Fogged up lens
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Discussion

Webber3

Original Poster:

1,228 posts

249 months

Tuesday 20th April 2010
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I was on a cruise a few weeks ago in the Caribbean. I took my 450D up on deck to get some shots of the island we'd just visited and the polarizer instantly fogged over. I removed it and carried on shooting, only to see the lens itself fog over. I tried cleaning the lens, but realised it had fogged up internally.

This is not something I've experienced before, but the temperature in the cabin was around 18c and on deck around 30c. The black camera body probably hit 40c+ after a few minutes in the sun. I checked it again later that evening and there was no sign of any fogging in the lens.

I'm wondering now, would the lens have experienced any lasting damage? The water droplets on the inside did not look uniform and I'm worried that deposits may have been left behind.

RobDickinson

31,343 posts

284 months

Tuesday 20th April 2010
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It'll be fine, taking a lens from somewhere cold to somewhere hot (and/or humid) will cause it to fog.

Took 40min for my 70-200 f2.8 to warm up & stop fogging when I went from 3degrees in Dunedin to 40 degrees in the hot house...

tonyvid

9,889 posts

273 months

Wednesday 21st April 2010
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Never do that with a video camera that uses tape - it's messy and expensive!

When I was working in Malaysia I used to leave the camera in its bag in the un-airconditioned bathroom and it was fine because it never saw rapid changes in temp/humidity. Another thing not to do is leave kit in a car overnight in the winter, with a tape in, and then take it into a nice warm office....Messy nuts

Webber3

Original Poster:

1,228 posts

249 months

Wednesday 21st April 2010
quotequote all
RobDickinson said:
It'll be fine, taking a lens from somewhere cold to somewhere hot (and/or humid) will cause it to fog.

Took 40min for my 70-200 f2.8 to warm up & stop fogging when I went from 3degrees in Dunedin to 40 degrees in the hot house...
That's reassuring. Something to bare in mind for the future. I missed out on some good shots because of this.

littlegreenfairy

10,134 posts

251 months

Thursday 22nd April 2010
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Found this out early Sunday morning just as I went to deliver a cake. Had left camera in car over night and by god it was cold. Needed a few quick pics and ended up waiting an hour. Oops.

Ledaig

1,806 posts

292 months

Friday 23rd April 2010
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Just a small tip if you are using a zoom lens which extends and retracts during use - try running the lens from one zoom extent to the other repeatedly, this will pull air through the lens and have the effect of equalising the temperatures a little quicker, as well as helping to shift the condensation.

K12beano

20,854 posts

305 months

Friday 23rd April 2010
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Ledaig said:
Just a small tip if you are using a zoom lens which extends and retracts during use - try running the lens from one zoom extent to the other repeatedly, this will pull air through the lens and have the effect of equalising the temperatures a little quicker, as well as helping to shift the condensation and building up the dust levels nicely.
EFA smile


Yes - but avoid doing it except in clean environments!

Ledaig

1,806 posts

292 months

Saturday 24th April 2010
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K12beano said:
Ledaig said:
and building up the dust levels nicely.
EFA smile


Yes - but avoid doing it except in clean environments!
As with everything - common sense applies.

I would rather attract a little dust which can be cleaned in a service instead of sitting there looking at an expensive lump of kit doing an impression of a door stop whilst shots are missed (eg inside Bridge Corner with cars hacking past where you suddenly realise that it not the spray the cars are kicking up making the view progessivly foggy hehe )