Bringing camera out everyday and humidity.


sin77

Senior Member
Nov 28, 2004
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I'm going to get a micro four third camera and 2 pancake lenses to put inside my sling bag for work. I wonder what precaution I should take with regard to humidity.

Factors to consider:
The camera will be permanently in my bag as I'm not going to put it into my dry cabi everyday.
My work environment is dry since there's aircon like 7 hrs per day. Other than that, no aircon for 17 hrs.
I do not use it all the time even though I bring it to work everyday. Perhaps use once or twice a week only.
I do not have a microwave oven at home though I have a small oven. Will I get food poisoning if I heat my silica gel?
Note that I have never bought any silica gel before.
Should I put my equipment into a ziplock bag?
 

What are you talking about Silica gel when you have a dry cabinet? Use it if you are concerned, don't be lazy leaving everything in the bag. Review your schedule and your purpose of having the camera. I would not bring my camera to office every day and finally it gets hardly used. Secondly, no bag is airtight, so the dry aircon air will go in similar to the humid air afterwards. Other people have a schedule of 18h dry cabinet and 6h outside.. and nothing happens. Fungus needs favourable conditions for weeks to develop, nothing that happens over night.
Ziploc will only keep the air stalled, perfect for fungus.
 

So will it work if I put silica gel in my bag so that I can permanently keep camera inside bag?
 

sin77 said:
So will it work if I put silica gel in my bag so that I can permanently keep camera inside bag?

No it won't, the bag is not airtight. The silica won't help
 

I'm going to get a micro four third camera and 2 pancake lenses to put inside my sling bag for work. I wonder what precaution I should take with regard to humidity.

Factors to consider:
The camera will be permanently in my bag as I'm not going to put it into my dry cabi everyday.
My work environment is dry since there's aircon like 7 hrs per day. Other than that, no aircon for 17 hrs.
I do not use it all the time even though I bring it to work everyday. Perhaps use once or twice a week only.
I do not have a microwave oven at home though I have a small oven. Will I get food poisoning if I heat my silica gel?
Note that I have never bought any silica gel before.
Should I put my equipment into a ziplock bag?

If you dont use it everyday.. why are you bringing and carrying everyday.. First your're carrying extra weight to work. Second what happen if its stolen? OK, Maybe you are afraid in case you need it suddenly.. nvm.. anyway.. the Zip lock bag and silica gel thing..i guess you dont have to be bothered with it. Its as good as you nv do it.
 

I do not have a microwave oven at home though I have a small oven. Will I get food poisoning if I heat my silica gel?
Note that I have never bought any silica gel before.

The rest of the bros have given quite sound advice on your other points. I shall touch this since it seems unanswered. You know when you buy new electronic gadgets like your m4/3, shoes and packets of biscuits, and they come with this little packet that say,"Do Not Eat"? Those are silica gel and they are poisonous.

Do you feel safe microwaving/frying it, and use the microwave/oven/pan on your food later? I would think more than twice ;)
 

Just get a small pouch for ur camera n then 'dump' the pouch into dry box when u return home daily. Once you leave it outside, fungus will come visit it. Some time u just sees nice skyline or other nice things, and you want to capture it with a better camera. Right?
 

to be honest, i dont care much... my m9 is always in my billingham bag.. even at home.. but i try my best to put into dry cabi once in a while if really not going out. since nothing really grows overnight.. just take out ur gear and clear it once in a while, externally.and check for any fungus growing lor (lenses).

if ur equipment is virtually untouched like for few weeks at least (not bringing out to shoot), please by all means put into the dry cabi. i shoot very regularly, so i believe it is not a must to always have a good dry humidity..
 

I guess you will need to work harder to find things to shoot? Make it a habit to bring it out everyday, snap one photo one day?
 

theITguy said:
I guess you will need to work harder to find things to shoot? Make it a habit to bring it out everyday, snap one photo one day?

Isn't his worry about camera Not being in good condition because he brings it out frequently?
 

I brought my camera around (sometime 7D sometime EPL1) almost everyday... and at times I leave them on my desk or chair without putting them back to the dry cabinet for weeks on end... so far no fungus at all... I don't see the problem with you bringing your camera everywhere.

The only issue is - rain. Nowadays, there are plenty of rain... and being caught in one is pretty norm. So if I were you, I would bring a few plastic bags in the bag. When it started to rain, just dump your camera stuff into the plastic bag and keep it in the bag. Unless the rain is really pouring, you should be alright.
 

Yup, I brought my cam out everyday too, just that wkend I will put it inside dry cabinet,

Weekday normally inside my bag and once will take it out to shoot,

So far so good also.
 

My camera is also permanently inside my bag. Just a regular "Polar" $35 backpack - not a camera bag.

I carry it everywhere; to work daily on weekdays, and on weekends at the mall, or anywhere else.

Been doing this for 2+ years. So far no problems. I think modern camera bodies and lenses are more durable than the olden days.
 

Last edited:
i think bringing the camera out everyday, anytime is good.

cus the greatest moment usually happen when i am w/o a camera.

so, i buy a topload bag and bring my camera w me, at night, i put in dry cabinet to "take the moisture out".
 

Some of you are treating cameras like some delicate cheese cake that must be refrigerated all the time

Oh please.... Cameras makers dont make cameras that need to be stored all the time.

Bring out the camera for all you want. What u can do is make sure the camera gets sunlight. Either placed it under sunlight or use it often outdoors.
 

Yup, I brought my cam out everyday too, just that wkend I will put it inside dry cabinet,

Weekday normally inside my bag and once will take it out to shoot,

So far so good also.

i use my cam daily too, but how many clicks should be clocked in order to be safe?
 

I brought my camera around (sometime 7D sometime EPL1) almost everyday... and at times I leave them on my desk or chair without putting them back to the dry cabinet for weeks on end... so far no fungus at all... I don't see the problem with you bringing your camera everywhere.

The only issue is - rain. Nowadays, there are plenty of rain... and being caught in one is pretty norm. So if I were you, I would bring a few plastic bags in the bag. When it started to rain, just dump your camera stuff into the plastic bag and keep it in the bag. Unless the rain is really pouring, you should be alright.

Or u can always get a weather seal system :) I'm even leave my water bottle in the same compartment of the bag now :p

TS, if you have a dry box... use it. You can always get a bigger dry box and dump the whole bag in there right?
 

i had 3 point & shoots before I finally went to DSLR. interval of roughly 2 years between upgrades. never seen any fungus on my point & shoots (used frequently, but not daily), despite not putting the point & shoots in drycab. same goes for my camera phones.
 

Some of you are treating cameras like some delicate cheese cake that must be refrigerated all the time

Oh please.... Cameras makers dont make cameras that need to be stored all the time.

Bring out the camera for all you want. What u can do is make sure the camera gets sunlight. Either placed it under sunlight or use it often outdoors.

while doing so, remember not to put ur raynox on the lens. my friend had a nice meltdown inside :)