The auto lens cap does not open fully when the outside humidity is high e.g. when it starts to drizzle. The camera itself can handle few drops of water but the cap starts misbehaving. Since this happens on vacation, I was short on tools to run experiments with.
At first I thought it was salt water that was causing the problem. So I dunked the cap in the water and thoroughly flushed it out. Amazing, after drying overnight it worked flawlessly until I found myself in another rain shower.
I am thinking to myself, "I need WD-40". Now I thank my lucky stars that I did NOT have quick access to WD-40 in Bora Bora
(Do ask me how was my trip to Bora Bora! - Answer: absolutely unbelievable! You have to put it on your bucket list)
After coming home, I decided to bring out the latent scientist in me. I had couple of extra hotel door key cards aka credit cards from the trip. I put a tiny droplet of WD-40 between the two key cards. Now the keys stuck each other solidly! So instead being acting as a lub, it acted as a glue! So used the soap and water to removed the layer of WD-40 and try various cans from my own "lube store" in the garage. Silicon spray was equally fatal. Another can calling itself 'dry lube" was even worse.
I knew boric powder would work aka the stuff that is used on carom board but I don't have it. Besides, my problem is in the high humidity and wet boric powder would definitely be another disaster.
I thought about graphite. I did not have it handy but used pencil lead shavings. Nope, it did NOT act as lubricant. The best sliding between the two cards is still when they are both bone dry.
Any other suggestions? I think the spring inside the lens cap has worn out after using it for couple of years and I should probably spring (sorry for the pun) for another cap. It is under $20 but surely, as am engineer, I should be able fix it without buying a new one?
At first I thought it was salt water that was causing the problem. So I dunked the cap in the water and thoroughly flushed it out. Amazing, after drying overnight it worked flawlessly until I found myself in another rain shower.
I am thinking to myself, "I need WD-40". Now I thank my lucky stars that I did NOT have quick access to WD-40 in Bora Bora
(Do ask me how was my trip to Bora Bora! - Answer: absolutely unbelievable! You have to put it on your bucket list) After coming home, I decided to bring out the latent scientist in me. I had couple of extra hotel door key cards aka credit cards from the trip. I put a tiny droplet of WD-40 between the two key cards. Now the keys stuck each other solidly! So instead being acting as a lub, it acted as a glue! So used the soap and water to removed the layer of WD-40 and try various cans from my own "lube store" in the garage. Silicon spray was equally fatal. Another can calling itself 'dry lube" was even worse.
I knew boric powder would work aka the stuff that is used on carom board but I don't have it. Besides, my problem is in the high humidity and wet boric powder would definitely be another disaster.
I thought about graphite. I did not have it handy but used pencil lead shavings. Nope, it did NOT act as lubricant. The best sliding between the two cards is still when they are both bone dry.
Any other suggestions? I think the spring inside the lens cap has worn out after using it for couple of years and I should probably spring (sorry for the pun) for another cap. It is under $20 but surely, as am engineer, I should be able fix it without buying a new one?
