I did a search for this first and while I found some interesting threads about dust in lens, nothing about dust in general.

My main query is simply, if you don't keep your DVcam in a silver flight case, what's the second best thing in terms of isolating it from dust?

The room the cam has to be in is moderately dusty.

I currently have it in a robust shoebox as this seems most effective.

I keep my cameras in Portabrace bags. When shooting in dusty enviroments, the main thing to do is avoid opening the tape compartment--when you need to change tapes, try to go someplace clean to do it. Also, if it's really dusty, I keep a plastic bag over the camera, with holes cut out for the lens and viewfinder. And if I'm in one of those hurry up and wait situations, with the camera sitting there on the tripod for a long time, I will throw a plastic bag over it.

I do this even in our studio--it's an old building, and there always seems to be a little dust in the studio after a couple of days of non-use. Sometimes there will be a shoot that goes on for a couple of days or more, and I leave everything set up. So I'll put a bag over the camera at night.

I've found that it's a good idea to always leave any delicate gear covered, even in what appears to be a safe place. I learned this one time when the roof leaked right over a file box with original tapes. The lid was on the box, so there was no damage. We had a roof leak in the studio one time too, and water dripped within a few inches of the mixer. It's best to put everything away into their respective cases when not in use, but if you have to leave things out, cover them. Plastic trash bags are great. I keep a roll of them in the camera bag all the time in case it rains. And, if you have to get on your knees (for a low angle shot, to beg the client for money, etc.), they can keep your pants clean.

thanks