wide open or stopped down--storing SLR lenses?

Auto lenses, of course. I'm thinking that storing them w/the aperture @ the smallest setting would be better for the springs?

I cannot speak for auto units, but I would think no different for any lens. I store all my MF & LF lenses stopped down and shutters released. I use my gear often enough I'm not at all concerned with routine exercising of them, but an idea for those low active units maybe.

It depends on the SLR system involved. Some lenses are sprung open, some are sprung closed, depending on how the body drives them. Besides which, they need reasonably light springs, that are not highly stressed. Frankly, I don't think it would matter in the slightest in most cases, anyway. If there is an issue with their function, it's nearly always related to the aperture blades or their drive rather than the springs. Storage state isn't going to impact that at all.

Any manual I've read has never mentioned it.

The spring is stretched even when the aperture is stopped all the way closed. I'd be more worried about the glass melting.

It should not matter. I have never seen any documentation discussing this question so I would take it that it does not matter.

I have Nikkor manual-focus lenses.

I have spoken to no fewer than three Mechanical Engineers on similar issues related to springs that have been brought up in discussion forums, such as:

"Should I store my spare pistol magazines loaded or unloaded?"

"Should I store my cameras with shutter cocked or uncocked?"

Every time, I was told that having the spring compressed over long periods of time does not weaken it. What weakens springs are compression/decompression cycles.

That said, I leave my cameras uncocked except for the Hasselblads. In that case, it reduces the chance of me removing a lens from an uncocked body (besides, the motorized Hassies are always cocked).

For auto lenses, I leave them wide open; for manual lenses, I do open them to maximum aperture. Somehow I think this helps keeps the blades lubricated. However, I confess that I truly don't know if this is the case or whether it helps or not.

I would think if you pull the lens out of storage occaisionally (perhaps once a year or so) and simply "exercise" the blades by opening and closing the aperture a few times, then return to storage, it won't really matter in what position the aperture is set while the lens is idling in storage. As opposed to say, leaving the lenses completely untouched for decades.

I learned that 49 yrs ago.

Trail Images said:

I cannot speak for auto units, but I would think no different for any lens. I store all my MF & LF lenses stopped down and shutters released. I use my gear often enough I'm not at all concerned with routine exercising of them, but an idea for those low active units maybe.

Click to expand...

I store everything at f/8;don't know why

Rook said:

I would think if you pull the lens out of storage occaisionally (perhaps once a year or so) and simply "exercise" the blades by opening and closing the aperture a few times, then return to storage, it won't really matter in what position the aperture is set while the lens is idling in storage. As opposed to say, leaving the lenses completely untouched for decades.

Click to expand...

Good idea

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