what can i do to for humidity on the lens!!! (1 Viewer)

Hello all.

the weather this year here is crazy, rain and humidity in July have never seen anything like this.

usually i keep my camera in a room where there is no AC, as we get in Sep-Nov high humidity that can reach to saturation in some nights, but during the day when i can to use my camera i put outdoors for 10-15 mints to make it adjust for the temperature and humidity.

but today it was so humid in the afternoon and both the filter and lens got moist , which did not go even after about 15 mints, and for that time the AF would not work at all, i had to wipe them which something i don't like, even if i had the proper tissues, and i did not have so i used the hand tissue.

my question is there a way to avoid this from happening again, a kind of solution that prevent the accumulation of moister, or any other suggestion.

thanks all.

BTW i lived in super Humid Jeddah for so long and lived for nearly a year in humid Bryan Texas, i use to know what to do, but now i just can't remember.

Speaking from someone with very high humidity There is no way around it g/f. At least not to my knowledge and experience. I have to set up my camera outside knowing it will take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes before it equalizes and is usable. I set it up on a canopied back deck and if I do put the fan on low, it will clear somewhat faster.

LOL a fan that is a great idea, and i should really get the lens tissues as soon as possible, thanks a million Helwa KC for this great advise.

Interesting reading this,as these probs we do not have here in the cold wet windy UK!!!.This must make taking shots very difficult.

christineredgate said:

Interesting reading this,as these probs we do not have here in the cold wet windy UK!!!.

Click to expand...

Lol.......ain't that the truth here in the UK Christine.

KC/Doux - at least you know you're going to get good light even with the humidity, we have to wait weeks for a sunny day.......and then I'm usually at work.....

Changing the temperature completely, I have learnt to keep my fingers away from the camera/lens connection in the winter as the warmth of your fingers can cause moisture to form inside.

Hope the fan works Doux.

I visited a butterfly centre in Wales last month. The weather outdoors was pleasant enough for June (i.e. warm) and I did not think that wandering into the warm, humid atmosphere of the butterfly house would be a problem, especially with my weather sealed lens. Boy, was I wrong?!. The proprietor did advise warming our kit in front of a fan heater prior to entry but I thought I knew better. After wandering around for maybe 15-20 minutes and still suffering from condensation I admitted defeat and went to warm up my kit properly. Of course, no problem after that. Another suggestion he made was to put the camera in the footwell of the vehicle with the heater on, prior to entering a hotter, more humid atmosphere. I'm sure that would have worked too, so long as I moved quickly enough from vehicle to location to avoid the camera cooling off again.

The simple truth is that if your gear is cooler than the air then you will get condensation. Either you will have to wait for it to reach ambient temperature or you will need to take steps to warm it up first. Until the temperatures are equalised it may be best to keep the gear sealed off in a plastic bag until everythng has reached equilibrium. If your lens changes size as you zoom then you may draw warm, moist air inside the lens and end up with more frustration and greater complications down the line, so I suggest you don't use the kit at all (and don't fiddle with the zoom!) until everything has stabilised.

I live in SE Asia and humidity on lenses is just a fact of life. If going on a photo shoot, I make sure I put the gear somewhere warm(er) a few minutes before. Nothing you can do about sitting in a car with a good A/C, seeing an interesting bird, jumping out, getting the bins on the bird, and seeing...... nothing:-(

Living in Florida, we have some of the highest humidity in the US, and horrid heat for a majority of the year. And since everyone lives with air conditioning for 10 months of the year or more, dealing with fogged and condensation-laden lenses is a part of life.

A few things we typically do to at least reduce the effects ahead of time:
Store camera and lenses to be used in a room with less AC - garages are wonderful if you have one, bathrooms often help too. Placing the camera and lens in a sealed plastic bag, and adding some dessicant in the bag, can also help avoid the moisture building inside the lens or camera (you may still get lens fogging from the temperature change, but the bad moisture will be lessened). Often, wrapping the camera in a thick blanket or towel can help it stay more moderate in temperature than when it is more exposed to the air conditioning. Also, if you happen to have anything in the house which generates mild heat, you can store the camera bag on top of this - water heaters, next to refrigerators, recently used washing machine or dryer - any of these machines which heat up during operation and can keep the bag and its contents a bit warmer.

When you are preparing for a day of shooting, as mentioned above, it is best if you can find a spot outside where you can safely place the camera to warm up, preferably in the direct sun. When traveling in hotels with a private balcony, I'll place my camera bag out there while I have coffee or change in the morning...by the time I'm ready to head out, the camera will usually have equalized. To speed the process, direct sun will quickly heat lens barrels, and take lens caps off so the glass can be exposed to the sun and warm up more quickly. If you have a zoom lens, cycle it in and out a few times, as that can help 'suction' the cool air out of the barrel. Time is really going to be your best ally - plan ahead and give the camera time to equalize. If you have no safe outdoor areas, you can warm up the camera indoors by turning off the air conditioning, and placing the camera and lens on a windowsill exposed to direct sunlight - even better if you can place the camera and lens inside a thin black material like a T-shirt...this will let the dark cloth absorb the heat from the light and warm the camera faster.

While out shooting, bring along a bag that you can place the camera in when transferring from outside to inside...this will be harder if you're dealing with a body-mounted 400mm or bigger lens, but large plastic zip-loc bags can usually accomodate a full-size DSLR and smaller lens. I keep a few large freezer bags in my camera backpack - when I'm in the Caribbean and heading in and out of air-conditioned shops from the humid streets, I'll place the camera inside the freezer bag, then put it in my backpack...this helps avoid building up the moisture each time the temperature and humidity changes. Some dessicant in the bag is always a good idea - you can buy some, or even 'borrow' some (free sources of dessicant abound - often shipped with new shoe boxes, some clothing, various electronics boxes, etc.).

Hope that helps!

thanks all for these replies a great reading and so much valuable advises. thanks again.

Warming it before I go outside.
Now, that's trick number one.

I didn't know (think!) that the humidity could affect the AF. Guess that was one thing happening this morning.

Putting it on the balcony. Now we talk business. That's an easy one to achieve

I thank everyone for their input as well !!