How to store antique & classic cameras the right way?
Peter Jonkman
Hi all,
As a keen collector of antique & classic cameras I'm looking for
information on storing them the best way. A part of my collection is in a
dust free glass cabinet in my living room. I have ensured that there falls
no direct sunlight on the cabinet, and that it is placed away from other
heat (or cold) sources.
Another part of my collection is stored in rugged aluminium cases in my
bedroom. All of the pieces are in (not very tight sealed) plastic bags,
resting in specially cut-out holes in the foam. Often, say once a month, I
wind and trip the shutter of each of my cameras at different speeds.
I think this is a good way to store them and have them on display. However,
I really want the equipment to stand the test of time. I've heard from
someone that the humidity is a crucial factor, but more than "not too much
humidity and not too dry" is everything I learned from him. But - what is
too much or too less? Should I put little bags of silica gel in the
aluminium cases? If yes, can I place these bags in direct contact with the
cameras and lenses or must they be protected?
On some camera shows, I see dealers with cameras that are completely
covered and vacuum in plastic - not in rectangular bags but perfectly
fitting in the shape of the camera. With which equipment is this done and
is can this be done without doing the cameras any harm?
Thanks in advance,
Peter Jonkman
pjon...@worldonline.nl
Bruce G. Bostwick
Peter Jonkman wrote:
> [...] I've heard from
> someone that the humidity is a crucial factor, but more than "not too much
> humidity and not too dry" is everything I learned from him. But - what is
> too much or too less? Should I put little bags of silica gel in the
> aluminium cases? If yes, can I place these bags in direct contact with the
> cameras and lenses or must they be protected?
I'd be careful placing the silica-gel too close to the camera, mainly
because some internal parts (or external in the case of later folding
Polaroids like, say, the SX-70) are rubber which can be dried out and
made rather brittle by close proximity to a desiccant. I suggest
putting a few packs in the case well away from actual contact with the
cameras, preferably several inches away. Brookstone used to sell a
marvelous little stainless steel desiccant holder that could be put in
the oven to dry out the gel when it got saturated -- you might still be
able to find these. Don't get carried away, though, unless you live in
an extremely humid area ..
--
Socialism is the radical notion that all people have rights. ;-)
=================================================================
Home page http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~lihan/
Email http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~lihan/forms/comments.html
(CGI mail gateway -- mailer not required!)
or mailto:li...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
Neal Findley
> On some camera shows, I see dealers with cameras that are completely
> covered and vacuum in plastic - not in rectangular bags but perfectly
> fitting in the shape of the camera. With which equipment is this done and
> is can this be done without doing the cameras any harm?
>
There is a device designed for home vacuum storage of food called a
Foodsaver II that can easily store any object of camera size in a vacuum
plastic bag. I have stored some collectibles with one (those that I wanted
to protect from air contact). I have been pleased with the result.
-Neal
timat...@aol.com
I would think the low air pressure would cause some of the lubrication to out gas....
Best Regards, Timothy M. Beahan, ND,DGA, Purchasing Agent,
Laser Alignment, Inc., Phone:(616)942-4610 Fax:(616)940-8609
Work E-mail: tbe...@laseralignment.com Personal E-mail: timat...@aol.com
Visit http://members.aol.com/timatlaser for more info!
Jim Williams
I'm not an expert, so the following is based solely on my own experience
and what I've read. I use my collectible cameras pretty actively -- they
spend little enough time in storage that I don't worry much about storage
conditions for them -- but here's my two cents for what it's worth:
>As a keen collector of antique & classic cameras I'm looking for
>information on storing them the best way. A part of my collection is in a
>dust free glass cabinet in my living room. I have ensured that there falls
>no direct sunlight on the cabinet, and that it is placed away from other
>heat (or cold) sources.
This sounds good. I assume the cabinet has some kind of ventilation (at
least that it's not airtight.) One of the things that promotes fungus
growth and chemical deposition is tightly-sealed storage.
>
>Another part of my collection is stored in rugged aluminium cases in my
>bedroom. All of the pieces are in (not very tight sealed) plastic bags,
>resting in specially cut-out holes in the foam. Often, say once a month, I
>wind and trip the shutter of each of my cameras at different speeds.
