Condensation on camera lenses?

[Thixotropic]

I have a couple of cameras mounted under some overhangs to keep them out of the rain; it works well and also seems to keep condensation from forming on the lenses. Everything else is dripping wet with condensation in the morning but the image is fine.

I'm considering mounting some additional cameras on the front of the house, but they won't be under any kind of overhang. I'm concerned that they'll get condensation on the lenses, obscuring the picture. So I'm thinking maybe put some kind of small shade over the camera to help shield it. (??)

Do any of you have issues with condensation or rain affecting your cameras? Do you have any mounted in the open, directly exposed to the weather?

[HeneryH]

Condensation on the outside of the lens or inside?

A hood or cover won't prevent condensation on the outside of the lens I would think because condensation forms from the air/surface boundary not water falling down.

[Thixotropic]

Condensation on the outside of the lens or inside?

Outside. If there's condensation on the inside the the camera is bad and needs to be fixed.

A hood or cover won't prevent condensation on the outside of the lens I would think because condensation forms from the air/surface boundary not water falling down.

That's what I thought, but there's none forming on the lens that I can see while everything else is wet.

[quest100]

Things that are open to the sky at night tend to cool down more. This is due to IR radiation from the relatively warm object to the cold sky. The cooler objects will collect more moisture from the air. The effect is smaller on overcast nights as the clouds act as a blanket. The effect is also smaller on windy nights as the increased convection causes everything to go the the air temperature.

Also the house acts as a heat source plus the eves may trap some heat.

Some parts of the country develop a very light mist overnight. A small awning protecting the lens may help with this and help even more in the rain.

The best way to see if there will be a problem is to set up a temporary camera. I use bricks or sand in a five gallon bucket to support a 2x4. To get the position I want I cut the 2x4 in half and adjust with a c-clamp. I just run the ethernet cable out through the closest door and try not to trip over it for a couple of days. This is how I located all of my cameras and made sure the FOV would be what I wanted before permanently mounting them.

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quest100