Alright, looks like I need to disclose what I mean by strong wind.

I sometimes travel to Afghanistan for the news work - as a one man band (i. e. I am a reporter doing cameraperson's work as well).

The wind you get there is not farting. Unless, Sherif, you fart yourself there (or worse).

Andrew, I guess you would now understand that not all people use their XH-A1 for shooting weddings. Extra person would simply not fit into the humwee. And the "client" of those who you are accompanying and who might be about to shoot at you (not with the camera) would hardly be educated to wait until you all jump in there.

When you have to carry the things that you have to carry on your back there, you always think twice before taking even a small additional piece of kit.

The shockmount - or any other parts sticking out this much - would probably last the first couple of days before being broken off by the inevitable rough handling. This is also why the blimp is also out of question. In the conditions where your humwee suddenly hits three feet of dust on the ground and you cannot see your outstretched hand you would not want to loose an additional second by fighting to tuck your gear away into a bag.

Steve, I mentioned the ECM-670. No problems in the same conditions.

That's also a reply to Allan's post (#9). Thank you very much for telling me to forget recording outdoors when the wind is blowing.

As a serious conclusion though, the forum in the end was useless in answering my original question (which I think I formulated quite clearly). I had to find the answer myself. But thank you to all who tried to help me.

Ahh. Well now we know a little more about your requirements and working conditions. This makes a difference.

I'm curious .... would you consider carrying a can of compressed air for a quick de-dusting of the lens before shooting? Or would that sort of thing take too long, given your working timeframe to get the shot done?

Andrew

Compressed air can is an extra. If I take it along, I leave it in the car or at the camp. I wipe off the lens with a cloth while on the go and use compressed air to clean the entire body of the camera when I have more time. Trouble is, the can usually does not last too long and taking a second one for longer patrols/operations/assignments would be a burden. In terms of space-to-efficiency ratio, nothing beats wet napkins.

Keep an eye on your cans of compressed air, lest they be viewed as "portable air-conditioning" in the heat of summer.

On a side note, a CO2 fire extinguisher and its nozzle is very handy for instantly cooling down a can of drink.

Andrew