how do you store your cameras and lens

[spudhead]

So how do you store your cameras and lens, I had a bit of a Suprise today I bought a Sony 100-400 gm from my usual high street shop and thought I would trade the a-mount 70-400 lens in. I have only ever used it a half dozen times as I never really liked it that much anyway, so its been stored with absorbent gel packs etc, and when they checked it at the store, the first comment was its mint condition has it even been used? but on close inspection we realized there was some haze on the front and rear elements inside, well did I buy it like that as it was an open box deal, and not notice at the time or have I kept it badly or did I put it away damp, I am usually very good about temperature change and drying gear and letting it acclimatize. So more of a shock was the store owner who is a personal friend told me they had just had a brand-new warranty replacement Olympus 300 pro lens sent through for a customer and when the customer collected, he checked it and there was fungus in the new lens. long story short Olympus confirmed the issue and replaced it again.

 

[iain clyne]

Mine are stored in camera bags with silica gel in the bags, done it that way for years even when I was working in all sorts of conditions and had no problem.
maybe the lens had some damp in from day one.

 

[Deleted Member 5045]

That's a bit unlucky mate...

I'm pretty obsessive with this type of stuff. I have a landscape back pack which is for off road stuff, then I have a shoulder bag for birding and suburbia/city stuff. Like Iain, I use and change the small silica bags out constantly. I keep most of my lenses in those bags or in the thickly padded lens cylinder type ones. I wipe and blow down all equipment used as soon as I get home every time.

 

[Jeff A]

All of my gear is stored in a fireproof gun safe. Besides also housing what my wife considers too many guns, it is home to a de-humidifier.

One other fact that I have learned. There is no such thing as a fireproof gun safe, at least none that a mere mortal could afford.

 

[Brownie]

In bags in the room where I keep my camera gear. No special treatment. No AC in our home. Humidity gets quite high in the summer, inside the house is dry as a bone in winter. So far so good. I am pretty careful about taking gear out when it's cold, by cold I mean below 20 F.

 

[Unframed Dave]

I live in a three hundred year old house, up until now, I hadn't considered the issue. It's so draughty, humidity isn't really an issue. Also the prevailing wind here last dropped by Siberia on It's way to us.

 

[MrFotoFool]

I live in the Arizona desert, very dry air, so fungus from humidity is a non-issue. (This is the same reason the US Air Force stores all their unused planes here in Tucson). I keep them in a couple camera backpacks ideally, though if I am honest they are often just lying on the floor in my computer room.

 

[Landshark99]

Mine are stored in a large compartmented bag from the Think Tank, pretty dry and stable in our house

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

I just keep mine in the camera bag in our spare room and in a cupboard. No silicon or anything else.

 

[Ivanturas]

In a safe, along with other work gear. Regardless of it, I do regular upkeep/maintenance to all my gear. From the regular error check to cleaning & blowing dust away.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Here in Florida, most homes are air-conditioned, so the humidity is a constant 43% in my house. While my camera is often on my desk, my lenses are in a cabinet that I admit is not air tight, nor does it have any dehumidifiers. I should probably be better about storing my gear, but at least I never put it away damp. Everything (lens, camera, camera bag) is left to "air-out" and be completely dry before storage.

 

[Clix Pix]

I store my cameras and lenses in a large armoire, which makes it easy to grab what I need when I'm going out to shoot. I also of course have camera bags, too, which I use when going on an excursion or when traveling. So far I have not had any problems with fungus or haze on my lenses and I do keep the armoire doors closed when not actually doing something in there or collecting an item from there.

 

[phreeky]

Mine are all stored in a dedicated dry cabinet. I live in a very tropical climate however - without it, unless I ran the air-conditioning continuously they would be almost certain to eventually get fungus.

Before getting the dry cabinet I've 'lost' 2 lenses to fungus.

 

[Angieb]

Store all of my gear in a fireproof safe we have high humidity but the A/C run nearly everyday which keeps the house humidity down. The night before I go out to shoot I will pack my backpack and put in the garage so the gear can acclimate to the climate. Otherwise I will be fogged up instantly.