How do you store your cameras?

PatrickT

PatrickT

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I'm looking to de-clutter my life, starting with my camera equipment. I have several pieces of photo equipment that I want to hang onto, but don't currently use. I want to put these somewhere, out of my sight, and want to preserve them for the future.

How do you store your cameras that are not in use?

I was thinking of buying a plastic bin with a locking lid, loading the equipment in there (carefully of course), and popping it in the basement. However, I'm worried about the summer heat and humidity (being in the midwest) and the possibility of the basement flooding. What is the best (and cheapest) way to protect against these things?
 
Between the gf's 5D and handful of lenses, flashes and chargers and adapters and light modifiers and my M6 with 28mm and 90mm, we just stick our cameras in our camera bags and put them on a bookshelf (which, if it matters) has doors. We live in NY in a 1 bedroom apartment so we've got the normal muggy NY summers and not tons of space like those who would own a house.

Plus we're about 100 yards from the ocean, so salt in the air and more humidity than other places in NY.

No problems at all really. It's pretty straight forward.
 
I have converted a closet to all shelves and keep my cameras and lenses there. It has a door. I also store quite a few finished prints there in boxes. Wider spaced shelves at the bottom so I can put bags there also usually with a few things in the bags. Jim
 
You can always put bags of silica gel (the stuff that comes with trainers and computers etc.) as that takes water out of the air and will help to prevent fungus etc.
 
I store my cameras that are currently in use in camera bags with loads of padding and silica gel. No film loaded and batteries out. I then transfer them to my going out bag, depending upon what camer I want to use.

My in-storage equipment is stored in archival boxes, lined heavily with bubble wrap. I place about 10 large packets of silica in these boxes, each camera is bagged and wrapped. Each lens is wrapped in a large lens cloth (I managed to collect dozens somehow) and then again in bubble wrap.

I've never had a problem.
 
I have all my gear in a steel safe with satchets of silica gel. All lenses that are in plastic keepers have silica gel bags inside. I exercise each body through the full range of speeds every month. All batteries are removed. Don't forget to exercise the focus and apertures on lenses.
 
for long term storage, a few things i would consider is
1) take out any batteries
2) for anhthing with cloth shutters, make sure they aren't cocked
3) silica packs to suck up humidity

other than that stuff, i'd put them in that plastic case like you were saying, and have some kind of insurance against flooding.
 
For Nikon F and F2 owners, make sure the cameras are left uncocked. For Leica M's apparently it doesn't matter.
 
How much gear are we talking about?

If it's a few pieces, I just put it in my photo cabinet on the second floor of my climate controlled home with a dessicant - I use bags of rice which I replace regularly. Btw, silica doesn't last forever either.
The same precautions that have already been stated apply (ie batteries, shutter...)
Lenses can posed to be problematic.
I'd much rather be able to monitor the glass periodically to be absolutely sure small problems don't become big problems later. You just never know. 25 years and I've had no issues.

Now, hundreds of items becomes a challenge of which I have no answer.
 
t.s.k. said:
How much gear are we talking about?

If it's a few pieces, I just put it in my photo cabinet on the second floor of my climate controlled home with a dessicant - I use bags of rice which I replace regularly. Btw, silica doesn't last forever either.
The same precautions that have already been stated apply (ie batteries, shutter...)
Lenses can posed to be problematic.
I'd much rather be able to monitor the glass periodically to be absolutely sure small problems don't become big problems later. You just never know. 25 years and I've had no issues.

Now, hundreds of items becomes a challenge of which I have no answer.
Click to expand...

Are those Ridgebacks in your avatar? Bit difficult to see.
 
I've got a lockable steel drawer unit like those big red mechanics toolboxes. Drawers have desiccant canisters in them.
 
Where do you buy silica gel?

I wonder if cedar balls would work... they work instead of moth balls.
 
River Dog said:
Are those Ridgebacks in your avatar? Bit difficult to see.
Click to expand...

No, they were both rescued mutts.
The one on the right likely had some Ridgeback as his coat would shine Ridgeback Red in the fall.
Miss them dearly. Thanks for noticing.
 
I bought some eva dry 300 silica crystal units from Amazon. As they absorb moisture it changes color from blue to pink and the you can plug it in for eight to ten hours and it dries it out again ready for reuse...... works really good for me

http://www.amazon.com/Eva-dry-Renew...XFCS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1305420241&sr=8-2

they also have other sizes and also just plain silica packets and are probably available at many other places
 
When I worked in a camera store which sold a lot of s/h cameras, we never stored the cameras in their leather cases, these were kept in a separate cupboard and labled with the camera number. Leather cases can harbour mould and fungus spores which can infect your lenses.
 
...and what about folders ?

...and what about folders ?

Should MF folders be kept closed or should their belows be kept extended ?
Joao
 
I bought about 8 metal cases ($40/ ea.) here with wood/foam dividers that I cut for a compartment for each camera and lens. Labeled the contents outside w/ a Sharpie. The humidity is low here so no silica needed.
 
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