AVarley Loc: Central Valley, California

Lately I've been reading more and more on the subject of lens fungus. Not sure why, other than it's Spring maybe ... rain and blooms of every kind everywhere?

Anyway, before now I'd convinced myself that the little packets of silica gel I'd been tossing here and there into my camera bag's cushioned cubicles are keeping the moisture away from my precious investments ... but now I'm not so sure that's enough.

What do you guys do to keep your equipment fungus free?

Tea8 Loc: Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain.

Ya know I have no idea since I don't have an SLR, but I would love to see what others do since I am looking at upgrading in the near future.

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

Treat your camera lenses like sugar: moisture will ruin both. Silica gel packets sitting in the open will absorb moisture right out of the air. For re-use, they can be oven-dried (on low) in about an hour.

Tea8 Loc: Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain.

Interesting I never knew that before. Thanks for teaching me something new today as well as helping me learn to care for my gear.

madcapmagishion

I recently got a new HDTV and lo-an-behold what's in the bottom of the box it came in, a silica packet that must have weighed in at 1/2 a pound ...it's now residing in the bottom of my Lowepro camera bag.

AVarley Loc: Central Valley, California

Lucky duck! I've only managed the few that came inside boxes of new shoes.

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

If you live in a damp environment without air conditioning to pump the moisture out of the air, you will need to refresh the silica gel (dry it out in the oven) and put it with the lens in a sealed plastic bag.

On the other hand, I kept lenses and slides free of fungus in south Florida for more than 30 years relying only on air conditioning. Silica gel would have not been practical.

One reason you are finding silica gel packed with your new equipment is because it may have been assembled in a tropical environment, like Thailand (Nikon).

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

You can purchase silica gel relatively cheap at Amazon. I have the Pelican brand in a metal enclosure with a window in the top, when it turns pink I put it in the oven at 300 degrees for a couple hours until it turns blue. I keep my camera and my lenses in a Rubber Maid tub with the silica gel. Everything stays dry and fungus free.

rayford2 Loc: New Bethlehem, PA

A dehumidifier might be a good investment if you live in a high humidity area.

dfalk Loc: Chugiak, Alaska

The only time my camera, lens or flash units are in a bag is when I'm out doing something. At home the equipment is stored on shelving in the man room.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I've started doing that, too (although I call it a TV Room). When the camera were packed safely away, I tended not to use them. Now I can reach over, pick one up and head outside.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I'm wondering how much difference it would make to have some fungus on a lens. When used lenses are offered for sale, they often mention the lack of fungus, so it must not be uncommon for lenses to grow the stuff.

Last week I posted a link to a video torture test of a Nikon and Canon. The guy eventually hammered nails with both the cameras and the lenses. Although they were cracked, the lenses seemed to work fine.

There is Part I and Part II http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1tTBncIsm8

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Lots of references are available.
https://www.google.com/search?q=lens+fungus&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7IRFC_en

Mark Koons Loc: Wheatland, WY

Do you old hands think it is true that if a lens is kept from direct contact with rain or mist and also consistently protected against condensible temperature/moisture swings such as taking it, when it is cold, into a warm, moist house or moving a lens deeply chilled by air-conditioning out into muggy weather before it is allowed to warm up, fungus colonization will be prevented?

Although I live where it is pretty dry most of the time, my guess is that if you subject lenses to environmental swings that cause them to fog visibly there is potential for fungus growth in liquid water that condenses and is trapped inside the lens. Is that true? Is liquid water a requirement?

Because if it is true, the problem is the condensible part of the temperature/humidity swing. If I've ever precipitated fungus growth in a lens, I'm unaware of it but my practice is to shield my gear from thermal shock. In this instance I mean rapid swings that foster visible temporary fogging. I keep my gear as warm as I can as I make the transition to the cold outdoors in the winter and I wrap and bag or encase cold gear when I go back indoors so that it warms slowly.

beaverwb16

I use silica gel, and store my lenses in sealed plastic boxes. One thing I have noticed is that Leica lenses seems to more subject to fungus, perhaps due to the glue used to cement lens elements.