gets at High Sierra? Am I worried about nothing?

[harrymcq]

I'm not a camera buff so I won't comment on the heat aspect but I've never had anything stolen from me at High Sierra. I've heard camping on the hill over by the grandstand stage can be more dangerous because the local meth-heads climb over the hill and steal stuff from tents but that could be a rumor... As long as you don't leave it out anywhere I bet you'll be safe.

[mjm]

I should have qualified my question a little bit. I'd didn't mean to make you write that much. This will be my 3rd year at HSMF so I'm aware of the (moderate) threat. I usually stay in Shady Grove and there always the threat of someone jumping the fence near the skateboard park. So my question was more, given that, how do I take care of it.

Anyway....

Like if you're taking a trip to get a coffee or go to the bathroom, keep it buried in blankets in the shade, ideally. Image sensors that get too hot increase noise quite a bit and the sun is bad for LCD screens (burns them out a lot faster). Batteries start to suck over 95 degrees so definitely keep it in the shade (even if that shade is just yourself from where you're standing). And get a bit motherf-ing hat, the straw kind with the large brim. That extra shade will help you see the screen...

Good to know...

Take good notes and practice with your lenses and gear before you go. Make sure you have one good wide and a good tele, also an f2 or lower if you've got an urge. I'm not a Nikon shooter, but based on what you need, I'm sure someone could recommend a good lens or two.

Unfortunately I'm going to have to make do with the kit lens for now. And, yeah, I should take some notes. The EXIF data is good for telling me what I did, but not for telling me what I meant to do.

Also, it is MANDATORY to check out CAMP HARRY every night! Or at least the ones you can manage. You'll have a friggin' blast. It's usu. near the meadow stage, southwest corner. You definitely want a flash for late-night and a tripod for the fire twirlers (though you can improvise with a log).

Keeping an eye on Camp Harry is a top priority after missing what happened there last year...

To summarize, a)theft and b)heat are probably two of our biggest issues with cameras. I'd also add a)dust, because the other two aren't as common. Dust is your camera's nemesis! When people start dancing, wrap your camera fast if you're in the dust pit. Just one breeze can really foul up your UV filter (you do have a UV filter, right?) and I was cleaning mine quite often, regardless (always dust, just have to minimize it). The dust also gets into your mirror and sensor, no matter how hard you try. Changing lenses in a clean area is tricky if you're front and center, but there are usu. plenty of tents and tables around and people there are very camera-friendly (ie, not shy) and quite nice (remarkably...that is the best part about it, the music is a close second ;-}).

The upside to only having a kit lens it that I won't be changing it. But I have a UV filter so I'll remember to keep that clean. What do you use to clean it?


Anyway...thanks for the tips and sorry you can't make it. I'll be sure to post some pics when I get back.