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inside of camera fogging, even when climate acclimated

KellyLynne1968
Contributor

hello!! I have a Canon 7D, and typically use my sigma 24-70 lens on it.  I moved to NC from MI six years ago, and I do a ton of beach shoots. This time of year, same thing...i put my camera in my car overnight before a shoot, make sure no AC, typically get to the shoot early and set the camera outside next to me for a half hour. Should be good right? NOPE. Getting low to the sand is like putting my camera over a pot of boiling water steam. instantly fogs up on the inside and out. Yesterday, i was standing doing a family shoot. started out okay, I could tell by zooming in on the images that the skin was a bit grainy from the moisture in the air. Then half way through the shoot, camera was totally fogged up on the inside, even more than the outside of my lens. Humidity was 80 percent yesterday and this coastal area of NC often gets "waves" of high humidity and ocean mist that the camera only tends to pick up. But nothing subsided the inner fogging of my camera, until i walked back up to the parking lot. This happens every summer and quite honestly, this never happened in Michigan and im about fed up with it, lol. any advice?

26 REPLIES 26

kvbarkley
VIP
VIP

Sounds like you have moisture in the lens. You might have to send it to SIgma to be dried out.

thank you. i think i figured it out finally after four years. Called a camera shop back home where i used to live, he said when using zoom lenses in severe humidity, when i "zoom" i could be actually pulling that air into the lens/camera body. Makes sense i guess.


@KellyLynne1968 wrote:

thank you. i think i figured it out finally after four years. Called a camera shop back home where i used to live, he said when using zoom lenses in severe humidity, when i "zoom" i could be actually pulling that air into the lens/camera body. Makes sense i guess.


Right, and if the lens is cooler than the air, water will condense in the lens.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

well my camera stays in my car overnight if i have a beach shoot, or i put it outside hours before. So does it make sense that it could be the zoom lens just pulling in moisture by the simple act of zooming?


@KellyLynne1968 wrote:

well my camera stays in my car overnight if i have a beach shoot, or i put it outside hours before. So does it make sense that it could be the zoom lens just pulling in moisture by the simple act of zooming?


Unless it's foggy (i.e. the humidity is 100%), any moisture pulled in will be dissolved in the air. It should not condense if the inside of the lens is warmer than the air. I think you're letting the camera cool down in the car overnight and then not giving it enough time to warm up in the sun.

 

When you were in Michigan, did you ever take pictures outdoors on a cold day; then when you came in, your lens fogged up? Same principle.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

no, trust me its outside for a long time . yesterdays shoot, it was in the MIDDLE of the shoot that the inside of the lense started fogging up. now clouds were moving in, and covered the sun, it happened right after that. ive been shooting professionally for 13 years, so im good about giving a camera time to acclimate to temps. But this stuff, this is weird.

Weird is right...no clue what could have caused it.  Usually the inside of a lens gets heated up a lot quicker than ambience therefore there should be no condesation unless it's been cold soaked.

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Diverhank's photos on Flickr

 humidity at almost 90 percent, and dew point super high, it was high tide, so those major waves were probably sending their own moisture into the air.  But like i said the minute those storm clouds rolled it, bam...total fog up in lens. ill have this cheapie little prime in a few days, man i have high hopes, thanks yall for trying to help me tho!!


@diverhank wrote:

Weird is right...no clue what could have caused it.  Usually the inside of a lens gets heated up a lot quicker than ambience therefore there should be no condesation unless it's been cold soaked.


Spending a day in a car trunk, parked in the hot sun, on a humid day could do it.  I keep al of my cameras and lenses inside of sealed plastic bags when not in use.

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