Preventing condensation in equipment

[BigDex]

I regularly take my 50D (normally with 24-105 F4L) up in my microlight, and have noticed that I now have what I assume to be watermarks on the focus screen, although the sensor seems fine.

At this time of year, the camera is being taken out of a warm car, put into a microlight at outside air temperature (2-7°C) and then cooled around by 3°C per 1000', so often down to -15° for a couple of hours... and then warmed up to car temp again. I'm assuming that my watermarks are from condensation forming inside it.

Anybody got any ideas about how to prevent this?

 

[Yv]

you need to warm it back up more slowly. I seem to recall someone round here recommending a carrying a coolbox in the car for a similar problem, keeps the camera colder for longer and you can take it home open lid, slowly allow to warm, etc... I am sure there are plenty of ways, and the guys that do these massive temp changes will be better able to advise, I just remember that piece of advice as being a useful idea

 

[Ambermile]

Before every temperature change, put your kit in a sealed plastic bag. Once it has equalised temperature with your surroundings you can take it back out again. Simples. (and cheap too )

Have to do it all the time with astronomy kit.


Arthur

 

[justinitus]

Put the camera back in your camera bag when your outside, then transport it in the boot of the car, which is usually cooler than inside the car. Leave it in the bag for an hour or so when you get back home to allow it to aclimatise before taking it out

The problem occurs when you go from cold to warm car - same advice really if you're in a hot country on holiday going from cold room to hot outdoors.

 

[Kevin H]

all above posts give good advise, & is what I do, you should normally only get condensation problems when a cold object is brought back into the warm, so, pop your equipment into a close fitting plastic bag, & put them into a case (your camera bag should do) with good thermal insulation then leave it alone for 2 or 3 hours before you take it out, shouldn't see any condensation then

 

[fezzr]

bags of silica moisture absorber in combination with the above proceedures.
I leave silica in my bag all the time, they come with just about every electronic product these days and shoes and more so there is plenty about.

 

[Ambermile]

^^^ Silica bags are not really a good idea in my opinion - you want to stop condensation before it happens, not carry it around with you afterwards.

Arthur