Water in Lens

[marling]

Has anyone purchased a new Leica lens that showed up with water between the elements? I bought a new 24mm summilux-m that had "bubbles" appear after several months. I thought it was in the glass and sent it back. Leica determined that it was water "damage" and that it had been submerged at some time. The lens never left my possession and the dealer claims it didn't happen while they had it. I have to pay for repairs. Has anyone seen this before?

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I have seen water/condensation in a Schneider Xenar lens shipped via AirMail.

I suspect that it is possible when being shipped with an Air Carrier.

I opened the lens up, cleaned it out myself. Let the seller know about it, certainly not their fault.

So yes, I have seen this happen.

 

[marling]

Thanks Brian. I should have checked the lens out completely as soon as received. The dealer has been decent about it. They offered to pay half of the repair. I couldn't figure out how technicians could say it was submerged without any evidence of water anywhere else, especially metal parts. A $500+ lesson for all.

 

[oftheherd]

That is a bummer!

Brian - What would you recommend on getting a lens that was obviously shipped by air, to ensure any trapped moisture is removed? Is silica the answer, or some other los humidity storage for a few days?

 

[sevo]

In a sealed plastics bag with some fresh silica, humidity rapidly sinks to levels where condensation cannot happen any more.

But if Wetzlar diagnose the lens as having been submerged, something more disastrous than regular condensation must have happened to it. And probably in your possession - water or condensation will not show months after the event, but days at the very latest.

You don't happen to have kids or flatmates that could have borrowed your kit for a walk in the rain? And you do not live in the tropics, Arctic, a flood zone, on board of a ship or anywhere else where humidity or climate changes are extreme?

 

[marling]

Thanks for silica suggestion. Lens could not have been borrowed and I live in continental US. I did take lens to Hawaii and carried in case in bag without silica. I had no idea it was this easy to accumulate moisture. Expensive lesson!

 

[Sonnar Brian]

That is a bummer!

Brian - What would you recommend on getting a lens that was obviously shipped by air, to ensure any trapped moisture is removed? Is silica the answer, or some other los humidity storage for a few days?

As pointed out, silica in a sealed bag really helps. I use a sealed platic bag most of the time, the house is dry.

With Silica- if you are "recycling" silica packs, I have heated them in a toaster oven to get the moisture out of them. Learned this from a Honeywell Film Dryer that used a silica pack.

 

[ZeissFan]

If you're in a very humid environment. and the camera is kept in an air-condition room and then you go outside, condensation forms quickly on chilled equipment and remains until the gear gets warmer.

When I lived in Hong Kong, I kept my cameras in the warmest room in our flat (air conditioner was on low), so that when I went outside, this didn't happen.