Should a lens be stopped down before storing upright or horizontal?

Having purchased a few L lenses costing $1000 - $1400 I would like some opinions of proper lens storage.
Is it better to store the lens upright or horizontal?
Lens cap facing up or down?
Update: I will personally go with horizontal in a hard shell waterproof case. I really don't want to carry a heavy hard case measuring 10" or 12" deep. Maybe I will make a climate controlled storage cabinet. lol
I'll take a look at the packaging and a you tube Canon lens unpacking video and see how they arrive packaged from the factory. That should be good enough in theory.
Should the lens be stopped down before storage? Someone implied it may be better for the iris and springs.
I don't know if stopping down the lens prior to storing is good or bad for the lubricants. Will the lubricants run or dry up?
I recall many years ago seeing some FD lenses with an internal gooey mess.

Won't make any difference unless you are talking years.
As an aside, I would advocate using, not storing lenses. Much more fun.

vision35 wrote in post #18830666
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Should the lens be stopped down before storage? Someone implied it may be better for the iris and springs.
I don't know if stopping down the lens prior to storing is good or bad for the lubricants. Will the lubricants run or dry up?

This part is out of your control on a Canon "L" (or any EF) lens, so don't even consider it.

The lens is ALWAYS wide open, when stored, or on your camera, regardless of where your aperture is set. Springs hold it wide open, and can't be set otherwise.

Only when you release a shutter does the motor stop the lens down for the fraction second required, then it springs back wide open.


I also don;t imagine upright or horizontal matters. Canon's big lenses come with storage cases that hold them horizontal, but the smaller lenses come with pouches that hold them upright. This says to me that Canon doesn't care.

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #18830805
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The lens is ALWAYS wide open, when stored, or on your camera, regardless of where your aperture is set. Springs hold it wide open, and can't be set otherwise....

Actually, there is a way you can close the aperture to whatever f-stop you want. Reverse lens macro shooters will mount the reversed lens, set the aperture to their desired aperture, press the DOF preview button and then dismount the lens with the DOF preview button pressed.. The lens will stay at the previewed aperture.

I am not advocating doing so as I really don't think it matters how the lens is stored, but it is possible. For storing a lens, I believe it's more important to make sure both front and rear caps are on , and the lens is stores in a lens bag or lens case. For lenses that came bag-less, I place them in a Ziploc. This helps keep dust off the lens.

just put the caps on, and store it however you want...

vision35 wrote in post #18830666
Should the lens be stopped down before storage? Someone implied it may be better for the iris and springs.
I don't know if stopping down the lens prior to storing is good or bad for the lubricants. Will the lubricants run or dry up?

Back in the days of fully mechanical cameras with auto-aperture lenses, you could usually release the aperture off-camera to relax the springs.

However, the fact is that springs do not take a "set." That's a myth. So it never mattered.

Also back in those days it was possible for oil-based lubricants to harden if left unattended for years. But it didn't matter whether the aperture was left opened or closed--it was going to harden either way. More of a likely problem was leaving the lens in an area of really high temperatures, like on the car seat in the summer. That really did hold the possibility of evaporating lubrication within the lens to be deposited on the interior lens elements.

As far as I can tell, modern lenses use low-friction blade coatings that don't need lubrication.

EDIT: Well, I'll be damned,.
Learn something new every day.

If springs hold the blades open I can't see where it would be beneficial to pull on them and hold them in a well stressed state. Yes I understand that it is cycles of movement that causes wear on a spring but I have also seen springs that were stretched and left for a long period and then would not recover. You be the judge.

I store all my lenses diagonally at 37.5 degrees and rotate them every third lunar cycle on the first quarter of a waxing moon.

But really though, this thought does pop into my mind from time to time when throwing lenses in a bag or something. But then I realize it's probably a silly thought and go with convenient and random placement.

vision35 wrote in post #18830666
Having a few L lenses costing $1000 - $1400

I have L lenses costing from $900 to $7,800.
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vision35 wrote in post #18830666
I would like some opinions of proper lens storage.

My opinions about lens storage? . Hmmmm.

Well, right now my 400 f2.8 is in the back seat of my car, attached to a camera body. . Not in a case or anything, just laying on the seat on top of some stuff and under some other stuff.

There's lots of misc camping gear and so forth in that backseat, so the lens and camera just kinda ends up wherever it got put when it was used last. . If I used it real recently, then it goes on top of the camping stuff and the extra clothes and folding chair. . If I haven't used it for a few days, then the extra clothes and the folding chair and stuff end up getting used and put back on top of the lens & camera. . My backseat is kinda like a geological dig - you can tell what has happened most recently by what is on top, in the middle, and on the bottom, of the layers of gear and whatnot.

I almost always leave the lenses and camera gear in the backseat of my car. . Summer. . Winter. . Spring and Fall. . At home. . Away on trips. . I really don't see any reason to carry my gear inside when all I'm going to do is carry it back out to the car at some point. . Why not just leave it in the car where I'll need it next? . Same with the camping gear, blinds, tools, extra clothes, chest waders, boots, camouflage, snacks, drinks, etc. . I just leave it all in the car all the time and then I don't have to bother packing anything when I go somewhere to do something.
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vision35 wrote in post #18830666
Is it better to store the lens upright or horizontal?

Just however they end up. . Doesn't matter. . Not worth thinking about.
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vision35 wrote in post #18830666
Lens cap facing up or down?

Lens cap? . I don't usually bother with lens caps. . No need to really. . The front elements seldom get scratched, and when they do, the little scratches don't affect the lens' performance at all. . Caps just aint worth hassling with.
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vision35 wrote in post #18830666
Should the lens be stopped down before storage? Someone implied it may be better for the iris and springs.
I don't know if stopping down the lens prior to storing is good or bad for the lubricants. Will the lubricants run or dry up?

There's no ned to consider any of this. Just put 'em wherever it's easiest and where they won't fall on anything hard, if jostled. . L lenses are really tough and you don't have to baby them or give any special attention to how they are stored or treated. Ever.



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I swaddle mine in bubble wrap and then hermetically seal in a scaled down model of the great pyramid of Giza

chuckmiller wrote in post #18837548
If springs hold the blades open I can't see where it would be beneficial to pull on them and hold them in a well stressed state. Yes I understand that it is cycles of movement that causes wear on a spring but I have also seen springs that were stretched and left for a long period and then would not recover. You be the judge.

Those must have been springs stretched beyond their design specification. That doesn't happen to a spring that is used within its design spec, whether compressed or stretched. That's a function of the fatigue capability of the metal.

Left Handed Brisket wrote in post #18837570
I store all my lenses diagonally at 37.5 degrees and rotate them every third lunar cycle on the first quarter of a waxing moon.

ed rader wrote in post #18837581
I swaddle mine in bubble wrap and then hermetically seal in a scaled down model of the great pyramid of Giza

Wow, I do both of these (depends on my mood). I didn't realize I wasn't the only one. #kindredspirits

I let mine age in an oak barrel for 16 years. the images I get are smoother, more full bodied with a distinct peaty flavor.

ed rader wrote in post #18837581
I swaddle mine in bubble wrap and then hermetically seal in a scaled down model of the great pyramid of Giza

Wise move with the pyramid,It's a well known fact that razor blades stay sharp if kept in a pyramid,I've no reason to believe that lenses would not similarly benefit,in fact I'm going to start wearing a pyramid hat to keep my wits sharp.