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How do you protect your lenses from condensation in cold weather?

condensation lens condensation

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7 replies to this topic

#1
Bruyere

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Hi,

 

I've heard a few ideas, but thought I'd see if you have any recommendations on how to protect my D3400 from condensation?

 

I will be in Iceland and going from warm to cold on some day tours, and also to see the Northern Lights. Can you recommend best way to easily protect my camera?

 

Not sure if large Ziploc bags are the way to go, and what the procedure is?

 

Thanks!

Heather



#2
Merco_61

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Like we said earlier, going from warm to cold isn't a problem, it is the other way around condensation forms. On normal scandinavian winter days, down to about -15°C, I don't do anything special to protect lens and camera. When it creeps down towards -20°C or below, I make sure that I have a cold plastic bag, ziploc if available, otherwise just a grocery bag, available when I go inside a warm car or house. This plastic bag can be tied or taped to the camera bag or put in an outer pocket on the camera bag, so that it is as cold as the camera when it is time to use it. You then put the camera in the plastic bag, make sure that there is as little air inside as possible and close it. When you go inside, the condensation will form on the plastic bag instead of on your camera. Let it acclimatize for half an hour before removing the bag.



#3
Fogey

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Don't forget the silica bags that absorb moisture.



#4
Bruyere

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Thank you both! I have to remember the when to use the bag I just wouldn't even think of condensation at all. :o  Jeff, where do you get silica bags from? Drugstore? I can Google it I'm sure, just wondered what you recommend...



#5
RossCumming

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I have been in Iceland several times and I carry a selection of sealable plastics bags to put lenses / bodies in while they are in my camera bag. I also add a few extra silica gel packs into my camera bag.

 

However, to be honest, both these measures are "just in case" measures and what I do tend to do mostly is that after I have been out in the cold and then go back indoors (vehicle / building / whatever), I simply do not open my camera back to let a sudden rush of warm air into the bag. I let my kit slowly acclimatize in the camera bag before pulling any of it out. If I need to recharge batteries, I will take these out before I go into the warmer room.

 

I bought my silica gel packs from Amazon at only a few pound / dollars.

 

What I do find I need in Iceland though, is a rain sleeve of sort sorts! If you are there for any length of time, it will most likely be wet at some point. I have two heavy duty rain sleeves which are a little bulky and not ideal for putting in my camera bag but I always carry an Op-Tech rain sleeve in my camera bag all the time (https://optechusa.com/rainsleeve.html) - well worth the money.



#6
M.Beier

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Honestly don't do anything... Scandinavian winter here too, but not that cold as Sweden, however -12C we have peaked this year.

 

Coating on lens is fine, it won't hurt the front element, and NIKON D3xxx D5xxx D7xxx and Dxxx DX series are plenty weather sealed for the condensation to be on the outside of the gear, you won't get any issues internally..

Worth to notice is that condensation will appear when something is colder then ambient temperature, as in when you bring it back inside, but the condensation will appear where the heat (indoor ambient in this case) surrounds the cold... Thereby it will be slightly moist/wet on the outside, inside will be just fine.

 

If you worry about the outside of your gear, what you can do will be to wrap it in kitchen plastic foil/wrap, that will make the water appear on the outside of the plastic :)
I've used this method on electronics cooled at -196C.



#7
Wayben

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I just returned from Antarctica where I used several cameras outdoors in the cold.  I just put them in the camera bag that I was using outside, closed it up outside, and let it sit closed up for half an hour or so inside so it could slowly acclimatize.  I didn't have any issues with condensation.



#8
Bruyere

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Thank you all so much!!!