How sealed is your camera?

[Russ]

Here's a couple of vids of the Pentax K-5 with water being poured all over them. Gives some confidence when I'm out in the rain. A serious question - How well sealed are the D300s and 7D? Does anyone really know?

[rjd]

Yes we know.



Would it survive that? who knows, digital rev tried to destroy a D70 and a 400D , including hot tea, hammering in nails, walking on them and blowtorches, they still worked.

Are you planning on swimming qwith yours?

[Russ]

No, but it does get very wet. I do use a cover, better safe than sorry and my current lens isn't sealed, but the camera is open to the elements at the back and it's nice not to have to be the slightest bit concerned about that. So as i cast my eye around at other cameras it is something that comes into play in a future decision. The hot tea one is a definite possibility!

Pictures of the seals are all very nice, but it's more first hand experience I was after. I recall Canon and Nikon saying they are sealed, but that's it. Pentax is similar, but a step up a bit, at least they say weather-proof.

[rjd]

I've had my 7D out in rain/snow in fjordland and rain in Lewis pass no issues.

Have a look at this:
http://canonfieldreviews.com/7d-1-weather-sealing/

[CWyatt]

Yes we know.



Would it survive that? who knows, digital rev tried to destroy a D70 and a 400D , including hot tea, hammering in nails, walking on them and blowtorches, they still worked.

Are you planning on swimming qwith yours?

The problem is that people don't know. See here: http://photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00Vq2m

Also, from what I've read, in the diagram, the red colour is actual sealing, and the green is very tight tolerance or overlaps. Not actual seals.

Would I take a 7D out in mild rain? Yes. Would I take it out in pouring rain or stick it under the shower? No.
We don't usually get many dust issues here but something to consider as well as water in some environments.

[JED]

Nikon makes very few actual claims about their weather sealing other than saying it has seals and providing diagrams of the body as above for the 7D.

I have had my D300 standing out in west coast rain on a tripod with no ill effects - although I would not choose to do that very often!

[rjd]

Its odd there are international standards for weathersealing rating, now canon dont say the 7D is weathersealed, only the 1D series, they say its weather resistant.

But AFIK non of them have any standards applied?

I've seen some 1D's literaly caked in mud and water all day and seem fine.

yes there tight seals but prehaops thats all thats needed for this level of camera, its the same (ish) as the old 1Dn body.

[rjd]

Have a look at this, remember these are plastic body slr's with no weathersealing.

http://www.digitalrev.com/en/nikon-d...1-article.html

[Ashley Daws]

I do know for a FACT that the canon 40D will not survive total submersion in the sea


Dead wet Canon 40D by Ashley Daws aka North of Auckland, on Flickr

I can't find the internal shots that I took of the 40D after it's drowning but within hours it had started to corrode. The camera was in the water less than 10 seconds I would think and that was long enough.

I'm sure it would have taken a little drizzle of rain no probs though.

[christofurr]

If I didn't dry it out after rain there's a chance of the wood rotting, I guess. The lenses are pretty open though, mostly around the shutter. But that's pretty easy to cover up with something.

[Moppie]

I've used my 30D in several light showers and under a waterfall in Milford sound. It's gotten wet enough that I destroyed a filter drying it repeatedly with my T-Shirt.
It still works with no apparent issues.

Remember plain H2O can't do much harm, unless it gets inside and onto a hot electrical circuit, at which point it is more than likely going to short something out.
It normally takes submersion and the resulting pressure change for water to get inside the camera body, unless there are some major and obvious gaps.
So droplets on the surface are not a problem, a built around joints could be, and full submersion is usually fatal.

Immersion in salt water is nearly always fatal because the salt and other mineral rapidly corrode any exposed metal surface which is instant death for electronics.

[Azza]

There is always http://www.ikelite.com/web_two/can_7d.html

[weka2000]

My 5D survived a night left out in the rain. My 1Ds would survive emersion in fresh water.

[SteveB]

Hopefully it's adequately sealed.

[Russ]

Remember plain H2O can't do much harm, unless it gets inside and onto a hot electrical circuit, at which point it is more than likely going to short something out.

That's comforting, not!

[Tony]

30D, 40D, 50D I am told are semi pro and dont have all the seals. The particular one I wish it did have is the shutter button one. I am having that with my 50D at the moment dosnt fire 1 in 4 times or so. I have been told by a local a shop it is about $500 to get it cleaned and that is is a known issue/"event". Just gets stuff in there when the button is pressed and dirt slides between the contact diaphram. There is some youtube videos on fixing it yourself but it seems to mean pouring isopropel alcohol in the battery compartment or majour dismantling... dang.

Anyone got a reasonably priced 5D for sale?

Oh also I know that the mirror compartent can get moisture in it and that transfers to the sensor with each shutter press. That is using midrange lenses on a 50D. I had issues in the jungle, actually that is where I also picked up bugs in my eye peice and inside my two primes, they seem to have died but unfortunately on the lenses it was on inner elements, hmm, f2.8 for me from now on.

[rjd]

Mr fin had issues with his 40D shutter button, just fired some spray contact / electronic cleaner inthere and its all good now.

[Tony]

Yep thats good advice, compressed air while the button is pressed is anotherthing I have tried, unlucky I guess on this one

hmmm, 5D or D700, but thats another conversation, sealing is def something I am considering on my next model though ( I am a little rough on my cameras)

[Pete Prue]

Off topic - but I'll give Pentax a plug when I can

Weather seals were the very reason I opted for the Pentax K10D back when. Shooting on the West Coast I've had it throughly wet on several occassions and never had any problems. Although I've never dropped it into the drink completely, after a days walk up a creek with just one body it's nice to know it 'should' handle a brief submersion should it happen.

Anyway back to talk about cannons...

[rob]

http://gizmodo.com/5433328/tales-of-...techno+failure
I remembered seeing this story a while back of a frozen D90.