# Can condensation cause permanent camera/lens damage?



## Mancubus (Aug 3, 2016)

In my photography work, one of my customers has a negative (-10ºC) room made of ice. Once a month he hires me and I have to go inside to take a few shots.

The city I live in is hot and moist. As soon as I leave that ice room I have to let my gear sit for about 30 minutes because it gets all foggy. I've been shooting this place for about 6 months now, using a 5d mark III with a 16-35mm f/4 IS.

I haven't noticed any consequences of the condensation apart from the immediate fogginess that prevents me to take photos soon after walking out of the ice room. But I've read concerning things online about water getting stuck inside the lens or sensor getting stains.

If you have experience on the subject, please help me out. I will probably get a 5D4 next year and if this is a risky behaviour I'll probably stick to a backup camera when shooting in there.


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## SteveM (Aug 3, 2016)

Just on my way out so I haven't had time to do dig up the.link where condensation was a problem on a trip for a group of people to Antarctica. I vaguely remember that some cameras handled it better than others. (Might have revolved around the 5D mkll). The bottom line appeared to be not to change lenses whilst the condensation is still present on the outside or open memory card slots. 
Another vague recollection of some people suggesting the camera be put in a plastic bag...presumably this takes the condensation away from the camera - need to do some research on that one me thinks.
Hope this helps, there was a lot of chatter about this issues at the time.
Again, from distant memory, the better the weather sealing the less the problem. Nikon's D300 I think faired very well whilst the 5D mkll didn't. Mklll is a different proposition, better weather sealing.


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## rs (Aug 3, 2016)

Condensation is caused by dew point. In other words, the surfaces getting coated in condensation are at a temperature below the dew point of the air which surrounds them. 

While your gear is in the room, it is initially hot and way above the dew point of the -10' room. As the gear acclimatises, it will steadily reach temperatures close to -10', which will still be condensation free. Taking it out of that climate into warmer air with a dew point higher than the temperature of your gear causes the problem. The air immediately surrounding the gear will be cooled by the gear itself, taking it below dew point - so condensation occurs. The air is drying, and your gear gets wet. 

If you can surround your gear with drier air while it warms up, it will stay dry. As the -10' air is much drier than the ambient air, simply bag it up in an air tight bag inside the cold room, leave a good bit of air space around it if possible, and wait until it's back up to a temperate above dew point before opening the bag.


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## pwp (Aug 3, 2016)

There could be an unanticipated value in you having high quality weather resistant gear. 

-pw


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## neuroanatomist (Aug 3, 2016)

rs said:


> If you can surround your gear with drier air while it warms up, it will stay dry. As the -10' air is much drier than the ambient air, simply bag it up in an air tight bag inside the cold room, leave a good bit of air space around it if possible, and wait until it's back up to a temperate above dew point before opening the bag.



+1

When I'm out shooting in sub-freezing temps, I put my gear in a Big Ziploc bag before bringing it inside.


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## MTSG (Aug 3, 2016)

hi,
let me share some experience,
i found canon equipment quite well build after i have long time ago my 40d deep in fw water during kayak capsize. i sent it to service with request "not to stay on shelf" for long time as it was emergency. i did not switch it on after taking from water. top lcd was filled with water in half and back display similar state. lens not removed.
it came from service later and my daughter use it until now.

i do with my present 6d +24/1.4II on glacier hintertux during snowboard until -25c without any problems. camera is all the time with me on side belt and i take it in/out VERY frequently in ALL weather conditions including 0 visibility. 

the only moment i take care for moist/condensation is when i come back home then i let it get room temp for up to 1hr then i take card out and so on.

anyhow, you are right to be careful with moist. 
i have seen canon body with some lens, which lens was grown inside between elements with sort of fungus (like dense spidernet) from circumference towards center abt 1cm all around (hopeless case). when i asked - the camera was not in use for 2-3years, and it happened in certain tropical country with very very high humidity which is normal for them. 

basing on such exp i do not remove any lens from body on slope/snow/or tropic/before camera get right temp and condensation dissappears

i would avoid to use "pumping zooms" in such conditions as well. moist get inside and may leave some bad spots on element surfaces (frequently some binoculars have it when crowd doesn't care)

usage of hardware is very personal and subjective,
crew who changes equipment every 1-2 years as new comes - they are happy and can do, almost all shots in any env.


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## Mikehit (Aug 3, 2016)

My personal view is that if you bring the camera from a cold environment to a warm one and just let the camera sit there, it is unlikely to have a problem, particularly with well-sealed cameras like the 1Dx or the 7DII (other bodies it could be more likely to have a problem). 
But if you open the camera up to change a lens before it has warmed up you are highly likely to get condensation inside the camera, or if you take the card out get condensation in the card slot. 

So given that you need to let the camera warm up anyway, I wrap mine in a before bringing it inside bag _just in case_. Wrapping it up also makes me stop and think if it has had long enough to warm up and stops me absent-mindedly opening the camera.


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## JPAZ (Aug 3, 2016)

neuroanatomist said:


> When I'm out shooting in sub-freezing temps, I put my gear in a Big Ziploc bag before bringing it inside.



+!

Another thought. If you should feel the need to re-enter the cold room and there is condensation formed after coming out the first time, this water may freeze and cause even more of a problem. I don't know it this is a real problem but I never want to find out. Use the plastic bag trick.


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