Storing Lenses

[fafield]

What is the proper orientation for storing Nikkor lenses? Lens mount up? Lens mount down? Lens on its side? I'm asking about day-to-day storage though I suspect the answer is independent of storage duration.

Obviously, gear needs protection from too warm temperatures. I believe I take rigorously good care for my gear but I've now had two different MF lenses with sticky lubricant on the iris blades. (50mm f/1.4 AIS and Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 AIS (a lens known to be problematic in this regard.)) But in thinking about care for my gear, I'm not sure I know the answer to this question, even after 30+ years of Nikon ownership. Recommendations welcomed!

Frank Field
The Sea Ranch, California

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I always store the lenses standing face down. Use proper caps at either end.

Followed this practice since the mid '60s. No problems encountered.

Do keep in mind lenses need to be used once in a while to keep everything up and running. Focusing can get stiff if the focusing ring is not exercised now and then.

[pluton]

It is additionally recommended to avoid storage in concentrated high humidity...something not common in California, unless you live at the seashore.  Free air flow, not in sealed cases or bags.  I live two miles from the Pacific Ocean, in a typical Southern California dry climate.  I keep my modest collection of lenses in a metal drawer in a Craftsman roll around tool chest, which keeps dust off (an issue where I live) but is not sealed to air flow.

[Hugh_3170]

California and places like NZ and Japan are earthquake prone. 

If storing 'face down' in such places, then you should provide some stabilisation or protection for the lens for when/if a quake occurs.  A long tele taking a sideways tumble could cause damage to the lens itself and anything near to it.

Alternatively if stored on their sides, they could be turned from time to time (like wine bottles in a rack).

[David H. Hartman]

I store lenses face down, bayonet up with caps. May lenses have lens hoods I seldom remove. I'm fond of Tupperware #G tumbler caps on those hoods that accept them, HN-3, HS-8, HS-14, etc.

Dave who also wears a hat.

I keep the sun out of my lenses, why not my eyes.

[pluton]

California and places like NZ and Japan are earthquake prone. 

If storing 'face down' in such places, then you should provide some stabilisation or protection for the lens for when/if a quake occurs.  A long tele taking a sideways tumble could cause damage to the lens itself and anything near to it.

Alternatively if stored on their sides, they could be turned from time to time (like wine bottles in a rack).

The 100, 135, and 180 stand on end, but the 300/4 lies on it's side.  No biggie...In an big earthquake, my lenses will jump around and bump into each other.  It would be ideal to have a egg crate grid of corrugated plastic or other shock absorbing material separating the lenses from each other. 
My biggest concern in a big earthquake is not the rapid, jagged vibration that only lasts for a minute or two (or three or four in an extreme case), but that if the building were to partially collapse, the equipment is protected from falling wood beams or debris by being inside a strongly built cabinet or other storage.

[sayanda]

I keep mine in a  Peli Case, front down. Each in a padded compartment.

[Andrea B.]

My unusual, rather expensive UV-capable lenses are stored together with a plastic container of desiccant which can be renewed in the microwave when it becomes too saturated with moisture. The desiccant crystals change from deep blue to pale pink to indicate this. The plastic container is about 3" x 2".

[fafield]

Thanks to all for your helpful responses. I largely store lenses with the lens mount up. Will continue to do so based on your advise and I do think I will dig out my desiccants, warm them in the oven for a few hours and try to keep them stored with my lenses.

Having said that, I'm actually not terribly worried about humidity in California even along the coast of northern California. The dew point here rarely exceeds 13C / 55F and spends most of the year below 10C / 50F. I lived on the east coast of the U.S. for a long time and we frequently had summer dew points of 20C / 68F or warmer -- literal steam baths!

[Akira]

Hi, Frank,

Here in Tokyo, where it is very humid during the summer, I try not to "store" my cameras and lenses.  I just put them on the shelf with the rear caps down and put some silicone cloth on them to protect them from the dust by keeping them in the natural air flow.  There is no particular reason for using the "silicone" cloth: I just have some which were given gratis from the retailers when I bought the equipments.

That said, my way of storing the equipment would not be recommended for the people living close to the sea, as Keith mentioned.

I didn't have any long lenses, and my lenses didn't fall over when we had that severe one in Fukushima in 2010.

[Hugh_3170]

I recall that when I was last in Singapore that I saw at a large photographic outlet temperature and humidity controlled cabinets on sale that were specifically designed for the storage of photographic equipment and items such as precision instruments.  At first glance they looked similar to those refrigerators that have glass doors.   

I will try and dig out a brochure that I kept on these and will scan some details for a future posting.  Bear with me - I am doing tax returns at the moment and nothing seems to add up correctly.  Time for some sleep me thinks!

Thanks to all for your helpful responses. I largely store lenses with the lens mount up. Will continue to do so based on your advise and I do think I will dig out my desiccants, warm them in the oven for a few hours and try to keep them stored with my lenses.

Having said that, I'm actually not terribly worried about humidity in California even along the coast of northern California. The dew point here rarely exceeds 13C / 55F and spends most of the year below 10C / 50F. I lived on the east coast of the U.S. for a long time and we frequently had summer dew points of 20C / 68F or warmer -- literal steam baths!

[Almass]

.

[MFloyd]

Avoid dark storage places, as the absence of light (UV) combined with humidity is the ideal breeding environment for fungus.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Use your lens(es) once in a while. That will do all involved components good.

[Hugh_3170]

Thanks Almass - these are indeed the kind of glass doored storage cabinets that I saw in Singapore.