Storage of Equipment

[Bigmonstertruck]

I would like some suggestions for long-term storage of cameras and lenses. I have several that I do not want to get rid of, but I do not use them often. However I store them, I intend to take them out and use them on occasion to keep them lubricated and operating properly. But I am wondering if people just put them on the shelf, but them in a box with desiccant, and/or wrap them in any way. They would be stored in an air-conditioned environment.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Ed

 

[peterm1]

I found that my local "$2 store" sells a lot of well made heavy duty plastic boxes in various sizes - the airtight food storage ones with a clip lid. The one that best suits camera gear is just big enough to take a Leica M body and lens or perhaps two larger SLR zooms or several smaller prime lenses. My practice is to wrap whatever lenses / bodies I want to store in one or more micro-fibre cloths for cushioning / added protection and to place them so wrapped in one of these boxes. I usually do not bother with silica gel as my climate is pretty dry most of the year. The boxes are then stacked and stored in a walk in robe where I am pretty sure they won't often be disturbed. (Touch wood). In the case of my Leica gear a few years ago I managed to obtain some small neoprene pouches quite cheaply. These work well to protect lenses but they still go into these plastic boxes.

If needed I have sometimes found it useful to take several of these camera sized boxes and place them and their contents inside a single larger plastic storgae box. This is not usually an absolute requirement for protection but is logistically useful sometimes (ie you dont have to deal with lots of smaller boxes when moving stuff around just a few larger ones.) And if you are moving them in a car or something the extra protection is good.

But I suppose the extra protection could be useful in some other situations. Severla years ago I had a flood due to a water leak in an upstairs apartment which resulted in water coming thru the ceiling into my apartment and this arrangement saved my bacon. Not a single loss. No damage. No fungus. Phew! All those lenses and bodies were stored under my bed - which turned into a kind of shallow wading pool.

BTW if you need silica gel and cant find it cheaply. Buy silica gel type cats litter and place a small handful in a woman's stocking sock. Tie a knot in the top then place it in the box. Works fine. But get the un perfumed sort of gel. This stuff cost a tenth, or less, of what it would cost if you buy it from a camera store and seems to work identically.

Keep your cat away though 😛

 

[majid]

I use a humongous Pelican 1634 rolling case with reusable silica gel (small perforated aluminium canisters that you can recharge by putting them in the oven, purchased from McMaster-Carr).

 

[furcafe]

This is basically what I've done using big plastic storage containers (essentially plus-sized "Tupperware" or Rubbermaid tubs) for my working gear, but I see no reason why it wouldn't also work for long-term storage. I do keep some non-working cameras on display on glass-fronted book shelves where they're basically home decor (until I get them fixed). The containers I use are semi-transparent, which helps me quickly ascertain which camera or lens is in a particular container. I also don't have a need to use dessicant.

I found that my local "$2 store" sells a lot of well made heavy duty plastic boxes in various sizes - the airtight food storage ones with a clip lid. The one that best suits camera gear is just big enough to take a Leica M body and lens or perhaps two larger SLR zooms or several smaller prime lenses. My practice is to wrap whatever lenses / bodies I want to store in one or more micro-fibre cloths for cushioning / added protection and to place them so wrapped in one of these boxes. I usually do not bother with silica gel as my climate is pretty dry most of the year. The boxes are then stacked and stored in a walk in robe where I am pretty sure they won't often be disturbed.