Leaving lighting gear in a garage

J

JaredSMark

Active member
I have a garage that isn't climate controlled. I like to shoot in there and I'd like to leave my lighting gear in there (Arri lights, Norms stands, Chimera soft box etc). I live in the south and it gets pretty hot and humid down here, so I'm not sure if it's wise to leave all of that stuff in there pretty much permanently. I know it's probably best to bring everything back inside to avoid any mishaps, but hauling all of that inside after every single shoot seems like too much work :tongue:

Do you think it'd be OK to leave my gear in there? I definitely won't leave my camera in there, however.
 
i live in south texas and have a similar garage. it is insulated, but the overhead door and opening is not. so in the hot of summer and cold of winter it is a bit unpleasant. but i dont think the extremes in temp nor humidity are going to kill your lights.

the answer however, really depends on the kind of and volume of work you do.

i wouldnt do it personally for two reasons:

1. if the room is not climate controlled i assume its also prone to dust and pests. id hate to show up to an indoor corporate or retail shoot with a bunch of dusty gear OR have to clean everything before breaking down and packing up to go.

2. in the wintertime id be afraid that the rapid heating of the bulb would likely shatter it.
 
For about five years, I've effectively left my main interview light kit in my car, outside, through summers and winters. In five years, I haven't blown a bulb.

It'll be fine.



Of course just having said I haven't blown a bulb in five years, I'll blow all of them in the next three weeks. Time to order spare spares.
 
I kept my lighting gear in my trunk for about a year. I live in Minnesota where the winters can be brutal and the summers are hot and humid. No damage was done, so I think you'll be fine.
 
I have kept most of my lighting kit in an unheated garage for over two years and FOR THE MOST PART, everything if fine. I do have one light, a 750 watt Fresnel, an old stage lighting Fresnel, that has exposed steel and is starting to show some rust. I have pulled that light and keep in side my house now. I also don't keep foam core or the few open faced nets (Scrims) that I have in there as I think that the moisture might not be good for them. I think you can keep your gear in a garage, but I would be smart about it and avoid anything, like exposed steel and the like that could be affected by moisture.
 
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