Fog/Humidity Problem

[TomNativeNewYorker]

I have a Nikon P3 digital point and shoot, and an Ikelite housing.

Last year I spent 90 days or so in Curacao using this setup for snorkeling only. On occasion, after going down 15-25 feet or so to grab a pic, I would run into the problem where the inside of the barrel portion for the lens would fog up inside and ending anymore pics to be taking that outing.

I made a small cloth bag with desiccant inside to put into the housing and this has helped a lot, but on occasion will still get fogging.

There is no other visual evidence of free water leaking into the housing, and appears only to be a humidity problem.

Any suggestions to further alleviate the fogging?

Thanks

 

[miked]

IIRC, the fogging is the result of moisture in the air inside the housing condensing.
It is especially a problem when the camera is put into the housing in warm, moist tropical air. When the camera is taken into the cooler water, you get the fogging.

To lessen the chance of this occurring, I try to load the camera into the housing in a dry, cool location-for example, in the air conditioned hotel room. it has helped to alleviate the problem.

BTW,if the dessicant packs help, perhaps add another, if it fits.

 

[danclem]

On other thought: be sure you don't leave your camera and housing in the direct sun. That is another almost assured method of fogging up a P&S housing.

Dan

 

[fatbadak]

What I normally do is leave the camera set-up in the rinse tank - this is to ensure that there isn't a leak, and it also brings the temperature down inside the housing aswell. Usually the water is cooler than the surface...it's worked for me so far. Fingers crossed.

 

[danclem]

You want to be very careful about leaving camers in rinse tanks. There are more floods in rinse tanks than in the water. Lots of camera bumping, dangling straps catching latches, etc.

Dan

 

[sylpha]

i cover mine with a towel, i guess those of you in hotter climates would use a wet towel.

 

[super7]

Pack your camera where its cool and dry, use lots of fresh dry desiccants, and keep your camera covered until you enter the water.

Ive got an Olympus SP550uz+PT037. I usually pack the camera in the hotel room, and use 2 packs of desiccants instead of one. The housing stays closed until I get back to the hotel. Some might consider this a waste, but I never use the same desiccants twice. On the boat, I keep it covered with a towel like others do. Under these regiments, my camera has never condensed.

The only time I suffered condensation was back when I was using a C-990z+PT006. Its auto power off feature forced me to open the housing to turn the camera off then back on before each dive. Once I did this on a dhoni in the Maldives, and thanks to the humid hot air, the front lens condensed like a glass of water in front of a blowing kettle when I dived.

 

[TomNativeNewYorker]

What I normally do is leave the camera set-up in the rinse tank - this is to ensure that there isn't a leak, and it also brings the temperature down inside the housing aswell. Usually the water is cooler than the surface...it's worked for me so far. Fingers crossed.

Been diving in Barbados for 2 weeks now, and dont seem to have the fogging problem. The air and water temps are the same so that may help.

Another thing i recalled when I was doing all the snorkeling in Curacao, i was spending 3 hours or more at a time in the water, shooting a lot more pics than on the dives I have been doing. i did notice that the camera was very warm when pulling from the housing after a few hours underwater use. This may be a contributing factor.

 

[sylpha]

Another thing i recalled when I was doing all the snorkeling in Curacao, i was spending 3 hours or more at a time in the water, shooting a lot more pics than on the dives I have been doing. i did notice that the camera was very warm when pulling from the housing after a few hours underwater use. This may be a contributing factor.[/QUOTE]

yes it is a contributing factor, it's also a potential problem in that the air inside the housing expands & when it goes in the water it cools and contracts this could pull water through the O ring.

i cover my housing with a towel so that the sun's rays are not directed onto the housing.

it doesn't matter where you are diving, my friend had condensation problems in Scotland last week.