Rain-X on a lens?

Flotsam · Sep 1, 2006

Lately we've been dealt a rash of rain around here and Ernesto promises to wash out the weekend. I've been taking the "If you can't beat 'em" approach and just grabbing my Nikonos V and heading out to shoot the visual uniqueness of a rainy world without caring about being drenched.
Even with a lens shade to protect the lens and constant attention and wiping, it is difficult to avoid the occasional picture ruining raindrop on the lens. I have been thinking that a light coating of a surface tension breaking product such as Rain-X on the glass that covers the lens would help eliminate any fuzzy spots caused by the odd raindrop that make it onto the lens unnoticed.

My question is: Does anyone have any experience or opinions on doing this? Are there possible problems with image degradation or a build-up that might damage the lens? (actally the glass that protcts the lens). Any other alternative thoughts on addressing the problem?
Thanks, Folks

Sparky · Sep 1, 2006

Test it out on a UV filter first maybe...

hortense · Sep 1, 2006

Good question. I'm anxious to find out about this too.

Flotsam · Sep 1, 2006

Sparky said:
Test it out on a UV filter first maybe...

Excellent thought. Sadly, a 58mm Skylight filter is one few pieces of photographic flotsam & jetsom that I don't have laying around in a drawer or box somewhere (along with anything else that might actually ever prove be useful )

Konical · Sep 1, 2006

Good Evening,

Never thought of using the stuff on a lens! I doubt that it would help though. Water beads up on a windshield that has been Rain-X treated, but it tends just to sit there until the vehicle is moving at least 25 or 30 MPH. Absolutely terrific stuff for the auto; wouldn't bet on it at all for a lens.

Konical

thebanana · Sep 1, 2006

wouldn't bet on it at all for a lens

Well, maybe if you're skydiving. But who would want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane anyway??

jd callow · Sep 2, 2006

Flotsam said:
Excellent thought. Sadly, a 58mm Skylight filter is one few pieces of photographic flotsam & jetsom that I don't have laying around in a drawer or box somewhere (along with anything else that might actually ever prove be useful )

Neil
I have a uv 58mm tiffen you can have. pm me your addy and I'll priority mail it to you Tuesday

Flotsam · Sep 2, 2006

Thanks Callow, I think that I will try Rain-X on a plain piece of glass today to see if Konical is right. What the heck, I can always use the rest on my windshield.
If it works, I may be interested in purchasing or swopping for the filter and paying the postage.

Dave Parker · Sep 2, 2006

thebanana said:
Well, maybe if you're skydiving. But who would want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane anyway??

Awe come on, its fun, I have done it hundreds of times...

LOL

Dave

Markauf · Sep 2, 2006

I worked for the company that originally devloped Rain-X a while back (before they were bought by Quaker and Shell Oil), and although there are some other great uses for the product (shower doors, CD's, etc.) I wouldn't suggest it's use on your expensive glass. It will tend to develop a surface film that needs to be vigorously wiped away and once applied it can only be removed with a special abrasive cleanser.
Mark

Flotsam · Sep 2, 2006

Thanks Mark, That is just the kind of info that I was looking for.
I guess that ruining a cheap filter is better than an expensive repair down the road.

phfitz · Sep 2, 2006

I think it would have the same effect as a finger print on the lens and ruin the effect of the lens coating. It also has solvents in it that might damage the lens. A really large lens hood might be better for rain.

Flotsam · Sep 2, 2006

Well, I bought some Rain-X a tried it on a piece of broken picture frame glass that I had laying around. Konical was right. the water beaded up on the treated area. An ear syringe blew the water off easily and completely but that isn't much easier than just wiping the lens with tissue. Considering Mark's warning it doesn't seem to be worth the hassle.

I was just out in the remnants of Ernesto and even in the high winds, the lens hood and regular wiping seemed to work pretty well. It sure is fun walking around in a downpour with your camera getting absolutely drenched and not have to give it a thought. Now if I could only figure out how to keep myself a bit dryer . I really enjoy shooting in the rain. Even mundane things become photogenic in the rain. Everything has a reflective coating of water and the sky is just one huge, diffused lightbox.

copake_ham · Sep 2, 2006

Flotsam said:
.....
I was just out in the remnants of Ernesto and even in the high winds, the lens hood and regular wiping seemed to work pretty well. It sure is fun walking around in a downpour with your camera getting absolutely drenched and not have to give it a thought. ...

