Traveling to high humidity countries with Leica

[jaeger]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Please shear your experiences traveling to high humidity countries with Leica gears.  I am looking at iPhone weather, it's 93% humidity!  I am traveling to India for 2 weeks and considering to bring M240 + two lenses probably 35 cron & APO 90 cron.   I don't want my gears come back growing mold.  Am I thinking too much or I should only use my iPhone instead.  Any advise would be appreciated.  Thanks.

 

 

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[frame-it]

 

keep some silica gel bags close to the camera when its in the bag

[dkmoore]

Even in Maryland the humidity can be +90 for a week or more and I have had no issues with my camera equipment, let alone when traveling to other countries. I think if you were living there or other high humidity locations you would want to exercise caution with a dry box or de-humidifiers in your house. 

I would 100% bring your Leica gear as the iPhone doesn't touch the quality ( assuming you are going to have time to take photographs - business vs. pleasure trip)

My guess is that you are staying in a hotel or house that will much dryer than 93% humidity so you will be fine.

[Trivette]

40 minutes ago, frame-it said:

 

keep some silica gel bags close to the camera when its in the bag

For additional protection, keep the camera in a ziplock bag with the silica gel. Anyhow, 2 weeks is not long enough in high humidity for serious problems, such as lens fungus. Enjoy your trip.

[Ko.Fe.]

Do you know about HCB? He went to India and not just for couple of weeks. His Leica(s) weren't weather sealed as yours.

Skip 90 lens. Even HCB called them as less used lens. Changing lenses on trip creates more problems than advantages anyway. IMO. 

 

 

Edited November 21, 2018 by Ko.Fe.

[pgk]

Basically its not such a big problem as is all too often made out. I've travelled to high humidity areas and my lenses have been fine. However its best to be careful with them as fungus can grow quickly in the right environment (in both the dark and high humidity). If I know its going to be really wet I keep lenses and camera inside drybags in my carrying bag. I keep some silica gel so that when I've finished photographing for the day I can put the silica gel inside the dry bags to remove any moisture - overnight. The important thing is not to keep the lenses sealed in a humid environment - so if you keep them in a bag of any description it must be kept dry.

If the worst happens, get the lens serviced asap to remove any fungus before it etches the glass (although again, whilst this happens its not that common and takes a time to happen).

[spydrxx]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Come on, give it a break. 2 weeks of relatively high humidity in India is no different than Washington DC, Baltimore or Chicago in the summer. Keep your gear dry if it rains. Keep it out of the bright sun for extended periods. Keep it out of blowing dust or sand. Remember many of the iconic shots during the WWII, the Korean War and Vietnam were taken in extended periods of high humidity with Leicas. It's not like you're putting your gear into the microwave along with a wet towel. If you still have reservations, take a cheap camera instead.

[pgk]

Oddly enough I was at the Eden Project this summer. Inside the Tropical Rainforest section there was a digital readout showing the difference inside the dome and outside. Humidity was higher outside (90%+ I think) on the day I was there. I will happily use gear in wet conditions but always ensure that its thoroughly dried out afterwards.

[tobey bilek]

Be careful going from air conditioned realize hotel room to humid outside.   This is asking for condensation trouble.   

Some leave gear on a balcony if it is safe .   If you come in from outside,  wrap gear in towel and place in bag so it does not cool off overnight.   Let it acclimate when you go out in the AM.  In all cases,  plastic bag and gel.  

Condensation is more of a problem than short term humidity by far.  Electronics are easily damaged by water/humidity/ condensation.   Nikon, Canon, Leica, sensors can all be damaged by water in any form so a repair person told me.

 

[LocalHero1953]

14 hours ago, jaeger said:

Please shear your experiences traveling to high humidity countries with Leica gears.  I am looking at iPhone weather, it's 93% humidity!  I am traveling to India for 2 weeks and considering to bring M240 + two lenses probably 35 cron & APO 90 cron.   I don't want my gears come back growing mold.  Am I thinking too much or I should only use my iPhone instead.  Any advise would be appreciated.  Thanks.

 

 

Correct answer - you are! You can get high humidity and warmth anywhere in the world in our artificial homes and offices. 

If you can, avoid sudden changes from warm outdoors to air conditioned buildings and vice versa. Keep stuff well ventilated, and try to keep dust at bay (a big problem in India). But India has extremes of climates, so the issues you will face depend on when you're there. I'm there at the moment (Rajasthan) and it is like a warm UK summer. Come before or during the monsoon and it's another world.

But basically cameras are there to be used. Not bringing them, or keeping them sealed up so you can't use them would make me question why I owned them in the first place. My CL and TL2 are hanging off my wrist all the time ready to use. Occasionally I blow off the sensor when I see a blob on an image, but otherwise I'm doing nothing I wouldn't do in the UK.

[Peter Kilmister]

The UK has a temperate climate which leads to long dry spells followed by wet spells when the Atlantic frontal systems come through. It provides seasonal changes and joyous light particularly early in the day and late in the evening. Humidity is normally high but not as noticeable as in more southern latitudes. Washington DC  (and surrounding area) in summer is intolerable because of the mixture of high humidity and high temperatures. In April it is lovely, from May onwards it is hell. 

Using an M240-P has never precluded me from using it in rain. Great photos can be taken when it rains and the M can cope with rain ... provided it has nothing to harbour water, like a half case. All Canikon photographers disappear at the first hint of rain. M users are able to stay out and enjoy life. I believe the same is true with Olympus cameras.

There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. 

[250swb]

Keep your camera as much as possible in the open air and avoid rapid changes in temperature such as going from air conditioned into full sun, or visa versa.

[jaeger]

Thanks guys for all the great advice.  I agree that the sudden temperature change is the worse and will take cautious on that.  I will put some silica bags in my carrying cases too. 

Happy thanksgiving! 

[jaeger]

13 hours ago, Ko.Fe. said:

Do you know about HCB? He went to India and not just for couple of weeks. His Leica(s) weren't weather sealed as yours.

so what happened to his/her Leica?

[Ko.Fe.]

1 hour ago, jaeger said:

so what happened to his/her Leica?

Nothing, but Gandhi...

https://the.me/gandhi-and-henri-cartier-bresson-hcb/

[SiggiGun]

2 weeks ago, I was for 10 days in Vietnam with very high humidity with M-lenses (35LUX and 50NX) and a SL body.  No issue at all. However every time I changed from an air conditionned room to a humid environment (and vice versa) I waited 10' before using the camera.

[albertknappmd]

You will be fine..

Bring sealed silica packets if you must, keep camera dry and wrap in a baggie...  This is gross overkill but if nervous do it...

The A/C in hotel will do the rest..

Albert

[Archiver]

I went a bit overboard on a Summer trip to Japan. Every night for three weeks, I put my M9 and lenses in a large ziplock bag with a couple of large silica gel packets, just in case. Nothing happened to them, not that I can say if these precautions had anything to do with it. I never let my M9 get rained on, though.

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[stephengv]

If you stay in a hotel, the humidity is conrroled.

[Timkr]

I’m just curious about the silica gel packs. It’s seems to me they would get saturated pretty quickly in such high humidity.  Do you heat them to recharge them?