How weather resistant is a 5DMK2 really?

[mreco99]

Hi,

I know canon quote 5DMK2 is weather resistant, but are there any official guidelines.
I assume it means shower resistant, but defination of a shower is pretty open. Also for how long, 30mins in a 'shower of rain'?

And then, if your 5DMK2 (or higher) does show signs of water damage, what are the chances of getting that fixed or replaced under warranty? Has anyone sucessfully claimed? I can imagine any claim responce to be "sorry you had it in too much rain"

Ive have seen videos of tests before, i like this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3-fHf0Y990

 

[Loswr]

The rank ordering of weather sealing is: 1-series >> 7D > 5DII = 60D/50D. Personally, I trust my 7D in the rain when a sealed lens is mounted on it, but I wouldn't trust the 5DII in anything more than a light drizzle.

Canon's warranty will absolutely not cover water damage for a 5DII. There have been reports of mostly unsuccessful claims for water-damaged 1-series bodies (with a couple of exceptions).

However, if you have a 5DII and L lenses (which is the only way to have even a partially sealed combination), the value is high enough that you really should have separate insurance coverage for your gear (i.e. a rider on your home/rental policy or a separate policy from your home insurer). In most cases, that covers any form of loss, including water damage, theft, dropping off a cliff, etc. - at least, my coverage does, with no deductible.

 

[niccyboy]

I've taken my 7d and 5ds through riots in humid thailand, getting it bashed around in protests in paris, to massively minus temperatures and snow in eastern europe cold snap as well as huge temperature changes over a month deep in the himalayas... out of all of that all I got was a sticky on board flash release on the 7d..

The weather sealing is very good!

I agree with neuro though... The 7d is brilliantly sealed...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v170/scifiguy1012/Photography/IMG_0182-1.jpg
(http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=791938)

 

[awinphoto]

Like neuro, the 5d II is equivalent if not maybe a hair better sealed than the 50D/60D... The 7D i have been able to shoot well in a snow storm or two and haven't thought twice about shooting in light rain (even though I made sure to get it in dry conditions as soon as possible after shooting... The 5d II being like the xxD series, I've had my xxd cameras fail on me when shooting in high heat and high humidity... (no rain)... They would cease functioning until I got them in a dry A/C room to cool and dry off. I dont think it would be as bad if you were shooting with sealed L lenses... (less rain to get into the internals and sensor) but still it's taking your chances... As a bit of very cheap insurance, carry a spare plastic grocery bag with you... when needed, rip a hole in it, slide the very end of the lens through the hole, bonus if you have a rubber band to seal the bag, and shoot until you're done... Dont overstay your welcome and get dry ASAP but if a freak raincloud pops up you're covered.

 

[unfocused]

Pardon my ignorance, but does anyone know of a good source (whitepaper/backgrounder/etc.) that explains weathersealing and shockresistance.

I know Canon doesn't say much other than vague statements (no doubt to avoid liability) and I've watched the great video of the low-end Canon and Nikon cameras being absolutely destroyed, but I do get a bit confused about this whole issue.

Do people seriously take their cameras out in rainstorms and shoot with no protection? Are we talking about just getting a little surface moisture on a camera from a light mist, or are we talking about full-on downpours? I think I remember seeing an article once about a National Geographic shooter covering a dye festival in India and then hosing his 1 series camera off afterward.

I admit I tend to baby my equipment as far as moisture goes, although I've hard my share of accidental drops, bangs and bashings.

Just curious what the parameters are or if there is any knowledgeable source of information on this subject.

 

[Loswr]

I don't know of any authoritative sources on this. My statements are based on information in the Canon Camera Museum and statements made by Chuck Westfall.

I agree that there won't be formal testing on this (who can afford to test these things to failure?). There are ISO standards for shock and water resistance of some product lines (e.g. watches), and there some products that publish specifications for their resistance (e.g. I have a GPS unit that can be dropped from 1 meter and submerged in up to 3 meters of water). Shock resistance, in particular, becomes an issue for a camera with internal moving parts that must be carefully aligned with other parts.

