Anti fog on housing lens reducing fog

[Nemrod]

On our boat they have a big like plastic tub to float your cameras in..

And thanks everyone for your help!!!

And that is the worst place that you can put your camera. There it will be exposed to anti-fog from masks, it will be banged around and into the other cameras ruining the lenses and ports and in general abusing it.

N

 

[TSandM]

To revive this thread . . . I live in Seattle. We have yet to hit 70 degrees this year, I think. But it has been very humid. And water temperatures are in the low 50's.

I'm having the Devil's own time with focus problems with my camera. I concluded, after reviewing the last dives three good photos and 30 or so out-of-focus ones, that my camera is fogging up. Loading the camera in AC is not an option (who would want air conditioning in 65 degree weather?). I thought some of the "apply, dry, and polish off" defog sounded like a great solution. Do you guys really think dessicants are better?

 

[Krazytomdiver]

As a dive guide,I do not get to use my cheap little camera much but I have seen a lot of nice photo equipment on the dive boat. One diver demostrated how he would apply gas from a dive tank inside his housing then close it quickly trapping the ultra dry gas inside. I have use this process ever since & never had to use silca capsules again but remember my equipment is small. (darn I hated to say that) Plus keeping your camera in a fresh water bucket with a towel over it keeping the sun off helps too. I hope these ideas help.

"living life without a hard bottom"
KT

 

[jghflash]

......so on a 60 minute dive that's taking a picture every 13 to 18 seconds for the entire dive. Wow! I think my camera and flash might explode. And that's not even considering the time at the computer afterwards to review and process....

 

[Gilligan]

To revive this thread . . . I live in Seattle. We have yet to hit 70 degrees this year, I think. But it has been very humid. And water temperatures are in the low 50's.

I'm having the Devil's own time with focus problems with my camera. I concluded, after reviewing the last dives three good photos and 30 or so out-of-focus ones, that my camera is fogging up. Loading the camera in AC is not an option (who would want air conditioning in 65 degree weather?). I thought some of the "apply, dry, and polish off" defog sounded like a great solution. Do you guys really think dessicants are better?

IMO the desiccant packs are the way to go. The key with them is they have to be in good condition, not used several times. That is why the ones that change color when used up are better. Other factors also affect fogging like taking a large number of photos on a dive as that creates an increase in heat from the camera especially if you are using the internal strobe to fire the slave strobe. Here in the Philippines where it is hot and humid I load the camera into the housing and hold it up in front of the A/C unit for about 60 seconds to put dry air inside it then immediately close it. I then transport the rig in a beverage cooler. The only times I have fogged up is when the desiccant packets are borderline and that's my fault for using them.

 

[bleeb]

I use a variation of the technique Krazytomdiver describes.

Put open housing in large transparent plastic bag. Close up bag as much as possible. Fill and purge bag with dry tank air. (Much drier than what comes out of the air conditioner.) Repeat. Close housing while still inside bag, if possible by handling through the sides of the bag, rather than opening up the bag.

Desiccants are probably a good backup, especially since IIRC certain types of batteries can sometimes put out small amounts of water vapor. Make sure any desiccant packs are fresh or freshly recharged. If the humidity is high where you are, they'll loose much of their effectiveness after being exposed to ambient air for as little as a day. Drying them out again takes many hours in an oven (IIRC, the mil standard calls for 16) but I've been experimenting with with getting some use out of hot sunny days by leaving them in the car, sealing up the jar before the sun goes down.

 

[timz]

I have fogging issue with my housing. On a particular dive, i see snow flake like particles formation on the casing lense.

It really freaked me out. Anyone knows what causes that??

How can I prevent that??

 

[Akimbo]

Your Scuba tank is full of super-dry air. Get an air nozzle and QD (Quick Disconnect) that fits your BC hose and displace the moist air in housing before closing. They use basically the same trick on the big and expensive video housings on ROVs (Remote Controlled Vehicles) except they use pure Nitrogen, which is even drier. I learned this trick as an electronics tech on the Bathyscaph Trieste II. Works great.

 

[timz]

Thanks... just scared if the housing leaks

 

[Wantonmien]

I have fogging issue with my housing. On a particular dive, i see snow flake like particles formation on the casing lense.

It really freaked me out. Anyone knows what causes that??

How can I prevent that??

Timz - if you leave salt water on your housing glass, as it dries the salt crystalizes, might be the reason - as I have seen same on my housing from time to time ?