Weather Sealed Cameras

Are they worth the extra expense for the casual, fair weather photographer? Does the lens/camera seal at least keep out the dust?

I wouldn't trust any camera, not designed for underwater use, in a downpour. Several companies make emergency rain covers, which fold flat and wrap tightly around the lens shade so you can continue to shoot. I bought one from ThinkTank, just in case. I got caught outside in a thunderstorm in Korea with a completely unsealed video camera. I had to wait it out under on a covered porch.

 

Dust seals between lens and body are a nice touch, but don't help much when you switch lenses.

This is a little like, "do you deliberately test your crash helmet or bulletproof vest". The weather proofing is designed to give some protection against the unexpected. You try to keep your camera out of dusty or wet conditions, but if you are hit, due to weatherproofing, you probably have a window of time to protect your camera in other ways you have planned and avoid damage.

Sandy has it exactly.

 

"Waterproof" is usually limited to no more than certain depths.

 

If you really want to do wet and nasty, there's a lot to be said for some of the weatherproofed point-and-shoot cameras. If stuff gets into it, it isn't such a tragedy

Ed +1

Weather sealed has to mean "made for diving" in my book or isn't worth talking about.

I got 3 or 4 rain drops on ordinary cameras and they continued to work. I#ll continue shooting in a faint hint of rain csmera under my raincoat taken out once in a while.

Beyyond that? - I do commute (on bikkes!) through downpours so yes, I have proper baggage to stuff my camera bags into that was made to withstand an eskimo flip. - Hell I collected enough rain inside my jacket pocket to see traces of rust on the key chain inside it. That's not the environment for a "the manufacturer put some adhesive tape somewhere inside (as frequently documented by Lensrentals)" kind of weather sealing effort.

Please don't get me wrong: it is surely not harmful that those get made; its just not likely enough that they 'll really protect an expensive camera against serious abuse by weather.

I have a Pentax P&S made for diving. - Its the kind of (almost a) camera I'd keep out, to face heavy weather. I pondered buying Nikon 1 AW1 for the same purpose but wasn't content with sample images' quality.

I might wager a pseudo protected Pentax / Samsung beater DSLR someday, but I have 3.5 of those laying around and like other cameras a wee bit more. They also turned really inexpensive by now; i.e. are a potential loss, that I could shrug off within a year.

 

I haven't shot much in the rain yet. I guess a weatherproof camera needs a weatherproofed operator? Will it be warm enough for you to feel like dancing in that rain? Do you have really good clothes to loiter there, including a rain hat & stuff so you 'll neither need hands to hold an umbrella nor loose vision due to drops on your glasses? - if you are too much a

fair weather photographer

to know: get some inexpensive rain cover to try if you'll like shooting then, before you invest.

 

Since serious cameras don't get made: Think hard if there will be enough light during your thunderstorm to shoot a tiny P&S at appropriate ISO.

 

I wouldn't put any hope on camera dust protection if you 'll either change lenses or have to use s zoom stuff will surely find it's way inside your camera.

For me it was entirely worth it.

 

Before getting the weather-sealed camera, I was reluctant to bring my camera with me on drippy-fog days, or during windy days at the beach, or to the sand dunes, or on days with intermittent drizzle. Because I live on the coast, this meant I spent a lot of time wishing I had my camera with me. The major reason I selected the camera I upgraded to was the weather-sealing, and now the only time I’m out without it is on convincingly rainy days. I can’t prove that the weather-sealing works as advertised, but I can prove that it worked for what I wanted it to work for: I’m willing to take the camera with me under conditions in which I would have left my first camera at home.

 

I’m careful with it: I keep it under my rain jacket during drizzles, I dry it off quickly if it gets drips on it, and I wipe it off carefully when I get in. In particular, I make sure there’s no dust or moisture on the lens or at the angle between lens and body. Most of my lenses are not weather-sealed, so I’m judicious about which lenses I carry under iffy conditions, and I commit to a single lens on bad days so lens changes aren’t an issue. I’ve shot about 60K frames with the new camera, and about 10% were under conditions that would have kept my old camera safely at home. I’ve had absolutely no problems with the camera (Canon 80D) or with the lenses I’ve used on it.

