GoPro Fogging Issues

Bob Hart · May 11th, 2012, 06:46 AM

Those little silicagel dessicant sachets from inside vitamin C tablet bottles, placed in a very slow fan oven for a few hours to reconstitute them and shoving them in the GoPro might be helpful to keep the insides dry.

Dano Motley · May 11th, 2012, 08:49 AM

we have had to waist much footage when the go pro fogs up. we have filmed a reality series on a river and the cameras are great for the first three minutes...then fog up...even with the inserts inside the waterproof housing.

Dano

Chris Harding · May 12th, 2012, 10:39 PM

I ran the Go Pro inside a Church yesterday at a wedding for pretty much 2 hours with no fogging on the image at all... I used the skeleton back and drilled a couple of holes in the top and bottom too AND removed the centre dome insert so it had plenty of air flow...it was a good test as it was an unusually warm day here for almost Winter (29 degrees (that's Celcius BTW!!!) plus the heat from all the people in the Church ...the camera was warm when I eventually stopped it so maybe the fact that the lens now doesn't have the dome right up against it cured the fogging????

You obviously shouldn't leave the lens unprotected shooting outdoors where it might be wet or in dusty conditions!! Seemed to work fine!!!

Chris

John Dimasii · May 14th, 2012, 07:27 PM

I have ordered JAWS Quick Spit Anti-fog Spray (1 oz.) to try. I'm going to coat the Gopro camera lens and the inside housing bubble lens. Yes I've had the lens look perfect for the first couple minutes and then fog up even with the inserts. I will be testing this spray at a race track over May 26, 27th. I'll let everybody know the results.

Chris Harding · May 14th, 2012, 07:36 PM

Hi John

Be very careful with the actual camera lens!! I have been told that the coating is very delicate (that's why it's in a housing) The guys using then out the case on quadricopters have reported the lens can easily get scratched simply from landing the copter in grass so it seems the coating is quite soft???

Maybe stick to the dome for now???? I have taken my dome out (I put the black ring back on without the clear dome to I don't lose the screws!) and it definately didn't fog up ... I would say it would be pretty safe outdoors unless there was a lot of dust/debris or obviously rain present.

Did you know that human saliva does the same job??? ...I do a fair amount of snorkelling and you always spit in your face mask and then wash it out before starting and it doesn't fog up at all!!! Hmmm maybe take the housing, spit inside the dome, and wipe it out and you have a fogging issue solved????

Interesting to know the result.????

Chris

Ray Bell · May 15th, 2012, 06:39 AM

We wash out the housing with Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo... you have to do it a couple of times...
It works for us...

Ian Newland · May 15th, 2012, 09:40 PM

I gave up on RainX antifog, breathable Gor-Tex vents and the like years ago. The single best technique is to remove all water, sweat and humid air from the inside of the GoPro housing and the camera by using air from a dried source like car/home aircon or scuba air. Back that up with a few GoPro strips if you have them or tissue paper and there will be NO fog ever. This has been tested by the members on our forum in a controlled humidity box with instruments even when a hot GoPro and housing is dumped in ice, no fog.

Even tiny residual water hiding under the white case seal is enough fog up a GoPro, so keep it clean and dry.

John Dimasii · May 16th, 2012, 06:57 PM

Chris and Ian,
I am going to try both methods. One with the anti fog mask spray and the other using the car A/C. I let you guys know the results after the 27th of this month. Maybe I'll even try the spit method also. I guess I better not put anything on the actual camera lens and stick to just the housing glass.

Ian Newland · May 21st, 2012, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Dimasii

Chris and Ian,
I guess I better not put anything on the actual camera lens and stick to just the housing glass.

Hell no, there is a coating on the camera lens that is easily scratched or marked.

Chris Harding · May 21st, 2012, 06:39 PM

Hey Ian

I actually mentioned earlier in this thread that the coating is very delicate!! People using the Hero bare (the camera not the people) on quadricopters were finding that even landing in long grass (as soft as it seems) was scratching the lens as the cameras were slung below the copter.

