Just had to pick between a dry lens cabinet and a heated one for my shop

I moved my repair bench into a damp basement last month and started seeing fungus on lenses coming in for service. So I had to choose between a dry cabinet that costs $80 or a heated one that runs $150 but keeps things more stable. I went with the heated model since I live in a humid area near the coast. Three weeks in and no new fungus spots on any stored gear. Has anyone else dealt with mold creeping into their repair space?

3 comments

3 Comments

irismartinez14d ago

Heated cabinet was the right call for a coastal basement. I keep a cheap hygrometer inside mine just to make sure it stays consistent.

jenniferw8214d ago

Oh man, I feel your pain. I had the same problem in my garage workshop last year - never saw mold until I moved a bunch of lenses and a couple old film cameras down there. I went with a heated cabinet too and it's been a game changer. The steady temp really helps keep everything dry without the air getting crusty like some of those cheap silica gel setups I tried before.

reesea4914d ago

Yeah the steady temp makes a huge difference. I've got a cheap humidity monitor in mine too and it sits right at 30-35% no matter what's going on outside. That's really all you need.