My Zion Canyon series in the rain was a very real validation of my D7100's weather sealing. It came through with nary a hiccup. That day was particularly challenging because we had to ride (and wait around for) the shuttles. Not waterproof like my housing, but absolutely sufficient for drizzle and variable light rain, just like Leslie says. I absolutely recommend it for serious landscape and nature photography.

The weather sealing on my Sony A7Riii is mediocre at best. The upper body, buttons and control knobs are gasketed. It is reasonably drip proof if you keep the protective tab in the hot shoe. As it comes in the box, the battery compartment is not sealed at all, but the side ports have rubber covers that snap tightly into place. My first accessory was a Really Right Stuff L-bracket, which seals the battery compartment with a rubber gasket. The battery door is relocated to the bottom of the bracket, and also sealed with a rubber gasket. The optional vertical grip also seals the bottom and battery compartment with a rubber gasket. So far, so good.

 

As formidable as my succession of Nikon D1/2/3 cameras were, the lens mount itself is not sealed, but has a very tight fit. I've used them in heavy drizzle, but never a downpour. In a pinch, I put the camera inside my jacket, shoulder bag, or Zip-Loc bag (I carry two 1 gal sized, plus some heavy rubber bands). The RRS Emergency Camera Cover should work even better, and let me continue shooting. It folds as flat as a damp PB&J sandwich, and fits in a small pouch with a carabiner clip.

Fuji XPro-2 with one of the sealed lenses does a good job in the elements. I don't think I would leave it out in a deluge, but it works fine in light rain if you duck it under the rain between shots.

And, of course, the iphone is waterproof and great for rainy days

Not yet. They still have a Lightening port, even after the headphone port was eliminated.

I'm with everyone else on this. There is an actual rating scale for things like water proof watches and other items or tools that are built specifically to be submerged underwater. The scale includes metrics for deaths and pressures at depth.

 

Unless a camera or camera housing is specifically designed and rated for submerged operations under pressure at whatever depths, do not, under any circumstances, should you believe it will actually be "waterproof". Weather resistant, dust resistant, which is most likely how lenses and cameras are sold and advertised... this just means your gear is perhaps a bit more robust than other gear not labeled thusly- but there is a massive difference between "resistant" and "proof".

 

There is obviously an abundance of information on the web on the subject of depths and pressures at depth, even camera-specific articles galore.

 

Importance of Knowing Depth Ratings of Your Underwater Camera - Steve's Digicams

 

Water Pressure at Depth | Science project | Education.com

 

Pressure/Depth Calculator

 

How to choose an underwater housing for your digital camera

 

 

I have an Olympus OMD EM1 camera and it, along with the 12/40 pro lens, are dust and water RESISTANT. So I don't shy away from. shooting in foul weather, to some extent. That said, I would not use them in a downpour... well OK -full disclosure time here- I HAVE used the camera in a downpour- but kept it, for the most part- as much as was possible, under my umbrella! The camera has been out in the world with me, Senegal, England, Italy, Netherlands... not always in fair weather. We put a lot of money into this stuff, I definitely, absolutely, tend to push things to their limits, but I'm not one to break things ON PURPOSE!

 

LOL

But did you get any dust on the sensor...

But did you get any dust on the sensor...

 

Actually I did get a small speck of, well something- on my sensor at one time over in England a couple years ago. I took a Kleenex tissue with some lens cleaner solution and gently hand wiped it away.

Are they worth the extra expense for the casua

Yes, but the lens must be weatherproof too.

But my previous Olympus E-420 was not, and still it was able to withstand a light drizzle. I used it several times in a drizzle - no problem.

Actually I did get a small speck of, well something- on my sensor at one time over in England a couple years ago. I took a Kleenex tissue with some lens cleaner solution and gently hand wiped it away.

There are proper ways to clean a sensor, and this isn't one of them. Some homework is needed.

Ed, you wouldn't approve of my cleaning method either which consist of hot breath and a q-tip.

There are proper ways to clean a sensor, and this isn't one of them. Some homework is needed.

 

Well... right. Of course.

 

This was an emergency field repair sort of situation, almost 2 years ago. Anything to stop the bleeding sort of thing. I wouldn’t recommend it but it worked and no harm done. I did all that homework at the time, it wasn’t happening and I was mid-vacation.

 

Oh well.

No blood, no foul.

