Lens condensation

[Guest Mr. B]

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I have a question for photographers that live in cold climates about lens condensation. I remember years ago when I was a kid living in Indiana that in the winter when I would take my telescope back inside after looking at the stars on a cold night that the lens would be covered with condensation for hours. Today I live on Southern California and have almost forgotten what real cold is like. Would condensation fog my camera lenses given the same circumstances? If it would how long would it take to dissipate? Considering the multiple lens elements. Would there be any internal streaking of the various elements? How do photographer deal with this problem? Or is it a problem?

Mr. B

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[dkCambridgeshire]

Yes it can be a problem. When warm air hits the cold glass the moisture in the air condenses on the glass. Any moisture will eventually evaporate. If the lens has a filter fitted, the filter can be dabbed/wiped dry with a suitable lens cloth/tissue. If no filter fitted it's your decision whether or not to dry the front element. Fitting a lens cap before returning indoors should minimise condensation. Leaving/storing your lens in a cool room should also minimise condensation. I use several binoculars for astro observing and never take them into a warm room after use - they are stored in a cool room or in my garage. In a warm room, using a cold lens is likely to draw warm air into the lens - so best not to use it until the temperature has equalised. I have noticed this problem when a courier delivers a new lens ... after opening the package the lens feels very cold ... I do not try the lens immediately but leave it in a cool room until it warms up a bit.

 

I wonder how many photographers give their 'warm lenses' time to cool down before using them outside on a cold day after storing the lens(es) in a warm room? It's a well known fact (by astronomers) that their 'scopes need at least 30 minutes and preferably 45 minutes, to acclimatise to outside temperatures before internal air currents cease to affect performance and lens elements stabilise. High end astronomical 'scopes even have built in 'air conditioning' to optimise their optical performance. Astronomical reflecting type 'scopes mirror lenses are more susceptible to temperature changes but this must surely affect refractor lenses too ... in which case camera lenses, particularly longer focal lengths, also need time to acclimatise when subjected to temperature changes.

 

dunk

Edited December 8, 2013 by dkpeterborough

[DMJ]

Dear dkpeterborough,

 

Which binoculars do you find most useful for star gazing?

 

Martin

[dkCambridgeshire]

Dear dkpeterborough,

 

Which binoculars do you find most useful for star gazing?

 

Martin

 

For handheld observing, the most useful is Canon 15x50 IS (Image stabilised) ... they are much brighter than their aperture suggests . For tripod mounted observing I use Fuji 10x70 and Zeiss Night Owl 7x45 (the Night Owls are too heavy to handhold) . I also have other binoculars including Fuji 16x70 ... all are used tripod mounted except the Canon 15x50 IS and Canon 10x30 IS ... even the diminutive Canon 10x30 IS is excellent for astro observing.

 

dunk

[250swb]

I don't think I've ever had warm lenses cause condensation on a cold day (seems counter intuitive to me), but I have had warm air cause condensation in cold lenses and cameras. If you want to keep shooting in cold weather do not get the camera warm again when it's cold, so don't put it under a coat, don't cover the lenses with a hand, just hang it around your neck or over your shoulder and only touch it when you need to make a photograph. Same goes for very humid days, if the camera gets wet try to keep it away from heat, babying it by sticking it under a coat will cause it to fog up, and it can take a long time to un-fog.

 

Steve

[Richardgb]

It should be added that condensation would affect the inside of a camera if a cold camera and lens were taken indoors and the lens detached.

 

As commented earlier, this moisture will eventually evaporate - but don't immediately attach another lens or the air cannot circulate to help the moisture dissipate. Think of condensaton on the sensor (the cover of which being glass), too...

[dkCambridgeshire]

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I don't think I've ever had warm lenses cause condensation on a cold day (seems counter intuitive to me), but I have had warm air cause condensation in cold lenses and cameras.

 

Steve

 

I was not implying that this could happen ... it was a 'follow-on' about the fact that air currents caused by temperature differentials in e.g. long lenses can cause optical problems ... which is why astronomers allow their 'scopes to acclimatise to outside temperatures before using them. I use 400mm and 560mm Leitz Telyt lenses which need time to acclimatise if taken outside into the cold after being in a warm room. Condensation would not occur.

 

dunk

[TomB_tx]

Back in the 1960s in college in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, we faced the condensation issue a lot. During special events like our Winter Carnival we would be constantly moving between covering outdoor and indoor events for student publications. If you came inside without first putting a cap on the lens, it would become not just wet, but frosted. Then you had a long wait while it thawed and evaporated. Worst case was covering the snow-statue carving that took place all night before the day of judging. This shot was at about -30F, and the cameras would get really "cold-soaked." If you put the camera under a coat it would just fog up there.

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(OK - I know this isn't the sharpest picture, but I wasn't very sharp at -30F either. That's why I moved to Texas!)

Edited December 9, 2013 by TomB_tx