How do you keep your camera lens from fogging up?

[graceinga]

I know this is a bit off topic but my camera lens fogs up every time I go from our cabin out on to the balcony to take a picture. Does anyone know how to prevent that?

[Misty_Que]

You will probably get a quicker response on the Photo & Camera Discussions forum here http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=118

[IwannaGo Now]

You'll just have to stop creating those steamy scenes in the cabin!!!:D

Problem solved!!!

I don't have a good answer....I have the same issue with binoculars. I end up leaving them out on the balcony all day... but they're not expensive ones.

[ryano]

Good luck. You are taking your camera from a cool air conditioned environment outside into very humid air.

 

About the only thing I know you can do is wait a few minutes so it has time to acclimate before taking your pics. It will go away after a few minutes.

 

Someone may know of a trick but I doubt it.

[eldolko]

The lens fogs up because it's cooler than the warm humid air outside. The fog disappears when the lens get the same temperature as the air outside.

 

When I went to Florida in 2008 I put my camera on the balcony first thing in the morning. That way the fog problem was already solved when I was dressed and ready to hit the streets.

 

My suggestion is to think ahead and place the camera outside a couple of minutes before you think you will use it outside.

 

There may be some chemicals to buy that you can polish the lens with. But I'm not sure how effective they would be.

 

Also, always keep a rag in your pocket to clean the lens with. Photoshop may be good. But a clean lens is easier than picture editing. :p

[orville99]

I know this is a bit off topic but my camera lens fogs up every time I go from our cabin out on to the balcony to take a picture. Does anyone know how to prevent that?

 

 

Depends on the type of camera. If it's a compact camera with a built in lens cover, try turning it on and letting it acclimate before going out on the balcony. If it's an SLR, you can get fogging on three surfaces - both inner and outer lens surfaces, and on the mirror. YOu need to let all three adjust to the change in temp/humidity by separating the lens from the body. After you get done taking pictures, don't just close up the camera and leave it in your room. Once you get back to your room, open it up or separate the body from the lens, and let it re-acclimate to the A/C. This will reduce the amount of moisture you trap, and make defogging the next time a lot quicker.

[cb at sea]

My binoculars do the same thing....I just put them on the balcony about 5 mins. before I want to use them...that way, they become "acclimated" to the humidity!

[orville99]

There may be some chemicals to buy that you can polish the lens with. But I'm not sure how effective they would be.

 

Also, always keep a rag in your pocket to clean the lens with. :p

 

Defogging chemicals are available, but I wouldn't recommend them unless you are in to artsy photography. They have a tendency to mess with the focus/clarity of the image. They can also ruin the UV coating on high-end SLR lenses. I wouldn't use any "rag", but the lens cloth that comes with binoculars, or from a photo supply store would be ok - just don't moisten it first.

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Same thing happened to me on our last cruise. I was using my video camera and the lens fogged up....it was a once in a lifetime shot and it was ruined...couldn't see a thing through the fogged lens!!! :eek:

 

***

[smoosh21]

You will probably get a quicker response on the Photo & Camera Discussions forum here http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=118

 

Turn off the air conditioning in your room. If your room is as hot as outside, it wont fog up :D

[BillB48]

I have heard if you keep the camera in a ziplock plastic bag, that helps... I have not done that often enough to say how well it works with any certainty. Beyond that if I plan ahead I'll stick out on the balcony for about 15 min which usually helps depending on the humidity. If your are looking for a quick way, take the camera into a public bathroom and place it under the hand dryer for about 5 minutes. If you are using a SLR, take the lens off and warm it up as well.

[orville99]

I have heard if you keep the camera in a ziplock plastic bag, that helps... I have not done that often enough to say how well it works with any certainty. Beyond that if I plan ahead I'll stick out on the balcony for about 15 min which usually helps depending on the humidity. If your are looking for a quick way, take the camera into a public bathroom and place it under the hand dryer for about 5 minutes. If you are using a SLR, take the lens off and warm it up as well.

 

I do that with my underwater camera. If you throw in a "moisture muncher" - available at most dive shops - it will pull all of the humidity out of the camera/baggie. Makes it a lot less likely to fog up when you go to use the camera.

[bobmacliberty]

I have heard if you keep the camera in a ziplock plastic bag, that helps... I have not done that often enough to say how well it works with any certainty. Beyond that if I plan ahead I'll stick out on the balcony for about 15 min which usually helps depending on the humidity. If your are looking for a quick way, take the camera into a public bathroom and place it under the hand dryer for about 5 minutes. If you are using a SLR, take the lens off and warm it up as well.

