Cameras going bad on bikes

[Anonymous]

I talk to a guys that tours quite a bit (on a viffer), and of course he packs his camera along for all the rides.

But he told me I shouldn't pack mine in the tank bag, since vibration ruins the shutter mechanism.

Is this true?

How should I pack it (especially for quick access)?

[suzukisportrider2004]

in your tail bag packed in with some t-shirts i would guess

[The CyberPoet]

Get a belt-mountable camera bag if you have a small digital cam, or keep it inside your leather jacket if you want fast access. For something bigger, put it behind you.

Many types of tank bags are no-no's for a couple reasons:
because of the magnetic fields (huge fields on the best ones), those magnetic fields vibrating in relationship to the camera can induce electrical current in the circuitry; AND
because of the physical vibrations if it's in contact with something hard, like the bottom of the tank bag (unless you pad the camera well, say inside it's own mini camera bag at the top of the the bigger bag).

I'd be far more concerned about the magnetic field effects than the vibrations myself, especially if your camera has a good auto-park system like most modern electronic cameras.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[Black_peter]

Many types of tank bags are no-no's for a couple reasons:
because of the magnetic fields (huge fields on the best ones), those magnetic fields vibrating in relationship to the camera can induce electrical current in the circuitry;

Jeez, maybe you don't want that between your legs either..

[Guiness]

I've got a new, fairly small digital, and I just keep it in a jacket pocket. If you've got a slightly older one that's too big for that, packing it tightly with t-shirts as SS2004 mentioned, is probably best. I can't see that the location on the bike is going to matter much as far as vibration - tank or tail, it's all the same!

CyberPoet - the magnets shouldn't induce current, unless the camera is moving relative to them. If the camera is pretty stable, it should be ok.

[katman05]

Don't forget that the magnets can screw up the magnetic strip on your credit cards and debit cards too, always keep em in your coat or pant pocket.

[meanstrk]

I got nothing. BUT.......... Not long ago I had to send in my trusty camera to get fixed and they said it looked like an EMI deal that screwed it up.

[Tiny1877]

Don't forget that the magnets can screw up the magnetic strip on your credit cards and debit cards too, always keep em in your coat or pant pocket.

How come the magnet on my wallet doesn't screw up my cards, then?

[The CyberPoet]

CyberPoet - the magnets shouldn't induce current, unless the camera is moving relative to them. If the camera is pretty stable, it should be ok.

If the camera is stable in respect to the magnet(s), it should be fine (ditto for older 35mm cameras without auto-anything), but the vibrational frequency of the engine would make that almost impossible to guarantee for modern digital cams -- and with the ever more sensitive circuits in the cameras (for lower power consumption & higher CCD pixel-counts), it wouldn't take too much excess to zap some of the circuitry. Much easier and safer to use your body to suck up excess vibrations and/or keep the camera away from the magnets...

Also see Meanstrk's post

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[Black_peter]

Don't forget that the magnets can screw up the magnetic strip on your credit cards and debit cards too, always keep em in your coat or pant pocket.

How come the magnet on my wallet doesn't screw up my cards, then?

Myth busters did this..
It takes a lot of gauss (unit of measure for magnitism)
to affect a magnetic strip.. It was in the order of magnitude
not found in "normal" life..

[The CyberPoet]

It takes a lot of gauss (unit of measure for magnitism)
to affect a magnetic strip.. It was in the order of magnitude
not found in "normal" life..

Distance is also a factor; different types & shapes of magnets have different field distances as well as different strengths. If the magnet's "strong-enough to wipe a credit card" field distance is a matter of millimeters and your wallet is a few inches away, it probably wouldn't make an difference even in the long run... On the other hand, the amount of magnetism required to change the polar orientation of a credit card in the exact spot where it's relevant (where 1 bit = about 1500 grains of the magnetic material glued to the film) is significantly higher than the amount required to generate some electrical potential in a thin wire.

KNOW THIS:
Credit card magnetic strips up against shark skin wallets go bad really fast. As a result, many wallet manufacturers either don't offer shark skin any more, or use more traditional leather (cow, pig, etc) on the interior part designed to hold credit & ID cards.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet