cold outside...lens fogs up...bad news?

[thouts]

I just put a star filter on my d60 and took some outdoor shots..temp about 35F. I came in and the filter started to fog up, took the filter off and the lens was not fogged up. If I had gone out without the filter on...would my lens have fogged up? If so is this bad for the camera? Does it turn into water inside the lens? Just looking for info on this scenario

Thanks

 

[dukebound85]

called condensation when you bring cold things to warmer environments.

i advise to never use a cold electronic gadget until it has warmed up in order to presvent shorts and what not

 

[thouts]

i realize it is condensation. i'm just wondering what the proper procedure is for taking pics in colder environments then bringing the camera back inside.

 

[Triplenickle]

i realize it is condensation. i'm just wondering what the proper procedure is for taking pics in colder environments then bringing the camera back inside.

If I am planning to shoot a sunrise (for instance), I place my cameras (in a camera bag) in my car which is a unheated garage. The camera gradually "cools down" and then when I take it out in the cold. No fog.

Now, when I go home and bring the cameras in side, I place them in a plastic bag (before I enter the house) and let the condensation collect on the bag while allowing the camera come to room temperature.

http://www.aguntherphotography.com/tutorials/Elevn-Tips-for-better-Photos-in-Winter.html

 

[obeygiant]

If you're going to shoot in a cool/cold environment. Keep the camera relatively cool but keep the batteries warm. The batts tend to no perform as well in the cold, as in a half or a third the amount of shutter cycles. The body and lens shouldn't be harmed.

 

[compuwar]

I just put a star filter on my d60 and took some outdoor shots..temp about 35F. I came in and the filter started to fog up, took the filter off and the lens was not fogged up. If I had gone out without the filter on...would my lens have fogged up? If so is this bad for the camera? Does it turn into water inside the lens? Just looking for info on this scenario

Thanks

Nobody's answered the direct question yet- yes your lens would have fogged, the inside of the outermost surface will get the most condensation unless the lens is sealed- most lenses (especially zooms) aren't sealed.

If you keep your camera in a bag, put that bag in a plastic bag before you go inside and the plastic bag will get the condensation. If you keep it bare, then double-bag it so that the camera doesn't get wet from the condensation in the bag it's in.

 

[Phrasikleia]

Nobody's answered the direct question yet- yes your lens would have fogged, the inside of the outermost surface will get the most condensation unless the lens is sealed- most lenses (especially zooms) aren't sealed.

If you keep your camera in a bag, put that bag in a plastic bag before you go inside and the plastic bag will get the condensation. If you keep it bare, then double-bag it so that the camera doesn't get wet from the condensation in the bag it's in.

Thanks for this advice. Very helpful!

 

[AlaskaMoose]

I have no idea of what some of you are talking about. I live in the interior of Alaska where it gets very cold. I just go out there and take pictures, sometimes 20 minutes at a time, run back to my truck to warm-up for ten minutes, and then back out to take more pictures. However, on a cold day your breath can reach the filter or lens' glass, and the condensation may freeze on it. Not inside the lens. However, when I say "cold" I mean cold (like -45 degrees F) If it's around 40 degrees where you shoot, then it's possible for some condensation to develop inside the camera. At -45 the air is very dry.

I place a couple of hand warmers in the pack next to the camera. A battery's capacity is reduced quite a lot when very cold, and the hand warmers keep the camera and battery a few degrees warmer than ambient temperatures.

Now, if you use your camera in a very humid place, or in the rain, moisture could very well get inside and condensate.

 

[mrgreen4242]

Nobody's answered the direct question yet- yes your lens would have fogged, the inside of the outermost surface will get the most condensation unless the lens is sealed- most lenses (especially zooms) aren't sealed.

If you keep your camera in a bag, put that bag in a plastic bag before you go inside and the plastic bag will get the condensation. If you keep it bare, then double-bag it so that the camera doesn't get wet from the condensation in the bag it's in.

Also, keep a desiccant pouch in your camera bag when you are going from warm to cold and back. You can buy them in most camera shops pretty cheap. You could also take a handful of dry rice and wrap it up in something like a nylon sock (tied of, of course) and put it in there if you needed something in a pinch.

The idea is to absorb moisture out of the air in the bag, which helps keep it from condensing on the camera lens as it cools down (slowing in the bag in the car).