Weather Sealing Torture Test: Canon, Olympus, Nikon Pass.. Sony?

That was enlightening, but not all-together unexpected! I recently used my relatively new 5D IV in complete downpour for at least 45 minutes without break and I was genuinely concerned that the camera may not be able to deal with it. Needless to say, the camera was fine and showed no evidence of damage. I, however, looked like a drowned rat.

I can't help but draw parallels between shooting in ever wetter conditions to seeing how empty you can continue to drive on a tank of gas. Eventually you'll go too far, but then it'll be too late. Except one is a more expensive error than the other I guess.
 
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Talys

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Feb 16, 2017
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camerone said:
I don’t have experience with any of the really high end Canon bodies , but my 6D has held up magnificently to wet (and cold) weather magnificently (with weather-sealed lenses of course). Multiple times I’ve almost expected it to fail but it pulled through. Not sure I would trust a Sony though, even before seeing this video...

6DII, as well. This winter, I got caught a few times where the weather turned very quickly, and I decided to just stay out. My 6DII and 70-200/2.8 and 100-400LII have both made it through Vancouver rain looking a whole lot better than I did. I gave it a pretty good once-over to check to see if there was any water in the camera, and there was none at all.

Now, mind you, if I had been carrying a camera that was known to be a poor water performer, I would have tucked and run :)
 
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hne

Gear limits your creativity
Jan 8, 2016
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Don Haines said:
The sony needs a hole in the bottom to let the water out....

It probably has. Roger Cicala did a teardown of a water damaged A7sII and noted there was no sealing on half the battery door. That'd be to let out the water that can pour in around the non-sealed front wheel, I guess.

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2017/10/about-getting-your-camera-wet-teardown-of-a-salty-sony-a7sii/
 
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Maximilian

The dark side - I've been there
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woodman411 said:
This mirrors (no pun intended) my observations and experience with build quality: Canon > Nikon > Sony , no experience with Olympus.
I can remember (but didn't find it anymore) an Oly add spot where they took a camera (was it a E3?) under a shower.
Really heavy rain simulation.
Wouldn't do that with my 5D3. ;)

By the way:
An A9 would have been more interesting, as this is the dedicated heavy duty (Sports, wildlife) Sony.
But I suppose their sealings to be equal.
 
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woodman411 said:
You can't rely on Sony when it's hot (overheating). You can't rely on Sony when it's wet (weather sealing). You can't rely on Sony for shooting stars (star eating). You can't rely on Sony for studio work (stopped-down focusing). What's next?

Look at the bright side. It is a perfect travel companion. You don't need to take a water bottle, Sony does that for you! You can also use it to steam iron your wrinkled jacket after taking a few test shots in rain!!
 
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Hflm

Gear: 5div, A7riii, A9 ...
Jan 10, 2017
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Don Haines said:
woodman411 said:
ethermine said:
No surprises there. They all produce fantastic images, but after watching one of my favorite adventure photographers Chris Burkard laugh about how he's destroyed yet another Sony camera while photographing near water, or rainy conditions, It's made me appreciate my Canon gear all the more for being able to survive all the torture I've subjected them to across the globe. Then again, I'd happily shoot, and I probably wouldn't worry much about my Sony gear getting destroyed if Sony gave me gear like candy.

It would bug me knowing I wouldn't be able to completely rely on my gear under those conditions, though.

You can't rely on Sony when it's hot (overheating). You can't rely on Sony when it's wet (weather sealing). You can't rely on Sony for shooting stars (star eating). You can't rely on Sony for studio work (stopped-down focusing). What's next?

You can't rely on Sony. PERIOD!
That is pretty much nonsense.

I shot 5div and Sony A9 in parallel last year, having had many rainy wedding days without any problem at all.
And if the rain is too heavy, I wouldn't want to shoot at all. Majority of couples wouldn't anyway, too. But for the situations I had to, it worked flawlessly.

Drawing such a general conclusion is usual fanboy gibberish.

Doesn't mean I wouldn't like to have EM1-II like weather resistance for every product.
 
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