Making lenses fogproof?

[buckeye hunter]

Anyone have any home remedies to help keep eyeglasses and non-Busnell Elite scopes from foggin' up?



Thanks!
BH

[ringo]

Use a little soap, or buy an expensive spray used on eyeglasses!

[Swamp Fox]

I've tried evey product I could find. They all work to one degree or another but it is frustrating to spend the money we do on scopes just to put something on the lense that degrades performance.
Nothing I've found works without degrading image quality. The better it works, the worse it degrades the image.

If I'm wrong please enlighten me.

[L-Roy]

Lemon Fresh Joy diswashing liquid.

One drop on lense, and enough water to rinse.  Then gently pat dry with clean cotton cloth.

[southern utah]

RainX, also helps keep dust off goggles or riding safty glasses.

another option..........scuda diving we spilt on the inside of the mask and rinse it out---- .............

[Gatofeo]

I work as a photographer for Uncle Sam.
I use a small piece of regular soap, such as Ivory. Don't use a soap with cold creams in it or any other oily substance.
Ever been to a country fair and seen that guy hawking the bright orange sticks of anti-fogger? It's soap, with orange dye. Nothing more. And you pay $5 for this "marvel of science."
Many of the liquid anti-foggers also sold at sporting shows and county fairs are just dissolved soap with a little alcohol mixed with the water --- and a fancy label. But in spray form, it's convenient to carry.
Back to the camera ...
Across the filter (I never use a camera lens without a filter) give it one heavy streak of soap and then, with a dry, clean cloth, polish it out in all directions until the filter is clear. That very thin coating of soap will not obstruct vision but will keep the filter from fogging.
The same may be done with the lenses on binoculars and rifle scopes, but the lens must be absolutely clean first. You don't want to put the soap over crud and dirt, then run the risk of scratching the lens by polishing out the soap. The same warning applies to eyeglasses.
Soap also works inside diving masks. Been years since I've spit inside my mask, since being shown this trick.
Works inside the side windows of your car too but I prefer to use the Rain-X Defogger. It's easier to apply and wipe off on large areas such as a window.
The regular, exterior Rain-X is wonderful stuff but it leaves a very thin plastic coating on glass. I don't know how this might affect optics. Soap is benign if the lens is well-cleaned before use.
I keep a chunk of soap in a plastic pill bottle in my camera bag. Works on camera filters and eyeglasses. On occasion, I have to enter a steamy environment to take photos. A thin coating of soap keeps the lens from fogging and I get the photos I need.
Soap .... it's not just for cleaning, anymore ... heh

[L-Roy]

Gatofeo, just what kind of "steamy environment" do you photograph?

 :grin:

[Gatofeo]

Well ... if I were photographing the Playmate of the Month, as you apparently suspect, globs of axle grease couldn't keep this ol' cat's glasses from steaming!  :-D
Alas, that's not the case. Uncle Sam frowns on taking nakies with his cameras ... heh.

Sometimes I have to photograph inside large shelters, where they're using hoses of warm water to wash off equipment. In that environment, steam on the lens is a problem.
I never apply the soap directly to the lens, mind you, but to the Skylight filter screwed onto the lens. If you scratch a lens, you're out of big money. Scratch a filter, and it's about $10 to replace.
I use the same trick on my eyeglasses, however. A quick swipe of  hard Ivory soap, spread around and polished off with a soft cloth, and eyeglasses may remain fog-free for many hours.
High humidity eventually "washes off" the thin layer of soap so you may have to reapply it every few hours in those conditions.

[handirifle]

Gatofeo
Thats a neat trick, I'll have to try it soon.

[1lnbrdg]

Shaving cream will also do it.

[Swamp Fox]

I've often wondered if I could get UV filters for my scopes. It was a common practice to use UV filters on camera lenses to keep dust and damage from the high dollar optics.

[maddmaxx]

As a skin-diver, they taught us to spit in our mask, rub it around, and rince to avoid fog. Also kept anyone from getting the wrong mask.

[Robert]

That only makes sense.  Soap breaks down 'surface tension'

[flintman]

Jeff.

[7magWoodsman]

I get "pink stuff" from the eye doctor, I don't know what it is called(ant-fog/rain repeller) but I have used it for 15 years and have never had a problem seeing in the rain,fog,night,or all three together...I got some "blue stuff" last time for free, I asked the optometrist for a "sample" and he gave me a little thing that looked like a hobby paint container, works great, You just put a very light amount on a lint free cloth and apply, then "buff" off with a different cloth...Baush and Lomb makes little pads(like alcohol prep pads) that work for a limited amount of time, I always carry at leat 2 in the field, although I have never needed after using the "eye doctor stuff". I wish I could remember the name of the stuff, the little container I have now does not say anything....I think maybe Fog Away or something,perhaps???

[Deadeye47]

a small dap of "shaving cream " on glass and buff it off with a soft towel  will keep your bath mirror and other surfases from steaming up...try it ... :eek:

[Micahn]

If you go to a dive shop (you know scuba diving) you can find anti fog stuff made for mask. It will work better then anything else you can find and most times is very cheap like a buck or two at most.

[Kart29]

I read that some race car drivers rub the inside of their helmet visor with the tobacco from a cigarette to keep it from fogging up.  I tried it and it didn't work too good for me.  But in a pinch it might be better than nothing.