how to stop steaming up?

evilonion

evilonion

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Dave Peacock
Edit My Images
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hi.

tonight i tried some night photography of a castle lit up using remoted triggers.

came out great except my images were blurry... turns out the filter and lens kept misting up.

any tips on how to prevete condensation and mist forming on the lens when its cold?
 
The best way is probably some sort of heating device - astronomers use them to prevent telescopes from misting up.
 
it's the change in temperature that causes it in this kind of circumstance - avoid taking the camera right out of a hot car into the cold outdoors - leave it in the bag for a while to let it slowly cool down.
 
Leave the camera and lens outside for a while and give it time to adjust to the weather change.
Don't wipe the glass, you'll just make it worse.
 
Hi Dave,

I have been beaten to the solution which is leave the camera outside for some time.

Whilst on an artic photography expedition a friend explained that all cameras and gear where stored in a box on the deck of the boat at temps in the - 20's for this very reason.

Regards

Chris
 
itsdavedotnet said:
it's the change in temperature that causes it in this kind of circumstance - avoid taking the camera right out of a hot car into the cold outdoors - leave it in the bag for a while to let it slowly cool down.
Click to expand...

travel with the camera bag in the boot - lid open - not in the warm car
 
thanks for all the advice.
was my first time doing night shots and my brain just couldn't work out that it was coming from a warm car to a cold field that was causing it haha
 
I regularly take clients into the hothouses at Kew Gardens and in the winter warm up the gear by putting Little Hotties in the kitbag on the drive down there.
 
Er - condensation occurs when the lens is cold, not when it is warm.
 
Oggy said:
Er - condensation occurs when the lens is cold, not when it is warm.
Click to expand...

Indeed. Warm moist air condensing onto cold surfaces. Which is why astronomers fit their telescopes with dew heaters ;)
 
out of interest has anyone tried antifog stuff as used on helmet visors on a filter? wouldn't try it on a lens but might do some experimenting with it on an old threaded filter unless there is a good reason why its not been done?

Doesn't smear or anything so shouldn't alter the optics??
 
Cyprino said:
Yeah, the rapid change in the temperature causes the condensation
Click to expand...

Rapid change in what direction? :suspect::suspect::suspect:

To get condensation, the lens has to be colder than the moist air.

Fair play to Islander and Moaten who have done Physics 1.01 as I have. :cool:
 
cw318is said:
out of interest has anyone tried antifog stuff as used on helmet visors on a filter? wouldn't try it on a lens but might do some experimenting with it on an old threaded filter unless there is a good reason why its not been done?

Doesn't smear or anything so shouldn't alter the optics??
Click to expand...

It wouldn't be a good idea and would affect the characteristics of the optics. Antimist treatments are basically detergents that lower the surface tension of water droplets that condense on the surface and cause them to run into a non-scattering film. So, you'd end up with a fine film of detergent covered with a fine film of water on the surface of your filter...
 
Oggy said:
To get condensation, the lens has to be colder than the moist air.

Fair play to Islander and Moaten who have done Physics 1.01 as I have. :cool:
Click to expand...
If cameras and lenses were vacuum sealed, that would be true.

However if you take a camera full of warm moist air and put it into a cold environment, as the body cools, you can get condensation form on the inside - between lens and filter, inside the lens, and inside the body.

All it takes is for warm moist air to come in contact with a cool surface that takes its relative humidity over 100% - and that can happen on either side of glass.
 
That's theoretically correct but operationally? I don't think so. If I had condensation inside a lens I'd be concerned to say the least. Also, the air volume inside a camera body is very small and isn't going to carry that much moisture anyway.

Condensation problems normally occur on the outer face of the object lens or filter covering the lens when the surface is colder than the moisture laden air circulating across it.
 
Islander said:
That's theoretically correct but operationally? I don't think so. If I had condensation inside a lens I'd be concerned to say the least. Also, the air volume inside a camera body is very small and isn't going to carry that much moisture anyway.
Click to expand...

Is this not a contributing factor for fungus?
 
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