Helpful Posts Helpful Posts:  0
Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Caring For Your Equipment

  1. #1
    Shadowman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    WNY
    Posts
    36,716
    Real Name
    John

    Caring For Your Equipment

    One thing I enjoy about this forum is that all information is provided with the best of intentions and scrutinized before acceptance by forum members. I do a lot of reading on the subject of photography and the following published information caught my attention.

    "A common problem when shooting on the surface of water is that you can get water drops on the lens and these cause blurry areas on the photo. These can be avoided simply by licking the lens because the water drops can’t adhere to saliva., Kevin Meredith 2008"

    Hot Shots : Tips and Tricks for Taking Better Pictures by Kevin Meredith
    Chronicle Books LLC 2008
    Library of Congress ISBN: 978-0-8118-6640-8

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    17,660
    Real Name
    Have a guess :)

    Re: Caring For Your Equipment

    For starters I wouldn't be putting an SLR lens into the water (I did that once with a video camera wide-angle adaptor, that only just lived to tell the tale!)

    I think I know what he's getting at though ... in a previous life as a SCUBA diving instructor, one of the tricks we taught, to stop masks fogging up was (gross warning) ... spit on the inside of the mask - rub it all around - and then give it a quick rinse. Sounds like something similar, although I won't be trying it anytime soon I can assure you!

  3. #3
    Moderator Dave Humphries's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Windsor, Berks, UK
    Posts
    16,748
    Real Name
    Dave Humphries :)

    Re: Caring For Your Equipment

    Quote Originally Posted by Colin Southern View Post
    ~ to stop masks fogging up was (gross warning) ~~~
    Sounds like one to reserve for use on zoo visits; you know, for when you go from a cool outside to a heated, moist building (e.g. a walk-through tropical monkey enclosure, etc.) and the UV filter instantly fogs up.

    Not sure I could bring myself to do it though

    Recently I just made a hasty escape as the light was too low inside anyway, even at high iso. (and I didn't want the camera to get too cosy)

    Cheers,
    Last edited by Dave Humphries; 6th March 2010 at 11:42 AM.

  4. #4
    Shadowman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    WNY
    Posts
    36,716
    Real Name
    John

    Re: Caring For Your Equipment

    Visiting Niagara Falls or has to be the most cautious trip for a photographer. When I first purchased my DSLR I took it to the falls and had to make a lens change to get a wider angle. At the time I had my trusty cloth to wipe off the lens and the LCD.

  5. #5
    Moderator Dave Humphries's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Windsor, Berks, UK
    Posts
    16,748
    Real Name
    Dave Humphries :)

    Re: Caring For Your Equipment

    Quote Originally Posted by Shadowman View Post
    Visiting Niagara Falls or has to be the most cautious trip for a photographer. When I first purchased my DSLR I took it to the falls and had to make a lens change to get a wider angle.~
    Yeah, they are big up close, I assume this was from one of the boats?

    My trip was so long ago ('77) I have forgotten all but the noise and sheer size of the falls by now
    I think I must have been shooting film SLR back then though, but I just don't remember the details anymore.

    Cheers,

  6. #6
    Shadowman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    WNY
    Posts
    36,716
    Real Name
    John

    Re: Caring For Your Equipment

    Dave,

    There is also a walkway that leads to the boats. You can get a good load of mist just standing near the waters.
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Humphries View Post
    Yeah, they are big up close, I assume this was from one of the boats?

    My trip was so long ago ('77) I have forgotten all but the noise and sheer size of the falls by now
    I think I must have been shooting film SLR back then though, but I just don't remember the details anymore.

    Cheers,

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Maryland, USA
    Posts
    1,015
    Real Name
    Rick

    Re: Caring For Your Equipment

    Wouldn't the layer of saliva have an effect on the behavior of the lens? A thin film of oil can have interesting prismatic effects on light reflection, and of course, some elements in a lens are coated: I imagine the coating is no thicker than a layer of dried saliva.

    Perhaps, in practice, the effect is less than that of water droplets.

    Cheers,
    Rick

  8. #8
    Shadowman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    WNY
    Posts
    36,716
    Real Name
    John

    Re: Caring For Your Equipment

    Rick,
    One thing is for sure, you will never hear or read a camera manufacturer giving that advice to customers.

    Quote Originally Posted by rick55 View Post
    Wouldn't the layer of saliva have an effect on the behavior of the lens? A thin film of oil can have interesting prismatic effects on light reflection, and of course, some elements in a lens are coated: I imagine the coating is no thicker than a layer of dried saliva.

    Perhaps, in practice, the effect is less than that of water droplets.

    Cheers,
    Rick

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •