Lens Fogging: Don't know if this has been addressed recently. Just experienced lens fogging exiting our air conditioned cruise ship to the hot and humid Cuba. Second time this has...

Beemer

Don't know if this has been addressed recently. Just experienced lens fogging exiting our air conditioned cruise ship to the hot and humid Cuba. Second time this has happened to me on a cruise. Had to wait about 20 minutes for the fog to clear. Has anyone experienced this? What can be done to avoid or accelerate the clearing of the lens?

Dave327 Loc: Duluth, GA. USA

Nothing - I live in Metro Atlanta. This summer (like a lot of the country) it’s been in the 90’s with humidity many days at 90 percent or above. If I’m planing to shoot I let the camera/lens acclimate outside for 30 min before taking any shots. AC in my house keeps it at 72 with about 60 percent humidity. It’s physics and there is nothing you can do, but allow for it.

AlohaJim Loc: Retired. Hawaii >> N. Arizona.

Beemer wrote:

Don't know if this has been addressed recently. Just experienced lens fogging exiting our air conditioned cruise ship to the hot and humid Cuba. Second time this has happened to me on a cruise. Had to wait about 20 minutes for the fog to clear. Has anyone experienced this? What can be done to avoid or accelerate the clearing of the lens?

This happens a lot to us when "winter" shooting in the snow in the mountains. For some reason, the 80-200 Canon "L: lens can actually frost up and feels like a frozen steel pipe in hand. Actually stings. It is sealed very well but can fog up a little when brought back into the car. Goes away pretty quickly.
Nothing to worry about. Especially if a high end lens as they are sealed well.
j

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Time. In very hot, humid conditions or very cold ones, you just need to wait it out.

Andy

TomV Loc: Annapolis, Maryland

Place the camera/lens in a sealed plastic bag in your colder, drier room. Bring it outside and allow the bag contents to warm up. The outside moisture will not be able to condense on/in the colder equipment. Open the bag and you should have little, if any, condensation on/in your equipment. Placing the bag in the sun should increase the warming up process.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

I use to experience this in Mexico. I leave my bag on the balcony or I wrap it really good with towels. I don't ever leave my camera exposed without covering when inside with air conditioning. Works for me.

Beemer wrote:

Don't know if this has been addressed recently. Just experienced lens fogging exiting our air conditioned cruise ship to the hot and humid Cuba. Second time this has happened to me on a cruise. Had to wait about 20 minutes for the fog to clear. Has anyone experienced this? What can be done to avoid or accelerate the clearing of the lens?

djtravels Loc: Georgia boy now

TomV wrote:

Place the camera/lens in a sealed plastic bag in your colder, drier room. Bring it outside and allow the bag contents to warm up. The outside moisture will not be able to condense on/in the colder equipment. Open the bag and you should have little, if any, condensation on/in your equipment. Placing the bag in the sun should increase the warming up process.

This is my answer too. Corpus Christi, Tx gives me the same problem all summer long. Just have to plan ahead a little better. djt

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Beemer wrote:

Don't know if this has been addressed recently. Just experienced lens fogging exiting our air conditioned cruise ship to the hot and humid Cuba. Second time this has happened to me on a cruise. Had to wait about 20 minutes for the fog to clear. Has anyone experienced this? What can be done to avoid or accelerate the clearing of the lens?

I talked to the Concierge on our Viking River Cruise and he stored it in his desk in the lobby that was not air conditioned. You can also store it in your room safe that is not air conditioned, BUT, take the camera out last thing before you go up on deck as you don't want it cooling much before you take it outside.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Beemer wrote:

...accelerate the clearing of the lens?

You mean as in changing the laws of physics?

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Never leave an air conditioning room (or ship) if your camera and lens are not fit inside a ziplock bag. Once out of the air conditioning you will have to wait like 15 min. before the camera and lens climatize to the new temperature. You can also leave camera and lens inside the camera bag and wait also 15 min. like before before using them. Both are good solutions to that problem.
Useless to say that you have to do the same before exposing the camera to air conditioning again. The fogging means humidity and if it gets into the camera or lens it could easily cause corrosion and a high repair bill.

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

My first home video cassette recorder, 30-40 years ago, had a "Dew" light on it. "Dew" as in "condensation". It was to tell you not to use the machine after moving from a cold place to a warm place until it was allowed to acclimate to the new environment.

Wouldn't that be handy on a camera, or any other electronic device?

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

TomV wrote:

Place the camera/lens in a sealed plastic bag in your colder, drier room. Bring it outside and allow the bag contents to warm up. The outside moisture will not be able to condense on/in the colder equipment. Open the bag and you should have little, if any, condensation on/in your equipment. Placing the bag in the sun should increase the warming up process.

leftj Loc: Texas

Beemer wrote:

Don't know if this has been addressed recently. Just experienced lens fogging exiting our air conditioned cruise ship to the hot and humid Cuba. Second time this has happened to me on a cruise. Had to wait about 20 minutes for the fog to clear. Has anyone experienced this? What can be done to avoid or accelerate the clearing of the lens?

Go back inside to the AC and wait for cooler weather.

bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

Beemer wrote:

Don't know if this has been addressed recently. Just experienced lens fogging exiting our air conditioned cruise ship to the hot and humid Cuba. Second time this has happened to me on a cruise. Had to wait about 20 minutes for the fog to clear. Has anyone experienced this? What can be done to avoid or accelerate the clearing of the lens?

Put your camera and lens in a Ziplock bag and place it in the minibar refrigerator in your cabin for about a hour before taking your camera outside.

rstipe Loc: S. Florida

Not much you can do about that...just wait.