If it's condensation then one would also need to watch out when moving the camera from a warm car to icy outdoors???

Chris

Tom Hardwick · May 22nd, 2012, 12:41 AM

I'm very surprised to hear that the GPH's lens has a soft multi-coating as everyone else has moved to much tougher coatings these days. And my tests show much more flare when the GPH is encased in its water-proof housing - as you expect if you put any sort of non-hooded, totally uncoated filter in front of any camera you owned.

tom.

John Dimasii · May 28th, 2012, 09:12 AM

I used the air conditioning method and it worked perfectly! No fogging at all even in very humid conditions. I also coated in the inside housing glass with the Quick Spit Antifog spray for extra security. I didn't even use the GoPro antifog strips. Now only if I can figure out why the one camera showed it was recording and when I got home the card was empty! I know I had it set to video. Bad card? Not inserted properly?

Chris Harding · June 9th, 2012, 11:31 PM

Hi John

I did a wedding yesterday is very overcast conditions so I put my Hero in the skeleton case that I have already drilled some holes top and bottom and I have also removed the front dome. It ran for a little under 45 minutes and the video is absolutely perfect..no sign of any fogging at all...I think maybe taking the dome off a skeleton case (as long as it's not a dusty/wet environment) is a good idea

Chris

Tom Hardwick · June 11th, 2012, 06:02 AM

You're right - removing a plastic injection moulded, totally un-coated and unnecessary front element from your camera's lens is a very good idea indeed.

Ian Newland · June 12th, 2012, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Hardwick

You're right - removing a plastic injection moulded, totally un-coated and unnecessary front element from your camera's lens is a very good idea indeed.

GLASS, totally un-coated front element. Touch it on you lip ..cold, touch the Gopro case ...not cold.

There is a slight magnifying effect from the dome, but it's optically no different than a glass filter.

May 11th, 2012, 06:46 AM	#16
Bob Hart Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: PERTH. W.A. AUSTRALIA. Posts: 4,477	Re: GoPro Fogging Issues Those little silicagel dessicant sachets from inside vitamin C tablet bottles, placed in a very slow fan oven for a few hours to reconstitute them and shoving them in the GoPro might be helpful to keep the insides dry.

May 11th, 2012, 08:49 AM	#17
Dano Motley Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Montclair New Jersey Posts: 101	Re: GoPro Fogging Issues we have had to waist much footage when the go pro fogs up. we have filmed a reality series on a river and the cameras are great for the first three minutes...then fog up...even with the inserts inside the waterproof housing. Dano

May 12th, 2012, 10:39 PM	#18
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: GoPro Fogging Issues I ran the Go Pro inside a Church yesterday at a wedding for pretty much 2 hours with no fogging on the image at all... I used the skeleton back and drilled a couple of holes in the top and bottom too AND removed the centre dome insert so it had plenty of air flow...it was a good test as it was an unusually warm day here for almost Winter (29 degrees (that's Celcius BTW!!!) plus the heat from all the people in the Church ...the camera was warm when I eventually stopped it so maybe the fact that the lens now doesn't have the dome right up against it cured the fogging???? You obviously shouldn't leave the lens unprotected shooting outdoors where it might be wet or in dusty conditions!! Seemed to work fine!!! Chris

May 14th, 2012, 07:27 PM	#19
John Dimasii Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 27	Re: GoPro Fogging Issues I have ordered JAWS Quick Spit Anti-fog Spray (1 oz.) to try. I'm going to coat the Gopro camera lens and the inside housing bubble lens. Yes I've had the lens look perfect for the first couple minutes and then fog up even with the inserts. I will be testing this spray at a race track over May 26, 27th. I'll let everybody know the results.

