Will over drying cause problem?

[BlindSpot]

Need help from expert again. Now I got myself a airtight lock and lock box and a can of silicon gel as drying agent.

I put a small pack of silicon gel inside to dry it. However, do I need to control how dry? And how to do it? I have a prosumer Canon S5IS, so will dryness cause problem like making some plastic part brittle after some time. Or cause moving parts which is oiled to be damage?

Finally, as the lock and lock box is transparent, everyday sunlight shining thru the window will hit it where I am storing it. Is that good, will it make the camera's body color fade out.

I had a pc which is jet black but after constant exposure to sunlight from the windown, I notice it have faded some bit. So will this happen to my cam also?

Sorry again for asking noob question. I am still learning as I go along.

Thanks for help in advance.

[Astin]

I think lock and lock box is air-tight, not air-seal, so moisture can still seeps in over time. And the purpose of the silica gel is to absorb the moisture, u cannot control the dryness. Best is to use a electrical dry cabinet. If u prefer to use air-tight box and silica gel, then make sure u change the gel regularly or re-heat them when change colour.

[Simon_84]

dont need to worry so much about your proconsumer...just keep it away from dust will do.
i never store my FZ5 in a dry box, just keep it in a cam bag only.
but i got a spec of white particle beneath the lens which doesnt effect the pictures and some minor dust trap beneath the display lcd.
after another overseas trip, i will send it in for cleaning.

[blive]

And please keep it away from the window. Constant long exposure to sunlight will not do any equipment any good. The UV radiation is very strong and will change the properties of the materials.

[sytan81]

if the air is too dry, it'll make the rubber parts sticky.. in worse cases, the rubber may dissolve..

in general, it is recommended to keep the humidity levels to between 40 and 50%..

the best way is to get a digicabi.. a cheap investment for your expensive equipment..

[BlindSpot]

Thanks for the advice, on man, new to spend money on more toy. Now I know why people say pro/semi pro camera is really pocket burning. Cos the desire to have the best for your camera.

Okay, will do research on digicabi.

[zzyzx]

you'll never go wrong with a dry cabinet.

[LittleWolf]

Originally Posted by sytan81 if the air is too dry, it'll make the rubber parts sticky.. in worse cases, the rubber may dissolve.. in general, it is recommended to keep the humidity levels to between 40 and 50%..

For reference, 70% RH at 20 degrees C is less humid than 40% RH at 30 degrees C. So I'd take such generic recommendations with a huge pinch of salt.