Lens fangus protection

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Archive 2009 · Lens fangus protection

Breitling65
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p.1 #1 · Lens fangus protection

Resent extremely wet/humid weather in my area (NJ) pushed me to buy dehumidifier for lens protection reason. I ran it last night and it gets about 2-3 liters of water per about 8 hours of run in small room I am storing my lenses.
Scary fact even I am not in tropics area, especially since my lens insurance doesn't cover molds related issues (verified)....

What about you?

Nov 02, 2009 at 12:31 AM

JSeaman
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p.1 #2 · Lens fangus protection

Assuming you don't collect lenses you should be able to store yours in a cabinet or small closet - for that amount of space you don't need a dehumidifier. Just a couple of rechargeable silica gel packs would easily do the job.

I even keep one in my camera bag.

I use ones like these: http://cgi.ebay.com/Dessicant-Silica-Gel-40-Gram-Keep-Your-Coins-Dry_W0QQitemZ390103863232QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5ad4008fc0

Nov 02, 2009 at 02:31 AM

PetKal
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p.1 #3 · Lens fangus protection

From October to May (the heating season), our home is quite dry. Then, Jun to early September it's the A/C season....again, the amount of moisture indoors is not excessive. All in all, I haven't felt any neeed to go into additional humidity control measures. However, I should get some silica gel to place into cases holding a few lenses which are not used frequently.

Edited on Nov 02, 2009 at 02:39 AM · View previous versions

Nov 02, 2009 at 02:39 AM

RobertLynn
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p.1 #4 · Lens fangus protection

Take your lenses out and use them. UV light whoops some fungus butt.

Nov 02, 2009 at 02:39 AM

KaaX
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p.1 #5 · Lens fangus protection

. NJ doesn't need dehumidifiers to store lenses, especially this time of the year. As the heating is coming on, the humidity indoors is dropping rapidly. It ain't the tropics :-)

Kaa

Nov 02, 2009 at 02:43 AM

Breitling65
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p.1 #6 · Lens fangus protection

Yes it is in cabinet but not hermetically closed cabinet and as you may read in post this room gets about gallon of water per 8 hours in air. I am not much into climate or biology

and can't say if this is OK to not get fungus in lens, however if it is than I wouldn't be covered by my insurance. I believe Canon warranty also gets void for same reason

JSeaman wrote:
Assuming you don't collect lenses you should be able to store yours in a cabinet or small closet - for that amount of space you don't need a dehumidifier. Just a couple of rechargeable silica gel packs would easily do the job.

I even keep one in my camera bag.

I use ones like these: http://cgi.ebay.com/Dessicant-Silica-Gel-40-Gram-Keep-Your-Coins-Dry_W0QQitemZ390103863232QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5ad4008fc0

Nov 02, 2009 at 02:47 AM

Breitling65
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p.1 #7 · Lens fangus protection

KaaX wrote:

. NJ doesn't need dehumidifiers to store lenses, especially this time of the year. As the heating is coming on, the humidity indoors is dropping rapidly. It ain't the tropics :-)

Kaa

Climate changing as you might know, also you wouldn't say this if you stay in NJ last week

No it is not good for heat yet 65-70F during day and rain, but also not as comfortable for AC already.

Nov 02, 2009 at 02:50 AM

KaaX
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p.1 #8 · Lens fangus protection

Breitling65 wrote:
Climate changing as you might know,

<rolls eyes>

Breitling65 wrote:also you wouldn't say this if you stay in NJ last week

Are you sure of that?

Kaa

Nov 02, 2009 at 02:53 AM

Breitling65
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p.1 #9 · Lens fangus protection

KaaX wrote:
Breitling65 wrote:
Climate changing as you might know,

<rolls eyes>

Breitling65 wrote:also you wouldn't say this if you stay in NJ last week

Are you sure of that?

Kaa

I am sure that I never been in worse/humid/rainy weather as last Sat night for 10 years I am in NJ. It was also last day of October!!! with 73F outside 7PM.
And believe me I been in Florida and I know what is humid means.

