Clean & maintaining...

I'm searching for new ways to keep my lenses and cameras safe from old and humidity any tips and tricks to share?

Assume that's a typo and you mean "mould (ENG) / mold (USA) and humidity" -

 

Air circulation is important, I live in an humid climate and I keep my gear in a well ventilated steel cabinet located on an interior wall of a room away from the kitchen and bathroom. I don't store my gear in camera bags or lenses cases.

 

WW

I bought a dry cabinet when I lived in humid Japan. It keeps your gear dry and free of dust. I’ve had mine for more than 10 years now and don’t know how I could live without it.

Assume that's a typo and you mean "mould (ENG) / mold (USA) and humidity" -

 

Air circulation is important, I live in an humid climate and I keep my gear in a well ventilated steel cabinet located on an interior wall of a room away from the kitchen and bathroom. I don't store my gear in camera bags or lenses cases.

 

WW

The curse of autocorrect... Thanks. I put my lenses on transparent boxes with a dehumidifier. Trying to keep humidity below 50%. However, I am considering moving the boxes because it is wall to wall with the bathroom. I had already problems with my EOS-1N.

I bought a dry cabinet when I lived in humid Japan. It keeps your gear dry and free of dust. I’ve had mine for more than 10 years now and don’t know how I could live without it.

I keep trying to find a dry cabinet but if I even think about bringing anything home my wife will kick me out...

You needn't post the same message in more than one forum.

 

It depends on where you live. If you don't live in a very humid environment, you may not need a dry cabinet. I just leave my gear in a regular cabinet that has a bit of air circulation because the doors aren't sealed (plain wood doors). Like William, I don't store them long term in cases. I have never had any damage whatever. Walk into any photo store (if you can find one) or photo repair shop, Unless you are in an extreme environment, you won't find their stock in dry cabinets.My house is air conditioned during the worst of the hot, humid summer days, which keeps the humidity plenty low enough.

 

I used to spend a few weeks each summer in an extremely humid environment. To play it safe, I stored my gear in a Pelican case with a few canisters of rechargeable silica gel. However, that was an unusual environment.

If it is not a sealed humidity controlled cabinet, then the location of that storage cabinet within the house is very important - both in regard to how much air circulates around it and also how humid that air is: anywhere near a kitchen, bathroom and laundry is bad and, and having the cabinet against an inside wall is better than against an outside wall. Additionally, whilst a wooden cabinet might look wonderful, metal is better. I knew a bloke who continuously ran a low wattage light bulb inside his metal cabinet simple to keep the air dry.

 

About 35 years ago I used a wonderful rosewood cabinet beautifully finished, it looked fantastic, but mould grew slowly at the back, in the wood - then moved to a few lenses. I learned my lesson the hard way.

 

I've always lived about 10 minutes from the sea (east coast AUS): we get a reasonable amount of rain, I have never seen the need for an humidity controlled cabinet myself - my metal cabinet has worked fine for 30 years. If you choose to use silica gel sacs, then be rigorous in drying them out - they get to their maximum absorption and at that point, they are just like little water pillows.

 

The main reason why I haven't bought a humidity controlled cabinet is the fact that you've got to pull the gear out to use it - IF the climate is greatly different inside to outside the cabinet, then you need a climatizing period before you use the gear, so I reckon you should consider that point, too.

 

WW

Moderator Note -

 

You needn't post the same message in more than one forum.

 

OP please note - the other conversation that you started has been closed and a link added to refer folk to this conversation.

Posting the same question to more than one forum contravenes the Terms of Use to which you agreed when you joined.

There is more than one good reason for this rule - overwhelmingly it is time wasting for those wishing to contribute to follow two or more same conversations.

 

Thanks in advance for not doing this again.

 

William

What about long term in a Pelican in the house with a color indicating desi pack? I have been using this for a few years with no apparent ill effect.

Anyone have longer/different experience?

Humid Southern U.S. climate but relatively stable indoors.

I guess developing lens fungus over the long term would be my greatest concern.

I inadvertently posted this topic twice. But I`ll try to correct it.

 

This is how I keep both my cameras and lenses. Any thoughts?

I inadvertently posted this topic twice. But I`ll try to correct it.

 

This is how I keep both my cameras and lenses. Any thoughts?[ATTACH=full]1329962[/ATTACH]

 

The box should be air tight, otherwise the silica gel will just pull in humidity from the surroundings. A waterproof pelican type case will work but are normally not cheap, or try do an image google search on "japanese camera dry box" - I think they are available through ebay and may be less expensive if you don't need a pelican case.

It depends where you live, it may be a non-issue. I live in the NE USA with humid summers and generally dry-ish winters. I don't store my cameras anywhere special nor use dessicants and have no problems. I do keep my film slides at about 50-55% humidity with a dehumidifier in the summer, but I don't keep my cameras stuff there.

The box should be air tight, otherwise the silica gel will just pull in humidity from the surroundings. A waterproof pelican type case will work but are normally not cheap, or try do an image google search on "japanese camera dry box" - I think they are available through ebay and may be less expensive if you don't need a pelican case.

Tried some ticks like adding an adhesive substance to help sealing the box. Well it is the best I can do for the moment being. I'll by something better eventually.

I think if it is to be air tight, the humidity in that air or even in the camera should be sequestered in a good quality desi pack.

But I just started with the pelicans for continual storage a few years ago.