any potential issues with cameras left in storage unit lengthy time

Greetings to the great photographers on PN...

 

Its been quite a long time since my last post, been busy with life.. etc.. but have a question now.

 

Quite some time back (5 years) I moved from Georgia USA to another state. It was necessary to put much of my stuff, including almost all my cameras, lenses, miscellaneous itms, in a typical storage unit in central GA. At time of storage, they were in a wooden bedroom dresser with wooden drawers. They were clean, lenses mounted with covers in place. The batteries are NOT in the cameras but removed and stored separately. The dresser is in the SU and has not been disturbed, to the best of my knowledge. The SU is a typical type, with pulldown rolling steel door. Not air conditioned, not heated, nothing in the way of environmental controls. The dresser holds my collection of cameras at that time, everyting from 35mm rangefinders, to 35mm SLRs (various generations, makes, models, ages). Even a folding frame Box Camera that uses that roll film. So the SU would have gone through at least 5 cycles of each season, with the variations of climate, temperature, humidity, and weather, etc. I still don't know when I will be able to retrieve those cameras.

 

My question is, if and when I do get back down there to pick them up, what potential or actual issues should I expect to find with any of these cameras. I know they were all in working condition when I stored them, but would SU storage cause damage or new issues that were not there before?

 

My thanks to any who respond !

 

JAP

I see two potential issues, assuming that there hasn't been some sort of damage, like water, to the storage unit itself. The first is that a dark,humid, environment is an ideal one in which to grow mold=fungus. The second potential issue is that lubricants outgas, settle, and harden. Hopefully most of your cameras and lenses will be ok. In the future, whenever storing photo gear for any extended period of time, I suggest you use a dessicant, like silica gel to remove moisture. That\s what those little bags manufacturers have when they package cameras for sale.

Yes... MOLD, mildew, fungus on all organic materials and plenty of the non-organic surfaces like lenses.

 

 

A lesser, but not trivial, problem is that lubricants tend to solidify under these conditions, especially on older cameras and equipment.

 

Saponification is a process that involves conversion of fat or oil into soap and alcohol by the action of heat in the presence of aqueous alkali (e.g. NaOH). ...

see Adipocere also.

Not quite the same, but analogous.

Open the apertures and shine a penlight through all the lenses. You'll quickly know if they're full of hazy fungus or other gunk. I'm not optimistic, but sometimes people get lucky.

Too little too late, but it's hard to beat military-surplus ammo cans with airtight seals, desiccants, and oxygen absorbers to store, well, ammunition, but also any electro-mechanical-optical devices like lenses and cameras. They're tough, air- and water-tight, and a lot cheaper than a Pelican case. The 20mm variety are large enough to store all but the very largest lenses, while the 7.62mm and .50 BMG types will work for most everything else. There's not much one can do for dried-up and out-gassed grease and lubes other than sending for CRA.