Always stored mine in partitioned camera bags inside my divan bed in my bedroom. The temperature in my bedroom probably sinks to about 15 dec C overnight in winter to 28-30 deg C during the day in summer. I've never really considered they would benefit from better storage solutions, not least because I can't really offer them anything better, other than perhaps chucking in a few packets of silica gel in the camera bags. I've never noticed any deterioration in their performance as a result of my storage methods and would suggest that what you're already doing is quite sufficient as long as your house is normally warm, dry and you're not storing your cameras in the bathroom/shower room.
Silica gel is wonderful stuff. However, it needs to be reactivated once it's absorbed it's fill of water. Think of it as a sponge, it will absorb a certain amount of water and no more.
If you want to use silica gel get a proper package with a telltale that changes color when it's "full". Reactivation consists of baking it in a vented oven at 110-115oC for several hours. If you use silica gel, keep it and the equipment in a sealed container not a vented one otherwise you'll be trying to dessicate the entire room.
Another potential trouble is going out on a cold day with a camera at room temperature and humidity; this morning it is -20oC here, bringing a camera from a warm room out into temperatures such as that will cause the moisture in the air inside the camera to condense, eventually causing steel parts to rust. Bringing the camera inside from such temperature will result in condensation forming on the outside of the camera, some of which will find it's way inside and repeat the cycle when you go out again. So, abrupt changes in temperature are bad.
Shouldn't lenses (that are rarely used) be stored with the caps off so light can enter? I've heard that this cuts down the chances of fungus. I'd much rather clear dust then remove fungus.
I've bought the colour changing silica gel which tells me when the packets are full. Are you sure I should keep cameras in an airtight container? I've read that the restricted air flow can cause problems with fungus? But I would appreciate your advice if you think differently! Yes whenever I plan on shooting in the cold I will make sure to put the camera in an airtight bag before letting it come back up to room temp to avoid condensation!
You can store them in Pelican cases with silica gel. Pelican cases are a bit expensive. I like HPRC cases.Hi everyone, I don't know if this is the right place to post this but if it isn't then please let me know. I'm currently storing my cameras in a 'Really Useful' brand plastic box with some silica gel sachets in. The box is not airtight so allows air circulation. Is this a good way to store my gear especially in this current UK humidity? Thanks!
What he said^^.Are you talking about where you are storing your cameras, or where you keep them?
If cameras are being used regularly, keep them clean and dry and don't expose them to water or smoke or dirt.
A closet shelf, a not-air-tight drawer, even a not-air-tight bin under the bed.
If it is a good place to keep your clean underwear, it probably would serve well for keeping your cameras.
Long term storage without use? That's when the silica gel and other tools and techniques come into play.
FWIW, I store mine at 20C and 60%RH on open but dust-protected shelves; batteries removed; Every 4-6 months, I run the shutters through all speeds to keep them working. no failures or fungus so far.Hi everyone, I don't know if this is the right place to post this but if it isn't then please let me know. I'm currently storing my cameras in a 'Really Useful' brand plastic box with some silica gel sachets in. The box is not airtight so allows air circulation. Is this a good way to store my gear especially in this current UK humidity? Thanks!
You probably already live somewhere warmer than me. I'm talking about overnight inside temperatures. Outside it's been -5 overnight recently, just like everywhere else in the UK.Where are you living that you get 15 degrees C in winter?! I want to move to where you are!!
I think that's a good rule of thumb. Store your cameras in a room in which you feel comfortable in and so will your cameras.Always stored mine in partitioned camera bags inside my divan bed in my bedroom. The temperature in my bedroom probably sinks to about 15 dec C overnight in winter to 28-30 deg C during the day in summer. I've never really considered they would benefit from better storage solutions, not least because I can't really offer them anything better, other than perhaps chucking in a few packets of silica gel in the camera bags. I've never noticed any deterioration in their performance as a result of my storage methods and would suggest that what you're already doing is quite sufficient as long as your house is normally warm, dry and you're not storing your cameras in the bathroom/shower room.
not too dry and not too wet is righty range of 40-60% is about rightI'd advise against storing cameras too dry. It depends on what type of gear you are storing, but I aim to keep most of mine at a relative humidity of about 40%, which is dry enough for fungus spores not to germinate, and for any existing fungus not to grow, but not dry enough to destroy organic materials, such as leather. I monitor humidity with these hygrometers (cheap enough to buy in quantity). Obviously you cannot expect gauges of this "quality" to be accurate across the range, but you can calibrate them to be accurate enough at the humidity you are interested in: I set mine by putting them in a sealed container with a bowl containing a saturated solution of potassium carbonate (both crystals and liquid are present), which produces a RH of 43%.
Camera cases I keep (at ambient humidity) in the sort of stackable lattice-sided plastic sided trays that supermarkets get some of their veg. in.
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