7D weather seal. Canon says...

<p>Having not found any indication of what, precisely, Canon and reviewers might mean about the 7D's weather resistance and improved seals, I finally asked Canon directly. Here's what they wrote in response:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Thank you for your inquiry about the weather seals on the EOS 7D. We <br /> value you as a Canon customer and appreciate the opportunity to assist <br /> you.<br /> <br /> The 7D is not a weather sealed camera. It should not under any <br /> circumstance get wet. It may survive some rain, however, there are no <br /> guarantees. If you need a camera with weather seals you should look <br /> into our EOS 1 series cameras.<br /> <br /> To clarify, none of our cameras or lenses should be immersed under <br /> water. The EOS 1 series cameras and certain L series lenses do offer <br /> weather seals. These seals do not make the equipment water resistant or<br /> water proof. You should always try to keep the equipment dry.<br /> <br /> For the conditions you described (hard rain, under a shower, and being <br /> immersed), you should be looking into an underwater housing. There are <br /> several third party companies that offer underwater housings for our <br /> cameras.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Now, are these weather seals, or placebo seals? Maybe my mistake was mentioning warranty in the question.</p>

<p>None of the Canon cameras are warrantied for water or environmental damage. None of the Canon cameras are tested to any of the international standards for weather resistance. Absent a warranty or testing to international standards, you can pretty much assume that these things should be treated with care. </p>

<p>In other words, no one (Canon included) knows exactly how weatherproof each model is, so when you play in the water and dust, you should probably use protection of some sort. </p>

<p>http://www.canon-europe.com/cpn_eos7d/ - click on page 14. "In terms of weather sealing, the EOS 7D features the same level of weather resistance as the old EOS-1N film camera."</p>

<p>http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=139&modelid=19356 - "The EOS 7D features a magnesium alloy body that is dust- and weather-resistant..."</p>

<p>http://www.dpreview.com/previews/canoneos7d/page4.asp - note the diagrams which dpreview.com got from Canon.<br /> </p>

<p>Whoever responded either a) isn't familiar with Canon's own literature, or b) wants to avoid potential warranty liability.</p>

<p>There are few guaranties in life. But yes the 7D has improved dust and moisture resistance over previous XXD models. However, no Canon camera is water and dust proof and and no language indicating water or dust damage is indicated or implied in the warranty. If you get it wet, you're on your own.</p>

<p>It's certainly the case that neither Canon DSLRs nor, AFAIK, any DSLR from any other manufacturer, is given any formal rating of the kind found on electrical equipment designed to be used under wet conditions.</p>

<p>Now, perhaps this is just a "false memory", and if so someone will surely correct me, but I seem to remember an EOS-1V advert all those years ago showing the camera half-in and half-out of a rock pool. Not that I would have tried it at home.</p>

<p>Now hold on. I wasn't particularly incensed to read his response, and I'm not bucking to be consumer's advocate to the supreme court. But here's what Canon says on their website about the 7D's weather and dust seals:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>The EOS 7D is constructed of the highest quality materials, to exacting standards to ensure unfettered performance at all times. For example, the shutter can shoot at speeds up to 1/8000 sec. for 150,000 cycles; the chassis is built of lightweight and rigid magnesium, and <strong>the camera's seals are built to resist water and dust</strong> . This combination <strong>makes the EOS 7D ready for anything</strong> .</p>

</blockquote>

<p>http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=139&modelid=19356#ModelFeaturesAct</p>

<p>Contrast that with the customer service response: " <em>The 7D is not a weather sealed camera. It should not under any circumstance get wet. ... If you need a camera with weather seals you should look into our EOS 1 series cameras.</em> "</p>

<p>OK. Fine. It has water seals, but I should not under any circumstances get it wet. Help me out then. What do these sentences together mean? I wouldn't know an implied warranty if I sat on one, but there is in fact a bald statement that by virtue of the 7D's materials, construction, and seals, it is ready for anything. I take that to mean it is ready for anything and continue to be a 7D, which has some further implications beyond simply the metaphysical.</p>

<p>Maybe if we start simple, and work our way to the tough one. Simply because they say it has dust seals, I wouldn't stuff it in a bucket of floor sweepings and continue working as though nothing had happened. I wouldn't put it in the sandblaster and test its readiness for anything (implying everything?).</p>

<p>There will always be a difference in marketing puffery versus engineering savvy. That's just the way it is.</p>

<p>The fact is even the 1 series cameras are only moderatly sealed as these things go.<br>

Note the reference marketing material states "resistant to water and dust", not "weather proof" etc. AFAIK Canon are very careful about that wording. Most often the phrase is "dust and drip proof", which to my mind is a bit strong.<br>

I have a web page with more contextet on so called weather proofing you might find informative <a href="http://www.zen20934.zen.co.uk/photography/Weather%20Protection.htm">http://www.zen20934.zen.co.uk/photography/Weather%20Protection.htm</a><br>

