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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Best way to keep a camera and lens from fogging?
Hank Ebert, Photographer
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Salem | VA | USA | Posted: 11:12 AM on 01.06.11 |
->> I have an assignment to shoot an indoor swim meet on Saturday. It'll be freezing cold outside. What's the best way to keep my equipment from fogging?
I'm thinking I'll need to pre-heat the car , dash from the car into the pool facility and get there early to let the equipment accommodate to the very humid conditions.
Any other ideas? |
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John Germ, Photographer
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Wadsworth | Oh | USA | Posted: 11:27 AM on 01.06.11 |
| ->> Hank - that pretty much covers it. The only thing is if your gear is in a bag, take lenses out of the bag in the facility until they acclimate. Not too bad in winter time since you don't have AC in house/car drying out the air. |
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Jeff Brehm, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Salisbury | NC | USA | Posted: 11:36 AM on 01.06.11 |
| ->> I haven't tried it myself, but I've been told you can put your gear in individual sealed plastic bags and then the moisture condenses on the bag and not the gear. |
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Robin Loznak, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Roseburg | OR | USA | Posted: 11:54 AM on 01.06.11 |
| ->> In my opinion, the best way to prevent steaming is to heat your equipment. It's really the heat differential between the cool gear and the hot steamy swimming area which fogs the glass. Leave the gear in the footwell of the passenger side of your car with the heat on full for about 30 minutes. Keep the gear warm under a coat while walking into the venue. This always works for me. If the gear is cold the plastic bag won't work. |
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Dave Prelosky, Photographer
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Lower Burrell | Pa | US | Posted: 12:28 PM on 01.06.11 |
| ->> Carry a small blow drier in your bag. Always worked for me after leaving gear in a cold car while otherwise occupied. |
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Jim Colburn, Photo Editor, Photographer
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McAllen | TX | USA | Posted: 12:28 PM on 01.06.11 |
| ->> Take them from your (warm) house, put them into an insulated "cooler" (or "warmer" in this case) and transport them (in your pre-heated car) to the event. Keep your lens caps on (you do have lens caps on everything don't you?) for the first 10-15 minutes so that any small amount of condensation happens on the front of the cap. |
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Bob Nichols, Photographer
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Tipton | IN | USA | Posted: 12:30 PM on 01.06.11 |
->> "I haven't tried it myself, but I've been told you can put your gear in individual sealed plastic bags and then the moisture condenses on the bag and not the gear."
I have done this several times with good results. Squeeze out all of the air you can before zipping the bag closed. I also get to the venue about 1.5 - 2 hours ahead of time to allow the equipment to warm up before opening the bags. |
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N. Scott Trimble, Photographer
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Lake Oswego | OR | USA | Posted: 1:06 PM on 01.06.11 |
| ->> Keep it away from John Carpenter... |
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Eric Canha, Photographer
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Brockton | MA | United States | Posted: 3:19 PM on 01.06.11 |
->> ONLY thing that will matter is having the gear as warm or warmer than the ambient temp at the pool. When I have the chance I show up at least 30 minutes early and set all the gear out that I'm going to use.
One cheat..... I sometimes throw a few activated hand warmers in my bag to keep it warm. If I'm spending a lot of time in a rink for example I'll put 2 warmers in the section of my bag that I keep all my batteries in. Just be careful those little warmers can hit 150 degrees. |
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Bradly J. Boner, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Jackson | WY | USA | Posted: 3:45 PM on 01.06.11 |
| ->> Preheat your car, don't dilly-dally outside with your equipment, and show up 20-30 minutes early just in case you do get a little condensation. You'll be fine. |
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Rich Pilling, Photographer
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New York | NY | U.S.A. | Posted: 4:23 PM on 01.06.11 |
| ->> Get there early enough so your gear has time to acclimate to the temperature at the indoor pool. |
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Adrian Kraus, Photographer
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rochester | ny | | Posted: 4:42 PM on 01.06.11 |
->> Hank,
I've had several instances where I'd get some fogging, even coming from a warm car, walking though the winter weather and into a pool that's 80-90˚.
When pressed for time, I've had good luck using the electric hand dryers in the locker room. Take the lenses off and just direct hot air onto elements, viewfinder, lens mount, etc. |
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Dave Prelosky, Photographer
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Lower Burrell | Pa | US | Posted: 5:03 PM on 01.06.11 |
| ->> As Adrian says above, that's why I take a small hair dryer along if I know swimming is coming up. If all I had on the book was swimming, I could carry an insulated box out of the house, arrive on time and proceed. But, frequently I have other assignments first and Conair becomes my friend. |
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Mike Burley, Photographer
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Dubuque | IA | USA | Posted: 7:24 PM on 01.06.11 |
| ->> A good hairdryer should defog your gear in 10-15 min flat if its really bad, and thats if you left your gear in the car overnight. |
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