Scenario - you have your 5D Mark II camera body out in a humid environment with no lens attached.

[jdd1701]

You are outdoors and have to set your camera down for a moment to find a lens or body cap to install. Do you place the camera mirror up, or do you place it mirror down on a stone paver surface? I am NOT looking for alternatives, I'm looking for what you would do and why in this situation.

I was told if you place it mirror down, dust will go up into the camera and will be sucked further in as it's a vacuum in there. I disagree - I say mirror down because; 1. While dust can most certainly float up, the tendancy is for it to settle. 2. In a humid environment hovering around 90% most dust has been grounded by moisture. 3. If something drops on the camera in those few seconds your mirror is exposed to possible damage.

Let's hear it!

[cale_kat]

Don't take the existing lens off until you've found the body cap or other lens. See? It's simple to have a way you don't have to put the camera down.

[jdd1701]

No kidding?

Was it too difficult to reply in the way that was requested? No other alternative ideas/suggestions were NOT to be considered, but thanks for NOT following instructions. Your reply was ZERO help. Want to try again?

[Skirball]

Why not find your lens or body cap first, before taking the lens off the camera?

[jdd1701]

Oh my gosh! Folks, I am an early 50's, decently educated man, 20+ years as an electrical engineer and now 10 including university as a photographer. Is it not possible to focus on the request that was made in my original post? Yes...I understand AND agree with the questions/suggestions that have been made thus far. HOWEVER...that was not what was requested. A simple mirror-side up or mirror-side down and why. Let's say you came upon a camera body with NO LENS and NO CAPS in sight. There's a hand written note indicating where there's a lens cap to be found nearby, asking you to retrieve it and place it on the camera . Would you leave the camera face up if that's how you found it? Leave it face down? Change it? For what reason would you take an action? Those are your choices. Not that you would carry it with you. Not order anything from Amazon and have a drone deliver it to you. Not make like McGyver and fashion something from the gumwrapper in your pocket and spit. You got TWO...DOS choices. Now...GO!

[Skirball]

I would put the hand written note over the lens hole as a makeshift body cap, hold the camera level, not up or down, and walk to wherever the note indicates my lens cap to be. Once there, I would put the lens cap on, rub some of the hair product I’m wearing on the note, mix in some salt from saliva, and fashion a pipe bomb to blow up whoever hid my lens cap and left me a note in its place.

[cale_kat]

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@jdd1701 wrote:

.....Let's say you came upon a camera body with NO LENS and NO CAPS in sight....

Let's say your post have no merit. There, I said it.

[RobertTheFat]

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@jdd1701 wrote:

Oh my gosh! Folks, I am an early 50's, decently educated man, 20+ years as an electrical engineer and now 10 including university as a photographer. Is it not possible to focus on the request that was made in my original post? Yes...I understand AND agree with the questions/suggestions that have been made thus far. HOWEVER...that was not what was requested. A simple mirror-side up or mirror-side down and why. Let's say you came upon a camera body with NO LENS and NO CAPS in sight. There's a hand written note indicating where there's a lens cap to be found nearby, asking you to retrieve it and place it on the camera . Would you leave the camera face up if that's how you found it? Leave it face down? Change it? For what reason would you take an action? Those are your choices. Not that you would carry it with you. Not order anything from Amazon and have a drone deliver it to you. Not make like McGyver and fashion something from the gumwrapper in your pocket and spit. You got TWO...DOS choices. Now...GO!

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<chuckle!> Well, I'm in my mid-70s, also decently educated, 50+ years as a computer software engineer, five as a semi-pro photographer. So your pompous fulminations don't impress me much. FWIW, the correct answer is "lens side down" (because down is the direction that dust usually falls), but I agree with Skirball and the kat: anybody who finds himself in such a situation is a clueless newbie. If the shoe fits, wear it.