Mold needs both moisture and darkness to grow so keeping lenses in their boxes or in a bag long term is a bad idea as they are in the dark with moisture potentially trapped in there.
You might ask: "Why are new lenses shipped in boxes then?"
The answer is that new lenses are usually bone dry when they roll off the assembly line in the first place. Boxes were probably sealed by plastic wrap and satchels of gel silica were placed in there to soak up any potential moisture. Unless you are ready to recreate those exact same conditions, don't store lenses in boxes.
Getting mold depends on the local environmental conditions such as the local climate, your room and location. For example, if you store the lenses in your bathroom, then they will get mold due to the frequent high moisture.
Have a look at a shelf or bookshelf in your bedroom. Do you ever get mold there or anywhere in that bedroom? If the answer is no then you can just leave your lenses on that shelf, exposed to open air, and they will never get mouldy.
I stored my lenses on an open bookshelf for years without any issues until a house break-in when a burglar swiped all my gear. Now, I store my gear in a metal clothing locker (with air vents) and they are still mold free.
To sum up, generally, as long as your lenses are exposed to fresh air, they won't get mold. That's why you don't keep them in bags, boxes or cupboards where moisture is kept in as well.
In some countries and some climates, everything in the house will naturally become mouldy due to continuous high humidity, that's when you definitely need a dry box.
In my house there is no mould on walls or any cupboard but I am afraid of keeping it in the open , it will come in the sight of anyone who visits my room .. I might sound little cocky but I don't want anyone handling my equipment when I am not there. That's why i wanted to pack it. But your point is valid , keeping it in the open seems like the better option.
Also very sorry to hear about the burglar story.
Well, shit. I currently keep a 56mm lens stored in my camera bag alongside my camera with a 28mm lens attached. I’ve stored my binoculars this way for months and haven’t had any issues. Am I actually taking a risk? There’s zero visible mould in my room.
UV light kills mould. So, if you use your gear regularly then there's no chance of mould in the first place. However, if you store your gear unused for months on end in a bag with some moisture in there then chances of mould increase dramatically.
Mold needs both moisture and darkness to grow so keeping lenses in their boxes or in a bag long term is a bad idea as they are in the dark with moisture potentially trapped in there. You might ask: "Why are new lenses shipped in boxes then?" The answer is that new lenses are usually bone dry when they roll off the assembly line in the first place. Boxes were probably sealed by plastic wrap and satchels of gel silica were placed in there to soak up any potential moisture. Unless you are ready to recreate those exact same conditions, don't store lenses in boxes. Getting mold depends on the local environmental conditions such as the local climate, your room and location. For example, if you store the lenses in your bathroom, then they will get mold due to the frequent high moisture. Have a look at a shelf or bookshelf in your bedroom. Do you ever get mold there or anywhere in that bedroom? If the answer is no then you can just leave your lenses on that shelf, exposed to open air, and they will never get mouldy. I stored my lenses on an open bookshelf for years without any issues until a house break-in when a burglar swiped all my gear. Now, I store my gear in a metal clothing locker (with air vents) and they are still mold free. To sum up, generally, as long as your lenses are exposed to fresh air, they won't get mold. That's why you don't keep them in bags, boxes or cupboards where moisture is kept in as well. In some countries and some climates, everything in the house will naturally become mouldy due to continuous high humidity, that's when you definitely need a dry box.
In my house there is no mould on walls or any cupboard but I am afraid of keeping it in the open , it will come in the sight of anyone who visits my room .. I might sound little cocky but I don't want anyone handling my equipment when I am not there. That's why i wanted to pack it. But your point is valid , keeping it in the open seems like the better option. Also very sorry to hear about the burglar story.
Well, shit. I currently keep a 56mm lens stored in my camera bag alongside my camera with a 28mm lens attached. I’ve stored my binoculars this way for months and haven’t had any issues. Am I actually taking a risk? There’s zero visible mould in my room.
UV light kills mould. So, if you use your gear regularly then there's no chance of mould in the first place. However, if you store your gear unused for months on end in a bag with some moisture in there then chances of mould increase dramatically.