URGGGG... Left my lens outside

[Tamster]

Good Morning, i just realized i left my lens outside while shooting the moon last night. It was raining a bit...
Yes i'm an idiot! Does anyone know if it will work again or any ideas as to how to dry it out? The lends is foggy and has a little water in it...
I just got this camera a week before christmas!
Thank you for suggestions you may have...
Until then i will sit and see if it dries out by itself!

[kirbinster]

I'm no expert here, but I would go to the Hom Depot and buy a small tub of desiccant and place it (opened) and the lens in a large zip lock bag and let it sit for a few days to let it absorb all the moisture.

[sk66]

Rice works as well.
The problem is it is very hard to get water back out of a lens; there always seems to be a little that gets trapped which can result in mold. If it's a kit lens, let it dry as best as it will and see how it goes. If it is an expensive lens, send it to the manufacturer for maintenance.

I have opened up lenses before to get water out, but I don't really recommend it. If it's an inexpensive lens (i.e. repair would cost as much as the lens) then I might give it a shot if the lens won't dry after a couple days. Usually you can pull the screws holding the aperture end on and open it there, but there are electrical connections (usually a ribbon) and springs/detent balls/etc to get damaged/lost.

BTW, moisture in the electrical contacts can result in malfunction and even damage to the camera body in rare cases.

[Rolling Stone]

While the above have posted some good ideas, I would still take it to a Nikon dealer, or maybe even a camera shop and have them clean it up for you. I would be worried about mold and the spreading of such. Unfortunately, some mistakes come at a price. I do wish you luck and hope you can get back into the joy of photography very soon.

[freybear3]

Hi,

Stick it in the dryer, LOL......just kidding

Stick it in a bowl of rice for few hours, this should absorb the moisture in it. If this does not work, you may need to take it to the dealer for maintenance. Wish ya the best of luck.

Happy New Years!

[kelleyrie]

bowl of rice cansave many electrical things my cell has been swimming, helped me do dishes and even took a dip into a stream. Try the rice and then take it to be cleaned/serviced.

[sk66]

Any factory certified tech is going to charge minimum $150 to work on the lens. Factory will probably cost even more. And with water damage, I don't think any service provider will guarantee it against future mold/electrical issues anyways. I'd only send it off if the lens is worth at least $200 used from a reputable dealer. (i.e. Adorama/B&H/local)

[Woody]

Originally Posted by freybear3

Hi,

Stick it in the dryer, LOL......just kidding

Stick it in a bowl of rice for few hours, this should absorb the moisture in it. If this does not work, you may need to take it to the dealer for maintenance. Wish ya the best of luck.

Happy New Years!

Make sure you use boiled rice and not the fried rice we had last night with the Mongolian Lanb, the little Taiwanese prawns can do aweful things to a good lens.

Take it to your local camera shop or a pro for advice.

Cheers,

John W

[Tamster]

Thank you all so much for the ideas. It turns out it did dry out pretty good. There is a small spot on the inside lens but it doesn't show up when i take a picture.
So hopefully it will be ok.
I will keep this in mind the next time i decide to go out in the 20degree COLD to take pics of the moon, to insure I pick up all my things when I'm finished!
It was just a kit lens so I figured it wouldn't cost much to replace but was still concerned being it was only 2 weeks old!
Happy New Year to all!!
Tammy