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Storing lenses
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 5:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks a lot, Peter!
Excellently explained, very understandable.

I guess, I'll keep it as it is and just watch the humidity and if necessary use the dehumidifier.

I do not have a chance to store the lenses in the second floor where we have a RH of about 35%. The children's rooms are there and our bedroom. My wife would kill me, if I stored the lenses there! Wink

Another idea would be to put them into my glass cabinet and put also a chemical dehumidifier in there...

Well, actually, I do not have extremely expensive lenses anyway...


PostPosted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 6:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
@Orio:

Wow! This collection looks really impressive!


PostPosted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 6:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
LucisPictor wrote:
@Orio:
Wow! This collection looks really impressive!


Thanks Carsten! But also in my case, the visual impact is higher than the actual content. There are some expensive lenses, yes, but the mass is created by seven of Jupiter-37s and Jupiter-11, six Helios-44s, and other cheap ones, all of these bought with 5 to 15-20 euros each, when not even donated together with a camera.

Smile


PostPosted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 6:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I gave some thought to this a while ago the "in my dreams" solution was to have a sealed cabinet with a dehumidifier Click here to see on Ebay built in. The walls would be insulated foil backed bubble wrap there would be glass shelves and running above each would be UV light, not the cheapo ones but the ones that are used for water treatment Click here to see on Ebay. These would be on a fridge type switch so they turn off when you open the doors so you dont get irradiated by the UV. Possibly a Filtered air supply via a fan on a timer switch 12V computer type to exchange the air say every 12 hours. I guess you wouldn't get much change from ?700-1000. I would store the lenses without caps standing front element down. Like I say in my dreams.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 3:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
Test your self put a lens to closed and humid box with finger prints if humidity over 60% fungus will start growing within a week. First phase like oily spots.


Really? I remember that I used to store some of my lenses (when I started to collect) in a cellar room with an average humidity of about 70% and nothing has happened. No fungus threads, no oily spots, nothing.
But there were no fingerprints, so maybe no "food"...
Perhaps the hygrometer was broken.

Here are some links about fungus:
http://www.chem.helsinki.fi/~toomas/photo/fungus/
http://herron.50megs.com/fungus.htm
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-11243_7-6230007-1.html
http://help.cnet.com/Digital_cameras/9602-12576_39-0.html?messageID=2508270&kw=Digital+cameras&nodeId=6501

Carsten


PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 3:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Look at this (taken from these links):

"get hold of an electronic flash gun and fire it repeatedly on the lens. The flashlight falling on the fungus shall kill its spread and arrest it temporarily. Take your camera to a camera repair shop and hope for the best. Even if the fungus has attacked inner elements, which you can not reach (and should not reach if you are not known to repair lenses) the flashlight will stop all fungal activity in your entire lens. Every time you store your camera for a good period of rest fire an electronic flash on the lens before packing."

What do you think?


PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 4:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Funny instead of truth, fungus are not vampires. Not killed by short period of light.

Last edited by Attila on Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:01 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 6:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I think this was written by a man who sells flash batteries!


PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Laughing Laughing Laughing


PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
My rules about lens storage.

1) fungus not started to growing if environment is dry, even if dark or lighted well.
2) fungus will growing if humidity is above 60% even if lens are clean , they can eat food what you can't see with your eyes without microscope.
3) If fungus already started to kill them with UV light or direct sunlight is not enough because they are still there as a spot. You can't sell this lens any more for reasonable price.
4) Hydrogen-peroxide and ammonia 50-50% mixture kill them for ever and remove their spots successfully lens looks crystal clear again.
5) If you store your lens around 35% fungus doesn't started to grow and if you have already they not growing just still there wait for more humid air.
6) Ventilation important only if air is humid to remove humidity.
7) If you can provide the full room humidity always around 35% that is good. If not use a dry box , much more cheaper and safe.
Cool Use you lens much as you can or at least check them every month.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
plastic boxes sound good but they will require a lot more room than storing lenses on a shelf unfortunately.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Put on the self a humidity meter if you are lucky you house is dry enough and you don't need to make any changes. If not enough dry you have no other choice than plastic box at least your most expensive lenses to safe them. For a couple of lenses don't need huge box.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
Put on the self a humidity meter if you are lucky you house is dry enough and you don't need to make any changes.


Until which number humidity ratio is safe?


PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I suppose 35-45% could be safe. I am sure real dangerous above 60%. (sometimes enough for a couple of hours if above 60%). I have no experience between 45-60.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
This is a humid city like most of the places around here, but my house is relatively dry. I need to buy one Igrometer soon, but the one in the shop in front here was too expensive.
What makes me hope is that it is 7 years that I live here and always stored my lenses with caps on, sometimes even in the dark and never got any fungus problem so far.
But I need to meter the air to check the humidity figure.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Last 7 yrs are clear evidence you have no humidity problem at all. I bought a couple of type Hygrometers. Really cheap electronic ones are crap, don't buy it. I found cheap mechanical ones like clock pretty ok.


PostPosted: Sat May 05, 2007 5:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Today we have rainy day, hygrometer shows in the room 56% humidity. I thought time to open windows to get lower value of humidity. It didn't go down to lower value. I put outside the hygrometer, it shows 74.9%. Weather forecast says we will have rainy days for a week. Imagine what happen if I not keep my lenses in dry box ?


PostPosted: Sat May 05, 2007 5:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi!

I just have changed the way I store my lenses.
They still are in the same shelves but inside a glass cabinet. There I can control the humidity easier. I will show a picture of it, once I find the time...


PostPosted: Sat May 05, 2007 6:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have just bought two big Ariasana containers for Calcium chloride. It's raining a lot here too so I have activated both at the same time.

I also have in the room a conditioner that can work as dehumidifier, but it makes cold, so not really the season yet.

I have searched for hygrometers, they have insane prices in the shops, around 60 to 90 euros, I could not find the mechanical ones, I think for the moment I will buy a cheap electronic one I found on Ebay for 18 Eur, then i will replace with a good emchanical one when I can find it.


PostPosted: Sat May 05, 2007 6:42 pm    Post subject: Hygrometer at conrad.de Reply with quote
THERMO- HYGROMETER WS 9400

http://www1.conrad.de/scripts/wgate/zcop_b2c/~flNlc3Npb249UDkwV0dBVEU6Q19BR0FURTExOjAwMDIuMDEyYi5mNGI0Y2M1YiZ+aHR0cF9jb250ZW50X2NoYXJzZXQ9aXNvLTg4NTktMSZ+U3RhdGU9MTQwMzY3MDE5Nw==?~template=PCAT_AREA_S_BROWSE&mfhelp=&p_selected_area=%24ROOT&p_selected_area_fh=&perform_special_action=&glb_user_js=Y&shop=B2C&vgl_artikel_in_index=&product_show_id=&p_page_to_display=DirektSearch&~cookies=1&zhmmh_lfo=&zhmmh_area_kz=&s_haupt_kategorie=&p_searchstring=hygrometer&p_searchstring_artnr=&p_search_category=alle&r3_matn=&insert_kz=&area_s_url=&brand=&amount=&new_item_quantity=&area_url=&direkt_aufriss_area=&p_countdown=&p_80=&p_80_category=&p_80_article=&p_next_template_after_login=&mindestbestellwert=&login=&password=&bpemail=&bpid=&url=&show_wk=&use_search=3&p_back_template=&template=&kat_save=&updatestr=&vgl_artikel_in_vgl=&titel=&darsteller=&regisseur=&anbieter=&genre=&fsk=&jahr=&jahr2=&dvd_error=X&dvd_empty_error=X&dvd_year_error=&call_dvd=&kna_news=&p_status_scenario=&documentselector=&aktiv=&p_load_area=$ROOT&p_artikelbilder_mode=&p_sortopt=&page=&p_catalog_max_results=10

This is a good one and very cheap 10 EUR. I guess Conrad Electronic has shops in Italy too.


PostPosted: Sat May 05, 2007 6:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The link does not work for me.
I have never seen this Conrad shop here in Italy.


PostPosted: Sat May 05, 2007 7:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Let's try a work around.

Go http://www.conrad.de and on the top left hand side put into the search box hygrometer. It will be found what I sent to you.


PostPosted: Sat May 05, 2007 7:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes, they have no shop in Italy Sad http://www.conrad.com/. This is their international site.


PostPosted: Sat May 05, 2007 7:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Orio, you've got a pm.


PostPosted: Sat May 05, 2007 7:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Orio wrote:
It's raining a lot here too so I have activated both at the same time


Orio, often it rains because warm, humid air has been forced upwards by cooler, less humid air at ground level. So although the weather is wet, the air can be very dry. Similarly, it can be very warm and humid at ground level when it isn't raining!
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