How to protect your equipment from damage caused by summer rains?
Hello!
Everyone knows that the months of December to mid-May are rainy months here in Brazil!
It's almost as if we had that song from Capital Inicial as a constant soundtrack...
“Mas só chove e chove
Chove e chove….”
Rain is nice to refresh our summer heat, but this combination of rain, heat and humidity is a real nightmare for audiovisual equipment.
For this reason, we at Prospecto are looking for information to help you preserve your equipment in the best possible way and avoid real disasters!
With the presence of rain, filming needs to rely on much more than personal raincoats, umbrellas and boots. There are extra actions that every good audiovisual professional should take to preserve their equipment.
The main issues that can affect your audiovisual equipment when there is a combination of rain, heat and humidity are:
Smudges on the screen of your LED/LCD displays
It occurs due to excess humidity in the environment. This situation can degrade your captured image or even “kill” your screen, which can only be resolved with a screen replacement.
Equipment malfunction
The malfunction is due to failures in internal components, such as capacitors, and can be avoided by cleaning dust and moisture with a soft, dry cloth that must be used on your equipment before and after use.
Accelerated corrosion of terminals and ports due to moisture
All contact surfaces such as plugs and sockets can corrode in high humidity conditions, disrupting power flow and affecting system performance.
Presence of mold or fungus
Also be careful where you store your audiovisual equipment, a room where there is the presence of mold or fungi will seriously damage your equipment. Always choose well ventilated and clean places.
Moisture
Use silica gel packs near the vents on all equipment, or consider installing a humidity sensor to ensure ventilation when humidity gets high.
These protective actions for your equipment are fundamental, useful and valid, but what can you do if you have to film in the rain?
There are other ways available to protect your camera and other gear when getting wet is mandatory to get the shot the director wants.
For scenes with light rain we advise you to use Ruggard raincoats which, although designed for a DSLR with a flash unit, will fit a DSLR, mirrorless or small cine style camera.
You can fold the top sleeve over a small built-in monitor or other accessory instead of a flash unit. Camera and bag covers come in a variety of styles and affordable prices, allowing you to choose the level of protection you need.
Another option is to use a clear glass filter in a frosted box to protect the front of your lens from rain or water spray, preserving your image without distortion.
Now if the rain is more extensive or heavy, the ideal is to invest in one of those special umbrellas for cameras or even install a tent, when the filming will take a long time to finish.
If the equipment comes into contact with water, dry it very well and keep it in a clean, dry place with constant air conditioning.
Another fundamental measure is to place dust protection doors at all entrances and exits of your equipment.
Use your equipment regularly, and turn it on every now and then, to keep it from breaking down for good.
And finally, but not least, another action that cannot be missed is hiring good insurance for when an unforeseen event happens and you need to change a part, or purchase new equipment due to an accident.
Protect your assets the right way, Prospecto is on hand to help you find the best insurance for your needs.
We look forward to seeing you for our next #MondayBlog.
Have a great week, lovers!
Prospecto Seguros
LEGAL NOTICE
This post was created through research on sites, under the "Fair Use" copyright law, as the research materials fall under public knowledge.
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