Rain Cover Just a Baggie Away
Camera shutdown from condensation.
Im going to throw out a scenario. Has this every happened to you. You are outside on a great cold winter day shooting I don’t know.. the local kids tobogganing down the snow covered hill. Capturing great stuff plus a few decent wipeouts where you say to yourself “That ones going on Youtube”. Then you take a couple kids indoors for some interviews about the activity to intercut with the video shot outside for a nice polished final cut.
Then while inside you look at your camera and low and behold, there’s a little red light on the camera you never saw before. Interesting but hardly the time to worry about it. Gotta get those kid interviews while they’re still soaking wet from that great outdoor winter days fun. So you frame up little Tommy and ask your first question. “Whats it like outside on this fine February day Tommy”? As little soaked Tommy starts to answer your camera shuts off!?? What the hell!... Whatever, so you just turn the power switch off then back on again, no problem and start to re-ask the question. Then that funny little red light shows up again then poof the camera shuts off! What the hell!? Well you've probably got an hour or more time to kill since it’s probably your cameras condensation sensor.
Blech, I hate these sensors. What they do is pick up on any moisture inside your camera. Some will even execute with just a little splash on the outside of your camera. And this sensor will not allow the camera to restart as long as it senses moisture so you get to hurry up and wait, wait and wait some more until all the moisture is evaporated and the sensor says “All CLear”
This happens because when coming inside to a warm house from a cold outside the air inside the house is warmer and likes to stick to the cold stuff, namely your camera. This warm air brings moisture with it sticking to your cold camera causing water to appear in and on the camera. This is condensation.
There is a simple fix for condensation shut down. It’s preventative and very expensive. What you’re going to have to get is a plastic bag. Oh wait, did I say expensive? I meant practically free. You just put your camera in a sealed plastic bag before you bring the camera into the warm house the condensation cannot develop on or in the camera because the air inside the house can’t get to it.
You will still have to let the camera warm up but when it does it will be dry saving you the extra time had it actually developed condensation.
I carry a rugged ziploc bag, the large kind in my camera cases. You can even simply use a plastic bag from the supermarket produce section. Just make sure you twist it tight around your camera keeping all air out.
Well, I hope this little tip helps keep you from ever seeing the nasty little condensation warning. And lets here it for baggies, Woo Hoo!!
Oh, by the way. If you are just having problems with a fogged lens. Sometimes just being outside on a rainy or extremely humid day can cause this. Try holding your lens in front of a hi watt light bulb for a minute of so. Even a car headlight can dry it out.
Good luck and keep shooting.