Caring for Body and Lens

[indrajit]

<p>Hi! I have a Nikon D3100 with Kit lens and a Nikkor 55-300mm lens and I have managed some silica jell too. But I cannot decide how should I use the jell to protect the system from fungus because the jell is in packet. Should I keep the packets with the body and lens or something else. Thanks for any suggestion.....</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>Unless you're living somewhere like the tropics with extreme heat and humidity and no air conditioning, there's no need to do anything at all. If the surroundings are comfortable enough for you, then they are fine for your camera. There are situations where mabye you're traveling in backcountry or the jungle or something like that where it's an issue, but not usually for just having a camera sitting around the house.</p>

[goldbergbarry]

<p>Why do you think you need to protect your camera from fungus? Like Craig said, this is highly unusual. I would be worried about getting the jell on the lens.</p>

[paddler4]

<p>Silica gel absorbs water vapor, so it is used to keep the camera from being exposed to high humidity for a long time. It only works if you put the equipment and the camera in a sealed container. Otherwise, the silica gel will just absorb moisture from the air in the room.</p>

<p>You don't need to remove the gel from the packet (although of course you do have to take it out of the plastic bag, if it came in one.) However, it does not last very long, because it absorbs as much water as it can fairly quickly. So you do have to replace it often, or buy some that you can dry out with heat to reuse it, such as http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/242571-REG/Pelican_1500_500_000_Silica_Gel.html. That one has a color that shows when the gel needs to be dried out again.</p>

<p>It's not necessary except under highly humid conditions. I don't use it most of the year, but I spend part of the summer in a highly humid area. There, I store the camera in a sealed case with silica gel, and I have to dry the gel out a few times each summer. I doubt it is really necessary where I am, but I do it as a precaution.</p>

[phule]

<p>Indrajit Chatterjee: If you live in an area with extremely high humidity most of the time, you might want to look at constructing or buying a Dry Box.</p>

[mukul_dube]

<p>If you live in the region where your name places you, there is not much you can do about moisture. Bengal has too much water, in liquid and vapour forms, to be good for photographic equipment.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>I think that barring being able to keep the cameras and lenses dry (as per the dry box idea), the next best thing is to ensure that your equipment is not sealed up in a damp, dark place where the conditions are favorable to fungus growth.</p>

<p>Lots of air circulation is good, checking things regularly to catch anything that does start to grow before it gets out of hand is mandatory. Sun is good for keeping mold away, but UV is also bad for colors, and other natural and synthetic materials....</p>

<p>I live in the US Gulf Coastal Plain (true even though I'm way north). Humidity here rarely gets anywhere close to as low as the 40% figure called for in many film and camera storage discussions.<br>

Much of the time the relative humidity is near 100, especially in the summers. I simply point this out as part of my "bona fides"</p>

<p> </p>

[indrajit]

<p>Well! Thanks everybody for your advice. I think I have found what I wanted to know from your conversation. Thanks..........</p>