Using Limiteds in mist & fog

I have a DA* 16-50 which I've rarely use - it's 12 months old. It's a nice lens, but it does not "feel" right for me. However, it 's weather resistant.Since buying this lens I have also started to collect Limiteds. I'm now deciding whether to sell the 16-50, at a big loss.

So my question: it is a cold misty/foggy day today in the UK. It would be nice to take my camera (K-5) out, but I'm nervous about using the Limiteds in these conditions. (I know I need to take care when I bring the cold camera/lenses back into a warm environment). My question is about the high (cold) humid conditions that would expose the Limiteds (and I guess the internals of the camera) to moisture. Can these conditions damage the lens ? I assume changing lenses in foggy conditions is not wise ?

I appreciate many cameras/lenses have been used in these conditions for years, but I have an option now to use the 16-50, which is better protected, or selling it and then risking the expensive Limiteds. I hope to be able to keep the Limiteds for years, so I want to take care of them.

Any advice,please ?

Thanks

I wouldn't worry about mist and fog at all

If you do decide to sell the 16-50 how much would you want for it please?

There isn't much to go awry in the little Limited's, they are tight on the lens flange to the body don't seem to suffer from water ingress there at all, not sealed but probably have little need of it. there's not much going on electronically forward of the lens mount, so not really a problem, they are very accurately machined to high tolerance levels, personally I've used them in all sorts of weather (I live near the Lake District, where you can only tell it's summer because the rain is warm!:shock. If it did fail due to water ingress you'd be on your own as far as Ricoh/Pentax are concerned however, because as they are not sealed they are not rated as such...

Weather sealed lenses aren't airtight, so I'd doubt very much that the weather sealing can completely prevent ingress of water droplets the size you get in mist. So weather-sealed lenses probably aren't any more protected against mist than non-weather-sealed lenses. That said, the fact that the air gaps are small is going to prevent most of anything getting in, sealed or not.

Secondly, the mist is only a potential problem if it adheres to the inner surfaces and then doesn't have a chance to evaporate when you bring it back indoors.

So with any lens, weather-sealed or not, you don't want to take it from a high-humidity environment to a low one, and then seal it inside a bag - leave it where the air can circulate.

Conversely, if you've been using the lens outside in very cold dry air, and then bring it into a warm, moist house, moisture from the air will condense on the lens surfaces, inside and out.

Again, the answer is to leave the camera and lens somewhere where the air can circulate - any condensation will evaporate as the gear approaches room temperature provided the air can get to it.

To prevent (most of) the condensation in the first place, put the camera in a sealed freezer bag before bringing it indoors, and then take it out once it's reached room temperature.

In practice, mist is a non-issue, as Ken says. Normal good practice (ie, don't leave lenses sealed into moist environments) is all that's needed.

I understand that we want to look after some thing new and expensive, but in the end there's no point having cameras and lenses that we're afraid to take out and use.

I don't think you'll have any problems with mist and fog.

I wouldn't worry in the slightest. Storing them well, particularly after a shoot will help a lot.

I agree with John, equipment is there to be used. I don't really worry about using lenses in the rain, even if they aren't WR

Ok, so I guess you were using the lens for a reasonable length of time outdoors (allowing the camera and lens to cool), then brought it indoors.

Then you zoomed the lens to the long end, sucking in a big gulp of warm moist air from the house. Warm air, cold surface, hence condensation.

Then once the lens' internals had warmed up to room temperature, the condensation would evaporate, and would find its way out.

Nothing to worry about.

My Canon 100-400 (dust pump) used to fog up for two days after every airshow come rain or shine it was an airing cupboard job with several sachets of silica...

There is no problem using any lens in humid conditions, as long as when it's brought back inside it is left for a while to come to room temperature so that any moisture that has entered can evaporate. The problems only start if the moisture is trapped inside.

I used many lenses when I was in extremely humid conditions in Cambodia and Vietnam for two weeks. I always left my lenses open to the air during the night in the air-conditioned hotel room and didn't have any problems. In contrast, someone on the US forums recently moved to Cambodia and tried to seal his FA limited lenses away from moisture in a plastic box while not in use. Within two weeks they all had visible fungal growth in them, because the lenses were not allowed to breath.

Well there's an example of a beautiful theory ruined by an ugly fact

I'm now even more curious - I'd have thought if it misted up inside while you were out, the innards must have been cooling down, and then been subjected to an increase in humidity.

Any phase-change specialists out there able to tell me what I'm missing here?

It was the 16-50 Gareth. It was definitely an extreme test of gear (and human endurance!) that day. I can also remember the look of horror on your face when I performed a lens change in the shelter of the pump house doorway Despite that I can't recall any problems with misting until we went into the cafe (as you would expect) and I think DM's 50-135 stayed mist free until that point too. Thinking about where your misty bridge picture was taken, if you remember we all piled back into the Jeep and drove up the valley to the bridge. We were all soaking wet (especially DM who wasn't wearing waterproofs :shock and the the heater was on full blast, so perhaps that was where the temperature/humidity differential came into play. No doubt we'll be able to test the theory again on the forthcoming .eu trip - Cold?....Rain?....in Wales?....in December?......I'm sure it'll be fine

That makes sense. Warm Jeep, high humidity, cold lens.

Phew, I don't have to relearn all my Physical Chemistry after all

A couple of years ago at T in thePark it rained non stop and on the second day my k-5 developed condensation inside the rear LCD screen, this was with a DA* 50-135mm fitted, by the morning it had dried out, but within a couple of hours later did it again. When I got home I just put it in a box with a large bag of silica. Have had it happened a few times since then but never had any issues with fungus or mould.

Thanks. Some reassuring comments. I'll remember to keep my gear well aired, rather than left in my camera bag buried in a cupboard - sounds a wise thing to do generally.