How can I power a camera for a long-term outdoor time-lapse without losing weather protection?
Asked 6/27/2018
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2 answers
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I want to run a camera outdoors for a season-long time-lapse, including exposure to rain and snow. Many weather-sealed cameras use a battery-door seal, but external power couplers often route through that door, which seems like it could defeat the sealing. For continuous outdoor use, is there a practical way to provide long-term power while maintaining weather protection? Are weather-sealed camera bodies and couplers enough, or is a separate enclosure usually required?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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Most commercial 'outdoor' cameras with external power supplies are made to fit inside protective domes or other types of sealed enclosures to protect them from the elements.
Many use protective conduit to route the cables to the camera.
The most sophisticated ones even have 'self-cleaning' features, such as 'windshield wipers' or air jets to clean the surface through which the lens views the scene. If the cables are not protected by conduit, the ports where they enter the enclosure tend to be weather hardened.
I doubt even most "weatherproof" cameras without such enclosures which are normally intended to be used in the elements but stored away from the elements when not in use would last very long when exposed to the elements 24/7/365.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For true long-term outdoor use, a separate weatherproof enclosure is usually the safer solution. Camera body weather sealing is generally meant for use in bad weather, not for being exposed continuously 24/7 for months. An external power coupler routed through a battery door can compromise the seal unless the camera was specifically designed to maintain sealing that way.
A common approach is to place the camera inside a sealed housing or case, then route power through a weather-hardened cable entry such as a compression fitting or conduit. DIY options can work too: for example, a rugged waterproof case with a sealed cable pass-through and a clear optical window/filter in front of the lens. The enclosure should also be mounted securely and sealed around any hardware penetrations.
In short: don’t rely on the camera’s own weather sealing alone for season-long unattended use. Use a proper outdoor enclosure and weather-sealed cable routing for the most reliable result.
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