We have over the summer, holidays start, the beach, the sun ... and moisture.
The biggest enemy of our cameras, but all of our lenses, is the humidity. There are several methods to protect our equipment and leave them avoid fungus, which may require costly cleaning process, the best, and even leave our glasses useless at worst.
If you have expensive equipment, with many components of professional quality, justify having a cabinet or closet dedicated to it, where, after thorough cleaning, place a small electric dehumidifier, those that capture moisture and placed in a tray. It is also desirable to include one of these devices to filter particles, among which are dust, mold and fungi (how Bionaire or similar).
But neither is it to remove all moisture, teams usually have a range of moisture storage, and this varies between 35% and 50% correctro To perform a control is necessary to purchase a hygrometer (I've seen one in Radio Shack ) and so we can stay in the right range.
hygrometer and thermometer, to measure humidity and temperature.
This model shows the highs and lows.
But mortals like me with a mid-range DSLR camera and a good pair of glasses, we need to protect our valuable team (good fans we have invested some money in our computers.) The professionals make money with their cameras and have additionally insured, but the "No Photography" do not have, normally, the ability immediate replacement of our cameras and lenses ... so what ... to care!. Looking
solve the moisture problem, I found Ace Home Center (or the name that has migrated at this time), some silica gel bags under the name of Water Glass, these bags contain a 250 g. silica gel crystals, whose property is the absorption of moisture, and cost about S /. 19.00. Found in the area where they sell the "Ball Seca", which is not advisable to make a dry box for our photographic equipment.
bags of silica gel to absorb moisture.
This product absorbs ambient moisture until saturated, then painted blue drops in the stock market turn pink, it's time to rework our crystals of silica gel, putting the bag for five minutes at the oven microwave on high. Thus eliminarám crystals absorbed moisture and ready for another three or four months of protection for our lenses and cameras.
This is the bag out of the box.
In the back of the box are instructions use, and how to "reprocessing" to remove moisture, but does not say is that it would be good to put a thick bed of paper towels on a plate with that goal in microwave, so that moisture coming from below not back to the bag of silica gel. Then it is important to expect that the stock market and stop throwing cool steam before reuse. Beware, each bag can hold 40% of its weight in water, ie about 100 g. each.
Now that we have identified our dehumidifier, we lack a suitable box, I found some plastic boxes also Ace, but I've seen in stores around plastics market Surquillo and La Encalada.
I have bought a couple of these, and I have my briefcase with a camera and lenses, that is, most importantly, Hence I have four bags of dehumidifier and hygrometer to monitor humidity. The case and lens kits are semi open to allow the silica gel acts.
Then in another box a little smaller accessories and kits I have some small, some binoculars, camera, my wife and little things for prevent the attack of fungi.
dry box with the bag, a lens, the bags of silica gel and the hygrometer.
is very important that the bags and cases also be a dry box, and they are very prone to fungus if they get wet and catch a lot of dust.
I dehumidifying my bags of silica gel about every two months and keep the box dry within a range between 40% and 50% humidity. I try to plug the box quickly get something out there, and I plan to re-enter the case no sooner arrived at my house to take photos
I hope the information will be useful, do not forget, once the fungal attack, is expensive and risky process of removing them, and sometimes ... is too late!
Until next post!
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