Whether you take photos as a hobby or for work, anyone with camera equipment knows it’s not a cheap investment.
From cameras to drones, lenses to external hard drives, any photographer needs to have an adequate storage solution for their camera equipment in place.
If you’re new to photography or are yet to find the right way to store your camera equipment, we’re here to help.
Storing your camera equipment properly will help to ensure your lenses and other expensive items don’t depreciate in value over the years, meaning you can resell pieces of camera gear in the future should you wish to.
To store camera equipment, you will need to:
- Remove any batteries and memory cards
- Place lens caps back on all cameras
- Find the right location to store your camera equipment
- Store your camera equipment
- Check your camera equipment regularly
1. Remove Any Batteries & Memory Cards
Before you can store your camera equipment, it’s important to remove the batteries and memory cards from your cameras.
While you might already be in the habit of keeping your batteries and memory cards inside your cameras, it’s not advisable to do this when storing your cameras for a significant time.
Additionally, if you intend to store your camera equipment in a storage unit for any period of time, you generally shouldn’t store batteries.
This comes down to the fact that batteries can leak and corrode over time, in turn damaging your valuables if they’re left unattended for too long.
Removing batteries and memory cards before storing your camera equipment, then, will ensure your camera gear remains in the best condition for longer.
From cameras to drones, lenses to external hard drives, any photographer needs to have an adequate storage solution for their camera equipment in place.
2. Place Lens Caps Back On All Cameras
It might sound simple, but when it comes to storing your collection of camera equipment, it’s essential that you place the lens caps back on all of your cameras.
Put simply, the more scratches your lenses pick up over the years the more your camera equipment’s value will decrease over time.
As such, placing the lens caps back on your cameras when not in use is not only essential for storage but also for everyday use.
It is also important because it’s better to store your camera lens face down, as this helps to minimise ‘the presence of oil in your aperture blades’. This is especially true when it comes to storing older cameras, in turn helping you to preserve more sentimental and potentially priceless cameras over the years.
3. Find The Right Location To Store Your Camera Equipment
Before you store your camera equipment for a significant period of time, you will first need to find the right location.
You will need to ensure that you’re storing your camera equipment in a dry environment. This comes down to the fact that humidity has the potential to damage your camera equipment over time, especially when it comes to camera lenses and batteries.
This premise also applies to extreme weather conditions. While hot weather can cause the glass in your camera lenses to expand and contract, cold weather can cause water vapour to condense on the cold surface of your lenses, causing damage over time.
As such, it’s important to choose a location where you can control the temperature easily, as opposed to a garage or shed.
If you intend to store your camera equipment in a storage unit, you generally shouldn’t store batteries as they can leak and corrode over time.
4. Store Your Camera Equipment
Next, it’s time to pack your camera equipment away in your chosen storage method.
There are various ways you can store your camera equipment depending on the budget that you’re working with.
From camera bags to dry cabinets, you likely already have an idea of how much you can afford to spend on a storage solution for your equipment.
While dry cabinets are more expensive, they can be great for providing you with peace of mind to ensure your camera equipment retains its value over the years.
That said, if you’re only a hobbyist with a smaller amount of camera equipment, hard camera cases will work just fine.
5. Check Your Camera Equipment Regularly
Last, but certainly not least, you will need to check your camera equipment regularly.
Whichever storage solution you choose, make sure that your camera equipment is stored in a location that you can easily access and regulate the temperature of. Additionally, it should be stored away from direct sunlight, as overexposure can also be detrimental to your expensive equipment.
Taking these steps and checking your camera equipment on a regular basis will help to ensure that you spot any issues and adapt your storage method before it’s too late.
From camera bags to dry cabinets, you likely already have an idea of how much you can afford to spend on a storage solution for your camera equipment.
We hope that this article has provided you with some insight into how to store your camera equipment to keep it in the best possible condition.
To learn more about our removals services in South Wales or purpose-built storage facilities, contact Nathan. At Falconers, we use meticulous moving techniques, passed down and perfected through generations for over 132 years, to ensure your goods are moved with expert precision and kept in perfect condition.
For more expert advice on how to pack, move and store your belongings — or other FAQs on how removals work — check out our blog page.
Written by Jemima Thomas for Falconer Removals & Storage.