Nov 02, 2009 at 03:05 AM

tanglefoot47
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p.1 #10 · Lens fangus protection

Store them in kitty litter works like a charm. They say if you ever get your cell phone wet put it in kitty litter and it dries it out

Nov 02, 2009 at 03:15 AM

Breitling65
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p.1 #11 · Lens fangus protection

tanglefoot47 wrote:
Store them in kitty litter works like a charm. They say if you ever get your cell phone wet put it in kitty litter and it dries it out

That is clever idea for sure

Nov 02, 2009 at 03:24 AM

Breitling65
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p.1 #12 · Lens fangus protection

KaaX wrote:
Breitling65 wrote:
Climate changing as you might know,

<rolls eyes>

Breitling65 wrote:also you wouldn't say this if you stay in NJ last week

Are you sure of that?

Kaa

I am not Houdini to figure where you are based on KaaX and nothing else in someones profile

Nov 02, 2009 at 03:26 AM

Breitling65
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p.1 #13 · Lens fangus protection

PetKal wrote:
From October to May (the heating season), our home is quite dry. Then, Jun to early September it's the A/C season....again, the amount of moisture indoors is not excessive. All in all, I haven't felt any neeed to go into additional humidity control measures. However, I should get some silica gel to place into cases holding a few lenses which are not used frequently.

Right, I am sure I wouldn't need this box when AC or heat is On. I am just getting very uncomfortable, looking on gallon of water inside of this box every 8 hours

Selica needs to be replaced as you might know, it will not protect forever.

Nov 02, 2009 at 03:32 AM

gotak
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p.1 #14 · Lens fangus protection

Breitling65 wrote:
tanglefoot47 wrote:
Store them in kitty litter works like a charm. They say if you ever get your cell phone wet put it in kitty litter and it dries it out

That is clever idea for sure

That is unless you put it in a tray and then put kitty litter in said tray and your cat finds the tray!

Nov 02, 2009 at 04:05 AM

Imagemaster
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p.1 #15 · Lens fangus protection

Have had many lenses in the wet/humid Pacific Northwest for over 30 years and never had mold on a single lens.

Nov 02, 2009 at 04:22 AM

scalesusa
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p.1 #16 · Lens fangus protection

Fungus prefers to grow high heat and high humidity. In the PNW, humidity is high when its cool, but seldom high and warm. 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity is a great formula for growing fungus.

Nov 02, 2009 at 04:41 AM

tanglefoot47
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p.1 #17 · Lens fangus protection

Imagemaster wrote:
Have had many lenses in the wet/humid Pacific Northwest for over 30 years and never had mold on a single lens.

Same here but I guess I never keep a lens that long

Nov 02, 2009 at 04:52 AM

cgardner
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p.1 #18 · Lens fangus protection

Fangus protection? Just keep them in the light of the sun, away from vampires

Nov 02, 2009 at 02:14 PM

Breitling65
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p.1 #19 · Lens fangus protection

cgardner wrote:
Fangus protection? Just keep them in the light of the sun, away from vampires

Seriously, until the humidity gets above 60% you shouldn't need to worry about mold or fungus. The amount of water the dehumidifier pulls out the air isn't a very good way to measure relative humidity. Get a weather station which shows relative humidity. Wireless weather stations which show indoor / outdoor weather and have clocks sync'd by radio to the master atomic clock for precise time are now relatively inexpensive.

Chuck

To me it is not big overkill to buy $140 dehumidifier to protect $20K of optics. Besides there is some other use of this thing too. Also humidity as I specified above become brutal lately in NJ area, especially makes me worry in between seasons when no heat or AC is on.

Nov 02, 2009 at 04:19 PM

MountainTop
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p.1 #20 · Lens fangus protection

I live near the ocean in a foggy climate, and I run a de-humidifier all winter and spring, and sometimes in summer if it stays foggy for a few days. I get about two gallons a day in my de-hu and I have a small house.

Most of the lenses I've had that got fungus were cheaper zooms that had spent time in the wet tropics. Silica packs are useless in the rainforests I was shooting in. Cleanliness was also challenging. I have a couple of Canon paperweights as souvenirs of my travels.

Other photographers said keeping the lenses clean and warm seemed to be a good preventative. And watching out for internal dust or the beginnings of the fungus threads, of course. At the first sign of something inside you've got to send the lens in for immediate servicing.

At home I do use silica inside the cases, but the de-humidifier does the heavy lifting. Well worth the $100 spent at Sears.

Nov 02, 2009 at 04:32 PM

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