May 14th, 2012, 07:36 PM	#20
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: GoPro Fogging Issues Hi John Be very careful with the actual camera lens!! I have been told that the coating is very delicate (that's why it's in a housing) The guys using then out the case on quadricopters have reported the lens can easily get scratched simply from landing the copter in grass so it seems the coating is quite soft??? Maybe stick to the dome for now???? I have taken my dome out (I put the black ring back on without the clear dome to I don't lose the screws!) and it definately didn't fog up ... I would say it would be pretty safe outdoors unless there was a lot of dust/debris or obviously rain present. Did you know that human saliva does the same job??? ...I do a fair amount of snorkelling and you always spit in your face mask and then wash it out before starting and it doesn't fog up at all!!! Hmmm maybe take the housing, spit inside the dome, and wipe it out and you have a fogging issue solved???? Interesting to know the result.???? Chris

May 15th, 2012, 06:39 AM	#21
Ray Bell Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,414	Re: GoPro Fogging Issues We wash out the housing with Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo... you have to do it a couple of times... It works for us...

May 15th, 2012, 09:40 PM	#22
Ian Newland Major Player Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 319	Re: GoPro Fogging Issues I gave up on RainX antifog, breathable Gor-Tex vents and the like years ago. The single best technique is to remove all water, sweat and humid air from the inside of the GoPro housing and the camera by using air from a dried source like car/home aircon or scuba air. Back that up with a few GoPro strips if you have them or tissue paper and there will be NO fog ever. This has been tested by the members on our forum in a controlled humidity box with instruments even when a hot GoPro and housing is dumped in ice, no fog. Even tiny residual water hiding under the white case seal is enough fog up a GoPro, so keep it clean and dry.

May 16th, 2012, 06:57 PM	#23
John Dimasii Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 27	Re: GoPro Fogging Issues Chris and Ian, I am going to try both methods. One with the anti fog mask spray and the other using the car A/C. I let you guys know the results after the 27th of this month. Maybe I'll even try the spit method also. I guess I better not put anything on the actual camera lens and stick to just the housing glass.

May 21st, 2012, 06:39 PM	#25
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: GoPro Fogging Issues Hey Ian I actually mentioned earlier in this thread that the coating is very delicate!! People using the Hero bare (the camera not the people) on quadricopters were finding that even landing in long grass (as soft as it seems) was scratching the lens as the cameras were slung below the copter. If it's condensation then one would also need to watch out when moving the camera from a warm car to icy outdoors??? Chris

May 22nd, 2012, 12:41 AM	#26
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	Re: GoPro Fogging Issues I'm very surprised to hear that the GPH's lens has a soft multi-coating as everyone else has moved to much tougher coatings these days. And my tests show much more flare when the GPH is encased in its water-proof housing - as you expect if you put any sort of non-hooded, totally uncoated filter in front of any camera you owned. tom.

May 28th, 2012, 09:12 AM	#27
John Dimasii Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 27	Re: GoPro Fogging Issues I used the air conditioning method and it worked perfectly! No fogging at all even in very humid conditions. I also coated in the inside housing glass with the Quick Spit Antifog spray for extra security. I didn't even use the GoPro antifog strips. Now only if I can figure out why the one camera showed it was recording and when I got home the card was empty! I know I had it set to video. Bad card? Not inserted properly?

June 9th, 2012, 11:31 PM	#28
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: GoPro Fogging Issues Hi John I did a wedding yesterday is very overcast conditions so I put my Hero in the skeleton case that I have already drilled some holes top and bottom and I have also removed the front dome. It ran for a little under 45 minutes and the video is absolutely perfect..no sign of any fogging at all...I think maybe taking the dome off a skeleton case (as long as it's not a dusty/wet environment) is a good idea Chris

June 11th, 2012, 06:02 AM	#29
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	Re: GoPro Fogging Issues You're right - removing a plastic injection moulded, totally un-coated and unnecessary front element from your camera's lens is a very good idea indeed.