K10D kit to the beach

joefru · 08-06-2008, 07:04 PM

I'm going to the beach on Saturday, and I'm thinking of bringing my K10D and the kit lens. Or maybe the FA50... Only one though, so as not to risk changing lenses at the beach (obviously). What should I do to ensure that a few hours of sand and salt have no negative effects on my gear?

*Damn Brit* · 08-06-2008, 07:26 PM

Keep it in the bag unless you are using it. I use those big ziploc bags for a bit of extra security.

MShawn63 · 08-06-2008, 07:28 PM

Make sure that when you return you rinse the body with fresh water and dry it well. What I do when I'm at the beach and want to change lenses is to make sure my hands are dry (towlets work) and I put my camera bag inside a trashbag (keeps the sand out) and when I change lenses I do everything inside the trashbag so I minimize the rist of sand in the body. I just returned from a week on the beach in NJ and used my 50-135 all week, it provided enough versatility that I didn't have to change lenses.

joefru · 08-07-2008, 05:22 AM

Originally Posted by MShawn63

Make sure that when you return you rinse the body with fresh water and dry it well. What I do when I'm at the beach and want to change lenses is to make sure my hands are dry (towlets work) and I put my camera bag inside a trashbag (keeps the sand out) and when I change lenses I do everything inside the trashbag so I minimize the rist of sand in the body. I just returned from a week on the beach in NJ and used my 50-135 all week, it provided enough versatility that I didn't have to change lenses.

Well, i'm just going to live with the lack of versatility so as not to bother changing lenses at all. I'd love to have a weather-sealed 50-135, but my wallet says otherwise.

I guess my main question was, how should I treat the K10D differently than other DSLRs, given that it has a weather-sealed body, even though I won't be using a weather-sealed lens?

MShawn63 · 08-07-2008, 05:53 AM

Even without the weather sealing on the lens as long as you aren't changing lenses on the beach I don't think you have much to worry about in regard to how you treat the body. Obviously you don't want to submerge it in salt water, but other than that I don't take any special precautions. You may want to keep a lens cloth in your pocket to clear the end of the lens occasionally, I find that a fine layer of water mist settles on the glass that has to be cleaned off.

Serpiente · 08-07-2008, 02:55 PM

Be careful with the aperture wheel! sand is anoying in those wheels.. it goes out after a while, so its not a big deal

reeftool · 08-08-2008, 08:50 AM

I haven't been around salt water yet with my K10D but have been in rain, snow, fog and kayak trips with the kit lens and a Sigma 70-300, neither of which are weather sealed and no problems so far. A little common sense care like not setting the camera down in the sand or changing lenses in the rain and keeping it from getting soaking wet and it should be ok. Weather sealing was one of the big selling points for me as i'm outdoors a lot.