What is the correct resting position for a camera with a long lens and a battery grip?

Question

I just got a battery grip for my Canon T3i, which has a 18-135 lens with hood on it.

After installing the battery grip, the body is obviously considerably taller, and the weight of the lens is now resting on the hood tip mostly. Would this harm the camera/lens balance in any way?

What would be the best resting position for a camera with a battery grip and long lens?

Asked by GR7

Answer

Before setting the camera down I often do a quick check to see that the hood is on tightly and correctly, and retract the zoom. That is, the lens should be in its shortest position because the weight is least likely to cause any undue pressure.

I don't know how tough the hood on your lens might be. Modern Nikon hoods all seem to be about the same, which is to say heavy plastic that doesn't buckle under some weight. I have used an old 80-200(?) that had a lighter-weight hood that would flex with a little pressure. Anyway, with the quality of the hoods on the lenses that I have, I don't hesitate to set the camera down with weight on them. I often stand the lens on-end with the hood on the table/ground/whatever, supporting the full weight of the lens; when a body is attached to a lens, I set it on its side.

Answered by Dan Wolfgang

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Are airport x-ray scanners safe for DSLRs / lenses / storage media?

Question

While traveling by air here in India, one is instructed to remove all electronics like cell phones / media players / laptops and pass them thru the X-ray scanners separate from the rest of one's hand baggage (carry-on).

Is a modern-day DSLR (specifically a Nikon D90 / D3100) and the SD card contained within affected? Is is safe to pass it thru or do I insist on a manual check and bypass the X-ray machine if possible?

Answer

I've done a lot of travel with dSLR equipment and cards, I've never had an issue, it's safe to send through. The issue, historically, was with film since x-rays are light and could affect the film.

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What precautions should I take when taking a camera into humid conditions?

Question

My camera's manual warns about sudden changes in temperature, but there are a few cases when I can't see how to avoid this.

These include entering a reptile house in a zoo, or a trip to tropical house such as in the Eden Project, where the outside temperature is 15° C and inside it's 38° C.

On a recent trip, I did not take my SLR but I saw may others with them although the lenses were all steamed up initially and unable to get a shot.

Will the sudden change in temperature harm the camera beyond just fogging up the lens, and are there any precautions to take against this possible harm?

Answer

Condensation is the biggest risk, and prevention is always better than cure. One thing I do prior to entering such environments is to place a lens cloth over the front element, and heat it with the heat from my hand prior to entry -- the target is to get the front element above the dew point for the area you're going into.

With the specific case of the Eden Project, the trick is to go into the arid Mediterranean house first where the humidity is lower than the rainforest house (but the temperatures are generally similar).

If anything, I'd suggest SLR (and bridge) cameras are easier to remove condensation from the lens (but it would take longer to warm through). It would be a "very bad idea" to change a lens inside an area with elevated humidity, as humid air could then condense all over the place.

It is worth remembering that some SLR cameras have professional quality weather sealing

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