OT: Cold-to-warm camera work

CClub wrote on 11/30/2007, 9:34 AM

Any suggestions to prevent lens from fogging up when taping in sub-zero weather and then coming back inside to tape more? I'm going to be taping just for about 10 minutes tomorrow morning outside, and it'll likely be below zero. Last time I did this, my Sony 2100 was fine when I was outside, but then when I came right in to tape another portion, it fogged up for quite a few minutes. (The camera I will be using will be a Sony V1U, not sure if that would make any difference.)

Comments

JackW wrote on 11/30/2007, 10:39 AM

I've experienced condensation problems under similar conditions. Had to wait nearly half an hour before we could shoot again.

Any chance you can shoot indoors first, then do the outside work?

Jack

richard-courtney wrote on 11/30/2007, 11:21 AM

I suppose the old smimmer's method with their mask won't work......

I don't have a solution either. http://www.portabrace.com/productB-POL-MPD170Portabrace[/link] makes a winter glove
that keeps the body of the camera (tape transport etc) warm
but nothing really for the lens. Putting the lens cap on will reduce
the amount of available moisture but slows down the warming of
the lens. Then the only way to know if the lens is warm is to remove
the cap and watch it fog over.

EDIT: I did not find a glove for your model but contact them for more details.

farss wrote on 11/30/2007, 11:43 AM

Keep the camera in an air tight container with plenty of silica gel. This might work. The idea is to get the water out of the air inside the camera.

Bob.

CClub wrote on 11/30/2007, 4:50 PM

Awww... I was hoping that I was just being stupid and there was something obvious to do. Thanks for all the input anyways. I will take Jack's suggestion and do some of the indoor taping then the outdoor, and then wait as long as I can before using that particular camera again.

GlennChan wrote on 11/30/2007, 9:54 PM

You can stick it in a case and then bring it inside, let the temperatures equalize, and then take the camera out without condensation. Condensation might be bad for the tape and some of the parts inside the camera. (?)

I don't know if there are faster methods.

blink3times wrote on 12/1/2007, 6:01 AM

Not much you can do.

I live in Manitoba and our temps can go as low as -40F (-65 with the wind chill) so I deal with this a lot.

I tried an anti fog spray that I use for my snowmobile face mask and it works but you can only use it on the OUTSIDE lenses of the cam. Meanwhile everything else inside the cam still condenses.

You should be aware that the condensation not only forms on the lenses but everything inside the cam too.... the tape... the electronics... etc. Best thing to do is just not use the cam for 20 minutes or so when you bring it in. You could actually harm the cam while operating with excessive moisture built up on the inside.

JJKizak wrote on 12/1/2007, 6:12 AM

Best to apply the "outside" mindset and the "inside mindset". My experience in Greenland gave me the patience to wait. You might want to schedule a hot cup of coffee when returning from outside to inside and do some bullshitting with your buddies until the camera stabelizes.
JJK

farss wrote on 12/1/2007, 6:24 AM

If you've really got a problem one simple fix might be to put the camera in a cheap underwater housing, again pack it with silica gell.
If there's only dry air inside the camera then you cannot get condensation.
For a suitable underwater housing check your Sony shop, they now have a range of underwater housing that are fairly cheap. I wouldn't recommend them for anything seriously underwater but for this application they might do the trick. You'll still get condensation on the outside of the housing but that's easy to wipe off. You'll probably need to leave the camera in the housing for a period of time to dry out the air inside the camera.

Bob.

Chienworks wrote on 12/1/2007, 7:16 AM

We can't emphasize the potential for internal damage enough. Condensation can form on the tape and tape path too. A repair man showed me a video head with the actual head elements ripped right out of the drum. The cause: trying to play a tape before the camcorder had warmed up to room temperature. Condensation on the tape turned the tape surface into glue. The speed of the drum turning was enough force to do the damage.

My consumer camcorders both have dew sensors. They will refuse to operate until they think it's safe. Nice feature, as long as you're not a TV news cameraman who is willing to sacrafice a camera to get an important shot.