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Begin an adventure with a digital camera.

2. Temperature and humidity

2006-12-10

When you've read the instruction you already know the abilities of your camera.
In this chapter you will learn the things that are simply absent in the instruction.

Switched on camera allows the electric current to flow through the image sensor. The higher temperature have the significant influence on the pictures' quality (increase of the noises seen on the photo). To prevent it we should switch off the camera when we don't use it. There is also the option of the automatic switching off after 2 minutes. Then you have to remember to switch it on before the next use of the camera. It's no problem when we don't hurry. But if we wanted e.g. to take a photo of the main group of cyclists passing us buy and after pressing the button the camera occurred to be switched off you would lose to head from the frame. In instance of taking the picture of beautiful woman who pose us we simply switch on the camera when it turn out to be switched off. It doesn't matter because the posing woman won't flee us as mentioned cyclists and we won't miss an interesting photo.
When we set the automatic switching off there is a risk that the camera switch off a second before the next use. By the force of events we will miss a good take, because we didn't expected the camera's switching off in this certain moment. Switching on won't be a problem if we switch off it ourselves. In this case we should remember it's switched on.

To prevent the camera from warming up we should avoid laying it down in the sunny places (summer) or e.g. carrying behind the jacket (winter). Unfortunately, it's hard to find the perfect solution in case of winter. Keeping the camera outside will have the significant influence on the decrease of value of the batteries. The number of the photos we can take will be lower. Thus, some pulls out the batteries from the camera and keeps them in a pocket (trouser pocket is the best) and they keeps the camera outside. Unfortunately, in this case there's a need to insert the batteries before taking the photo. Next solution is to have the extra batteries, which we keep in the pocket. In this case, starting e.g. the long mountain trip we should have more than one extra set of the batteries. The first will quickly chill and lose its properties.

The next thing which can cause problems is mist over of the camera which can develop when we we enter to the warm place from the cold. This phenomenon always appear when the temperature on the walls of the camera reach the temperature of the dew point. This temperature is not constant, because it depends on the pressure and air humidity. These parameters can vary so we won't know whether we have to worry about it. In this temperature the water vapour in the air condense. Not long ago I experienced it on myself during the sightseeing of a factory where I was collecting a material to my work. After I had walked an hour on a square, where we was watching the resources yard we went for a instant to the noisy hall. Obviously, just after we'd entered I wanted to take a few photos, but the lens had misted over before I took the good position. I took a photo, but it look as taken in the thick mist.
This example taught me that not always it's possible to take a photo even if it seems that nothing is going to interrupt.

The misting over of the camera has one more inconvenience. It is dangerous for our camera. The digital camera is very fragile device and in most cases don't resistant to misting over. If the misting develop inside of the camera (what is possible), it would have an influence on the camera work. Thus, it's necessary to avoid such a situation.
The best solution is to have bag for the camera or a foil bag. The camera we should put inside such bag or foil bag and close it when we are outside. Only such secured device should be taken to the house and taken out when the temperature inside it will be the same as in the room.
When we are walking outside at the winter day we shouldn't keep the camera behind the jacket, because the water vapour can condense. It will be better if the camera stay all the time in the bag or outside, where the temperature is more balanced than behind the jacket.