Ed, you wouldn't approve of my cleaning method either which consist of hot breath and a q-tip.

I hope you're joking. Blowing on a sensor with your mouth will leave traces of saliva, which can only be removed with cleaning fluid and lint-free swabs.

 

Some facial tissues are okay, but many contain high levels of silicate, and some contain lotion for softness. All shed fiber like a Maltese cat. Optical shops sell soft, lint-free, non-woven towels which work well on lenses and filters, and are probably safe for sensors

 

The best cleaning fluid is spectroscopic grade methanol (sold as Eclipse Fluid). It cleans well and evaporates almost instantly. Fluid safe for plastic glasses works very well, and contains isopropanol. The downside is they dry slowly, which tends to leave streaks and spots. I use it to clean filters and lenses, but not sensors. Glass cleaning liquid is not free from dissolved solids, and most contain ammonia or EDTA, which are caustic, and can etch optical glass.

 

A large blower (e.g., Giottos or Visible Dust) is cheap insurance, and is a non-contact cleaning method, effective 80% of the time. I regret that I don't always use mine, as I belatedly toil in Lightroom.

 

You're free to do what you want. I'm only offering advice that may spare you unwanted souvenirs in your photos.

Blowing on a sensor with your mouth will leave traces of saliva

Thats what the q-tip is for!

A nice way to end your day ...

 

"The Spot Removal tool in Lightroom Classic lets you repair a selected area of an image by sampling from a different area of the same image. For example, you can clean up a picture of a landscape by removing any objects that are unnecessary (people, overhead electrical wiring, and more)." - Adobe Lightroom CC Help

to reiterate:

 

Since a breath (hah) makes water condense, it is OK for filters, even lenses.

 

But since it is easy also to (puff) expel saliva it's definitely not a good idea for sensors. Use a bulb blower and never canned air.

I took a Canon WP-1 (35mm film camera) to Great Wolf Lodge a few years ago.

 

Including down water slides and in the wave pool, and other places where I got soaked.

 

 

 

 

I believe with Fuji ISO 800 negative film. That is my foot.

There are inexpensive solutions to keeping rain off your camera for less than $10 you can get a rain cover

for your DSLR. There are OP/TECH Rain Sleeves and Ruggard RC-P8 Rain Covers, even a used plastic bread bag

can work in a pinch. There are more expensive solutions too.

 

Keep one in your camera bag, one in your glove compartment.

 

Also remember, your camera may be weather sealed but your lens may not be and if there is no rubber gasket seal where lens meets camera, water could still get into the camera body. Weather sealed is not 100 guarenteed that water won't get into your camera.

 

I road around Montreal on the top of a double decker bus in the open rain with a Canon 6D and Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L wrapped in plastic for several hours taking shots in the rain. lol. Camera still worked fine long after. The 6D has some weather sealing but I don't know if it is anything like a 1DX MK II. Never hurts to put a rain cover on the camera. If I had a 1DX MK II I would still use a rain cover.

Put your iPhone in a zip-lock bag, and shoot through the bag. Should be good through pouring rain.

I had an iPhone 5s forever. Saw no real need to upgrade. However, the battery life started getting really bad and I'm around water all the time in the Summer so I figured it was time to upgrade. Every iPhone since the 7 is water resistant enough to handle rain and shallow submersion so I got refurbished 7 a few weeks ago. I don't worry about my phone when I'm sailing anymore.

 

A different thread was discussing underwater cameras and I've had a couple digital P&S models. They worked but it seems like leakage is almost inevitable if you use one long enough and often enough. Plus I like film so I got one of these just tonight from a local camera store for a better than eBay price:

 

 

The gaskets are replaceable and still readily available so you have a better shot at maintaining its seaworthiness. The thing is a tank. Much heaver than I imagined but I suppose you don't feel the weight underwater. I think I could run over it with the car and it would be fine.

 

It's a zone focusing camera but it's probably got the most intuitive DOF scale on any lens/camera I've ever seen. The little red pincers move as you change the aperture showing you the range of distances that are in focus at the current distance setting. Chrome knob on the lens sets the distance, black knob sets the aperture.

 

You can also mount the lens upside down so you can more easily read aperture and distance just by tilting the camera up.

Edited August 1, 2019 by tomspielman