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D850 — Just How Waterproof?


stephen_mcateer

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I have in mind to take some pictures in the rain.

 

Will it harm my D850? [The lens I have for it is a Tamron SP 35mm F1.8 Di VC, which is also supposed to be weather-sealed.]

 

I know it's supposed to be weather sealed but I'm a little suspicious of such claims by manufacturers.

 

Thanks for any info.

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Most cameras which are classified as water resistant are just that, not waterproof. The Nikonos was waterproof, in that it could be used under water.

A light sprinkling shouldn't damage your camera, but a downpour or prolonged exposure to even light rain might cause damage. I would use normal caution and good sense protecting the camera from the elements.

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I have in mind to take some pictures in the rain.

IMO you should not do it on purpose but there is no need to panic when unplanned weather happens. I don't have experience with D850 but I recall the D800 was pretty good with mild rain inference; and the above rain test cited D850 as excellent in this department.

 

Even before this slew of expressed weather-resistant stuff, for quite a number of times I exposed camera equipment to unplanned rain and water such as sudden rainstorms, strong winds blowing water from waterfall or downpour toward the camera and lens. The camera equipment were Ok afterward, though the gold ring came loose from the 70-200 as I ran from a hailstorm in Utah.

 

In my memory only twice did it hurt my camera that was water related but not by the rain. Eons ago the mist from Niagara Falls damaged an N80 camera (not a high-end camera), and a D300+200mm Micro lens fell into water as my tripod slipped from a rock - both destroyed, and I could never tell whether the D300 was water resistant at all because some "helpful" guy immediately rescued the equipment and disengaged the lens from the camera with the water dripping, drenching both camera and lens. There was one other time that I was in a rapid river to shoot Arizona's Cathedral Rock. When "mission accomplished", I relaxed and felt "safe" when just a few feet away from the shore. Naturally that's when I fell into water. Dried them immediately with microfiber cloth and both camera and lens were salvaged by drying from the air vent of the hotel.

 

So I believe it's not that bad but, of course, one should not do these things intentionally. ;)

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rain jacket the best bet, however i believe the nikon website claims that their "weather proofing" means you can take it in the shower with you and rinse dirt off of it with the shower head, just NOT leave it in a puddle. And the weather sealing only works if you leave EVERYTHING closed, dont open up the battery cover or the memory cards,,, etc.
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rain jacket the best bet, however i believe the nikon website claims that their "weather proofing" means you can take it in the shower with you and rinse dirt off of it with the shower head, just NOT leave it in a puddle. And the weather sealing only works if you leave EVERYTHING closed, dont open up the battery cover or the memory cards,,, etc.

 

Can you give a link to Nikon web pages saying that? I doubt very much that it can take a shower with pressure on a regular basis and not leak at some point. A few drops or drizzle for a bit, yes.

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Can you give a link to Nikon web pages saying that? I doubt very much that it can take a shower with pressure on a regular basis and not leak at some point. A few drops or drizzle for a bit, yes.

 

Youd have to dig through the nikon website, perhaps the online MANUALS for your camera.

 

But i know they say that you can RINSE it off in the shower, ie hold it in your hand turn the shower on, and spray it off with the shower sprayer head. . Like rinsing a spoon in the faucet.

 

EVERY rubber port has to be closed, for example the D7500 is said to have 250 water seals in it

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Words such as "shower", etc. do not exist in the D850 manual. Rinsing is only mentioned when a person is exposed to liquid from a leaking battery, and it refers to rinsing the exposed eyes and skin, not the camera.

 

What it does say is "Keep dry."

 

Regarding cleaning of the camera after using it on the beach of seaside, the manual suggests to dampen a cloth and wipe, then let the camera thoroughly dry. That's about it. The water is first put on the cloth, not directly on the camera.

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