I'm curious where in SE NY you are. I'm in Copake today up near the MA border. We've had overcast skies and heavy windgusts most of the day - but no rain like we were expecting. Not sure if it's still coming or if we "dodged" a bullet.

Greg_E · Sep 2, 2006

Flotsam said:
Now if I could only figure out how to keep myself a bit dryer .

Good Gortex clothing should be high on your list. Check the Patagonia catalog, or maybe a local EMS store.

Sparky · Sep 2, 2006

Flotsam said:
Considering Mark's warning it doesn't seem to be worth the hassle.

But keep in mind - he didn't really qualify the remark with any sort of solid knowledge of the product, or indeed chemistry. It was conjecture. It could also turn out to be a photographic wonder product. It's hugely unlikely that it contains any sort of solvent. Who knows - ? Maybe we'll all be using it because it manages to somehow magically improve resolution under dry conditions. Stranger things have happened. You really won't know 'til you try.

Flotsam · Sep 2, 2006

I'm in Rockland County, several miles west of the Hudson River on the Jersey border. Its been raining here since last night. I'm surprised that you haven't gotten any. You're not very far away.

Greg, I have a good goretex anorak. Everything covered by that stays nice and dry, everything else get soaked.

Greg_E · Sep 2, 2006

So that means you need pants and boots, and maybe a big brimmed hat (keeps raindrops off your glasses). Outdoor Research for the hat!

If it is really raining hard (with wind), then you need a hood and forget the hat.

Campmor used to have some really great stuff, but when I looked I couldn't find the items I bought a few years ago. They aren't as good as the Patagonia stuff, but for day to day use they are fine. I used to work outdoors (in TV NEWS) every day, and when the weather was really bad, would get the priviledge of being outdoors for about the entire day. Staying dry and warm was high on my list. The Campmor stuff got me through work, but the Patagonia is superior in just about every way, but way too expensive to risk getting wrecked at work. Eastern Mountain Sports has some good stuff, but I haven't used it like the other two, Mountain Hardware makes some really nice stuff too (so that you don't have to go with the trendy North Face stuff).

And all this is from a central NY point of view.

pgomena · Sep 3, 2006

I've not put rain-x on a lens, but I have put Fog-X on a ground glass to see if it would keep my breath from fogging the glass while I was focusing under the darkcloth. Can't say it did much good.

Peter Gomena

copake_ham · Sep 3, 2006

Flotsam said:
I'm in Rockland County, several miles west of the Hudson River on the Jersey border. Its been raining here since last night. I'm surprised that you haven't gotten any. You're not very far away...

Yes, we're quite close but the rain seems to have gone west of us. Not surprised, our wind gusts have been out of the west/northwest suggesting the storm is being pushed via a contra-flow that way and around us.

Reminds me of Agnes back in the early '70's:

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/hurricane/2002/6-20-agnes-revisited.htm

- although that one packed a hell of a lot more moisture (flooded central PA and central and western NY real bad). Likely means the storm will track up to Lake Ontario via central NY and then catch a western flow along the St. Lawrence valley and out to sea that way....

Damn, I wish we'd gone out for a bike ride today instead of waiting for the rain!

Flotsam · Sep 3, 2006

copake_ham said:
Damn, I wish we'd gone out for a bike ride today instead of waiting for the rain!

You know that if you had, you would have gotten 5 or 10 miles away from home and the sky would have opened up and poured cats and dogs.

copake_ham · Sep 3, 2006

Flotsam said:
You know that if you had, you would have gotten 5 or 10 miles away from home and the sky would have opened up and poured cats and dogs.

Agreed!

Murphy's Law: If something can go wrong, it will.

And I also subcribe to the theory that it was an idiot who wrote the song "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life".

Greg_E · Sep 3, 2006

For antifogging, try Cat Crap here

It works fairly well on eyeglasses, might help on ground glass.

Digidurst · Sep 5, 2006

Greg_E said:
For antifogging, try Cat Crap here

It works fairly well on eyeglasses, might help on ground glass.

Gee, with a name like 'cat crap' it's GOT to be good

Flotsam · Sep 5, 2006

I don't know, Greg. I smeared Cat crap on my ground glass. It just made it hard to see the image and very smelly

Rain-X on a lens?

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