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fungus and moisture
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 11:55 pm    Post subject: fungus and moisture Reply with quote
Homemade caps for lenses and bodies, to prevent fungus and moisture







PostPosted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 12:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very good, I like that idea. Cool


PostPosted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 3:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
On noisy slow dial-up internet, 4th picture was slow loading, so I was wondering what is it? Laughing

I wonder how practical is it? The silica gel does need frequent "re-charge" or "re-fresh" to continue absorbing moisture. Off the lens the silica gel will continue to absorb moisture, rendering it useless quick -- moisture in silica gel can cause fungus...

With Dry Cabinet, silica gel can be consolidated into one package -- easy to recharge.


PostPosted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 7:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Just curious - is there any studies on fungus growth in response to humidity?

I mean how that crap behaves at humidity under 60, between 60-70, 70+%, etc. Role of air circulation, light...

Where is the exact point it starts growing, spreading, is it a fixed number or is it not?


I ask for because despite tons of rice packs in my transparent lens-box the humidity is rising close to 60%...


PostPosted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 11:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I try to keep humidity below 60%, it rarely goes above that where I keep my lenses. Today, cold and wet with some snow, I have 44%. I keep lenses in non airtight, translucent. boxes. I think circulated air is best, and I like to keep as much UV light on them as I can.
I have this year made a heated box to sit under the lens boxes that keeps the temperature about 20 centigrade. This is a very old house with no insulation and the boxes are sat on a brick shelf that is built straight on the clay, the temp of the bricks is about 15 degrees. With the heating on the house is about 20 degrees . We wear a lot of clothes in this house! Rolling Eyes
I've got some lenses with fungus and none have got any worse at all. I have had lenses ruined through fungus when I kept them in a steel locker under the stairs. they were probably a bit colder, a bit damper and I think most importantly, in the dark. I left photography alone for about 3 or 4 years and every lens in that steel locker was ruined, beyond salvage, by fungus.

I use one of these, with the probe in an average place around where I store the gear.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/hygro-indoor-outdoor-hygro-thermometer-l55aj?gclid=COuY8L-nusMCFYfKtAod4nAAqQ

and I run a similar dehumidifier to this close to the gear - mines a cheaper one from Aldi - that takes at least 2 pints of water a week from the atmosphere.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00A3GQ8IO?psc=1


PostPosted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 11:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
A homebrew mat would be a good alternative to Daves home made heating box.

something like this, there are cheaper alternatives

Click here to see on Ebay


PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 1:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes, those mats are ideal. You can get similar ones in garden centres for putting under seed trays. I just happened to have a tiny 40 watt greenhouse heater, a thermostat and a large flat steel box lying around, so I made a heated box. I've got sheds full of junk...... Rolling Eyes


PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 8:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for comments, guys, I have my own very large and very old (1863 or 1869) house as well with long-term humidity trouble, long story.

I am also considering to fight against in my whole (living) room where the lens are resting Very Happy with something like this http://www.ebay.de/itm/291366196124?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

eBay seems to offer many auctioned items on daily basis after some repairs having prize considerably lower than brand new ones...

Nothing is worse than having your €1.000 lens equipment to be served as dinner to fungus instead of investing another stupid €50 to protection.


PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 10:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I feel a lot happier about my stuff this year with the heater under the lens boxes, it's keeping the temperature a lot more constant instead of the daily cycle of freezing cold in the night and warm in the day when the house heating is on. The lenses in the bottom boxes were so cold in the morning they were uncomfortable to handle before I made the heater. Perfect conditions for creating condensation. The 40 watt heater on a thermostat is enough to keep a steady 20 degrees in the boxes and isn't that expensive to run, it's the same as a single light bulb.

I would like one of those room sized de humidifiers as well, this house suffers badly with condensation.


PostPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 7:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Marek wrote:
Just curious - is there any studies on fungus growth in response to humidity?

I mean how that crap behaves at humidity under 60, between 60-70, 70+%, etc. Role of air circulation, light...

Where is the exact point it starts growing, spreading, is it a fixed number or is it not?


