How to store a camera and lenses in the monsoon: dry box, silica gel and humidity

Monsoon damp is the main reason cameras and lenses grow fungus while they sit unused. This guide shows how to set up a dry box or dry cabinet, look after silica gel and keep humidity in a safe band for Canon, Nikon and Sony gear.

Clean and dry your camera, take out the battery, cap the lens at both ends and keep everything in a sealed dry box with fresh silica gel or in an electronic dry cabinet. Put a hygrometer inside and aim for about 40 to 50% humidity, which is the range Sony gives; Nikon warns against anywhere above 60%. Take the gear out about once a month, fire the shutter a few times and check the gel.

• 1. Dry and clean everything first: After a wet day out, wipe the body and lenses and let them air dry in a fan-cooled room before you pack them away. Then blow off loose dust, brush the crevices and wipe away fingerprints or grease with a soft cloth. Do not leave damp gear zipped inside a camera bag overnight, because a closed, dark and humid bag is exactly where fungus gets started.
• 2. Take the battery out: Canon and Nikon both say to remove the battery if the camera will sit unused for a long stretch. Close the battery door and, on Nikon bodies, keep the terminal cover in place. Store spare batteries in their own cases inside the same box.
• 3. Detach the lens and cap both ends: If you own a body cap and rear lens caps, separate the lens from the body before storing. Blow any dust off the mounts first, then fit the body cap and the rear cap. When you put a lens down, place it rear end up so the glass and contacts do not get scratched, and keep the front cap on.
• 4. Set up a sealed dry box or dry cabinet: A simple airtight box with silica gel inside works for one body and a couple of lenses. If you have a bigger kit, an electronic dry cabinet with a digital display keeps humidity steady without changing gel. Leave some space between items so air can move around them.
• 5. Add silica gel and keep it fresh: Put enough loose silica gel or sachets in the box to cover its base corners, away from direct contact with the glass. Colour-changing gel shows when it is saturated, and Sony says gel that has changed colour should be swapped or dried out. During the monsoon this can happen within weeks, so check it every time you open the box.
• 6. Watch the hygrometer and aim for 40 to 50%: Place a hygrometer inside the box so you can read the humidity without guessing. Sony suggests keeping cameras and lenses at about 40 to 50% relative humidity. Nikon's manuals say to avoid storing a camera anywhere above 60%, so treat that as your warning line.
• 7. Choose a good spot for the box: Keep the box in a cool room with some airflow, not on a sunny window sill, near the kitchen or in a car. Nikon says to keep cameras away from naphthalene or camphor moth balls and from equipment with strong magnetic fields such as TVs and radios. Canon also warns against places with chemicals that can cause rust.
• 8. Take the gear out once a month: Nikon suggests taking a stored camera out at least once a month, switching it on and releasing the shutter a few times. Canon gives similar advice to press the shutter now and then while the camera is in storage. Use the chance to look through each lens against a light and recharge or replace the gel.
• 9. Let gear settle after moving between AC and humid air: Canon notes that moving a camera from cold into warm air can cause condensation inside and out, and suggests sealing it in a plastic bag until it reaches room temperature. In India this often happens when you carry gear from an air-conditioned room into sticky outdoor air. If you see misting, switch the camera off and do not remove the lens, card or battery until it has fully cleared.