Left Camnera and Lenses in van all week

[AndrewKulin]

Took out gear on Sunday and inadvertently left it in back row of van all week sitting in driveway (distracted by something when I got home  ...).  Wife was out of town all week and so was driving her car around otherwise this would have been seen Monday morning.  Max. temps in Toronto area was on order of 28C (82F).  Saw the camera bag sitting there this afternoon doing errands.  First though - oh crap.

The question I have is - Is my gear going to be "bleeped"?

[bill t.]

82F?  We laugh at 82F around here, and would think nothing of leaving our gear out in such weather.  I'm sure you're OK.  But you can also run a few tests, nothing fancy required.  If you're lucky your gear will have picked up some mensur style dueling scars that will make you look like a pro, and cause women to swoon.

[Ken Bennett]

Yeah, 82F is a cool day here in North Carolina in the summer. My gear lives in the back of my truck -- all the cameras, all the lights, often much of the computer gear, locked in Think Tank and Pelican cases. I've never worried about the heat, and never had a problem. Camera gear can handle a lot of abuse.

Now if it were film, you might have some issues. Not with the gear, but with the film itself.

[degrub]

add 30-40 F to the ambient if the car is closed up and parked in the sun.
That's why small children, pets,  and elderly get heat stroke and sometimes die in vehicles. Of course it depends on your latitude as well.

If the power is off, the equipment will generally be ok. # of exposures and duration add up over time.

[Kirk Gittings]

Hmmm....dude you could have just taken a test shot and checked it out to see if your camera is bleeped......would have taken less time than posting here and would have told exactly you what you needed to know.

[AndrewKulin]

Thanks all - I don't feel quite as concerned based on practices from those of you from places where 82F isn't a big deal. 

I was more worried about the heat causing longer-term issues with the lenses that I had in the bag that might not be readily apparent through a test shot or two.  My 4-year old camera appeared to operate fine on taking quick shots but its present value may be on the order of $500, the 3 lenses that I had left in the bag about 10x that value.

Thanks again

[bill t.]

Well consider that the classic method to prevent fungus infected lenses in humid climates is to store them in a hot-cabinet warmed by a light bulb inside.  Not so much an issue anymore in this era of air conditioned interiors.