Can motorcycle vibration damage a DSLR or its lenses while touring?

Question

I'm thinking about taking a DSLR such as a Canon 70D on motorcycle trips. Is normal motorcycle vibration likely to harm the camera body or lenses, or is this only a concern in rough conditions? What's the safest way to carry the camera and lenses while riding?

user25699 · Answer

I wouldn't be concerned much about the camera body; there isn't really anything in it that would be very sensitive to vibrations. The only mechanical parts are the shutter and mirror, and both are in a safe postion when the camera is switched off.

Lenses are a different matter: individual lens elements can and do become decentered, which can result in drastically reduced optical performance. And strong vibrations certainly could cause elements to become decentered (though the more typical cause is a single hard impact, i.e. dropping the lens).

To reduce the forces that the lenses are exposed to, you want thick and tight padding, ideally around each individual lens If you have more than one.

And, quelle surprise, that's exactly what good camera bags provide:

well-padded

So if you don't have a good camera bag, get one, use it, and if you're still concerned, put some additional padding around the bag (or wear it on your back, that would isolate it from most vibrations as well).

Can motorcycle vibration damage a DSLR or its lenses while touring?

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