Digital SLR camera storage in hatchback of prius

I have several digital cameras and have been carrying them on the rear seat floor and occasionally in the trunk. Have had no trouble from any of them. I have done this for two and a half years of Prius ownership. Also carry a Laptop the same places with no adverse effects.

Bob

 

I have been caring my Sony F828 around with an 4gb microdrive for about 6 months now and have had no problems with it. Of course I keep it in my front seat all the time. But I have also hauled around computer equipment and hard drives around in the back with no problems. But there are fields back there and they can damage things but from my experience they wont. I think they are a bit too week to cause real damage. But its also better safe than sorry.

 

I've been carrying around my digital camera since I got my car; it's been on the back seat a number of times and no ill effects to the memory card. I never though about the fields from the batteries; to be safe I'll keep it up front from now on.

 

I've been carrying all kinds of electronic equipment including my DSLRs, laptop computers etc. for a about a year now in the trunk of my Prius and had no problems with any of my devices so far

 

The amount of flux change to cause damage to one's stored pictures on a memory card would have to be very large. Yes, going through airport security machines can be classified as qualifying for additional care. But your car battery? I have never heard of that being a problem ever. Do yourself a favor. Take some pictures. Take a picture of something black and a picture of something white. Uniform black and white. (Black taken with lens cover still on) (White, a picture of a piece of white paper) Place the memory card right next to the battery for a day or two and then look to see if you see any changes to those test pictures. If there are any changes you certainly would see them.

I would like to see someone else try to justify the fear about these statements. There just isn't enough magnetic flux change to cause any amount of real concern. It just doesn't add up. In my book, it is a NON issue. What kind of batteries did the manual talk about? AA batteries? Car batteries? Rechargeable batteries? I see nothing which has the capability to cause ANY concern here.

Cheers

 

I have been placing my notebook computer right over the battery-pack for years now, without any trouble whatsoever. There clearly is nothing to be concerned about.

 

Anyone stop to consider that flash memory is NOT MAGNETIC?? Hard
drives, yeah, but not flashcards.
.
It would be interesting to do a little field analysis back there
with a 100A load on the battery, though. There might be some places
where a single wire runs far enough apart to create a good field.
Frankly, I'd still be more concerned about the magnets in the door
speakers than the HV system.
.
Where'd I put that little compass...
.
_H*

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Three60guy @ Jun 20 2006, 11:39 AM) [snapback]274091[/snapback]</div>

I make a bit of money from photograpgy and belong to several pro photography boards. Although everyone has "heard" of airport scanners damaging memory cards no one has ever been able to document a single case. More urban legend I would imagine left over from the days when the more powerful first generation airport scanners would occasionally cloud film. Also keep in mind a field strong enough to damage camera electronics or erase memory cards would also probably stop Grandpa's pacemaker. I carry a case full of lenses and a Canon 1DMKII in the under floor compartment where ever I go. Never had a problem and don't look for one.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jburns @ Jun 20 2006, 03:02 PM) [snapback]274191[/snapback]</div>

Sounds like a job for....
MYTH BUSTERS!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hobbit @ Jun 20 2006, 10:30 AM) [snapback]274133[/snapback]</div>

Faraday's Law tells me that a changing magnetic field can induce an electric current, so the device does not have to store data magnetically to be affected. Having said that, the magnetic field is probably weak enough to be negligible.

 

This myth is wrong on both ends: Batteries don't produce magnetism, and flash cards aren't damaged by magnetism.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tmorrowus @ Jun 21 2006, 05:17 PM) [snapback]274862[/snapback]</div>

Batteries don't, but what's connected to them might. Any loop of wire will create a magnetic field when current flows through it. The strength of the field is proportional to the current and the number of turns of wire. So if there are heavy cables running near the area where the device is stored (and we know that large currents can be drawn under certain conditions), intermittent magnetic fields may be present. Likewise, relays produce magentic fields, so if there is a relay to connect the battery to the hybrid system in the area, there could be a magnetic field present under some conditions.

Having said all of this, it seems unlikely that your digital camera would be at risk, and the answer you got was a general purpose CYA (Cover Your nice person) response.

- Doug

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DougSlug @ Jun 21 2006, 02:37 PM) [snapback]274874[/snapback]</div>

I keep mine in the middle console with no problems, during the summer I will need to find a new location I suppose, but about that little hidden compartment in the hatchback? It's on the opposite side of the battery and would be about the perfect size for a camera, would this be safe?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ghirl @ Jun 20 2006, 09:56 AM) [snapback]274044[/snapback]</div>

The best place, even if the camera would be bothered by the battery, would still be in the car, where it is cooler.

Digital cameras (I have five; two are higher end SLR's), like things to not be so hot.