Investing In a Dry Cabinet (A Good One!)

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With passive DIY solutions, one has to check the humidity from time to time. For me I have to recharge the blue silica desiccant around 2-3 months during winters and every month during the rains. I had fungus growth on one of my lenses when I did not check the silica during the monsoon season. After that incident, I checked on a monthly basis.

While you save on money with DIY solutions, you give up your free time. Up to you which is more important.

I had 2 20 liters airtight containers & I used this DIY for 3-4-5 years & noticed that only brand new silica gel lasted longer compared to the used one which we recharged & its discharge rate was faster & then it became a headache after few months, later I realized that I had collected almost 4-5 KG's of silica gel, when u recharge them, almost half of it gets discharged while it cooled down, no matter what method use, gas or oven. Repeat this exercise after every 10-15 days for 2-3 hours, lose time & money in this process. After getting the dry cabinet I have a peace of mind & the electricity cost is quite minor, I only repent if I had done this pre-covid when things were cheaper & I would not have lost my lenses.

What did I save with this DIY, nothing. So instead of judging "THEY MUST NOT HAVE DONE IT RIGHT", save your gears.

Yes, DIY dry box solutions are short term at best. People may think they can get away with this solution for long time, but there's always a risk.

If you are just starting or don't own expensive gear, you maybe fine risking your gear. Enthusiasts with expensive collections and professionals should avoid the DIY route (unless you like the challenge  :P)

[manindra_m]

Would suggest to always invest in a dry cabinet. Even generic brands would serve its purpose than any DIY. Always worth to invest a few thousands to protect your lakhs of equipment .

[Thad E Ginathom]

Mine is a Sirui 50Ltr. Even in this small model, I have room for my spare headphones along with my my modest collection of photo gear. And I pop my hearing aids in there overnight, rather than use  the silica-gel pots.

My most valuable gear goes out with me almost every day. I don't empty the camera bag into the cabinet each night, but it all goes in there if I'm at home for two or three days.

It was eight or ten K. A good investment, I think.

[Ajay Garg]

In almost 2 decades of owning camera gear, in Mumbai and Bangalore, I had 2 lens with spots of fungus- ironically in Bangalore (I always perceived Bangalore to have less humidity than Mumbai). The culprit was me storing the lens in my padded camera bag (and bag under my bed) for many weeks (or a month or two). Since then, my gear is stored in a standard glass cupboard, with a bit of silica gel (for psychological reasons as I cannot recharge the silica frequently). I have lens that are 15 years old stored and the glass looks like the lens was purchased new, yesterday.

I would like to believe that fungus is not getting a conducive environment to grow as my equipment gets indirect light during the day, and then at night when the room's tubelight is on.

This is not to diss a dry cabinet- I am sure it has its uses, only wanted to illustrate that it is fine to not have one as well.

[Bharat Varma]

If you do a DIY solution with transparent airtight boxes and silica gel, you absolutely need to put in a hygrometer into that box where it is readily visible.
They are quite cheap at 300 bucks or so from any online source, and while they may not be high precision and/or accurate, it's the relative readings that you are most concerned with. Maintain the humidity at around 35 to 40%, and your gear ought to be safe.

For very expensive gear, it is certainly desirable to have a more reliable solution like a dry box (but even there, I'd strongly suggest using a hygrometer for additional safety).

Also, keeping gear in camera bags for extended periods of time is extremely harmful.
Not only will your lenses be highly susceptible to fungus, your rubber parts (port covers etc.) are also very likely to rot and break.

[Krish Chandran]

If you do a DIY solution with transparent airtight boxes and silica gel, you absolutely need to put in a hygrometer into that box where it is readily visible.
They are quite cheap at 300 bucks or so from any online source, and while they may not be high precision and/or accurate, it's the relative readings that you are most concerned with. Maintain the humidity at around 35 to 40%, and your gear ought to be safe.

For very expensive gear, it is certainly desirable to have a more reliable solution like a dry box (but even there, I'd strongly suggest using a hygrometer for additional safety).

Also, keeping gear in camera bags for extended periods of time is extremely harmful.
Not only will your lenses be highly susceptible to fungus, your rubber parts (port covers etc.) are also very likely to rot and break.

Some very pertinent points made. Well said.