Does using the Canon BG-11 maintain the 5D mk III weather sealed capability?

[gshocked]

Hi all,

I just purchased the Canon BG-E11 for the Canon 5D mk III and I'm wondering if using it maintains the 5D mk III weather sealed capability?
The only reason why I ask is because on the battery door of the 5d3, there is a foam (or fabric) lining to "seal" the body. However when using the battery grip, there is not seal that I can see? Do anyone share this concern?

Any thought would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[neuroanatomist]

The sealing is not maintained, although if you keep the camera+grip upright, gravity keeps water out of the battery compartment. 

I don't really understand why Canon doesn't either put the body seal on the body rather than the door, or add a foam strip to the grip. 

[gshocked]

The sealing is not maintained, although if you keep the camera+grip upright, gravity keeps water out of the battery compartment. 

I don't really understand why Canon doesn't either put the body seal on the body rather than the door, or add a foam strip to the grip.

Thought so... That's a massive oversight!

[mackguyver]

Canon's 5DIII brochure shows a diagram of the body+grip saying it's weatherproof - I guess because of the "high-precision alignment of seams and high-density structure".  I love the grip and it's by far and away the best accessory grip Canon has ever made.

[neuroanatomist]

Canon's 5DIII brochure shows a diagram of the body+grip saying it's weatherproof - I guess because of the "high-precision alignment of seams and high-density structure".  I love the grip and it's by far and away the best accessory grip Canon has ever made.

I'm skeptical.  The body has sealing. The grip itself has sealing. I'm not convinced the combo is sealed. 'Seams' are integral to an assembled piece.  The battery doors on both body and grip have foam.  Is there foam on the body door opening or the grip where it contacts the battery compartment?  There wasn't on the 7D or 5DII.  There's play between the body and the grip, so I don't see how a 'high precision alignment' sealed seam can be formed.

[Drizzt321]

Canon's 5DIII brochure shows a diagram of the body+grip saying it's weatherproof - I guess because of the "high-precision alignment of seams and high-density structure".  I love the grip and it's by far and away the best accessory grip Canon has ever made.

I'm skeptical.  The body has sealing. The grip itself has sealing. I'm not convinced the combo is sealed. 'Seams' are integral to an assembled piece.  The battery doors on both body and grip have foam.  Is there foam on the body door opening or the grip where it contacts the battery compartment?  There wasn't on the 7D or 5DII.  There's play between the body and the grip, so I don't see how a 'high precision alignment' sealed seam can be formed.

Here's my bet as to what they mean:

We used high precision CAD tools to design these two parts fitting together so water's natural surface tension would make it unlikely it will get in between and sneak up into the battery compartment.

[mackguyver]

I just took a look and the grip has a raised lip around the battery area of the body and then another raised lip area where the battery compartment is - and this body / grip combo is much different than previous ones (note the cost).  It's magnesium & engineering plastic just like the body and there is little if any play between the body and grip.  I wouldn't trust it in a tropical storm, but I think it would be just fine in light rain.

[neuroanatomist]

Here's my bet as to what they mean:

We used high precision CAD tools to design these two parts fitting together so water's natural surface tension would make it unlikely it will get in between and sneak up into the battery compartment.

They state, "The camera is protected…," not the camera + grip. 

I just took a look and the grip has a raised lip around the battery area of the body and then another raised lip area where the battery compartment is - and this body / grip combo is much different than previous ones (note the cost).  It's magnesium & engineering plastic just like the body and there is little if any play between the body and grip.  I wouldn't trust it in a tropical storm, but I think it would be just fine in light rain.

Neither lip appears continuous to me, and looking at the sealing diagram I don't see a green line extending around the the junction of grip and body.  There's one around the bottom of the camera, another around the top of the grip.

I agree that it would be fine in light rain…in fact, I pretty frequently see people shooting with Rebel/xxxD bodies in light rain.  I actually think it would be fine in heavier rain, as long as you keep the gripped camera upright.

[gshocked]

Canon's 5DIII brochure shows a diagram of the body+grip saying it's weatherproof - I guess because of the "high-precision alignment of seams and high-density structure".  I love the grip and it's by far and away the best accessory grip Canon has ever made.

Thanks Mackguyver & Neuroanatomist.

I agree that might be ok In light rain. Just wish there was foam around the battery door and behind the lip of the camera grip.

[Marsu42]

Canon's 5DIII brochure shows a diagram of the body+grip saying it's weatherproof - I guess because of the "high-precision alignment of seams and high-density structure".

Well, their marketing department has to come up with some nice reasons and sketches to explain away the price difference to 3rd party grips :-p ... I wonder: are there any similar brochures available for Canon lens caps and hoods? :->

[mackguyver]

Canon's 5DIII brochure shows a diagram of the body+grip saying it's weatherproof - I guess because of the "high-precision alignment of seams and high-density structure".

Well, their marketing department has to come up with some nice reasons and sketches to explain away the price difference to 3rd party grips :-p ... I wonder: are there any similar brochures available for Canon lens caps and hoods? :->

Yep, gotta love the marketing guys and their fancy diagrams   The grip is really well made, however, but I stick with using a rain cover if I'm out in the weather.

[neuroanatomist]

The grip is really well made, however, but I stick with using a rain cover if I'm out in the weather.

You're a wise man...   

For an unforeseen rain shower or a water ride at an amusement park, I just go with it.  But when I know in advance that I'll be out shooting in the rain, which is usually when I've blocked out time to shoot birds and the weather isn't cooperative, I use a LensCoat rain cover.

[ajfotofilmagem]

Canon's 5DIII brochure shows a diagram of the body+grip saying it's weatherproof - I guess because of the "high-precision alignment of seams and high-density structure".

Well, their marketing department has to come up with some nice reasons and sketches to explain away the price difference to 3rd party grips :-p ... I wonder: are there any similar brochures available for Canon lens caps and hoods? :->

Canon needs to convince me that the original lens hood worth paying 5 times more than generic. Maybe they do a marketing campaign showing how the lens hood genuine is extremely sexy, and beautiful women will get hypnotized by it. Ah, makes sense. Women will see my original lens hood, and think that if I have money to burn on overpriced accessories in would give them an unlimited credit card.

[mackguyver]

The grip is really well made, however, but I stick with using a rain cover if I'm out in the weather.

You're a wise man...   

For an unforeseen rain shower or a water ride at an amusement park, I just go with it.  But when I know in advance that I'll be out shooting in the rain, which is usually when I've blocked out time to shoot birds and the weather isn't cooperative, I use a LensCoat rain cover.

I try to be...and on the Gulf Coast in Florida, we don't typically have any such thing as light rain, so the rain cover (I ended up buying the Kata) comes with me most of the time and kept my 5DII + 24-70 f/2.8 or 135 f/2 safe (but not totally dry) during two separate tropical storms, one of which happened to coincide with this shoot (I don't need to mention what happened directly after this moment) and with a 5DII it took many shots at 3.9FPS to get a decent one:

[neuroanatomist]

I don't need to mention what happened directly after this moment

I didn't mean shooting from a distance with a telephoto lens…I meant right in the middle of the action.