May I pick someone’s brain here?
I like photographing my tropical butterflies etc they are in a heated and very humid place, if I go in from the cold and get out my gear the first thing that happens is misting on and in lenses.
I do use Silica gel in the storage and in my bag but I would like a way of heating my bag and kit so that I did not get the condensation problems.
Any thoughts on this please.

Regards
Richard

Place camera bag in footwell of car, turn on foot level heat. Suffer for your art in summer. Camera will be well warmed up after short drive with fan on max. Seal/close bag before entering tropical enviornment.

David

Thanks David, So the Hot Foot treatment.
I think I may have solved it, using those gel “hand warmers” the ones that have a metal disc in the sachet by clicking the disc it heats up and stays warm for hours, then after use you boil for about 5 minutes till the crystals turn to liquid and this resets the cycle, I have just checked on the eBay site and the cost is only 2/3£ for three and they should do the trick also warm my hands as well.
Richard

Patience! It will take the lenses about 10 to 15 minutes in order to adjust. Do like they do in the tropic, have a hot and sweet cafe con leche (heavy coffee with hot milk) or a couple of shots of rum while the lenses get in temperature, then start shooting.

The worst problem of condensation I had was 2 years ago in Macchu Picchu with the KM 28-75 f2.8; the day before it was raining and the Stormjacket (http://www.adorama.com/VDVMSJSMB.html) I had didn't protect 100% the lens. I clean up the lens at the hotel but it get cold at night and the lens didn't had the proper environment in order to dry. The day in question wasn't rainy but warmer and extremely humid: impossible to use the lens early morning and I had to wait about a couple of hours before I used it.

Regards

The shots of rum sound good, only one problem with that, after a few shots of rum you know what happens.
Richard

Tell me about it, I always forget...

The first time I recall drinking "hard" alcohol in the morning was in a hot and humid morning, walking by el Malecon in La Havana. It was about 10:00 AM and one of the "friendly" locals start talking with me, and invited me a shot of rum: I start breathing way better and seen clear... at that moment I understood why rum is DA DRINK in the Caribbean Sea.

Of course, I only had ONE shot...

Just thinking about it enough rum, black sweet strong coffee, and who cares about condensation.
Richard

Yep the lens isn't the only thing that gets fogged.
Greg

ps. I heard that if you have a plastic bag around the camera full of air and sealed with a rubber band around the top like they do in the aquarium shop most of the dew and fog will accumulate on the inside of the plastic bag instead of inside the camera and lens; then after a suitable number of rums you can undo the bag and take the camera out. You will probably have to reverse the procedure on the way back out...with a new bag, I think I'd have a dry piece of roll towel in the bottom of the bag, or wrapped around the camera.