rob_strong1 Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Long story short, I fell in the damn Atlantic Ocean with my digital kit. Everything described below was briefly immersed in seawater, with some sand for good measure. In increasing order of how much hope I have for resurrecting them, I soaked: 20D BG-E2 Battery Grip 50mm f1.8 lens 70-200 f2.8 L IS lens 16-35 f2.8 L lens 2 BP 511 batteries All the lenses appear to have salt water in between the internal elements. Other than take the caps and filters off of everything and let them sit for a while, I haven't done anything (the fall was on Friday night). I think I'm going to be covered by my insurance for the loss, but what chances to y'all think these pieces have for recovery at this point? Many thanks, Rob (P.S. Big shout-out to the Sandisk corporation for not losing any of the day's pictures that were on the card in the camera, or incurring any damage to the other 2 cards in my camera bag!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_strong1 Posted July 9, 2008 Author Share Posted July 9, 2008 Forgot to mention: 580 EX flash went along for the ride. D'oh! Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photo_dark Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 "Long story short, I fell in the damn Atlantic Ocean with my digital kit" Funniest thing i've read in a long time.... I know its actually really terrible... but you just left so much of the story out, I couldn't help but laugh. Thanks :) I don't know about repairs, but did you call canon yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howard_m Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 at the very least, you should rinse everything in multiple changes of distilled water and then probably an alcohol dunk. saltwater is about the worst thing for electronics if left unrinsed. you have nothing to lose at this point and it will simply corrode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_strong1 Posted July 9, 2008 Author Share Posted July 9, 2008 Want to know the best part that I left out? I was shooting a friend's wedding as a favor, and I fell in about 18 hours before the ceremony. First time in my life I've ever been in a hurry to get to Best Buy! Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexander_c1 Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Not sure if this is of any help but I once DROPPED a digital elph into the caribbean ocean. I had to dive about 15 feet to retrieve it. It was the most stupid thing I ever did. I sent it to Canon and they repaired it for a fee of $75. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elmroc Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 FWIW Bob, I once fell into a fresh water River while fly fishing with a Nikon F3hp, MD-4 and 50mm F1.4 around my neck. Again, it went under for a brief moment, but sadly , that's all it took for the small amount of electronics to just corrode and become messy. Camera and all was beyond repair (the lens was repairable only) Now, the Atlantic ocean being salt water, all i can do is offer you best wishes, and hope that you had insurance on your gear. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainer_t Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Taking the batteries out, and rinsing all with fresh water is likely the best you can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elliot1 Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 There is a slight possibility that your homeowner's insurance may cover it (if you have insurance). Give your agent a call. Isn't it a great time for an upgrade (which you were probably thinking about anyway! Your story is proof that you should never shoot a wedding for a friend. And how important backup gear really is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony_zipple Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Call Canon ASAP for advice. I would bet on the body, grip, batteries being beyond repair. Even brief exposure to saltwater often kills the electronic gear. The 70-200 and 16-35 will probably be work repairing, but move fast id there is water already in them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee_carruthers Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I once got knocked down by a large wave (on Mexico's Pacific coast) and my Pentax K1000 with 35-105mm lens got soaked and dragged through the sand. I had a gallon of purified water and rinsed everything as best as possible, then dried them in the sun. I continued using the camera body for the rest of the trip but the lens had water marks and sand inside. When I got home I was told by the local camera repair person that the lens wasn't worth dismantling to clean. The camera body continued to work until I traded it in a few years later. By then, I could see some corrosion coming out of the bottom plate joint. The camera continued working though. I wouldn't bet on modern electronic lenses and bodies though. I've heard it is best to remove the batteries, dunk them in fresh water and leave them there until they get to the repair shop. As someone else said - I'd call Canon and take their advice. It will be an expensive repair if it's possible at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Taylor Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Sorry, the body is probably a doorstop. I had some issues with a 5D last year and Canon said once these things get wet inside they are finished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveyboy3 Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 My 100-400 fell into the ocean and the extent of the damage was minimal and canon refused to repair it. So I took it apart - See the link below if you were ever curious to see what's inside a lens. http://public.fotki.com/daveyboy3/2007-11-15-ever-won/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aappelphotography Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Holy shit.. get it dried and cleaned and call up canon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_ferris Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Hi Rob, I have many experiences of cameras and seawater, believe me your kit is dead. I worked on a dive boat for years and the chances of saving any of it for any more than the shortest term are very slim. The