Desiccants and Fungus

[Bob Gentile]

Reading Darryl's thread about fungus got me wondering -- how many of you keep a container of desiccant with your lenses?

Also, any other tips to avoid fungus? None of my lenses have any now (knock on wood), but I'll be relocating to Florida within the month and I'd like to stay ahead of it.

[Dan V]

Though I live in the arid Southwest, I take no chances and keep desiccant with all my camera gear and "keeper" CT film. Perhaps not the cheapest, but convenient: http://www.zorb-it.com/Scripts/default.asp

[Harley Goldman]

I keep one in my camera pack. It is metal and I stick it in the oven when it needs to be dried out.

[Rob_5419]

Yes - I always do.

In summer, my darkroom humidity rises to 90% and I can't leave the dehumidifier on permanently. The enlarging lenses always get it.

The optical lenses are kept in a humidity controlled storage unit with loads of silica gel. It does change colour and consistency over time, so it must be absorbing what would otherwise get on the lens.

I've not been in tropical or very humid places, but if this is what happens in a temperate country, I guess others will either be treating their lenses and going high like Darryl or using dessicants....

[Darryl Baird]

glad to be of some service,

FWIW, I found the culprit "breeder" for my fungus outbreak was the old Wolly lenscap -- part leather, felt (velvet?), and paper. It had a nasty bit of mold growing around the edges. I washed it, doused it with the DeNat alcohol, and set a jam jar upside down inside the cap to help flatten it back after being so wet. I have to find my old desiccant canister and fill it with the Zorbit stuff. We live in wet, swampy Michigan and it is a mainstay of the basement.

[Dirk Rösler]

The Japanese summer, following the rainy season, is vicious. All my glass is in dry boxes which I 'air' on a dry day or in air-conditioned room.

Last week I opened a cardboard box containing plastic film holders, and they had the slightest patina of mould on them. I cleaned them all with wet towels, also wiped the exterior of everything in the dry boxes and the lenses with lens tissue and cleaner fluid.

Air circulation is best, but what house has airflow everywhere all the time? Last year one of my tripods got fungus. It's a battle of organisms.

[Mick Fagan]

I do not have one of these, but a friend who lives in Darwin, has two of these units and swears by them.

http://www.drycabinet.com.au/

Click your way to the dry cabinets section.

Mick.

[Bob Gentile]

Plenty to think about. Thanks for all the ideas!