AlessandraRC Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 I am not having a very good photography time in my vacation back home, Rio de Janeiro. It has been unusually humid this June and for the last two days there have been several thunderstorms. Everything feels wet and my lenses are simply foggy with all the humidity that has condensed on/in them. I have been able to dry them out out under the fan but as soon as I take them somewhere and start taking photos they get foggy again. I am afraid not only that I will lose my equipment but also that I will go back to California with very few photos. Any tips on how to take photographs in tropical wet places? It is funny that I am asking this question since I grew up here but I did not have a DSLR back then. Thanks if you can help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 I had this problem on a trip to Nicaragua during the rainy season a few years ago. One thing that you can try is to keep your camera and lenses out of air-conditioned rooms overnight -- i.e. keep them warm so they will be less prone to condensation when you take them out into the heat and humidity. I had some success with this strategy, but I still came home with a lot of foggy, unusable pictures. It's a tough one to solve. Boa sorte! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Not sure about leaving equipment in the trunk of your car in the tropics. It can get very hot in there. Last time I did that, I fried a brand new flash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin P Wilson Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Not sure about leaving kit in the boot/trunk of an unattended car overnight. Would normally not be covered by your insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 I found if I enclosed my camera in a tight plastic bag whenever I moved from AC to hot and humid until the equipment adjusted to the new temperature, I had no condensation problems. I also did this in the winter when I needed to take my camera from a warm house out into the cold, which makes your eyeglasses fog up. You could even wrap the camera in an absorbent towel before placing it in the bag. Or throw in a couple of those packets that absorb moisture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlessandraRC Posted June 6, 2016 Author Share Posted June 6, 2016 There is no air conditioning here. The temperature hardly gets to 25 C during the day, and goes down to around 15-16 C during the night. Not a very exciting temperature drop really. Yes my glasses get foggy too. I will try the paper towels in the camera bag. Thanks for the tips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cryptoprocta Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 I use lots of silica gel sachets, which I think Betty was referring to. But do everything on a 'belt and braces' basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 I use lots of silica gel sachets, which I think Betty was referring to. But do everything on a 'belt and braces' basis. Yes, exactly what I was referring to. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nacke Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 LOL, There is not much you can do about it. I go back to shooting in Siberia with film cameras. If I was in your place I would leave the cameras and lenses alone and keep in mind when moving from AC interiors to exteriors and give the equipment time of adjust. I would also never change lenses or keep the changing of lenses to a minimum. I do not change lenses, zooms are great that way. I often work with 3 DSLR's, a body with a 16-28, another with 35-70 and third with a 70-200, pretty much covers what you need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wawa Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 I once had some hazy spots (mold or fungus?) on a medium format lens. I did a little research on it and several recommendations later I put the lens out in bright sunlight for about 30 minutes. I just know it didn't get any worse and it never affected image quality. I know you haven't reached that point yet but maybe it would prevent any spots from starting in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin P Wilson Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 Many years ago before a long trip to Africa I went to a camera shop to buy some silica gel. They didn't have any but the chap told me to fill part of a cotton sock with rice and tie the end in it and keep that in my camera bag. It would do much the same thing. Whether it worked or not is open to debate, but the first time I had problems after that was the first time I didn;t take the sock on a trip to a humid country. You'd have to be careful with some border restrictions regarding food though. Just take the sock and buy the rice in country. Saves weight as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlessandraRC Posted June 7, 2016 Author Share Posted June 7, 2016 Thanks folks. I know commiserating is a waste of time but rain has no end in sight. It is the dry season here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gvallee Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 When I used to travel to Manaus, Amazonas, I brought 1kg of silica gel with me. One day, when it had absorbed all humidity it could, I asked the hotel staff if I could 'cook' it in the kitchen. While looking at the silica turn from blue to pink in the saucepan, a lady shyly asked me "can I ask you what you're cooking?". I said "French cuisine". I'll never forget her puzzled look... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panthera tigris Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 Is it on your lens or your eyepiece? I shoot in the "jungle" - never have problems with my lens, at lower elevations, even in this extreme but eyepieces fog all the time (presumably lower quality with no coating) - I just "thumb" them. You never mentioned what cam/lens - is it an all metal body? At higher elevations in the forests I shoot, the temp at night can drop enough to make the metal bodies of my cameras reduce in temp and hold that cold (because they are metal) - I just place the cam in the sun for a few minutes or "hug" it until it warms up enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhandol Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 How about placing a battery powered heat blanket in the bottom of your camera bag. These heat blankets/ bands (dew shields) are normally used by astronomers to keep dew drops forming on their optics. Here's a link to it: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dew-prevention/astrozap-flexi-heat-dew-shields.html Also you'll require a sutable power supply/controller for it: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/astronomy-cables-leads-accessories/hitecastro-single-channel-dual-port-dew-controller.html I often use an old fashioned pocket warmer to keep my equipment warm ( er...camera equipment ), when I go into say a warm tropical butterfly house, this method works great for me but is not practical for travel as don't think the airlines would allow you to travel with the fuel sticks it requires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlessandraRC Posted June 14, 2016 Author Share Posted June 14, 2016 Well, I am not at high altitude and my camera is plastic. Things have improved considerably since it stopped raining and the temperature fell to 8-13 degrees celcius. It is supposed to be 1 degree C tomorrow morning. My main problem now is to press the shutter using gloves while jumping up and down to keep my body warm. No heating in the house or anywhere. Thanks again for all the tips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandre Fagundes Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 Alessandra I had this issue in Yucatan, Mexico several years ago, high humidity in the air and in Sicily, heavy rain. In Yucatan was just a matter of waiting for the camera to get the ambient temperature In Sicily I had to dry the lenses using a soft tissue. Enjoy your time in Rio and be extra careful with the thiefs and your DSLR camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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