Shooting by the ocean?

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

Does salt water air have an effect on equipment at all in the long run?

 

[Gary A.]

In general, no. I've lived within a block or so of the Pacific for decades ... with no ill effect on any of my camera equipment. (But high humidity will cause fungus. But that is a humidity issue not an ocean issue.)

 

[Dave Colangelo]

I spend most of my summer weekends near or at the beach or on the water and subsequently do a lot of ocean/beach/boat shooting. Frankly sand is a way bigger concern than salty air a good gust of wind can kick up a lot. If you continuously dunk your camera in salt water you will have an issue but then again if you continuously dunk your camera in fresh water you will have an issue as well. Most modern cameras have little if any exposed metal anymore. For what its worth most of it is aluminum which corrodes (instead of rusting). I usually wipe down my stuff when I get back inside to remove any salty condensation but I cant say its ever been a real issue.

I have found that the temperature swings and high humidity near the ocean can cause fogging issues on humid days. This happened to me shooting the sunrise one morning. You can see in the last few slides in this album. Other than that I have never really had an issue.

Get a tripod that you don't mind getting some sand on and always extend the bottom legs first. When you get home, hose it off, its aluminum, dry it with a towel and its good to go again.

Don't be afraid to get out on the beach with your stuff i know a lot of people are afraid of sand, but lets be honest, gear can (and often is replaced). Dont miss a good shot because of some silly fear.

FWIW I dropped my Nikkor AI-S 300mm manual focus front first into the sand while birding once. I was careful to slowly pick it up, used my airblower to get the sand out, not a scratch on it and it still works flawlessly.

Regards
Dave

 

[beagle100]

Does salt water air have an effect on equipment at all in the long run?

no, I also live next to the ocean and haven't experienced any problems with Canon equipment

 

[weepete]

Salt water can be bad for electronics, so it could be if you are in an area where there is a lot of spray or airbone water particles. Just generally by the coast I've never had an issue.

 

[KmH]

After 10 years of shooting mostly on beachs in the San Diego area I had no problems.
I was mindful though to give my gear plenty of TLC.

 

[Optimum Clarity]

If the camera falls into the ocean, yes. You will need to remove the battery and rinse it in fresh water and dry it disassembled.

You Dropped Your Camera in Water... Now What? - The Beat: A Blog by PremiumBeat

 

[JPI]

Does salt water air have an effect on equipment at all in the long run?

Yes, no matter how well you think you have it protected, I know this first hand