Condensation

[fokker]

Today I visited Turner Mountain in Montana, which was beautiful and had nice snow. for the first time this season I took my camera up with me. No problems with it, didn't drop it or get it wet but when I got it back home in the warm house condensation appeared all over the camera because it was still pretty cold. It seems to have all evaporated off pretty fast since, but how bad is this for the gear? I didn't really look but wondered if the sensor would get any condensation on it? And the lenses too, can the condensation get inside them?


Anyway, hopefully it's not much of an issue because I want to take the camera up again soon.



Here's my shot of the day of my brother shredding it:

 

[480sparky]

......., but how bad is this for the gear?

It may not affect anything.... or it may turn your gear into paperweights.

And the lenses too, can the condensation get inside them?

Yep.

Great capture, BTW. Nice n sharp, great DOF.

 

[analog.universe]

If you keep your equipment in a zipped up bag when you come inside, and allow everything to slowly come up to temperature for an hour or so, you can avoid that condensation. (I have a terrible habit of sneaking in and trying to get the memory card out of the camera without letting air into the bag.... maybe I should pop the cards while I'm still outside)

 

[fokker]

Thanks sparky. Anything I can do to prevent it happening in future? I guess changing temp slowly would help?

 

[fokker]

If you keep your equipment in a zipped up bag when you come inside, and allow everything to slowly come up to temperature for an hour or so, you can avoid that condensation. (I have a terrible habit of sneaking in and trying to get the memory card out of the camera without letting air into the bag.... maybe I should pop the cards while I'm still outside)

Right, that makes sense. Thanks for that. I'll try and remember that next time, I am terribly lazy though :/

 

[480sparky]

Thanks sparky. Anything I can do to prevent it happening in future? I guess changing temp slowly would help?

Analog already responded..... I usually leave my stuff in the backpack. It's got enough padding to act as an insulation so my gear slowly reaches ambient temperature. Otherwise, keep some large ziplock baggies handy and put your gear in them before you go inside.

 

[Helen B]

My experience has been that you don't need to seal the camera in a Ziploc or similar to avoid condensation in the cold outside/warm inside world. You usually want the camera to be uninsulated if possible, so it warms up as fast as possible. If not carrying the camera inside my clothes, I use a simple, thin plastic carrier bag with most air pushed out and the open end loosely twisted shut. The cold inside/warm and humid outside world, like travelling in an air-conditioned car in the tropics, it is a different matter - you may want to keep your camera warm and insulated most of the time when inside.

 

[greybeard]

Great shot and if you can't take your equipment where the pictures are, what is the point in having it. I've had the same thing happen to me with camera bodies and lenses over the years and have had no problem with it. I have found that if you leave your equipment in their cases until everything warms up, you will have no condensation. The water forms when you expose them to the warm air inside the house. Keeping them covered until they warm up seems to keep the moisture off.

 

[Crollo]

Doesn't condensation condone mold growth in lenses?