Should i bring my nikon dslr camera on the beach or will it get damaged from the heat?

Will too much sun ruin my camera?
it won't be directly exposed because i plan to bring a beach umbrella. Will that help?

Leave it home. Too many horror stories about sand in lenses.

The sand is your enemy

Cameras are used daily during the summer in Arizona where temperatures reach 110 degrees F routinely.

As with any precision equipment, you must take good care of it

Honestly, you should leave it at home, I worked in a camera 'service' department and seen too many cameras damaged by sand and sea water… Camera technicians just won't 'entertain' any equipment with sand or water damage… And this type of damage is very common.

I always buy a waterproof 'disposable' camera for the beach, I occasionally get mocked though I often get compliments on my 'images' and my idea seems to be catching on… You can ask for the images to be saved to CD at processing for a digital copy too.

Not so much the heat but sand and water are camera killers.

Think about the last time you came home from the beach. Even if you didn't go into the water, you had salt spray, wind-blown grit, and damp sticky who-knows-what in your hair, teeth, on your skin, between your toes, in your eyes, and in several places not-to-be-named. Ugh.

Now imagine the same happening to your delicate DSLR. Moisture and grit are the enemies of any electronic device and a visit to the beach guarantees you'll introduce that to your camera. It's not the sun that will be your problem, but everything else under the sun.

NO NO NO, the sand will get your camera. It only takes 1 grain of sand and your camera is messed up. Some one in a wet suit and you have problems. A little wind or a friend who thinks they are funny and you are in trouble.