[RioRico]

Hmmm, I thought this came up a few months ago. Anyway, my current locales are both high and dry. Until I left the Arizona-Sonora border a couple days ago, lenses were either arranged in any of three camera bags plus a few in my workstation drawers. Back in the Sierras Nevada de California, those not in the Domke are mostly in small loose (non-airtight) drawers (sometimes also in small loose boxes) in small loose pine Ikea cabinets. The taller ones stand on adjacent shelves. All are capped against dust and brushfire debris. Some goodies are in loose glass Ikea cabinets. In lower moister climes, I followed my Dad's lead and had everything in foam coolers with silica gel packets. Whatever it takes...

[XATN3q]

Well, it is quite humid in my country so the best way is to store all of "My Precious" in an Air tight box, with a hygrometer and a dehumidifier.

For the air tight box I have some suggestions :
Super Lock 5050
Super Lock 5059

The 5059 can store up to 2 SLRs locked with 2 big lenses like 70-200 f2.8 and other 6 to 8 small lenses. this setting also very good for travel as I put a 42cm x 25cm foam in it and I have water-proof case for only 40~50$ , it is not as durable as the HPRC cases but for that price it rocks

[monochrome]

Maybe I'm crazy, but in over 30 years of photographing with Pentax cameras I've never much worried about humidity. I live in St. Louis - at the junction of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers - known for its variable weather and humidity. My home has a whole-house humidifier / dehumidifier attached to the HVAC system which maintains the humidity level at 35% - 55% year around.

My lenses are nearly all vintage SMC Takumar and K series, an M and three Tamrons from the 80's. One might say the FA's are nearing vintage status!! They and my cameras have survived this long without any fungus issues, so I'm not very worried. My cameras range across similar vintages.

The one thing I regret is storing my MESuper - M-50/1.4 - AF200S in the boxes on a shelf in the (damp, clammy) cellar of my first house for about 10 years. As it turns out the lens survived just fine, but the camera and flash experienced some corrosion in the atmosphere down there. I had the corroded parts replaced (aperture electronic coupling circuits and some wires) at a higher cost than just getting another MESuper and canned the flash.

I keep all my lenses in Domke canvas bags in a shelf in my closet, caps on, face-down. Camera bodies are kept the same way, body caps attached, in LX velvet bags (a real conceit). I do have a supply of the small dessicant packs that come in everything from overseas that a friend collected where he works. I have never seen more than one or two beads turn pink.

Before taking a photography outing I decide which camera to use, select lenses appropriate for the expected opportunities and carry them in a LowePro Slingshot 200 AW (for the first time ever I pulled out the weather protection cover this weekend).

I believe the best fungus prevention is getting sunlight through the lenses, so I sell anything I haven't used in six months. If I still have the original boxes and leather cases I store them in a dry cedar chest in the cellar of my current home.

[Ira]

About 15 lenses, in steamy south Florida. But since it's so steamy, the AC is basically on 365/7/24. So they just store in whatever bag.

My problem is when I leave the house, and the fear of leaving any tackle in my car for more than 10 minutes.

[netuser]

My case, for now, only home AC but either way, for now, the lens almost go everywhere with me.

[gofour3]

I keep my lenses in a lockable metal cabinet with ventilation holes. Each lens is stored in its case with a silica pouch and the top of the case left slightly open.

The room is dark and cool with no humidity issues.

[choubacca]

I'm guessing that by leaving them out without caps and stuff on would run the risk of fungus developing, but is that the only time that would happen? How much of a problem is fungus for lenses?

[dadipentak]

I keep the lenses in a drawer of a wooden filing cabinet--mostly in soft cases. It's not ideal I suppose--especially with our humidity. I've never been one to pamper equipment but I'll take 'em out (and out of the cases) a couple of times a year during low humidity periods to air them out. When I do, I put the cases in the sun--I think they're moisture traps. I also keep one of those dehumidifier things in the drawer, too but don't pay much attention to it except during extended periods of high humidity--I guess I plug it in every couple of months or so.

The thing is, I've only been into photography for a couple of years so I really don't know whether I'm being careful enough.

[Abbazz]

I store my lenses in two 100 liter dry cabinets like this one:


I plan to buy a third cabinet as I have many lenses that still do not fit in the two existing ones.

Whether you need a dry cabinet depends greatly on the humidity rate where you live. Whatever the humidity, my advice would be to always avoid storing lenses in cases, especially those leather or plastic cases that come with lenses. These cases are meant to protect the lenses in the bag when carrying them, but not for long term storage. Leather has a tendency to attract moisture and I have seen too many lenses ruined by fungus due to prolonged storage inside a tight case, despite a relatively low humidity rate in the storage building.

Cheers!

Abbazz

[OregonJim]

...my advice would be to always avoid storing lenses in cases, especially those leather or plastic cases that come with lenses. These cases are meant to protect the lenses in the bag when carrying them, but not for long term storage. Leather has a tendency to attract moisture and I have seen too many lenses ruined by fungus due to prolonged storage inside a tight case, despite a relatively low humidity rate in the storage building.

Yes, I suspect this to be the main source of fungus/mold. I don't even use those cases when carrying lenses, as the bag dividers offer more than enough protection. All my lens cases get thrown in a big box - I only save them in case I decide to sell a lens.

[figmental1978]

I store my lenses in a drawer at the bottom of my bookshelf. Inside I have about 8 lenses plus accessories and I have about 15 of the dehumidifier sachets scattered around which I replace every few months. My camera is always in it's lowerpro bag with a few of the sachets thrown in too.

[Just1MoreDave]

Scattered on the floor, sometimes on, sometimes off cameras.

That was my system too. OK, I had some cardboard boxes for slightly better organization. In January I bought some cheap plastic storage bins and drawers, so now they are almost organized. The whole room is still a leftover disaster from moving two years ago.