The aluminum cases sound good, but I'd worry about the foam. Some foams
give off plasticizer fumes as they age. I've had these fumes collect on
parts (especially optics) where they leave a grayish haze. It's not so bad
if it forms on an external surface, where it can be wiped off easily, but
the fumes can also migrate onto internal surfaces such as viewfinder optics
and inner lens elements, where they can't be removed without dissassembly.
If it were my equipment, I'd keep it in the aluminum cases but at least
prop the lids open so any fumes could dissipate.
>
>I think this is a good way to store them and have them on display.
However,
>I really want the equipment to stand the test of time. I've heard from
>someone that the humidity is a crucial factor, but more than "not too much
>humidity and not too dry" is everything I learned from him. But - what is
>too much or too less? Should I put little bags of silica gel in the
>aluminium cases? If yes, can I place these bags in direct contact with the
>cameras and lenses or must they be protected?
This is a mixed question. For metal parts, the drier the better. This
reduces the chance of corrosion. A dry environment also discourages fungus.
However, the drier it is, the faster organic parts such as bellows will dry
out. One rule of thumb I've heard is that a good humidity range is "40 to
60 percent, preferably closer to 40 percent," but no data on exactly why. I
don't think I'd worry much about the exact number as long as it didn't get
much over 60 percent.
The silica gel can be very helpful if your average humidity is higher than
this range, but the problem with it is that it "wears out" as it absorbs
humidity. You can get silica gel in flat metal canisters that include a
color-dot humidity indicator -- you use the canister until the dot changes
color, then heat the canister in the oven to "recharge" it by driving out
the water. You can use these canisters over and over -- this could be part
of the monthly "exercise" sessions you give your equipment (which also are
an excellent way to prolong its life -- cameras last longer when used
occasionally than in "dead storage.") I haven't got any of these canisters
yet as my local store only just started carrying them, but plan to add some
to my camera cabinet.
>
>On some camera shows, I see dealers with cameras that are completely
>covered and vacuum in plastic - not in rectangular bags but perfectly
>fitting in the shape of the camera. With which equipment is this done and
>is can this be done without doing the cameras any harm?
This is just an individual dealer's preference. They're using shrink-wrap
vinyl, which they wrap around the equipment and then seal with a "heat gun"
(much like a blow dryer.) *I have very grave doubts about this being good
for long-term storage* because of the plasticizer-evaporation issue
mentioned above. I think the dealers do it more to keep fingerprints off
the stuff, to avoid the risk of small parts coming off or getting broken,
to enhance the "precious object" aura of the equipment, and (in some
unscrupulous cases) to keep prospective buyers from discovering that some
functions are defective!
Again, I worry about that vinyl. Several years ago I bought a "new old
stock" black Rollei 35 -- new camera in box, but had been sitting around a
dealer's warehouse for several years. The plastic wrap of the factory
packing had left plasticizer haze on the lens elements (easily cleaned) and
viewfinder optics (NOT easily cleaned!) I've also seen this form on other
equipment I, and others, have had stored in tightly-sealed plastic bags
such as zip-lock bags. So, if I bought a shrink-wrapped camera, I'd get it
out of the wrap as soon as possible and store it in a dust-protecting but
ventilated wrapper, such as the open or loose plastic bags you're using
now. Lint-free cloth bags might be even better, but I haven't found a good
source of supply for these.
To summarize, I think the key points are: controlled humidity, freedom from
dust, good ventilation, and regular "exercise." Sounds like you're most of
the way there already...
han...@ibm.net
In <01bc33d4$f20db840$3e6693cf@mary>, "Neal Findley" <nealf...@worldnet.att.net> writes:
>
>> On some camera shows, I see dealers with cameras that are completely
>> covered and vacuum in plastic - not in rectangular bags but perfectly
>> fitting in the shape of the camera. With which equipment is this done and
>> is can this be done without doing the cameras any harm?
>>
>Foodsaver II that can easily store any object of camera size in a vacuum
>plastic bag. I have stored some collectibles with one (those that I wanted
>to protect from air contact). I have been pleased with the result.
>-Neal
How about the moisture left inside the camera when you sealed it. If the
humidity is more than 60% it will introduce fungus and rust anyway.
Won't it better to keep the camera in electrical drybox?
Hartono
Neal Findley
> How about the moisture left inside the camera when you sealed it. If the
> humidity is more than 60% it will introduce fungus and rust anyway.
> Won't it better to keep the camera in electrical drybox?
>
Actually the vaccum process removes the moisture laden air prior to sealing
so that is not a problem.
