Stopping Lenses From Misting Up In Cold Weather

milster

milster

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Gary
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As it says on the tin, any helpful tips for reducing condensation on lenses in this cold weather? Hoping to get out for a night shoot this week and I don't want it ruin by misted up lenses. Any helpful advise would be very welcomed.

Thanks,

Gary.
 
You only get condensation when moving a cold camera to a warm area, not the other way round.

Nothing you can do about that except wait for the camera to warm up again. Meanwhile, put it in a plastic bag, suck out all the air, and put it somewhere warm to speed things up a bit, like near a radiator (but not on it).
 
Lenses can get misted on while in the cold outside. Often caused by the same process as dew. A gentle flow of air over the front element (a little battery powered fan will do) will reduce this misting but beware of it (or yourself!) drifting into frame.
 
Have a look on the holiday stuff racks in supermarkets, often near the pharmacy counter.
 
Keep your camera and lenses in your camera bag as long as you can before using them and also use the lens hood if possible (especially if shooting on a tripod).

Misting/dewing occurs when the heat in the front glass element is lost and eventually ends up colder than ambient air, the duration of which depends on how warm the lens is and how much glass it contains.

Once outside, don't be tempted to go back inside as it will dew up immediately if you have been out for even a short while.

As mentioned, a fan can help to remove formed dew.
 
The other way to stop dew forming on the front element of your lens is to keep it above the dew point i.e. keep it warm. If you are doing relatively few shots at a time, dew shouldn't be a problem. It's only when doing long exposures that the front element can cool down enough for dew to start forming. It's a problem that has bugged astronomers for years. Two solutions they use are the equivalent of a lens hood, which works for a short period, or some form of warmer wrapped around the front of the telescope.
 
Enjoy the moor, Gary - keep warm and safe!
 
williams359 said:
I have never tried this but what about anti fog solution you use on motor cycle helmets and swimming goggles.
Click to expand...

I'm not positive about this, but I think it will ruin the lens coatings.
Perhaps someone can confirm, or not, anyhow, I would not use it.
 
Have also heard of people using hand warmers (those gel things) with a rubber band to hold them to the lens. A bit fiddly but might be worth investigating. I wonder if you could make up a home made heated lens hood...
 
IIRC, the visor/goggle anti fog products are wetting agents, so could throw up more problems than they solve.

The hand warmer/rubber band/diy heated hood idea is a good one though.
 
I got a heated body warmer from Maplins and I found the batteries didn't last long so I removed the heating elements and I use them to keep my lens warm if needed.
 
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