Posted by Angela McCain on September 12, 2010 at 10:19 PM
It is almost 100% humidity here in Houston and this afternoon at 5:30 it was 99degrees. Worse yet this morning.... I took my camera outside from my air conditioned home and after 30 minutes it was still dripping wet and the lens fogged over within seconds of wiping it dry.
Anyone have any ideas for keeping your camera warm. What type of lens sprays are safe to help prevent fogging.
Posted by Dan Borzynski on September 12, 2010 at 11:07 PM
First, I wouldn't use any sort of anti-fogginh spray on the lens. The primary reason is that it will reduce the sharpness of the images and be very difficult to clean from the lens. The reason that these would work with automotive windshields and eyeglasses is that the human brain does a very good job of filtering out the lack of sharpness in the real world.
Back to reducing fogging in the lens - the only good way is to warm the gear. Depending on options available to you, this could include and one of the following: store the gear in the attic, place the gear in the attic, garage, automotive trunk or front seat, or any other warm place to start warming up before you leave, put the bag in the sun some place where it won't acquire legs and walk off (upstairs porch), turn off the ac in your house .
If you are in a situation where it is stop at home, pick up the camera and leave, consider attaching the main lens to the camera, putting it in a clear bag and letting it rest on the passenger seat in the sun to warm up while running the ac at as warm of a temp as you can stand. You may need to tie down the camera on the seat somehow so that it doesn't shift to the floor in a sudden stop, or hang it by its strap from the headrest or something.
Posted by Mia McPherson on September 12, 2010 at 11:38 PM
Angela,
I dealt with the lens fog issue in Florida where the temps were high and the humidity often higher. At home I kept my lens and camera in a padded (thus insulated) backpack. When I would leave the house to go shooting I never ran the AC on the way there in the mornings. Just those small steps helped a lot.
Posted by Michael Lotito on September 13, 2010 at 6:48 AM
I have the same condensation issue in the summer. I have thought about building a heated storage box. Maybe 85 degrees. What I have done is use a small hand held fan to speed drying. Maybe wrapping the equipment in an electric blanket to warm it 1 hour before leaving the house??? This would eliminate the cold camera hitting warm humid air. Getting creative the electric blanket could even go on a timer set for a predetermined time.
Mike
Posted by Bill Fach on September 13, 2010 at 8:31 AM
Angela: Depending on what you plan to shoot the fogging can lead to some creative effects. I'll often shoot through a fogged lens in my garden in the mornings when the air is thick as soup. However, if you prefer sharp shots a simple way to warm the camera is to wear it around your neck and then put on a loose fitting jacket or sweatshirt over it for several minutes before you go outside. Your own body is a nice warmer and the outer layer traps the warmth and de-ices things nicely. Have the lens on board that you plan to use first and maybe keep other lenses you plan to use capped and in a pocket to warm them up as well. You don't want condensation to form inside the camera when you change lenses. Hope this helps. >=))>
Posted by Wayne Rhodus on September 13, 2010 at 10:08 AM
Angela, before leaving the comfort of your air conditioned home to go make images seal your camera body inside a large zip lock bag. You can do the same for any lenses you plan to use right away.
Make sure to allow your bag sealed camera body to be exposed to the warmer air you will be shooting in as you travel to your destination. If that's simply in your backyard just allow some additional time for it to acclimate to the outside temperatures. The cooler air inside your sealed bag will gradually warm to the outside air temperature and eliminate the condensation problems you are experiencing.
The same process can be used in the winter when taking your equipment from a warm house out into the colder temps.
Good luck!
Posted by Paula Dittrick on September 13, 2010 at 7:28 PM
Angela, I too live in Houston. Sometimes I leave a camera with a macro lens inside a camera case inside a large cooler in the garage. The case is for the padding and the cooler is to protect the camera from extreme heat and the humidity.
This overnight storage system works to prevent the condensation for me. I don't keep it out there for days on end, but it is a way for me to enjoy a quick photography session in the garden before going to work.
Discussion
6 repliesAnyone have any ideas for keeping your camera warm. What type of lens sprays are safe to help prevent fogging.
Back to reducing fogging in the lens - the only good way is to warm the gear. Depending on options available to you, this could include and one of the following: store the gear in the attic, place the gear in the attic, garage, automotive trunk or front seat, or any other warm place to start warming up before you leave, put the bag in the sun some place where it won't acquire legs and walk off (upstairs porch), turn off the ac in your house
If you are in a situation where it is stop at home, pick up the camera and leave, consider attaching the main lens to the camera, putting it in a clear bag and letting it rest on the passenger seat in the sun to warm up while running the ac at as warm of a temp as you can stand. You may need to tie down the camera on the seat somehow so that it doesn't shift to the floor in a sudden stop, or hang it by its strap from the headrest or something.
I dealt with the lens fog issue in Florida where the temps were high and the humidity often higher. At home I kept my lens and camera in a padded (thus insulated) backpack. When I would leave the house to go shooting I never ran the AC on the way there in the mornings. Just those small steps helped a lot.
Mike
Make sure to allow your bag sealed camera body to be exposed to the warmer air you will be shooting in as you travel to your destination. If that's simply in your backyard just allow some additional time for it to acclimate to the outside temperatures. The cooler air inside your sealed bag will gradually warm to the outside air temperature and eliminate the condensation problems you are experiencing.
The same process can be used in the winter when taking your equipment from a warm house out into the colder temps.
Good luck!
This overnight storage system works to prevent the condensation for me. I don't keep it out there for days on end, but it is a way for me to enjoy a quick photography session in the garden before going to work.