Personally, I have taken my 7D + 24-105mm f/4L IS out in rain showers - I wouldn't call them downpours, but definitely more than mist or drizzle, enough that I needed a raincoat and my hair was soaking wet when I came in.

I suspect the other contributing factor is build tolerances. So, two different lines may have similar types of sealing, but the line with tighter build tolerances will actually be more water resistant. Reportedly, build tolerances are much tighter for 1-series cameras than for other bodies.

 

[Cannon Man]

Even on the eos-1 manuals they say that " this camera is a precision instrument. Do not drop it or subject it to physical shock" and the working temperature range is 0-45c (32-113F)and humidity is 85% or less.

Now obviously 1 series cameras are designed to take moew punishment than that, though they do ensure that the camera will work perfectly.

I have owned a 5D Mark II and i currently use two 1D Mark IV bodies.

The 5D II has weather sealing to some degree.. Still i didnt take risks when it was raining because it wont survive very long in the rain for sure, i have heard stories that water has got through the seals after about 20 minutes in moderate rain.

I have dared to use the 1DIV bodies in moderate/slightly heavy rain for about an hour at a time and had no problems.
Im not the kind who wants to test them to the limits and im sure they would endure but i dont want to find out.

The 7D should have equal seals as the 1D IIN so it should be ok.

Its totally up to you how far you want to take it

 

[awinphoto]

Pardon my ignorance, but does anyone know of a good source (whitepaper/backgrounder/etc.) that explains weathersealing and shockresistance.

I know Canon doesn't say much other than vague statements (no doubt to avoid liability) and I've watched the great video of the low-end Canon and Nikon cameras being absolutely destroyed, but I do get a bit confused about this whole issue.

Do people seriously take their cameras out in rainstorms and shoot with no protection? Are we talking about just getting a little surface moisture on a camera from a light mist, or are we talking about full-on downpours? I think I remember seeing an article once about a National Geographic shooter covering a dye festival in India and then hosing his 1 series camera off afterward.

I admit I tend to baby my equipment as far as moisture goes, although I've hard my share of accidental drops, bangs and bashings.

Just curious what the parameters are or if there is any knowledgeable source of information on this subject.

Shock Resistance, I could not tell you... worst cases I've had personally is my toddler grabbing my 7D off the kitchen table and dropping it about 2-3 feet to the floor... No damage and kept plugging along (after I let my heart settle a bit)... Water resistance I think DPR has diagrams of where the weather sealings/gaskets are on cameras they review... As far as other tests or more authoritative info on exactly how much water is allowed and this and that, I'm afraid the University of Google is your best bet if you can find that info... I've taken my 7D in snow storms and light rain without protection and haven't had a problem... I vaguely remember reading one guy who brought a bunch of 5d II's to Antarctica on a photo expedition on boats and whatnot (shortly after the 5d 2 was released) and had failures galore saying moisture got into the battery compartment (on gripped bodies) and they had to remove the battery grips and or let them dry overnight... I think he said most worked after they dried but some didn't... I guess I'd err on the side of common sense... If in doubt, protect your gear.

 

[unfocused]

Even on the eos-1 manuals they say that " this camera is a precision instrument. Do not drop it or subject it to physical shock" and the working temperature range is 0-45c (32-113F)and humidity is 85% or less.

Well, this brings up another, maybe more practical question. I've always wondered about the temperature tolerances/guidelines that Canon (and others) publish. The range seems very narrow to me. (I mean, who actually keeps their camera above freezing in the winter. And, while going above 113 F is a little less likely, it's pretty easy to do on a hot summer day if you have to leave your camera in a car for even a short period.)

What are the consequences and are they permanent or temporary? I've certainly done plenty of shooting at below freezing and never noticed any ill effects. I don't regularly leave the camera inside a hot car in the summer, but I've probably thrown it in the trunk on occasion when traveling.

