HI All. I`m having a problem with condensation with my drone. Can anyone suggest remedies or how to prevent it happening? Am I right in thinking its not serious issue? Thanks
Mavic Air 2 Condensation Problem
- Thread starter Surfnut
- Start date
gleavitt513
Active Member
Between the outer camera casing and the actual lens? Fogging? Or is it occurring somewhere else.
I have not heard of this issue. Hopefully, someone has helpful informaiton
I'm familiar with this, but from the perspective of my mini 3 pro, which starts to suffer lens fogging as soon as the weather changes for Autumn... drove me nuts... there are a number of YouTube videos offering possible solutions, tried 'em all. It's down to the camera heating up inside the housing.
Best suggestion I found was to open the camera casing, lift the front facing part away, clean the inside face of the optical glass with meths and a cotton bud, check the silicone sealing ring is seating properly, apply a very light smear of silicone grease around it and re-assemble the two parts of the casing. Making sure you don't touch the actual lens.
Another suggestion was to replace the outer UV filter with one fitted with good quality Schott glass which provides a thermal baffle between the cold air and the hot camera.
Yes I believe so. My friend said i5 took 20 mins to clear
I just cannot understand what could cause that…
You're welcome. Fingers crossed this minimizes the problem.Wow thanks Felix. That’s ver6 helpful
In general it's very hard to mitigate condensation issues in a semi-closed space containing air (air always holds moist) where the outside & inside can have larger temperature differences... for instance, better binoculars are usually water/air tight & argon or nitrogen purged which are "dry gasses" that can't hold moist.
The condensation usually occurs on the hotter side of the thermal bridge surfaces (on surfaces that have a very low thermal resistance), glass have a much lower thermal resistance than for instance a plastic shell... so the condensation will there happen on the glass.
If the problem with fogging just occurs when you carry your drone from an outside cold temp to indoors, you can put the drone in a sealed plastic bag outside before you take it indoors & there let it come to the indoor temp still inside the bag before you take it out. But if the fogging happens in outdoors colder temps, & inside the camera & the camera is generating heat it will be nearly impossible to avoid it completely, if the air inside the glass is hotter than on the outside condensation will occur on the inner side of the glass.
Looking over the seals around the camera (preferably in a very dry & low humidity environment) can lessen the problem somewhat... but as it's still air inside, it will still contain moist that will condensate when the dew point is met on the thermal bridge surface.
The condensation usually occurs on the hotter side of the thermal bridge surfaces (on surfaces that have a very low thermal resistance), glass have a much lower thermal resistance than for instance a plastic shell... so the condensation will there happen on the glass.
If the problem with fogging just occurs when you carry your drone from an outside cold temp to indoors, you can put the drone in a sealed plastic bag outside before you take it indoors & there let it come to the indoor temp still inside the bag before you take it out. But if the fogging happens in outdoors colder temps, & inside the camera & the camera is generating heat it will be nearly impossible to avoid it completely, if the air inside the glass is hotter than on the outside condensation will occur on the inner side of the glass.
Looking over the seals around the camera (preferably in a very dry & low humidity environment) can lessen the problem somewhat... but as it's still air inside, it will still contain moist that will condensate when the dew point is met on the thermal bridge surface.
Thanks Slup. I just dont understand why this occurs on some Drones and not others, particularly as its the best (Pro) drone Ive ever owned?
PHZ
Well-Known Member
I had a Mavic Pro which had condensation on the sensor and left three round smudges on every photo. I sent it back to DJI and for three hundred dollars they fixed it with a new drone. This was a few years ago. Since then, if I fly in the winter, I use the plastic bag suggestion from slup’s post.
Can't say much specific to your model... but if a "container" isn't water/air tight moist can enter if you for instance fly or store in high humidity conditions... once there inside the semi-sealed container, it will take a very long time for it to be vented away... if the container on top of that generate heat internally the inside fogging will occur even quicker if the outside is colder than the inside.
So the differences you refer to can originate from individual differences in the assembly, how well it have been sealed, in which conditions you have used it and the design regarding internal heating.
PHZ
Well-Known Member
I would use the airtight bag both directions until the drone acclimates to the ambient temperature.
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