Camera Care - Humidity

Quaker

Quaker

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Quaker
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I am not new to travelling to tropical countries, we did, in fact used to live over in Hong Kong for a few years but back then I didn't have an expensive camera to care of.

We are off on our travels in a few months to the rain forests in Malaysia and of course I will be taking my camera and kit with me. Are there any special precautions I need to be taking with my kit regarding the humidity etc? The last thing I want is to get there and my camera not work!

Cheers.
 
I'd suggest getting something like this, a lightweight drybag (I have the 13L one which fits plenty (although not in a bag themselves, rolled up in a fleece or two)). Stick a couple of big silicon moisture sucker things in it and at least you will have somewhere to store your kit in a dry place. It's also very useful for when it's tipping it down as you can stick your kit in it, inside your rucksack, or just carry it around and not worry about the rain getting to it, even if it gets to the rest of your bag.
 
when Io go to japan buying koi some of the green houses are very warm and when coming in from the cold I get some stemming up. I always carry some silica bags in my camera bag to pull any moister out . when the camera goes back in.
 
Silica gel packs are a waste of time unless the bag is hermetically sealed - they'll suck and suck and become quickly saturated then useless until you can put them in an oven to dry them out.
In the tropics there's way too much moisture around to bother with them...
Just leave the cameras in a normal, good-quality weatherproof bag like the Lowe-Pro Trekker AW and check the kit daily.
I've used my kit in the jungles of Brunei and Belize and also in Malawi during the rainy season (rains all day, every day and almost 100% humidity).
As long as the cameras are kept at ambient temperature and humidity, they'll be fine - it's taking them from fully-air-conditioned hotel rooms to the sweltering outdoors and then back again that problems occur.
In Brunei, I kept all the stills and video camera kit in the hotel bathroom which had a small mesh window (think security as well), so the kit stayed at mean temp/humidity, while we enjoyed the aircon in the rest of the suite...
 
Cheers for the tips everyone. I am going to be in Qatar in few months and will come very handy. Anybody know where I can get some large zip lock bags to keep the gears in to acclimatise the gears?
 
When we go into the Palm house at Kew gardens we pop a couple of chemical handwarmers in the bacamera bag on the way if it's cold outside and bingo, everyone asks why our lenses aren't steaming up.
 
phototuition said:
When we go into the Palm house at Kew gardens we pop a couple of chemical handwarmers in the bacamera bag on the way if it's cold outside and bingo, everyone asks why our lenses aren't steaming up.
Click to expand...

that's great advice, thank you!:)
I recently went into the butterfly house at the otter & owl santuary in the new forest - and made a hasty exit because everything steamed up in about 3 seconds!
(and now I know what to do with those redundant gimicky things you get from promo companies)
 
I love the New Forest, last year we were down there in October when the piglets were allowed to roam wild to eat the acorns, superb.
 
that would be one of the verderers rights - the right of pannage! :)

makes great nutty flavoured pork, and a much better life for the lovely piggers :thumbs:
 
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