Condensation inside Nikon 600mm PF

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andrewluke

andrewluke

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my mate took his Nikon 600mm PF out today and he noticed that the view through camera was looking foggy, when he looked through the front element the lens had condensation inside ,there was a clear circle about 15mm in diameter in the centre,is this normal?,lens is about 2 months old, he used it in light rain for 10 minutes today, below is a photo ,it's dried out a bit

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andrewluke said:
my mate took his Nikon 600mm PF out today and he noticed that the view through camera was looking foggy, when he looked through the front element the lens had condensation inside ,there was a clear circle about 15mm in diameter in the centre,is this normal?,lens is about 2 months old, he used it in light rain for 10 minutes today, below is a photo ,it's dried out a bit

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Not normal, no. There shouldn’t be condensation inside. When I have had a camera and lens get wet in a rain shower I dab them both with a soft absorbent cloth as soon as possible. I put them both in a dry cabinet when I get home. The lens is sealed to prevent water incursion but it’s not foolproof. Best to get the lens serviced ASAP to get it dried properly.
 
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It can happen under certain circumstances. The lens is weather sealed, but it's not gas sealed. So, water vapor can get inside and condensate when it's cold enough.
Keeping the lens in humid conditions for a while (at home) and then take it out at cold(er) temperatures can cause condensation. Nothing to worry about as long as it doesn't stay in that humid condition for a longer time.
 
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I'm not surprised. It's a matter of temperature changes with high humidity. Krümelkraft described it perfectly. I've also had lens fogging when the lens was in direct sunlight under some conditions. Cool glass or plastic elements combined with moist or humid air can lead to fogging.

I fix the issue by warming the lens. It can be warmed using the heater in a car or placing the item on a warm device in your home - an appliance or a heating pad set on low. I would not leave this unattended since long term moisture in a lens can lead to fungus.
 
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andrewluke said:
it happened as he was using it, it did start to rain and a couple of rain specks hit the front element but no change in temperature
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But in rain, there would be a change in humidity. As humidity increases so does the likelihood of fogging. If the lens was cooler than ambient conditions - such as being inside a camera bag which insulates - fogging is possible.
 
Sometimes one has to think throug the science of it. I'm often rethinking it hoping i got it right. How I get it is that air has a dew point temperature, depending on how moist the air is. When air touches a surface that is at a lower temp than the air's dewpoint temperature the air cools and water vapor turns into water. So if I understand it, condensation can only form on the surface where the glass is cooler than the dewpoint of the air touching it. Fogging on the outside if the lens is cooler than the warmer outside air, but condensation on the inside if the air inside the lens is warm from being indoors but outdoors is cold enough that the lens temp is below the dewpoint.

Other than taking apart, I think storing it in dry conditions will eventually let the moisture migrate.
 
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To add, once acclimated seal the lens with sufficient desiccant in an airtight container. If nothing else is available, use dry rice
I use silica gel in perforated containers in a rifle safe as routine, and dry the gel approx twice/year.
 
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The main issue with humidity is mold/fungus. As others have said, as long as it doesn't stay in those conditions for a long period of time, it's fine. Fungus in lenses is more a issue of how they are stored than how they are used. Fungus requires very specific conditions to grow so it happens more in storage.

Also, it doesn't take much time in the sun for the fungus spores to be killed, so it's usually not a problem when lenses are used regularly and not kept stored in a high humidity environment for long periods of time with zero exposure to sunlight.
 
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Yeah, a bit of gentle warmth will clear the fogging. But when the lens cools, the fogging will reappear, if the air inside the lens has not been exchanged.

To avoid fungus, it's important to get rid of the fogging, and also to reduce the humidity inside the lens. I would consider storing the lens in a sealed container with perforated silica gel canisters or pouches. The air inside the lens will slowly exchange and become dry. Rice might also work, but that is not the main purpose of rice and you might get rice dander in or on the lens.

Silica gel needs to be regenerated periodically for it to retain its drying properties.
 
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JAJohnson said:
Maybe, but if it was my lens, I’d get it serviced to be certain all moisture is removed. Fungus in a lens is not good.
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I'm not sure what type of service you suggest, but dismantling the elements of a lens for cleaning can be expensive and starts at around $500. It depends on the lens - some are difficult to take apart beyond the front element. Unless you see signs of fungus, I would just make sure the lens is dry and kept in a low humidity environment going forward. Normal service would not include any cleaning of inner lens elements or removing fungus.
 
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EricBowles said:
I'm not sure what type of service you suggest, but dismantling the elements of a lens for cleaning can be expensive and starts at around $500. It depends on the lens - some are difficult to take apart beyond the front element. Unless you see signs of fungus, I would just make sure the lens is dry and kept in a low humidity environment going forward. Normal service would not include any cleaning of inner lens elements or removing fungus.
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A service request can be made to check the lens for moisture and have it remediated. With moisture remaining in the lens, fungus is inevitable. Pay now or pay later.
 
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JAJohnson said:
A service request can be made to check the lens for moisture and have it remediated. With moisture remaining in the lens, fungus is inevitable. Pay now or pay later.
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My experience with fogging is different. I've never had any fungus show up on fogged lenses. Even internal fogging is relatively uncommon. Just get the lens good and dry.
 
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