I've spent some time in the tropics, and I've seen the effects that the climate can have on things. Shoes that don't dry for weeks start growing things you've never heard of. Fungi spores creep into the tiniest cracks and crevices of things you didn't even know had cracks or crevices. Things take a beating down there. So if you're living near the equator, or in another place with high humidity and some invasive nature, this new storage solution might become your new best friend.
Resembling a cross between a gun safe and mini fridge, this new Electronic Drying Cabinet from Ruggard is designed to lock up your gear and keep it at a low humidity level to prevent the growth of fungi or anything else. With a locking, rubber-sealed glass door, cushy (and adjustable) shelves, and LED lights to make sure you can find anything you put in it, this little guy seems like a perfect fit for someone living in a tropical environment, or even just a dusty one. For about $150-$250, you can have a lockable storage solution that keeps your gear from going in for repair and cleaning.
With 30L and 80L versions available, for $139.95 and $249.95, respectively, you can pick the size that will fit your precious equipment. And at that price, if you really need it, it wouldn't be unreasonable to pick up another one to be able to fit all of your gear inside. The exterior LCD display, that shows the temperature and humidity levels inside the unit, is a nice touch, and with a five-year warranty, you'll probably have to replace the shutter before replacing this box.
The unit will be available in April.
[via Leica Rumors. Header image by Arend and used under Creative Commons]
Neat idea, but only usable where there is power. I use a couple of bags of silica gel in my gadget bag and regenerate it every couple of weeks.
True -- this would be more to keep in your house/lab/office/etc for when you're not out and about with your gear. Not a perfect solution, for sure, but there's probably not one!
True, but then mould and fungus aren't really an issue when you're out and about as exposure to sunlight inhibits it. It's when you put your camera away for a few days or weeks out of direct sunlight that the problems occur. Living in Hong Kong it is quite extreme. At certain times of the year the mould grows on walls that don't get direct sunlight in just a few days. Wife lost a lens to fungus in this way.
Lately I've been putting the disassembled glass of my lenses into an oven and then an acetone bath. Helps when you already have fungus in your old lenses :)
I have used the Brono lens caps when traveling in high humidity and wet environments. (No electricity required.) Can't say how effective they are since my gear is generally stored in a low humidity environment when not traveling. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/search?Ntt=Brono%20lens%20ca...
edit: lens caps are very basic. Just a bit larger than standard caps to accommodate compartment for silica gel packets.
I live in Florida (a tropical hell most of the year) and I've never had a problem.
That said, the fear of having all my glass ruined by fungus is always lingering, but I might have to learn the hard way before spending money on a solution to a problem that I haven't seen with any of the equipment I've purchased going back to my first SLR & lens in 1998 (Canon Elan IIe and a Sigma something).
We have systems attached to our home's furnace and air conditioning systems that add humidity in winter and extract it in the summer. If we didn't have theses systems or were living in temporary or rented accommodations the Electronic Drying Cabinet would be a very economical alternative. Absent the need for a full time storage solution, the silica jel camera and lens cap system I mentioned above is an inexpensive alternative.
I just want to know how may cans of Coke i can put in this thing
A lot, but I guess this is not the best place to store cans of colas. You want it chilled.
A clear plastic storage box with an airtight seal, some inexpensive silica gel, and a humidity gauge and you're set, and at a tiny fraction of what that thing costs.
This is where I've been buying my silica gel from for years. It's a fantastic company.
http://silicagelpackets.com
They sell different types, different sized packets, and in bulk at very inexpensive prices. I buy the orange indicating type in bulk. One small bag can serve the function I described above, and what's in the article, for years. Really!
Where I end up going through much more of it is from using it in my camera bag, since those are not air tight, of course. For my camera bag I use little bags I made myself out of semi-transparent material so I can see when the silica gel has turned color, indicating it needs to be replaced or dried out.
The other thing photographers should know is to be careful about bringing gear from out of the cold or heat into the opposite. When the temps vary dramatically, like cold gear brought into a warm home, the camera should be placed inside a ziplock bag if no camera case or bag is being used or available to prevent condensation from forming on gear.
Yep, this is just like 90% of camera trinkets and gadgets and gear that's not essential and has a DIY option. Props to you for going the extra mile to find a solution yourself, I just thought this was a cool idea for people who have more budget than they have time.
You look at a Japanese photo gear catalog sometime these type and much more elaborate ones have been have been around for decades.
You can't seriously be calling this something "new"?? Dry cabinets have been around for yonks, with numerous brands making them. Aipo, Akarui, Samurai, just to name a few brands. At best, I would call this article product placement
Hi Thomas,
I didn't say that drying cabinets were new, but that this one from this brand is. Just saw it and thought it was cool if it's something you need. Wasn't paid to do product placement!
Going to have to get one of these, I lived in a water-damaged building in Kentucky with toxic mold... Will have to replace my gear but this is awesome in the meantime. Do you have any knowledge of removing mold and fungus that's already on your gear? This is such a serious problem even in the states and no one realizes it. I've been sick for months.