Ross Alford
In article <01bc3303$0be97920$409e099a@peter> "Peter Jonkman" <pjon...@worldonline.nl> writes:
>...stuff deleted...
>I really want the equipment to stand the test of time. I've heard from
>someone that the humidity is a crucial factor, but more than "not too much
>humidity and not too dry" is everything I learned from him. But - what is
>too much or too less? Should I put little bags of silica gel in the
>aluminium cases? If yes, can I place these bags in direct contact with the
>cameras and lenses or must they be protected?
High humidity is certainly a big problem. Lenses grow fungus, bellows grow
mold, metal grows rust and corrosion.
Living in the tropics, I have real problems with this. I deal with it by
keeping all cameras, lenses, and finders in airtight containers with
containers of silica gel in them. I buy the silica gel in bulk, and get
the sort that changes color when it has absorbed as much water as it
can. I put it in plastic specimen jars with holes cut in the lids, with
a piece of cloth screwed between the lid and the jar. This keeps the silica
gel from leaking out and making a mess, while allowing contact with the
air, and letting me look at it so I know when it changes color and needs
to be replaced and regenerated (which I do by spreading it on a cookie
sheet and baking it at about 300 degrees F until it has thoroughly changed
color back to the "dry" color, which usually seems to be blue). I then put
it in a glass jar with a tight lid and save it till next time I need to
swap.
This works pretty well--I have had no problems with fungus, etc. I do worry
a bit about effects on leather and wood. The silica gel keeps the humidity
very low, which I can imagine might damage these, or cause premature
deterioration in leather or wood, leading to cracking, etc. So far, the
only thing that has happened that I'm pretty sure I can attribute to
excessively low humidity is that all the leather has fallen off two Exaktas--
I suspect that a combination of leather shrinkage and drying of the glue
caused this.
I do recommend using bulk silica gel with an indicator--the stuff does
lose its effectiveness, and using the bulk stuff means you can tell when
it's time to change it, you can use lots of it at a time, and it's easy to
regenerate and re-use it. With the stuff in little bags, there's no way
to tell when it stops working (except eventually, when your lenses start
growing fungus). I have known people who have been using the same little
bag for literally years, with a belief that somehow it is magically able
to absorb an infinite amount of water.
I would be very interested in any comments anyone has on what to do to
prevent bad effects from excessively *low* humidity, though--maybe use
leather dressings/wood preservatives? Figure out some way to keep
humidity higher?
Cheers,
Ross
------
Ross A. Alford email: Ross....@jcu.edu.au
Department of Zoology and Tropical Ecology phone: +61 77 81 4732
James Cook University, Townsville fax: +61 77 25 1570
Qld 4811, Australia http://www.jcu.edu.au/dept/Zoology/staff/alford.htm
Ed A. Luinstra
In article <332D98...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu>,
Bruce G. Bostwick <li...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu> wrote:
>Peter Jonkman wrote:
>> [...] I've heard from
>> someone that the humidity is a crucial factor, but more than "not too much
>> humidity and not too dry" is everything I learned from him. But - what is
>> too much or too less? Should I put little bags of silica gel in the
>> aluminium cases? If yes, can I place these bags in direct contact with the
>> cameras and lenses or must they be protected?
>
>because some internal parts (or external in the case of later folding
>Polaroids like, say, the SX-70) are rubber which can be dried out and
>made rather brittle by close proximity to a desiccant. I suggest
>putting a few packs in the case well away from actual contact with the
>cameras, preferably several inches away.
If you use silica gel, it should be in a sealed space. Otherwise the
silica gel will soon be spent from contact with moist air.
The sealed space will acquire a very dry atmosphere pretty well
everywhere in that space. Where you place the silica gel is irrelevant,
except that it will get dryer quicker where the silica gel is.
Leather, cloth and paper (including rubber-coated material) contain some
moisture, and need that moisture to stay supple. A dry atmosphere is
probably not recommended for cameras with bellows made of these
materials. Rubber itself does not contain appreciable amounts of
moisture, so will not be affected.
It should be okay to store cameras and accessories with silica gel
if they were originally shipped with silica gel. It will protect against
rust and corrosion. With other items, it may not be recommended. Be
careful... damage can occur.
If the items are valuable, you should get expert advice!
===
| |
/ o \ Ed Luinstra
/ O \ Sulfur Process Consultant
(___o___) luin...@freenet.calgary.ab.ca