Lens deterioration in a tropical environment

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Has anyone had experience with lens care in the tropics and specifically, the Caribbean? My lenses experience a rapid buid up of fungus and go downhill thereafter. Any suggestions for maintenance or storage would be appreciated. Thank you, Richard Williams Barbados

-- Richard Williams (rrw@caribsurf.com), January 12, 2002

Answers

Kept all my lenses and bodies(camera bodies ;)) in electrical dry cabinets. I live in Singapore. No problems for years.

-- Travis koh (polar@cyberdude.com), January 12, 2002.

During four years in Papua New Guinea, I kept lenses and cameras in sealed polythene bags with some silica gel inside. I bought in UK a sealing machine which has a roll of large polythene bags which then heat seals the bag. It cost about £35. It worked fine, but is not as convenient, of course, as an electrically dried cupboard.

-- Dr James Harper (drjh@btinternet.com), January 12, 2002.

I spend a lot of time in the carribean. Last month it rained everyday and humidity seemed a constant 100% (in the North of the Dominican Republic). I keep a supply of large Silica Gel bags, purchased in bulk from http://www.desiccare.com/. A couple of bags in the camera bag and a small digital hygrometer (the sort they use in cigar humidors purchase from any cigar/humidor shop)keeps things under control and lets me monitor humidity.

-- Hank (hgraber@narrativerooms.com), January 12, 2002.

Hank-Many thanks for the pointer. Just what I've been looking for for some time now.

Sven

-- Sven Sampson (ssampson@inreach.com), January 12, 2002.


If you keep the lenses in a normal cupboard (not in a camera bag)in an air-conditioned room when not in use, you shouldn't have trouble with fungus. In S Florida it's pretty humid, I've never encountered fungus. If you don't have access to air conditioning you will need to either buy a portable electric dehumidifyer or use dessicant. I prefer the replaceable type like Damp-Rid to the rechargeable silica. It costs more but the silica was a pain to have to keep putting in the oven to recharge.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), January 12, 2002.


Richard:

As the above entry stated in Singapore where it is hot and humid all the time, a dry box is mandatory for Leicas, as I have not had a problem with any other camers-Nikons, Rolleis, Zorkis etc.

Also, a big bag of silica gel in the camera bag helps as moisture gets in when the camera is in the bag utdoors.

Good luck.

Cheers

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richardjx@hotmail.com), January 12, 2002.


Richard, electrical dry cabinets are very common.

It runs on DC power, drains little power and it maintains humidity and temperature according to your climate.

at 45-60% hunidity settings, your lenses and bodies will be FINE.

;)

-- Travis koh (polar@cyberdude.com), January 13, 2002.


I have been living in Indonesia, which is very humid, for over 11 years and have had fungus problems with only one lens: a Leica Mini Zoom camera that I kept in its supplied leather pouch. I had to ditch the camera. All other lenses (Olympus and Leica) have been free from fungus and have been kept in cloth camera bags with silical gel.

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), January 14, 2002.

I lived 2 years in Puerto Rico (same Lat. as Hawaii). This was pre- Leica. Never saw any fungus problems in my Nikkors or the ones owned by the newspaper I worked for (some of which were 20+ years old).

Are Leicas especially suceptible for some reason? (other than Murphy's Corollary - "The fungus always goes after the most expensive glass available." 8^) - )

Computers in homes/offices near the shore, on the other hand, suffered badly from the salt air causing corrosion to circuits, hard-drives, etc.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), January 14, 2002.


Hello Hank: Thank you for the desiccare tip. I have been looking for a desiccant vendor for a while as no one in New York carried the product. I ordered the packets today! (8>))-- Albert

-- Albert Knapp MD (albertknappmd@mac.com), January 14, 2002.


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