are neoprene bags safe?

[chris91387]

i have a lot of lenses and i try to take care of them. i store all my lenses in bags and pouches some of which are those spongy neoprene ones. i find them great for putting multiple lenses in a camera bag and keeping them all from bumping and grinding against each other.

here's my question, does anyone know (or think) if, over time, these neoprene bags slowly release chemicals which can eventually do harm do the lenses or create a haze?

 

[sevo]

Probably not chemicals, I've never heard from chemical creep or vapour damage, even though most camera light seals from the sixties to nineties were made from neoprene. But many of us know first hand, for the same reason, that neoprene will eventually rot away into greasy goo. I'd rate it safe for transportation, but not for long time storage over several years.

 

[skibeerr]

I put my stubbies in a neoprene tube so it must be ok.

 

[Dante_Stella]

Probably not chemicals, I've never heard from chemical creep or vapour damage, even though most camera light seals from the sixties to nineties were made from neoprene.

Weren't the old ones polyurethane or a similar foam? Camera seals are open cell and dissolve easily. If they were neoprene, they would be closed-cell, and the old seals wouldn't dissolve in naphtha. You'd have to use stuff that might kill you in an enclosed space.

Dante

 

[irq506]

Good question and Im glad you asked it.
Neoprene does not leech. Neoprene is good for storage for extended periods. In face it might be the single best thing out there currently for storing lenses. Neoprene does smell new, and holds odors but this is not chemical leaching. Neoprene likes natural humidity, too dry and in a decade it will dry-out itself and delaminate from the fabric. However there is no problem with too much moisture, neoprene was wetsuit material for the last 30-40 years.
I use OP/Tech pouches for everything, and I sometimes add a second layer of protection to the the bottom of the pouch, typically medium density closed cell foam sometimes found in packaging for Hard Drives.
I have used Neoprene for the last 25 years without any problem. Always use silica gel packs in your bags also, as a moisture deterrent.
I just wish there were more manufacturers making soft wraps out of neoprene for those unwieldy odd shapes such as an A7s in a cage..

 

[noisycheese]

@irq506 -

Thanks for that information. I was unaware that neoprene pouches are good for long term storage, even though I use them a lot myself.

 

[Daniel Teoli Jr.]

I use Pentax pouches. But they are expensive and sometimes hard to find.

http://static.bhphoto.com/images/images345x345/pentax_37725_lens_case_s90_100_soft_41307.jpg

 

[Sparrow]

... those drawstring microfiber pouches for sunglasses are big enough for RF lenses ... and as their base-chip is plain old polyester, as long as no errors were made in manufacture they are pretty inert up to 160c

Even if it was spun dyed and woven badly the worst effect would be a bit of dye migration as the spinning oil evaporated ... and both those are pretty benign compounds

PS ... and in textiles it's fairly normal to backcoat fabric to make it 100% waterproof ... usually a choice of neoprene or butyl and anything up to a couple of mill thick on the back of a cotton or nylon canvas, that's what they make camera bags from

 

[Sparrow]

I put my stubbies in a neoprene tube so it must be ok.

... long term storage?






.