Robin: "...the camera half-in and half-out of a rock pool. Not that I would have tried it at home."<br>

You have a rock pool at home Robin? ;)</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>There will always be a difference in marketing puffery versus engineering savvy. That's just the way it is.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Exactly.</p>

<p>Happy shooting,<br>

Yakim.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Robin: "...the camera half-in and half-out of a rock pool. Not that I would have tried it at home."<br />You have a rock pool at home Robin? ;)</p>

</blockquote>

<p>No, only a pond, and freshwater woudn't count, otherwise of course I would have tried it!</p>

<p>The 1998 EOS 3 brochure pictures it covered in water droplets. Haven't seen the 7D depicted as such. But, yes, the marketing department, engineers and lawyers are usually at odds with one another.</p>

<p>If the body has a selector mode dial (P,T,A,M) it's not water resistant. That is the main point of entry for water (assuming you're shooting in landscape position). This is one of the reasons a 1D body costs substantially more than Canon's other DSLR's. See link below (don't try this with your Rebel):<br>

<a href="

<p>So Canon recommends a Series 1 camera if you want weather seals. Well, that leaves me out, I am not a professional, can't affort the body, nor would I want to carry a brick when out hiking the mountains. So I guess that leaves the 5D Mark II or a 7D. I am sure both are adequate for me, but currently a 5D Mark II is cost prohibitive. I guess I will be sticking with a crop sensor for some time yet.</p>

<p>The ONLY waterproof SLR (film or digital) ever made was the Nikonos RS (film) - it still had leak problems at depth - so it was discontinued in the 1990's, and it was expensive! I drooled, but could never afford one.<br>

see http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/htmls/models/htmls/nikonosrs.htm<br>

John Bischoff</p>

 

<p>I think most folks are much too anxious about sealing. I've had a drebels out in drizzle, rain, snow, wet snow, dusty conditions, windy beaches. I've never had a problem. I've dropped my 7D in the snow (I wiped out while skiing and shooting video) and it's just fine. If things are going to get really wet then use one of them showercap-type covers.</p>

<p>Let me rehash this link as a reality check:<br>

http://canonfieldreviews.com/7d-1-weather-sealing/</p>

<p>One final thought. Of course Canon wan'ts you to buy a 1D body. They'll gladly play up your fears. If I go to the car dealer and express my concern about a sedan making it though a mud puddle, the salesman will take me over to the SUV section. There's more money in it.</p>

<p><em>If the body has a selector mode dial (P,T,A,M) it's not water resistant.</em></p>

<p>Except that Canon shows a seal (red) right around the mode dial on the 7D: http://a.img-dpreview.com/reviews/CanonEOS7D/Images/whatsnew_sealing.jpg</p>

<p>While I agree that the manufacturers should submit to standard testing (none of them do), I think too much is being made of an email from one employee. It's quite obvious Canon does claim weather resistance for the 7D (and 5D mkII), and the 7D has been tested in harsh Antarctic conditions by at least one photographer without so much as a hiccup. A completely unsealed body would not survive that for 3.5 weeks of shooting, and in fact the photographer observed failures with lesser sealed bodies (i.e. 30D, 40D, 50D), so Canon has certainly done something with the 7D.</p>

<p>http://canonfieldreviews.com/7d-1-weather-sealing/</p>

<p>Watch this<br>

<a href="

<p><em>"If the body has a selector mode dial (P,T,A,M) it's not water resistant.</em><br>

<em>Except that Canon shows a seal (red) right around the mode dial on the 7D: </em><a rel="nofollow" href="http://a.img-dpreview.com/reviews/CanonEOS7D/Images/whatsnew_sealing.jpg" target="_blank"><em>http://a.img-dpreview.com/reviews/CanonEOS7D/Images/whatsnew_sealing.jpg</em></a><em>"</em></p>

<p>That statement was from the Canon White Paper for (I believe) either the 1D3 or 1DS3. I've also seen tech talk as to why the 1D series doesn't come with a built-in flash. Canon's response was that it would be too difficult to prevent leaks.</p>

<p><em>That statement was from the Canon White Paper for (I believe) either the 1D3 or 1DS3. I've also seen tech talk as to why the 1D series doesn't come with a built-in flash. Canon's response was that it would be too difficult to prevent leaks.</em></p>

<p>Watch the video Simon linked to. Or see the Antarctica link I posted.</p>

<p>I'm not saying non-1D models will leak and die. I had a 5D that I would use in mild drizzles and never it never had any problems. I just kept a small micro-fiber cloth in my pocket and would occasionally wipe the body off. I realize the latest 7D and possibly other models do have improved resistance. I also think Canon is probably choosing their words carefully about "weather resistance" so as to not invite people to go swimming with their cameras. I do feel it's safe to say however that the most weather resistant models are the 1D's.</p>