Avoiding fungus - does refrigerating help?

I am wondering if any one has tried or does it work?

Is it possible to store the lenses in refrigerator to avoid fungus?

if your lens is clean and dry, why would it have a problem being left out?

Unlikely. You need to keep them dry to avoid fungus. Drop some silica gel packs into your camera bag. If you already have fungus then UV light will kill it.

No I don't have fungus on my lens but when it rains here, it gets very difficult to control them, sometimes even with Silica gel. So I was wondering if there are any alternatives.

If you keep them in the refirigerator, and the environment is that humid, you'll get condensation all over the gear when you take it out, which is good for molds and fungus. Just rely on using dessicant as much as possible.

Pelican, the maker of great camera cases also sell some really good dessicant packs on their website. They are reasonable in price, encased in metal and can be reactivated(dried out) in your oven when saturated. Each one will dry a 3 cubic foot case. I used them this month in a very humid area in Uganda and everything stayed dry.

Silica gel (or similar dessicants) is a good idea, but will do absolutely nothing in an unsealed environment. In a conventional camera bag, moisture in the air will migrate in to replace anything absorbed by the silica gel as fast as it is absorbed. I believe the Pelican case is sealed with an o-ring and, if that is true, it would be a good place to use a dessicant. If you don't have such a case and still want to use a dessicant to prevent problems, put your equipment and the dessicant into a sealed bag of some sort (Zip-Lock, for example).

As already pointed out, refrigeration would be just about as good as leaving it out in the rain. A very humid atmosphere and many fungi grow quite happily at 4.C. If it really is a problem then a few packets of silica gel in a suitablly sized plastic sealing food container should do the job. You would need to replace the silica gel every now and then or dry it out in an oven.

There are some really good fungicidal creams available at most chemists.
Prevention is better than cure, always wear waterproof but breathable footwear.

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Leo

Is lens fungus something most of us should be worried about, or is this only problematic for those shooting in wet conditions? Am I the only one keeping my lenses in a camera bag rather than zip-lock bags with dessicates? Maybe I better order some dessicate packs.

My lenses - some 40 years old - have lived in camera bags with no special packing or special care taken. No problems noted with any of them.

Mine also ... at least with my old Minolta stuff I recently sold. They were all like new after 15 years.

Some of my lenses have been with me for nearly 30 years. I've lived all over the US, and taken many of them to the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and deep into the swamps of the southeast US. I've lived in the rainy Northwest for nearly 10 years and have shot in snow, fog, mist and rain. It's been my experience that as long as you take reasonably good care of your equipment, wipe it down after use in wet weather, and store it in a dry environment, fungus won't be much of an issue. If you are concerned about the environment, a sealed case and silica gel are your best bet.

Mark

The majority of fungus can be controlled if you keep the humidity low. Check you lenses by opening up the aperture wide open and shining a light through it while looking through the other end. Those desiccants are a great help but can also make your lens a happy campsite if you don't change them. After a while they get saturated with moisture and now your storing your stuff in a very moist environment. Get the strips that change color so you can tell. Another good idea is to invest in a low temp/low humidity dryer if you live in really humid climates. Zoom lenses are most problematic since to allow the elements to move inside there has to be a way for the pressure inside the lens to equalize and this means outside air and dust getting inside. I was stationed in Okinawa for 7 straight years and had to use 1lb in every case every month. I live in the desert now and my problem is keeping the lens moist enough to keep those seals moist. Ever hear what a dry 30-year-old SLR sounds like! Screech-Screech!