Like any other expensive toy we've invested our hard-earned money on, our DLSRs deserves to be babied with TLC. And one way of ensuring it is well taken cared of is to store it together with its accessories in a safe place devoid of high humidity that could foster fungal growth either on the lens or on the body.
Presenting the Dry Box, a box that exactly does just that. Perfect for tagging your precious DSLR along beach trips or plain storage at home, the Dry Box comes in many different sizes and ummm, flavors. Some simply hold a ton of dessicant inside for sucking the moisture out the air while some employ electronic dehumidifiers. Other include a hygrometer for monitoring and even a sensor for detecting broken seals. Whew! Talk about technology for such a simple box. And technology comes at a price.
So since I couldn’t afford a PHP3k+ dry box, I decided to go DIY. All items were purchased from SM Hardware section.
For thousands less, you get the same air-tight, water-tight and moisture-free compartment its more hi-tech counterparts offer. Ok, it's probably not the same as those that pump air out but the Silica Gel still works as expected. If you manage to scour for Silica Gel packs from your old shoeboxes, you could shave 60 bucks more. That’s about 1 liter of gasoline already!
I could have added a Hygrometer but I really have no intention of making humidity readings, more so, monitor the humidity level inside the box. I'll just remind myself to recharge the Silica Gel everytime they’ve already sucked in enough moisture from the air. To recharge, just leave the packs under the sun or cook it very quickly in a microwave oven. until the color clears up. The Silica Gel I got turns reddish when packed.
As for the container, the dimensions I chose are good enough to store the Nikon D40 body + the long 18-200VR lens attached, a Nikon Speedlight SB-800 flash (if I decide to buy one), another small lens like the 50mm f/1.8D or even a Nikon 12-24 UWA, and several stacked filters. Perhaps even a 70-300mm would still fit sideways. Plus it’s got a neat handle for carrying around.
TIP: Never store or place your camera in the following conditions:
Presenting the Dry Box, a box that exactly does just that. Perfect for tagging your precious DSLR along beach trips or plain storage at home, the Dry Box comes in many different sizes and ummm, flavors. Some simply hold a ton of dessicant inside for sucking the moisture out the air while some employ electronic dehumidifiers. Other include a hygrometer for monitoring and even a sensor for detecting broken seals. Whew! Talk about technology for such a simple box. And technology comes at a price.
So since I couldn’t afford a PHP3k+ dry box, I decided to go DIY. All items were purchased from SM Hardware section.
- 10L Lock and Lock container: P599.75
- 1 box of Silica Gel: P64.75
For thousands less, you get the same air-tight, water-tight and moisture-free compartment its more hi-tech counterparts offer. Ok, it's probably not the same as those that pump air out but the Silica Gel still works as expected. If you manage to scour for Silica Gel packs from your old shoeboxes, you could shave 60 bucks more. That’s about 1 liter of gasoline already! I could have added a Hygrometer but I really have no intention of making humidity readings, more so, monitor the humidity level inside the box. I'll just remind myself to recharge the Silica Gel everytime they’ve already sucked in enough moisture from the air. To recharge, just leave the packs under the sun or cook it very quickly in a microwave oven. until the color clears up. The Silica Gel I got turns reddish when packed.As for the container, the dimensions I chose are good enough to store the Nikon D40 body + the long 18-200VR lens attached, a Nikon Speedlight SB-800 flash (if I decide to buy one), another small lens like the 50mm f/1.8D or even a Nikon 12-24 UWA, and several stacked filters. Perhaps even a 70-300mm would still fit sideways. Plus it’s got a neat handle for carrying around.TIP: Never store or place your camera in the following conditions:
- Direct sunlight (that's hot!)
- Wooden closet (it's very humid in here)
- Near places with water such as aquariums, sinks, laundry room (I mean why would you?)
1 Comment:
Thanks! Very informative.
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