Does fogged lens = leak?

[jpsexton]

Have you cleaned the coating off the lens? Was the case stored closed where it could have built up moisture inside?

Is there a coating like a mask has that should be cleaned off? Should the housing be stored open or closed?

 

[Doc]

I recently spent 65 some dives in the Philippines with my new Olympus 5 meg point and pray camera. Great results. See my pix.

Air Conditioned room, dried everything with camera and housing laid bare. Transported it in zippered cordura bag.

Blew it out with pressurized air... or not.

Wiped the interior with tissues... or not. Toothpaste treatment.

Water temp: 83 degrees

Air temp: ranged from 80 to 90 degrees.

Result? If you use the flash a lot, these things fog the lens port.

Annoying at all the wrong moments- usually happened at 55+ minutes into the dive, I was shooting a lot- it's the Philippines, after all. Never cleared until I got back topside and aired it out.

Next time- silica dessicant packs scavenged from medications and electronics.

 

[RonFrank]

Is there a coating like a mask has that should be cleaned off? Should the housing be stored open or closed?

Do NOT remove the lens coating. It's there to mostly prevent distortion from glare, but also to help with fogging.

Most people store the housing sans the oring, so effectively open. The main thing you are trying to prevent is moisture inside. If you live in a humid environment make sure to open the housing a couple hours before the dive in a cool dry room if possible to air it out.

Transporting the housing and camera in a case like a pelican is a good idea. Do everything possible to prevent the camera from going from a cool area into a hot humid area, that is generally when they will fog. Fog can also be internal, and that's a bad thing as it means you have condensation inside the lens.

 

[jcclink]

Pack as many silica gel packs as will fit in the housing. Dive in warmer water? In the past I had fogging problems with an Oly 5050 in a Tetra housing if I shot rapidly. The housing could not dissipate the internal heat quick enough, hence a fogged port. Wasn't using gel packs thou. Silica solved the problem. Acrylic is not a good conductor of heat - aluminum is much better.

 

[AndyT]

Ditto Ron's comments.

I dive every weekend in just about the same conditions you had - warm topside, cold water.

I assemble my camera indoors in an airconditioned environment the evening prior to my dive.
The next morning I put the camera (in the housing) in a beer cooler with a couple of ice bricks and keep it there till just before I get into the water. It minimises the sudden change between ambient temp and that of the water.

 

[tstormdiver]

JP, it looks like you might have to "borrow" a little room in Chris's Beer cooler . Wonder if he'll go for that?