Wide angle lens condensation issues

[Wiggsy]

I have an Oly C5000z in a housing with an Epoque wide angle 'wet lens' fitted with a 46mm thread. I went from Fiji with few condensation issues to Tonga where the water was a bit cooler, and straight away started to get soft images with poor colour saturation. My whale shots were thus a little ordinary....The culprit is definitely condensation inside the lens barrel. I can easily remove the front lens plate (which is simply accessed by removing a lens ferrule ring and o-ring), but am less certain about opening up the rear (housing end) of the lens. This requires removal of 6 small jeweller's screws and I'm concerned all the lens bits might just fall out with me unable to replace them in correct sequence! I can see condensation appear inside the lens element assembly whenever the lens comes from a warm environment into a cooler environment.

Just wondering if anyone out there in cyberdiverworld has had the same experience and knows how to fix it? Obviously the lens must have oozed a tiny microscopic amount of water into it at some stage.

Thanks

Wiggsy. P>S> Look at my Tiger Shark photos from Beqa Lagoon, Fiji, July 2007 in my gallery. Very up close and personal. The best dive I've ever done.

 

[Wiggsy]

Anyone out there ever have this problem? Wide angle lens condensation issues?

Hello?

 

[ScubaSteve]

Sorry ....I missed the word INSIDE on your post. What I have written here works perfectly well if the condensation is between the housing lens and the exterior lens but obviously not if it is inside the external lens itself.



The only thing I can mention is that if you put the lens on in the HOT air (surface) and drop to where the temperature is cooler, the air may cool and condense. Try putting the lens on underwater so that there is no way of condensing. Just a thought but it seemed to work for me.

I had this probelm where I put the lens on in 85 degree "air" and dropped to the wreck I was diving and the thermocline was well above me with a temp of 45 degrees at depth. This is where it happened....camera could not focus, foggy pictures etc. I think this will correct your problem. Let me know if it did.

 

[Carl_Fallon]

G'Day Mate,

Removing lenses could cause some big issues. I wouldnt be too keen on opening any of my lenses up!

How do you store your lense? Maybe leave it out in an airconditioned room for a week or so might solve some of your issue about getting the moisture out??? But from what you have said it seems like it is no longer a sealed 'Wet Lense'. You might want to look at sending it back to epoque! or contact them direct for directions.

If it has got water in it once, it will happen again unless you fix the issue. And i can only imagine it would get worst with time. I really would consider contacting the manufacture!

I have a dry wide angle lense with extra port form Olympus C8080. I have only ever experience fogging in the Port in similar circumstances. Rapid temperature changes! And probably when i think about it when handling my gear with damp hands of a dive, dive, dive trip!

Yours Truly,
Carl Fallon:14:

 

[Allison Finch]

All temperature condensation should be on the outside of a sealed lens. I would think that some moisture has gotten inside that lens and it condenses with temperature changes. Only thing to do is either send it back or attempt to dry it yourself. If you can safely remove one lens, you could put it inside a pillow case and use a blowdryer to shoot air into it (on LOW heat) to dry it out. This works for flooded housings and should work here too.

I have never had condensation problems with my wet mounted lenses.

 

[Wiggsy]

Thanks - some good advice from various sources. Yes - it would appear water is where it shouldn't be - condensatinon can only occur if there is moisture there in the first place. I think I will send it back to Epoque (Cairns U/W/ Digital centre here in Oz. deal with Epoque) as apparently the lens does need to be flushed with Nitrogen prior to re-assembly. Story is that that prevents condensation (in theory at least.) Bit of a bugger..but that's diving I guess.