I ask for because despite tons of rice packs in my transparent lens-box the humidity is rising close to 60%...


The "culprit" is condensation...when there is condensation, i.e., temperature of a surface is less than dew-point temperature -- that is when fungus grows.

Those tons of rice packs need to be dried in warm oven 100-150C before they will be again effective at absorbing moisture. Wink

Your house only needs a moisture barrier between ground & house and on outside walls...

Last edited by visualopsins on Sun Feb 01, 2015 3:35 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 7:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lloydy wrote:
The lenses in the bottom boxes were so cold in the morning they were uncomfortable to handle before I made the heater


Huh You don't live in an Igloo by any chance Wink


PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2015 5:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
What about an environment with low humidty (%25-30) and warm (23-26C) bt stable conditions? Does fungal growth stop or would it be possible that they disappear ? I doubt latter will be the case...


PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2015 6:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lloydy wrote:
I have had lenses ruined through fungus when I kept them in a steel locker under the stairs. they were probably a bit colder, a bit damper and I think most importantly, in the dark. I left photography alone for about 3 or 4 years and every lens in that steel locker was ruined, beyond salvage, by fungus.


If your lenses are in broad daylight, but with caps on, the optical elements are probably as much in the dark they were in the steel locker. Do you mean you also store your lenses without their caps on?


PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2015 10:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
listera wrote:
What about an environment with low humidty (%25-30) and warm (23-26C) bt stable conditions? Does fungal growth stop or would it be possible that they disappear ? I doubt latter will be the case...


Such an environment does not encourage fungus to grow. No doubt there is dry fungus spores waiting for life-giving moisture everywhere. Also, no doubt there are places in your environment where there is enough humidiyt for molds & mushrooms to grow.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 8:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Fungus spores are everywhere in Pacific northwest. Also a lot of moisture! I work in a pharmacy and we throw away lots of silica gel packets. I recycle them through my lens cases. Fungus needs moisture and food and air. It doesn't like light but unless you have your lenses exposed to direct sunlight it will not kill it. If you expose your lenses to fresh air you are exposing them also to dust. If you have a very large collection you might consider the dryz air type things. It consists of a plastic tub with a basket suspended above on a post which holds a hygroscopic agent (calcium hydroxide). As the agent absorbs water it dissolves some of the agent and drops into the tub as a liquid. You will need to recharge the agent occasionally but it will remove remarkable amounts of moisture. In my greenhouse a 1 dollar packet will absorb about 2 cups (1 liter) of water over a months time. As people have indicated temperature drops below the dew point is what you need to avoid. There are 2 factors to dewpoint, temperature and humidity. The main reason the antiquities in Egypt are so well preserved is that they have low humidity and high temperature.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 12:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
jamaeolus wrote:
Fungus spores are everywhere in Pacific northwest. Also a lot of moisture! I work in a pharmacy and we throw away lots of silica gel packets. I recycle them through my lens cases. Fungus needs moisture and food and air. It doesn't like light but unless you have your lenses exposed to direct sunlight it will not kill it. If you expose your lenses to fresh air you are exposing them also to dust. If you have a very large collection you might consider the dryz air type things. It consists of a plastic tub with a basket suspended above on a post which holds a hygroscopic agent (calcium hydroxide). As the agent absorbs water it dissolves some of the agent and drops into the tub as a liquid. You will need to recharge the agent occasionally but it will remove remarkable amounts of moisture. In my greenhouse a 1 dollar packet will absorb about 2 cups (1 liter) of water over a months time. As people have indicated temperature drops below the dew point is what you need to avoid. There are 2 factors to dewpoint, temperature and humidity. The main reason the antiquities in Egypt are so well preserved is that they have low humidity and high temperature.


