M8 in desert

-JQ-

-JQ-

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SO I'm going to be spending some time in the hot and dusty desert. My thinking is gaff tape as much as practical.

Has anyone here had an M8 in the dirt?

The lens I worry about the most is my 50mm collapsible.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance!
JQ
 
Wrap the camera with its lens mounted on it in a plasctic bag or tuperware for all times but when you take pictures. Take it out at night and when you are under some roof.
Limited lens changing helps
 
it will be fine if you don't drop it in the dirt. take care to change lenses sparingly / within some sort of protective barrier from the outside environment if possible
 
Don't collapse your 50mm.
You're gonna get a dirty sensor no matter what you do but keeping your collapsible 50 in the out position is going to help mitigate that. You might think about putting an O ring or a rubber band around the base of the barrel where the lens collapses into the focusing helicoid to help keep out dust.

I'd forgo the whole gaff tape all over because you'll just get gooey adhesive keeping gritty sand or silt against the camera body for longer which will increase wear.

Aside from the lens and sensor, you main issue you will have to worry about will be the switch complex becoming dirty and fouling up. Leica's buttons and switches easily get dirty since the camera isn't sealed. If you tape over them then you'll just keep dirt in there since it WILL get in there. If you keep them open the dirt can come and go. Either way, just budget a CLA after you return and you'll be fine. The camera can handle a lot of wear and use.

It also depends on what desert you're going to. Take a bunch of spare batteries and be prepared to toss them since in extreme heat, they can swell. Worst case scenario is they swell inside the camera when you need to swap and the battery gets stuck in there. New OEM batteries don't do this but I've noticed it a bit the older the batteries get. Also, after a certain temperature threshold, the batteries won't hold as much of a charge. Try to keep the camera cool since its black finish is going to turn it into a heat-sink. That's another reason the tape strategy won't work well. The camera will just get too hot to allow tape to stick.

I tried all these strategies when I was out in the sandbox during my deployments to SW Asia when in the Navy and gave up after the hassle of replacing tape and wiping off gooey adhesive. I just learned that changing lenses was something done only inside, cameras (aside from fully mechanical film bodies) need to stay cool.

Hope this helps.

Phil Forrest
 
Took an M8 around Australia last year. Across the Top End, Kakadu, Gibb River Road, Kimberley, Twin Falls, Jim Jim Falls, Nullarbor, Bungle Bungles, Rainbow Valley, East and West MacDonnells, Flinders Ranges and back home across the Strzelecki Track. 6 months on the road and the bull dust was into everything. 25,000 km and 6,000 images.
Not one problem with the M8 and no special treatment either. They are far more resiliant than one might imagine. Take a blower for the sensor and check often. Pick a lens and stick with it for the day. Was mostly 28mm for me (I also took a monopod and an "L" bracket for panos).
Mike
 
Currently I stay in desert area (middle east),never get problem with M in desert.
Just few tips:
1.Don't change the lens often, choose you favorite lens stich on body.
But if you need to change lens, do it in indoor (room , tent)
2.Add a filter ( UV/IR) to avoid dust reach front element. Also bring ND filter to reduce very bright sunshine.
3.Bring good blower and cleaning pens (i'm using Giottos Rocket blower)
Do cleaning , lens,body every day after finish shooting. Use blower first and then brush and cloth. Make sure dust already gone before using cloth. Dust will scrach glass and body if you not do that carefully. If required , for sensor you need special cleaning equipment and chemical.
4.I don't recomend collasible lens in very dusty area.


ok, have fun with your desert adventure....
 
If you need to clean your sensor:

Blow away ALL grit with the Rocket Blower before swabbing. You do not want to drag a grain of sand across the sensor.
Do your cleaning in the bathroom after showering. It will have less dust in the air.


And in general keep your shutter clean!! A grain of sand between the blades will destroy it.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the advice. it is good tohear they hold up well on their own. And practice up.on sensor cleaning technique.
 
I took my old M8 to Death Valley a few years back. I took about 1,000 exposures over 3 days frequently switching between 21 mm and 35 mm lenses. No problems for 900 + exposures but got one dust spot towards the end. It cleaned up my Arctic Butterfly brush and a little PS retouching to the files. No big deal. I have far more dust problems here in the tropics where the trade winds blow a constant 10 - 20 knots.

Most deserts have their windy seasons. For example, April is a good time to avoid New Mexico and Arizona while mid to late summer often brings dramatic thunder storms in the late afternoon. Check with a local before hiking the arroyos and trade that collapsable lens for something more modern.

my .02
 
Adding on to this thread, what about Burning Man? Desert environment, but toss in dust storms (which will be photographically most interesting and thus exposing the camera to the desert's worst conditions) and a stay in the constant dust environment for a 7+ days?
 
Might one suggestion be film, to mitigate the sensor issue? Or at least a film camera as a backup?

And I'd recommend another lens that isn't collapsible if it can be helped.
 
Thanks JSU I will do that.

boomguy57...life is too short for film :-O I know thems tough words for this neighborhood but I gave up that stuff long ago. Flame suit on :)

The collapsible was an effort to get into the RF groove. It is such a clean copy that I hate to get rid of it but really should before I hit the sand.

FWIW I'll be in the Arabian peninsula...non-MILSPEC assignment.

Thanks for all the help...keep em coming.
 
-JQ- said:
Thanks JSU I will do that.

boomguy57...life is too short for film.
Click to expand...

Life is too short to risk missing shots — I strongly recommend a mechanical film camera as a last-resort shooter. Electronics and high/low temperatures don't play well together.
 
Used my M9 in the Jordanian deserts last year with no problems. However, I only changed lenses indoors and made sure to wipe down equipment before doing so.

Hope that helps!
 
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