Camera Labs

Popo hit it dead on. It really depends where you live. so maybe the best is to ask folks in your area. not the camrea shop they want to sell you stuff, unless you really trust them.

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Smile often and Laugh Loud! because my country is run by clowns.

My gear lives in a wooden cupboard (not airtight). The cameras just sit on the shelves and the lenses are in their pouches and a couple of shoeboxes, primes in one and zooms in the other. I have heard that you should not keep photographic gear in a metal cupboard, probably for reasons of electro-magnetic fields interfering with the cameras electronics or possible condensation issues. I keep a 1" paintbrush to remove any dust from the camera bodies and vacuum the cupboard every week to keep any dust incursion to a minimum.
I know where everything is and it only takes a minute to pack my backpack with the gear I want to take out.

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Nikon D300 D80 D40 18-55mm 18-70mm 18-135mm 55-200mm 18-200mm 28mm 2.8f 50mm 1.8f 85mm 1.8f
Panasonic DMCFZ28 Slik Pro 700DX

I know a little about a lot, a lot about little and everything about nothing.

You can do a cheapo version of a dry cabinet by putting a bulb inside a normal cabinet.

You can also use salt as a dehumidifier.

Salt ?? Doesnt it turn kind of wet and sticky. Ofcourse thats partially due to its water absorption. I used to buy silica gel for most of my electronic equyipment cabinets earlier. But its a pain finding a steady supply delivered.

But i think from what ive seen so far AC's contribute a lot towards dehumidifying a room right ? Because all the moisture in the air keeps condensing against the coil and draining out. I think this helps keep the room moisture free ?

But for those of you who store it in a black original camera bag. I think as much as moisture is a contributor, so is darkness ? Most of these fungi things tend to thrive in dark areas. I think they're sort of reactive to light and tend to be low in well lit areas.

But the best solution to all of this seems to be using the camera often. Ive noticed that things like cellphones etc very rarely develop fungus because they are moved around so much.

My gear is stowed in my Quantaray Camera backpack with the exception of some of my cleaning supplies they stay at home most of the time just because they are extra weight added to my bag.
Gunner out

My Dad owned a camera shop for about 20 yrs and he always advised against plastic bags and anything air tight due to condensation and humidity issues. (possibly leading to fungus)
I think pretty much everyone here has said the same, keep it anywhere ... just watch out for moisture, humidity and big changes in temperature.

(my gear is always in my bag, ready to go at a seconds notice! )

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Pete

Just reviving this thread from the dead. Ive been taking a lot time reading a number of reviews and user experiences on the net. Many say its bad to keep our lenses and cam body in dark places.

I recently bought a spacious back pack to store my cam + lenses etc. But arent backpacks and camera bags completely dark areas to be storing our cameras ? Then why does canon itself give a black light proof opaque storage bag ?? Most camera storage bags are opaque. Isnt that contrary to the expose it to light often theory ?

I have 2 cameras a 550d and a 500d. And im figuring out how to store these safely. I use them on every weekend as thats the only time i get. Some say its better to keep it in tupperware airtight boxes with packs of silca gel indicative type inside. Also because the tupperware is at least translucent some light falls on the gear which deters fungus growth. Some just toss a few packs of silica gel into their backpacks itself, but isnt it a porous material. I tried it and my silica turned pink in just 1 day. Which means quite a lot of humidity absorbed.

So im looking for option B now. I need some sort of airtight container. My two options are tupperware styled boxes or plastic zip lock pouches. Ziplock lets in more light as its completely transparent. Either one of these with a 100gm pack of silica gel sealed in should do the trick i hope. Plus i only store these in an Air Conditioned room, the air is dryer right ?

Another question about light hindering fungus growth ? Does it work only with natural light or harsh direct sunlight ? Or will even flourescent home lights etc do the same in curbing fungus ?

I tend to just put my camera down anywhere (out of the reach of the kids though) I tend to use it most days & unless they're attached to the camera I keep lenses in their pouches, with the odd sachet of silicagel, again lying around the place.

Periodically put the sachets in the oven, on a low heat for a couple of hours to dry em out & re-use.


Slightly off topic, but do any of you throw away the original cardboard boxes your kit comes in?
My missus is starting to get tetchy about the house looking untidy with em.

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Nikon D700 & D7100 bodies + Nikkor 300mm F2.8 VR11, 1.7TC, 50mm F1.4G, 16-35mm f/4G VR, 105 F2.8 VR macro, 70-300mm lenses. A couple of filters, Giotto tripod & ballhead. Lowepro Slingshot 302 AW

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldcarlos/

I keep them, better resale value. Just "Matroska" the boxes and put the smaller ones in the bigger ones (or fold them flat and use them as wallpaper)

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I take pictures so quickly, my highschool was "Continuous High".

No, i never throw the boxes away. Saves the orginality and in most electronics holds a better value when reselling with the box ?

Can anyone tell me if leaving cameras & lenses in their orginal pouches (which is pitch dark inside) good for safe storage fungus prevention ?

Also if im using my cameras every weekend, do i need to worry about all of this ?

Thanks

Silica Gel is the easiest and quickest way to protect your gear. Even if you have a dry-box in your house, you'll still need something in the field.

This stuff is easy to get and cheap, just google Silica Gel Packets or site I use is: http://www.SilicaGelPackets.com