It is very difficult to maintain humidity level between 45% and 55% as recommended (although some dry cabinet manufacturers would recommend btwn 40% and 50%). Moreover, the "cheapo" hygrometer (humidity meter) that comes with the dry cabinet doesn't really give u an accurate reading. Usually there is a +/- 5% to 10% deviation. Personally, I have 2 hygrometers in my dry cabinet - a digital and the original analogue version. Btwn them, there is a 7% difference. Dunno which to trust...haha.... Storing equipment under 30% is said to cause the oil on those mechanical parts to dry up.
An industrial standard hygrometer, with an accuracy of +/- 1%, is the most accurate but it costs a few hundred bucks. A normal digital one, with an accuracy of +/- 5%, costs only abt $40. The choice is yours...buying a hygrometer that costs more than your dry cabinet or the cheaper one?
I had tested 3 hygrometers - 2 analogue and 1 digital - by placing them in the same dry cabinet. Guess what? All 3 gave different readings. The lowest and highest readings came from both the analogue meters while the digital one showed the average of the two. The difference between the lowest and the highest readings was 15%. That gave me a headache. Eventually, I did a "Moist Salt" test on one of them. The result seemed to show that the digital meter is the most accurate among the 3.
I actually got the information from the net but I can't recall which website though. Anyway, I am in the midst of testing out my digital hygrometer for the past 3 hrs now. It maintains at 74%, which is actually a very good sign, indicating that my meter is only 1% off (under) the mark.
I find 2 plastic boxes enough to store all my camera equipment and all my slides.
Originally posted by erwinx
unless you have a <lot> of camera equipment, an electronic dry-box just seems to be a waste of space. Also, its ugly. Whereas plastic-boxes you can hide away in some cool, dark cupboard.
So those people with electronic dry-box, care to list what you put inside them?
