Fogging up

I use the Canon powershot s40 with WC-300 and a WA lens.

I just got back from a week diving in the UK and was having terrible problems with the lens fogging up. The funy thing was that it didn't always fog up straight away, but sometimes did 20 minutes into the dive, and especially on the second dive of the day.

I used the anti-fog liquid that came with the housing but it didn't seem to make any difference. I drop a couple of drops onto the lens and then wipe it round with a lens cloth, leave it to dry and then insert the camera and close the case

Anyone got any thoughts?

Thanks

Steve

Did you have the camera on throughout the dive(s)

I'm going on memory here, but I seem to recall that the ability of acrylic to transfer heat into the water is less than the mineral glass that is in the lens port. The camera is producing quite a lot of heat when it is turned on, so you have a warm environment in the housing, with the mineral glass being relatively cooler than the acrylic. This leads to condensation on the mineral glass port, and cleaning the port doesn't really help.

In aluminium housings, the reverse happens, with aluminium having a very high heat transfer capacity it is usually cooler than the port, and thus any condensation that does form is forming away from the port.

Try leaving the camera off until you see a shot you want to set up for, this may help.

If you haven't already done this, try putting desiccant pouches inside the housing. One source to get these in about any size or quantity is:

www.mcmaster.com

Try not to open the housing outside in humid conditions.

Can you close the housing before you leave an air conditioned/dry room and leave it closed until you are finished diving?

Is there room in the housing for a desiccant? For example, Olympus requires a descant for their 5050 housing to prevent fogging.

Peter, are you using desiccant's in your Ikelite housing? I never used anything in my Sony 707 Ikelite housing and it wasn't a problem. I would think the 8080 would be even better because the internal flash is not being used...or do I have it backwords?

The problem is the heat that the camera create near the batteries connectors and the small air volume in the Canon housing, Its appen a lot in all the Canon S series.

The ways to avoid or reduce it:

1. Use silica jells packs as mention early in the thread.

2. Try to close the housing in a dry place (closed rooms with AC on board are not always the best place for it)

3. I found the anti fog liquid help a little but not a lot.

4. Try to turn off the LCD viewfinder cause its the biggest electricity customer (its will also help to make longer the battery recycling time)

Mark, re "Are you using desiccant's in your Ikelite housing?"

No. And I don't know of anyone who does. But the coldest air temp here in South Florida is 45 degrees F and the coldest water temp is 70 degrees F.

Corrected some spelling.

Thanks for your thoughts.

I did try putting the camera in at the last minute but that only delayed the fogging. I was putting it in on the deck of a boat so there might have been moisture in the air, but there is only a small cabin on the boat and that has a door that is open most of the day anyway.

I will try the dessicant and see what happens. The days were warm (for UK that is!) 21 C and the water was cold 11-14 C but I have dived in temperatures like this before without problems.

I don't want to switch off the LCD as because to me that is the huge benefit of using digital: I can see the result straight away and make corrections there and then. Unfortuately with the S40 and WC-300 you have to switch the camera on when you put it in the case.

Steve

I have a Canon Powershot A80 and the only time the camera fogged up inside was when I let it sit in the sun before the dive. As soon as the cold water it the housing, the fog started. Created some pretty funky looking photos, but it was irritating. Now I leave it wrapped up in a towel in the shade until I am ready to head in the water. Also I turn it on just as entering the water as well.

I did try the dessicant packs but for some reason the camera would not work with a dessicant pack in the housing. Perhaps it "felt" the dessicant's presence? I don't know. But as soon as the dessicant was removed the camera worked. WEIRD!!!

don't want to switch off the LCD as because to me that is the huge benefit of using digital: I can see the result straight away and make corrections there and then. Unfortuately with the S40 and WC-300 you have to switch the camera on when you put it in the case.  

I usually switch off the LCD in parts of the dive when there is nothing to shoot, not all the dive, there is an option of course that I'll loose a good shot that way but I prefers it then having fog all the dive.

Alto

So do you wait until the camera goes into standby mode and then leave it in that mode (as I do -although not deliberately!!) or actually switch off the LCD?

Steve

I actually switch off the LCD, you just have to remember you done that and to switch on in the moment you want to take picture.

Btw: I prefer to cancel the auto stand by so the camera will stay ready all the dive, the return from stand by take too much time and I loosed few good shots that way.

That's a really good idea - I have lost a lot of shots like that. How do you do it? Doesn't it use up the battery too quickly?

Steve

Anyone got any thoughts?

Thanks

Steve

Steve,

I use a PowerShot A70 and the WPDC-700 case. I've only experienced fogging twice. The first time I let the case open and face up during the night and the humidity was condensing. So when I inserted the camera into the case there was a small bit of dew on the inside of the casing. Even though the temperature in the room was colder than the water temperature and humidity not condensing when I closed the case I experienced fogging at the end of the dive. At the begining of the dive the humidity was on the casing but with the temperature inside the casing slowly building up while taking pictures the sligth condensation started to vaporize. The port (glass) cool down faster than the casing (polycarbonate) and the humidity condensed only on it.

I didn't experienced this problem since I started leaving the casing overnight opened on a dry towel. I also try to put the camera in the casing early in the morning before the temperature rise and there is more humidity in the air.

The second time I experienced problem was when I dropped a very tiny drop of water in the casing after having to clean the o-ring with water. The same pattern occured: temperature rise, water vaporize, the port cool down the humidity condensed on it.

I don't bother closing the LCD I just leave the auto off feature on and a sligth touch of any control bring it live.

Hope this helps.

That's a really good idea - I have lost a lot of shots like that. How do you do it? Doesn't it use up the battery too quickly?

If you talking about the auto stand by, you can cancel it un the menu. its sure help finish the battery more quickly but since in my experience a battery is enough for 1.5 dive only I replace it after each dive so usually I don't have problems.

WetA70 , you are right that it very easy to bring back the camera to operate but its take too much time, this + the shutter lag is really too much time for me so I prefers to only close the LCD.