Good Gear Tips

If you take good care of your equipment it will last longer, and you'll have more time to enjoy being creative with it. Here are some tips of caring for your equipment.

• Store your equipment in a safe, cool, dark, dry place. You don't want to store your equipment where it may be stolen, where it is very hot (near a heater), where it will get a lot of direct sunlight, or where there is a lot of moisture or water.
• Make sure the camera is stored snuggly in it's carrying case. You don't want it to move around a lot while you transport it.
• Avoid using your camera in these conditions: wet, windy or really hot. If it's raining, or there's a lot of moisture in the air (like at the beach) reconsider using the camera. If moisture gets inside the camera it can damage the sensitive internal parts, or the camera with automatically shut down until it dries out. If there are strong winds blowing sand or dirt, beware that this dirt and sand may get inside the camera, causing it to malfunction. And if it's really hot keep in mind that heat can damage the camera.
• Remove the tape and battery after you finish using the camera.
• Recharge your battery when it's completely empty, or discharged, and not before. If you recharge the battery when it still has a charge, this can cause the battery to have a short life.
• Don't point the camera directly at a bright light source, like the sun, or a lightbulb. This can damage the camera's ability to "see." If you look at a bright light, even when you look away you still see the light in your vision. The same is true for a camera - the damage can be permanent.
• Don't use damaged equipment - it may damage connected equipment that is working fine. For example, don't use a damaged tape, because it may get stuck in the camera.
• Don't touch the tape itself.
• Don't leave the camera on the tripod unless someone is there to watch over it. If you have to walk away, take the camera off the tripod. While having a camera on a tripod with a wide footprint is usually a stable situation, if you're not there to protect it, it may fall over. Tripod legs are easy to trip over.

Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you! :-)