best thing to do, and we always had fresh water rinse buckets available, is to remove any and all batteries, submerge in fresh water for a day or so then dry out very slowly. Trouble with most cameras is they have memory batteries or capacitors that you can't get to or discharge, it is the current going through the sea water that leads to corrosion. The lenses might work but not for long especially if you have water inside them. The reason any reputable company will refuse to repair it is that they know the repair will not last, they cannot warranty it. Insurance companies will always take the cheapest route, sea water immersion is a no contest replacement, they won't even bother looking at it half the time, if you are covered then get the payout. Sorry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travismcgee Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I cringed when I read that because (like you, I'm sure) I really try to take care of my equipment. But as we used to say in the Air Force, "You gotta expect some losses in any combat organization." At least you were out taking a risk and using your equipment instead of keeping it in the car because there was an ocean nearby. Personally, I always need to keep reminding myself not to be a slave to my possessions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w_t1 Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Rob I'm real sorry, sorry that you had to go into Best Buy. That is worse than dropping a camera in salt water. My AT-1 and 50 1.4 FD way back in 1980 was simply overlapped by one small shore wave at the Atlantic (Fernandina Beach) and it was history. At least you have some nice equipment you can experimentally take apart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w_t1 Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 and the camera repairman in 1980 told me the same thing Scott Ferris did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_strong1 Posted July 9, 2008 Author Share Posted July 9, 2008 You know what's amazing, WT? I wound up at Best Buy because I was displeased with the quality of service at Circuit City. Hey, at least they both had a 40D in stock. I should add that I really appreciate the current Photo.net ad campaign, which features a body-boarder riding a gnarly ocean wave, reflected in a Canon L-series lens. Good luck with that! Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarah_fox Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 OUCH! OK, some of your gear might survive. Right now, as others have suggested: soak EVERYTHING, lenses and all, in fresh water. Remove all your batteries first, of course. Don't forget the coin-shaped memory cell in the camera. Keep changing out the water. Be sure to drain the water from the equipment and then refill, burping out air bubbles. When you've got the salt water out, do a couple of final rinses by soaking in distilled water. Then drain and dry as best you can. My prognosis: 20D -- toast; not worth the repair. I expect none of the circuitry is any good anymore. BG-E2 Battery Grip -- will live. May need a bit of cleanup internally -- a good DIY project. 50mm f1.8 lens -- not worth repairing. However, if you are willing to ship it to me at my expense, I would greatly appreciate the donation for an experiment of mine: http://www.graphic-fusion.com/beyondbokeh.htm 70-200 f2.8 L IS lens -- ship to Canon ASAP for repairs! The optics can be cleaned up. The mechanics can be disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled. The electronics can be replaced. If you can't get the lens repaired, I would greatly appreciate it as a donation -- shipped at my expense. 16-35 f2.8 L lens -- ship to Canon ASAP for repairs! The optics can be cleaned up. The mechanics can be disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled. The electronics can be replaced. If you can't get the lens repaired, I would greatly appreciate it as a donation -- shipped at my expense. 2 BP 511 batteries -- see if they charge up. If so, use them. your flash: MIGHT live if it was off at the time and had little or no residual charge in the main cap. The dry-out might be difficult. You might need to disassemble it. DO NOT power it up until it is bone dry. Good luck! And as I said, I would greatly appreciate the donation of any optics pronounced dead. I'll very happily pay shipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim_klimowicz Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Ouch. Somehow, dunking any piece of camera equipment in a bucket of water -- fresh, or not -- seems so counter-intuitive to the idea of saving it. Hope everything works out with insurance! I've never been close to the situation you've described, but from all the comments above, insurance seems like the only hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcolwell Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Sorry for your loss. I shoot in, on and around salt water very often. I've decided if I drop any of my DSLR cameras or AF lenses (or flash, or grips), in the ocean, then I won't bother trying to get them back. Dave at my local Canon Certified repair shop agrees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanleys Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I'm not 100% about optics, but for electronics even distilled water is a big no no. Isopropyl alcohol saved my cell phone after a trip in the sink. The alcohol displaces the water, does not conduct, and dries without residue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjacksonphoto Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Three weeks ago I had a little canoe mishap that resulted in the loss of a G9, a Panasonic PV-GS320 camcorder, and a Blackberry Curve. And no-go on the homeowner's insurance, at least for me. They said it didn't cover dropping things in the water. I am in the process of getting a personal property policy... Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjacksonphoto Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Oh, and I forgot the SB-800 that I forgot was in my pack hiking in the rain to Hanakapi'ai Falls in Kauai last fall. I feel your pain. None of the items I've mentioned survived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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