Camera Fogging

[hvulin]

I use 4 of this dessicant packs while diving (water temp down there is around 16degC and air is around 30degC), and replace them every couple of dives... (old ones can be dried out and used again)

if this doesn't help check that you don't have fingerprints inside the case since it will help the fogging (in that case use a little of detergent to clean it up, then dry it up and don't touch it with fingers any more...)

 

[Tobagoman]

Excuse my ignorance, but where do you buy dessicant packs from? Can I go to my local Wal-Mart and get them (wont use K-mart because of their anit-2nd amendment stance)?

 

[the_cat_keeper]

I use 4 of this dessicant packs while diving (water temp down there is around 16degC and air is around 30degC), and replace them every couple of dives... (old ones can be dried out and used again)

if this doesn't help check that you don't have fingerprints inside the case since it will help the fogging (in that case use a little of detergent to clean it up, then dry it up and don't touch it with fingers any more...)

Er... you mean if I leave fingerprints in the camera casing, it will fog up? How do I know if I had left fingerprints in the camera casing? (sorry, I'm new to underwater photography)

 

[hvulin]

Er... you mean if I leave fingerprints in the camera casing, it will fog up? How do I know if I had left fingerprints in the camera casing? (sorry, I'm new to underwater photography)

Housing should be clean from inside and outside... Your fingers are not dry, and if you touch the inside of the case you will leave a trace that has fat (I hope that's the name) in it - and it will help fogging!!! - this is a big problem if you touched the part in front of the lens...

For fog to show up you need - moisture (water) and some dirt in your case! water doesn't condense in clean air, it needs helpers (just like creation of the rain) like dirt or debries (or inside of your case) - so keep it clean and it will fog less

 

[dbeedle]

Excuse my ignorance, but where do you buy dessicant packs from? Can I go to my local Wal-Mart and get them (wont use K-mart because of their anit-2nd amendment stance)?

Someone had posted elsewhere on these boards a site that I used.

http://preservesmart.com/

They have small, flatish packs that fit well in my housing and they change color when they are saturated.

 

[the_cat_keeper]

Housing should be clean from inside and outside... Your fingers are not dry, and if you touch the inside of the case you will leave a trace that has fat (I hope that's the name) in it - and it will help fogging!!! - this is a big problem if you touched the part in front of the lens...

For fog to show up you need - moisture (water) and some dirt in your case! water doesn't condense in clean air, it needs helpers (just like creation of the rain) like dirt or debries (or inside of your case) - so keep it clean and it will fog less

I see... thanks for the clarification.

 

[Charlie J]

I have just changed to the A75 and underwater housing but I used to have the Sony P10 and underwater housing . In the housing pack came a small tube of anti-fog which worked great . Just a tiny drop was required and keeps the lense area fog free for a long time .

So how has the results of the A75 been? I'm thinking strongly of buying. Post some photos!

Thanks

Charlie

 

[jonnythan]

The key is to make sure there's no warm moist air in the housing right before it hits the water. There are lots of ways to do this.

Load the camera into the housing in a dry environment (air conditioned room works OK) then never open it again.

If you must open the case in a moist environment, shove a packet of silica gel in with it (you should do this anyway) and let it sit in a cool dark place for a while.

Always try to make sure the camera is cooled before hitting the water - soak it in a bucket or something beforehand.

The key is to make sure any moisture is out of the housing before you enter the water and to make sure the case is not hot when you enter the water. With a big temperature difference and/or moisture in the housing you'll get fog.

 

[jonnythan]

So how has the results of the A75 been? I'm thinking strongly of buying. Post some photos!

Thanks

Charlie

http://jonnythan.com/pictures/st_lawrence_08-19-04/

I just put up my first set of underwater pics. They were taken with the A75, and the only editing is that most of them went through an auto level and sharpen in Photoshop (most pictures from the A75 in general can go through a sharpen filter in Photoshop with good results.. the images appear soft because Canon apparently doesn't believe so much on in-camera sharpening, which I can't disagree with).

The water was obviously pretty murky - it is a river, after all - but I did get several good ones. Look at Rothesay 61, Conestoga 54, and Conestoga 15.

 

[jfmurfy]

I've found that you need to keep the camera and housing at the same temperature...usually hotels rooms are cooler than outside. If you open the housing inside your room after a dive to down load photo after a days diving, the housing and camera will cool to the rooms temp. I didn't notice this until two failed dives and quite foggy photo's.
My solution was to use the hair-dryer in the bathroom to heat up camera and housing. Once the camera is sealed in the housing,...on to the dive.


Murph'

Hi,

I took my Canon S1 IS under water last weekend. The camera housing kept fogging up. This was the first time my camera fogged. I had used it in another trip 2 months ago without having this problem. For both trips, the temperature of the water was about 28degC and ambient temperature were similar at approx. 30degC.

Why does the camera fog up and what's a good way to prevent it from happening? The fogging was so bad that my buddies thought it had flooded!

Many thanks in advance!