How to store your kit

CrazeUK

CrazeUK

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CrazeUK
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Ok so right now my lens's and my camera live in my camera back pack.
However i now have reservations because of the whole fungus issue.

Sometimes my camera lives on my bed or the ironing board or where ever i temporarily set it down. This it self is a hazard because the surface is rarely level and i am likely to sit on the camera or drop it from its resting place.

My questions today are:
1. Is it ok to leave the lens on the body when not using the camera whether for short or long durations.
2. Is it ok to leave the lens, camera and kit in the bag for extended periods of time? i.e. storage for a day / week / month.

Or is there a best practice approach?
 
1. Yes
2. Yes

Unless you are in a stupidly high humidity location or you house is subject to massive temperature swings then nothing bad is going to happen.

It is generally good practice to stick a couple of sachets of silica gel in the bottom of your camera bag but I doubt Manchester is going to give you any problems.
 
Always lived in the bag. A little silica gel in each lens, body slot. No issues in 8 years.

If I have been out in the rain or really cold weather then lens and body are separated and allowed to dry while covered by lint free cloth......... then back in the bag!
 
So where do you buy the slica from?

Heheh i like that cabinet.. you do get to admire it.. One shelf for the body, and then one each for the lens
 
as said in the bag is fine, you could get a hard peli case (or similar) if you prefer.

never really bothered with silca unless its an air sealed case, in a bag its just going to suck all of the moisture out of the external air and be useless in a short space of time.
 
My kit stays in my bag all the time to and one of my lens is always attached to the body
 
I usually keep my stuff in the bag but have a question after reading the comments about drastic changes in temperature etc.

I often do Astrophotography, so will take the kit out the bag and the warm house and straight outside where it is colder.

After coming in, sometimes I will leave the kit out a while before going back in the bag to process images etc or sometimes I will put it straight back in the bag.

Is there something in particular that should be done in the case of this? As there is quite a temperature change there.

I don't have any silica sachets in my bag but would these really help?

Thanks.
 
I have a spare bedroom for my kit... Honest! Most of my gear is kept in a LowePro Vertex 300 in the house but it's kept on the spare bed. :)

I hate it when we have visitors 'cos the whole lot has to be packed up and put in the wardrobe! :D
 
Phil789 said:
But how?

Going from outside to inside is a big temperature jump anyway. Do you mean just leave it sitting in the house for a little while before packing it away in the bag?
Click to expand...

put it back in your bag when outside so that cool air is in the bag, bring the bag inside and leave for a period of time so that the air inside raises to the same as inide the house.
 
neil_g said:
chances are those are used up, theyll have been in place since the manufacturing factory. youre supposed to be able to recharge them in the oven though.
Click to expand...

You can, we use silica gel in large bags to preserve packed Aero Engines in Rolls-Royce.

Just pop them in the oven on around 150 Deg 'C' for 2-3 hours. Allow to cool slowly.

All done :thumbs:
 
Must admit, I don't take any particular precautions at all. I always leave a lens on the camera, and just put my gear in a cupboard when I'm not using it. I sometimes leave it in a day pack if I'm been using one, but I don't have a dedicated bag, and won't be buying one. Never had any problems.

The advise about dealing with condensation is good.
 
Loads of suppliers on E Bay for silica gel. I have bought very satisfactorily from Cazbolt.
 
Don't worry about fungus unless there are spores that can get to it around the house (keep it warm and dry)

avoid ironing boards and anything high (common sense really, there is another thread with the aftermath already)

edit: I am really curious how did you decide to use ironing board. Apart from the washing machine this is probably the last place I'd use.
 
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