Water – A Wet Digital Camera is an Unhappy Digital Camera

 Unless you have a waterproof or water-resistant camera, your camera isn’t going to be happy if it gets wet. To protect your camera from water, following the tips given on how to protect your camera from the sand and salt will help; namely, purchasing a rain cover or underwater housing for your camera and/or placing your camera in a Ziploc bag or shower cap (see part one of this series to learn more about using a shower cap to protect your camera).

If you’re taking pictures at the beach, don’t forget to watch the waves and the tide!

(Click on any image for a larger view)

Waves: Turning your back on the ocean, or even getting up close to critters in a tidal pool can be a recipe for disaster. If you just must have the shot, keep a watchful eye on the waves – a big one can hit at any moment, washing your “perfect beach photo” away.

Tide: Knowing when the tide is due to be high can save the life of your camera. Picture this: You’re stretched out on your beach blanket, soaking in the rays and reading a good book. Your eyelids begin to get heavy and you figure a little afternoon siesta might not be such a bad idea. So, you close your book, place your oh-so-stylish sunhat over your eyes and drift off into la-la land. As you’re counting fluffy sheep, the ocean’s water is slowly, quietly creeping up on you. Next thing you know, your slumber is disturbed by a somewhat wet, slightly nippy sensation against your feet. You grudgingly open your eyes to find that not only your toes, but the bottom 25% of your beach blanket has been completely devoured by the ocean’s tide. Not only that, your camera - though safely wrapped in a white towel - is amongst that 25%! Oh, crap.

Please continue on to the final part of this article series to learn what to do if your camera gets wet.