I have a wedding coming up that is happening on a surf beach.

I am a little worried. I've seen those plastic-bag looking rain-covers for the Z1 but I don't see how they work and I don't see that they protect the lens in the slightest...

Are they worthwhile or just a bit of a gimmick?


Just looking out over the beach you can see all the salt and stuff floating through the air just looking for a perfectly good camera to destroy... I don't see how the rain covers can thoroughly protect you.

Is there any safe way for me to take my Z1 to the shorefront without it getting sand and salt inside it? No wedding is worth wrecking the camera for.

Thanks for your help,
-- John.

A seal skin with a UV filter should be fine for you. Beach and MotoX are somewhat similar when it comes to destroying a cam, and we're using the Z1 for MotoX pretty regularly. We keep it covered with a SealSkin, and have UV filter on the lens threads, plus the standard Sony hood with a small flag on top held in place by Velcro. Works great for keeping the mud and wet off the camcorder.

Agree with DSE. Use a UV filter to protect front of lens.
I have shot quite a bit or marine stuff or stuff on a beach with reasonably big waves and there's almost always ultra-fine salt mist in the air that is not even visible bit can and will gt on your lens surface. UV filter will at least make it less 'stressful' to clean...

Also Portabrace (www.portabrace.com) make some good wet weather / cold weather camera protective covers. Take a wander over to that site for the details.

cheers

What is Seal Skin?

another thing to do is to load your tapes away from the beach, then seal around the tape door with some masking tape or similar, to prevent any sand particles from getting inside

Thanks everyone for your advice. The only one that is beyond me is what Douglas Spotted Eagle said:

A seal skin with a UV filter should be fine for you... plus the standard Sony hood with a small flag on top held in place by Velcro.

I have a UV filter attached permenantly, but what is seal skin? What is the hood? What is a small flag?

Please forgive my ignorance; and I thank you once again.

-- John.

Seal Skin is a brand name of a camera cover.
A flag is a bit of metal, plastic, or cardboard that covers the upper portion of the lens hood blocking out direct light.
A hood is a rubber or plastic bit that "wraps" the front of the lens, ostensibly doing the same thing as a flag, but not nearly as large. AFAIK, every camcorder ships with one.

If you do get lots of salt spray on a camera you should wipe it clean using a salt neutralising solution (from scuba and windsurf outlets) or a solution of 1 part vinegar to 20 parts water (the vinegar neutralises the corrosive properties of the salt). If salt gets onto the aluminium alloy it will corrode it and once it gets in there it will continue to eat away at the alloy forever! You end up with a load of white dust at the ends of the alloy castings.