Is it the electronics, the sensor, the battery, the lubricants, some combination of all? Will the camera recover once its cooled down or does it permanently fry something?

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I've used my 5D MK II in light rain with no problems, Humidity is very low in our area when it gets cold, so I never hesitate to use it in the snow or temperatures down to the teens for a short period.

No ordinary DSLR camera is vapor proof, (some of the water proof ones may be reasonably vapor proof for a short period) so taking a DSLR from a warm humid room out into very cold weather is a formula for disaster. Moisture will condense inside the camera and then freeze if it doesn't short out things first.

 

[Loswr]

Unfocused, I can't speak to most components, but a bit of time in a hot trunk is a great way to permanently damage your Li-ion batteries, especially if they're fully charged or close to it at the time.

 

[PeterJ]

Most commercial temperature grade components have a 0-60C operating range, but most have a storage temperature of 100C+ so I wouldn't be too worried about the electronics when left turned off. A reflow oven that they use to solder boards is normally held above 200C for a few minutes. As neuro said Lio-Ion batteries don't stand up to heat well and it degrades the life even if it doesn't destroy them.

 

[wickidwombat]

Even on the eos-1 manuals they say that " this camera is a precision instrument. Do not drop it or subject it to physical shock" and the working temperature range is 0-45c (32-113F)and humidity is 85% or less.

Well, this brings up another, maybe more practical question. I've always wondered about the temperature tolerances/guidelines that Canon (and others) publish. The range seems very narrow to me. (I mean, who actually keeps their camera above freezing in the winter. And, while going above 113 F is a little less likely, it's pretty easy to do on a hot summer day if you have to leave your camera in a car for even a short period.)

What are the consequences and are they permanent or temporary? I've certainly done plenty of shooting at below freezing and never noticed any ill effects. I don't regularly leave the camera inside a hot car in the summer, but I've probably thrown it in the trunk on occasion when traveling.

Is it the electronics, the sensor, the battery, the lubricants, some combination of all? Will the camera recover once its cooled down or does it permanently fry something?

Well I've used a Nikon D90 in -20 degrees C and it worked ok after a few hours and temperature drop to -25 and a bit more wind chill I started getting intermittent errors and battery life dropped off alot.

Highest operational temperatures i've used a camera is a 1D in 53 degree C ambient absolutely no problems

 

[Picsfor]

5D2 water sealing with a 24-105 lens on it i can tell you is almost non existant.

3 minutes drizzle and mine was affected. I lost the mini joystick operation for AF selection point.

30 minutes later in the the dry with the lens and body separated and a good rub down and dry with a cloth, and they were back to normal again.

Moral of the story - 5D2 does not like the wet at all.
Hot and cold, it really doesn't care about - but wet - not happening. My old 40D could last longer with the same lens...

 

[ronderick]

I second Picsfor on the low resistance of the 5D2 to rain.

I had the exact same problem - exposure to moderate rain resulted
in a loss of the joystick (in my situation, the loss was only control in one direction).

My fix to the problem was to put it back into the dehumidifier box and next day
it was fine again.

Bottom line - if ur going to use a 5D2 in the rain, you better have a cover for it.

 

[mreco99]

the 24-105 isnt weather resistant is it? i would expect the resistance of a camera to be compromised if the lens wasnt weather resistant also?

 

[Canon 14-24]

I have had my 5d2 covered in snow and out in pouring rain to set up for shots (then tucked in my bag or under my shirt). Also hiked with it around my neck in mild/drizzle rain for about a mile. Only instance in which I could say I would hesitate to take the camera out is near dusty/sandy places with some moderate/heavy winds. I've had my uv filter cracked by a dust/rock speck and grains of sand caught in between the focusing/extension portion of the 24-105.

 

[Loswr]

the 24-105 isnt weather resistant is it? i would expect the resistance of a camera to be compromised if the lens wasnt weather resistant also?

Yes, you need sealed lens for the camera to be sealed. The 24-105mm f/4L IS is weather-sealed.