I use the ziplock bag trick with the addition of a couple of desiccant packs. The desiccant packs will absorb the moisture inside the bag so that the lens doesn't fog. You'll still need to leave the camera in the bag outdoors (on the balcony if you have one) for several minutes until the lens temp and air temp equalize before taking it out of the bag. You can buy desiccant packs, but I just save the ones that come with many things that you buy.

[BillB48]

Thanks, I give that a try! I'm always fighting the fog in the AM tryng to get the sunrise.

[bionicman97]

I use the ziplock bag trick with the addition of a couple of desiccant packs. The desiccant packs will absorb the moisture inside the bag so that the lens doesn't fog. You'll still need to leave the camera in the bag outdoors (on the balcony if you have one) for several minutes until the lens temp and air temp equalize before taking it out of the bag. You can buy desiccant packs, but I just save the ones that come with many things that you buy.

 

I will be trying this on my next cruise :)

[pierces]

I leave a Reptile Heating Pad in my bag and plug it in overnight. In the morning, the contents of the bag are a toasty 80°-90°. This is warm enough to keep any part of the camera from fogging but in no way too warm for the equipment. No waiting for your camera to warm up outside in a ZipLoc while the perfect sunrise passes you by!

 

 

Note that the fogging doesn't only effect the lenses.Cameras aren't usually completely air tight and inner surfaces, including the sensor, can fog up.

 

Dave

[graceinga]

Thanks Dave! I know traditional heating pads are not being allowed on the ships but hopefully I can sneak this one on. We have an ocean balcony and I am going to love shooting without the frustrations of foggy lens!

[pierces]

Thanks Dave! I know traditional heating pads are not being allowed on the ships but hopefully I can sneak this one on. We have an ocean balcony and I am going to love shooting without the frustrations of foggy lens!

 

Regular heating pads use a lot of power. The one I listed only uses 8 watts (less than most night-lights) and never gets hot enough to make your hand uncomfortable holding it. I just plug it in, lay it on top of my gear in the bag and close the top without zipping it. It really works well.

 

Dave

[dileep]

I leave a Reptile Heating Pad in my bag and plug it in overnight. In the morning, the contents of the bag are a toasty 80°-90°. This is warm enough to keep any part of the camera from fogging but in no way too warm for the equipment. No waiting for your camera to warm up outside in a ZipLoc while the perfect sunrise passes you by!

 

Dave

 

 

Can you get the same effect by using a night light on an extension cord?

[pierces]

Can you get the same effect by using a night light on an extension cord?

 

An 11w night-light creates enough heat but produces a concentrated hot spot from the incandescent bulb. I tried several options including those 5-hour chemical hand warmer packets before finding the reptile pads. They are inexpensive and come in several sizes to fit different types of bag. The pads are uniformly warm and heat the bag up just enough to keep the equipment from fogging. (If it won't Kill a lizard, it won't kill my DSLR!)

 

If I was designing my own camera bag, I would make it with a pocket with cord storage in the side or bottom for one of these!

 

Dave

[pilotdane]

Since I have been unable to convince my wife that we don't need AC... I'm a hair dryer person. I hit the objective with the hair dryer for a minute to warm it before going outside.

 

If I need to change lenses I do it before taking the camera outside or I leave the camera and lenses outside for a long time to allow them to normalize to the ambient temperature before exposing the innards of the camera to condensation. (hows that for a long sentence)

[awboater]

I usually just wait the 10 minutes or so it takes for the temperature to stabilize. And if you have a DSLR, you should not probably change lenses until they are stabilized.

 

When I used to take an 8mm video camera, the "humidity" sensor would always trip when taking it outside in the Caribbean. Once I got impatient and used the video camera too soon and ended up jamming the tape into the mechanism and busting a nylon gear.

 

Have not tried that heating pad idea.

[itzmered]

How about for alaska? Is it cool enough out to fog up the lenses?

[pierces]

How about for alaska? Is it cool enough out to fog up the lenses?

 

It's the other way around. Leaving a warm room for the outside won't cause condensation since the camera is warmer than the environment. When you come in from a colder environment to a warm room, the camera may fog up.

 

I usually leave the equipment in my bag until it reaches room temp since there is usually no urgency to shoot at the tired end of the day (and I have the still-warm compact which is kept inside my jacket).

 

Dave