Surface shooting and water drop problems

[OE2X]

Any ideas on what to coat the front element of my housing with to keep water drops from forming? I would like to be able to shoot some surface or 1/2 U/W shots, but the drops distort the above water part. Nose grease doesn't really work that well.
Thanks in advance.

[Gilligan]

Couple of suggestion:
1. If only to take a few pics apply some mask defog and dunk the camera then shoot the pics.
2. Use a product called rainX

[OE2X]

I've never thought of that. Have to give that a try. Doesn't RainX just bead the water? That's what it does on my windshield. This is the problem I'm trying to avoid. Thanks for your help.

[marpacifica]

I've also wondered how to get rid of those problem drops. I think the main culprit, though, is any film of water on the lens. I'm pretty sure RainX will minimize this. The film of water will distort light and can't really be brushed off. RainX does allow drops of water to bead, but by forming a protective layer on the lens so that the drops don't collect and linger long enough to coat the lens. I will try this today. RainX directions say to use two applications of the product. I know that when I use it on my windshield, I don't even have to use wipers. Just driving around will force the droplets to run off the windshield, so I'm thinking that a couple of good shakes of the housing or blowing on the lens will remove enough of the drops to take a decent pic.

[Gilligan]

When you check out the Rain-X I noticed they have a marine one that states it is safe on plexiglass. This one may be better in case you accidentaly get it on the plastic housing.
Just a thought.

[jebir]

An extra coat of anything on a multicoated lens, filter, or port may cause the multi coating to fail and mot eliminate reflections. It may even cause certain colours to be reflected and others to be transmitted through the glass, giving a stain in the pictures. I would be very cautious with any such products on anything designed to take pictures through.

Cheers, Jens

[Gilligan]

Good point jebir.
Hopefully someone will repond that has used the Rain-X.

[TedJ]

I remember this discussion almost a year ago, but I don't remember which board. It got a bit heated primarily on the subject of "cleaning" lenses. It seems to me that Rain-X was not a popular solution, rather the anti-fog. But it does build up and affect the capturing of an image. Sorry, that's all I can recall.
TEdJ

[marpacifica]

Well, I tried the RainX today. The stuff seemed to work on the first few photos, but about 10 minutes in the seawater and the coating seemed to lose its effectiveness and water began forming noticeable beads and film on the lens. Here are two photos taken 10 minutes apart in the Grotto, a popular cavern dive in Saipan. Hopefully my one-time use of RainX on my WAL and the lens port haven't done too much damage.

[justleesa]

I was just thinking and I would also take the long term effect of any chemical solution into consideration as there is an o-ring in there somewhere.

And the waterdrops just might add a cool effect (see picture).

Try a good shot of air from your octopus, might do the trick.
Lisa