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Weatherproofing Camera Lenses
Empire23 came up with a simple method to weatherproof camera lenses. It is designed not only to prevent water from getting into your precious camera lenses but also other nasty stuff like dust, dirt and sand. If you are the kind to slug your equipment through snow, hail and dust storms, then his home-made method might really help protect protect your lenses! All you need are :
- A piece of microfibre cloth (like ScotchBrite microfibre cloth)
- DuPont Krytox 205GPL (this is like liquid PTFE)
For those who never heard of Krytox, it is a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) polymer. This grease version is a mix of PFPE and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The GPL version provides anti-rust protection at ambient temperatures and corrosion protection at high temperatures.
Before we start though, we must remind you that this is an experimental weatherproofing method. We are only posting this article to document Empire23's experiments in weatherproofing his photography gear.
Weatherproofing camera lenses is, as far as we know, NOT an official use of DuPont Krytox. Neither is such a method sanctioned by major camera lens manufacturers like Nikon, Canon, Tamron or Tokina. Therefore, using Krytox to lubricate and weatherproof your camera lens could void its warranty or damage it. Therefore, please do NOT attempt this weatherproofing method unless you completely understand and accept the risks.
With that in mind, let's see what Empire23 did to weatherproof his Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L USM EF lens!
- Prepare the lens by giving it a good cleaning first. Use a separate cloth to wipe dry the lens. Do not use the same cloth to apply the Krytox grease.
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| This is what you need. | The edges of these focus and zoom rings are good places to apply. |
- While cleaning the lens, look for areas where dust and water can infiltrate into the lens. The edges of zoom and focus rings, and switches are obvious areas to target. We will use the focus ring as an example.
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