I also use these, most supermarkets seem to have them in one style or another. I use some similar to these from Lakeland, mine are from Aldi - when they have them, for £5-99 they are cheap enough to have a few where your lenses are. I have them under my desk and they get full of water every 2 or 3 months. Just empty the water and refill the crystals. I have the electric de humidifier higher up on a cupboard and that takes a lot of moisture out of the room, but the floor is solid, just quarry tiles on a bed of ash right on top of the impervious clay. There is a membrane on top of the tiles and under the carpet, but the cold creates condensation at floor level. It's the joy of living in a 250 year old house, you get to freeze! Rolling Eyes
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/24627/Lakeland-Non-Spill-Moisture-Trap


PostPosted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 2:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lloydy wrote:
jamaeolus wrote:
Fungus spores are everywhere in Pacific northwest. Also a lot of moisture! I work in a pharmacy and we throw away lots of silica gel packets. I recycle them through my lens cases. Fungus needs moisture and food and air. It doesn't like light but unless you have your lenses exposed to direct sunlight it will not kill it. If you expose your lenses to fresh air you are exposing them also to dust. If you have a very large collection you might consider the dryz air type things. It consists of a plastic tub with a basket suspended above on a post which holds a hygroscopic agent (calcium hydroxide). As the agent absorbs water it dissolves some of the agent and drops into the tub as a liquid. You will need to recharge the agent occasionally but it will remove remarkable amounts of moisture. In my greenhouse a 1 dollar packet will absorb about 2 cups (1 liter) of water over a months time. As people have indicated temperature drops below the dew point is what you need to avoid. There are 2 factors to dewpoint, temperature and humidity. The main reason the antiquities in Egypt are so well preserved is that they have low humidity and high temperature.


I also use these, most supermarkets seem to have them in one style or another. I use some similar to these from Lakeland, mine are from Aldi - when they have them, for £5-99 they are cheap enough to have a few where your lenses are. I have them under my desk and they get full of water every 2 or 3 months. Just empty the water and refill the crystals. I have the electric de humidifier higher up on a cupboard and that takes a lot of moisture out of the room, but the floor is solid, just quarry tiles on a bed of ash right on top of the impervious clay. There is a membrane on top of the tiles and under the carpet, but the cold creates condensation at floor level. It's the joy of living in a 250 year old house, you get to freeze! Rolling Eyes
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/24627/Lakeland-Non-Spill-Moisture-Trap


However, silica gel is a one-time purchase, whereas to replace calcium hydroxide is an ongoing cost...


PostPosted: Fri Feb 13, 2015 12:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
visualopsins wrote:
Lloydy wrote:
jamaeolus wrote:
Fungus spores are everywhere in Pacific northwest. Also a lot of moisture! I work in a pharmacy and we throw away lots of silica gel packets. I recycle them through my lens cases. Fungus needs moisture and food and air. It doesn't like light but unless you have your lenses exposed to direct sunlight it will not kill it. If you expose your lenses to fresh air you are exposing them also to dust. If you have a very large collection you might consider the dryz air type things. It consists of a plastic tub with a basket suspended above on a post which holds a hygroscopic agent (calcium hydroxide). As the agent absorbs water it dissolves some of the agent and drops into the tub as a liquid. You will need to recharge the agent occasionally but it will remove remarkable amounts of moisture. In my greenhouse a 1 dollar packet will absorb about 2 cups (1 liter) of water over a months time. As people have indicated temperature drops below the dew point is what you need to avoid. There are 2 factors to dewpoint, temperature and humidity. The main reason the antiquities in Egypt are so well preserved is that they have low humidity and high temperature.


I also use these, most supermarkets seem to have them in one style or another. I use some similar to these from Lakeland, mine are from Aldi - when they have them, for £5-99 they are cheap enough to have a few where your lenses are. I have them under my desk and they get full of water every 2 or 3 months. Just empty the water and refill the crystals. I have the electric de humidifier higher up on a cupboard and that takes a lot of moisture out of the room, but the floor is solid, just quarry tiles on a bed of ash right on top of the impervious clay. There is a membrane on top of the tiles and under the carpet, but the cold creates condensation at floor level. It's the joy of living in a 250 year old house, you get to freeze! Rolling Eyes
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/24627/Lakeland-Non-Spill-Moisture-Trap


However, silica gel is a one-time purchase, whereas to replace calcium hydroxide is an ongoing cost...
True but you also have to either replace the silica gel or dessicate it with heat. Which when you have a lot of lenses can be an ongoing chore as well.
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