Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Landscape Photography Locations => Topic started by: mshea on December 20, 2017, 04:06:26 pm

Title: Limiting humidity effects in Panama
Post by: mshea on December 20, 2017, 04:06:26 pm
Hi All,

I'll be shooting a wedding on the west coast of Panama in early January. I want to avoid any potential problems with humidly, so I'll be placing most of my gear in separate ziplock bags with desiccant packs in each one. Does anyone have other recommendations regarding humidity, or general suggestions? I've never shot in that region before.

Thanks,
Merrill
Title: Re: Limiting humidity effects in Panama
Post by: degrub on December 20, 2017, 05:06:24 pm
Stay out of air conditioning if you are going to shoot outside. Watch the air dewpoint temperature usually available with the local weather forecast. You want to keep your equipment temperature at least 5 degrees F above that. If the indoor air temp is at least 5-10 F above that then it should not be an issue. Otherwise, a 25 watt incandescent bulb in a closed cabinet  will keep the equipment temperature above the dewpoint of the outdoor air usually.
Title: Re: Limiting humidity effects in Panama
Post by: mlewis on December 22, 2017, 05:25:35 am
When moving kit from a colder environment to the warm and humid outside let everything acclimatise before using it so any condensation evaporates.  Make sure you factor in this time to your schedule.  This will take a few minutes.  I have taken camera gear from air conditioned rooms outside to warm humid air in Malaysia and Singapore.  Everything was fine once the kit had warmed up and the condensation that appeared on the lens and eyepiece evaporated.
Title: Re: Limiting humidity effects in Panama
Post by: degrub on December 22, 2017, 10:09:01 am
i have had issues when bringing gear back in to AC environment in Singapore after swapping lenses in the field. That was easily avoided by separating them before going in. However, when the moist air gets inside of lenses and bodies after a long day in the field, the only way to get it out is by warming the equipment and the air inside to above the outdoor dew point overnight in my experience.
Title: Re: Limiting humidity effects in Panama
Post by: digitaldog on December 22, 2017, 11:54:40 am
Stay out of air conditioning if you are going to shoot outside.
Indeed! When we were shooting on the Amazon, part of the ship wasn't air conditioned and we kept all the gear in that area. Moving from that to air conditioning was the best way to fog up all your equipment.
Title: Re: Limiting humidity effects in Panama
Post by: mshea on December 22, 2017, 05:25:26 pm
Good tips. Thanks a lot guys!
Merrill
Title: Re: Limiting humidity effects in Panama
Post by: Colorado David on December 22, 2017, 11:09:06 pm
I was on assignment with a colleague in Costa Rica. We flew a Cessna Caravan from San Juan, which is nearly 4,000 feat elevation, to a beach on the Pacific Coast side. San Juan, relatively cool and dry to the beach which was warm and humid. I put my gear in the un-air-conditioned cargo pod while my colleague kept his in the air conditioned cabin. Upon arrival at warm, humid sea level I was able to shoot immediately while his gear was fogged for an hour.