POLL: 6d weather sealing experiences & warning

[randym77]

I have a book from Ralph Clevenger and he recommends trash compactor bags and that's what I carry in all of my bags. I don't know if they sell them in Europe as I don't remember seeing a trash compactor during my years living there. They are 2.5 mils thick which is very heavy duty, but they fold up very small and are reusable and I mainly use them as ground cover to sit in the mud, but they also serve as backup waterproof gear covers. I'm sure you can probably find something similar in Germany.

Hey, thanks for this tip!

I went down to the grocery store to look for some. They didn't have any (I guess trash compactors have fallen out of favor in recent years), but they did have contractor bags. Trash bags meant for use by contractors and other commercial users. They are also 2.5 mil thick. They are a little bigger than compactor bags (3'x4') but easy to trim to fit.

 

[mackguyver]

I have a book from Ralph Clevenger and he recommends trash compactor bags and that's what I carry in all of my bags. I don't know if they sell them in Europe as I don't remember seeing a trash compactor during my years living there. They are 2.5 mils thick which is very heavy duty, but they fold up very small and are reusable and I mainly use them as ground cover to sit in the mud, but they also serve as backup waterproof gear covers. I'm sure you can probably find something similar in Germany.

Hey, thanks for this tip!

I went down to the grocery store to look for some. They didn't have any (I guess trash compactors have fallen out of favor in recent years), but they did have contractor bags. Trash bags meant for use by contractors and other commercial users. They are also 2.5 mil thick. They are a little bigger than compactor bags (3'x4') but easy to trim to fit.

Glad that helped, Randy. The contractor bags are pretty big, but they are definitely just as tough. I can't remember where I bought my bags - it was either the grocery or Walmart/Target.

 

[xps]

I use a product of the company Neewer (bought via Amazon). The clear cover is thicker, so there are not so many folds and the water is drained better. It is easier to get this shell dry again.

In winter, I use a shell from Enjoyyourcamera (M-6399), that protects against storm and icecold conditions.

Maybe someone can post better products

 

[Marsu42]

The back dial wheel, the info button, the menu button, and the right upper buttons did not work anymore.

Right, so I guess 6d owners should be most careful not to let water condensate or let rain drop on the *back* side of the camera, the top or front might be sealed better.

The funny thing is, that my old 60D never had any problem when I annually stayed inside the tropical greenhouse for hours.

+1, exactly my experience, I always was too lazy to wrap my 60d into a plastic bag in the tropical garden and nothing happened. With the 6d, I definitely won't try that.

It was not easy to convince the Canon Service partner that this issue is under guarantee. They just did it, because there were no water drops inside. Maybe, the Maerz GmbH in Berlin is quite as fair as the Service Center where I sent my Cam.

I seem to be lucky, too (knock on wood): Though a repair part is missing and it will take more time than the cps time span, the repair information they just sent me just states "warranty" ("Garantie") even though it's in a really "used" condition on the outside.

This might be because the camera is less than one year old, and afaik in the EU/Germany in this timespan the *manufacturer* has to prove _to_you_ that you broke it, after one year it's vice versa and they might just try to lay it on you. Or maybe their repair policy is simply more relaxed on newer gear for publicity and customer satisfaction reasons, I don't know.

 

[tron]

IPX Standard Code Meanings

That is exactly what we need for cameras and lenses. I am sure that Canikon would be very resistant to submitting their products to such a standard.

So you mean that instead of producing weather resitant bodies, they are ... IPxx resistant companies ? ;D

 

[androiduk]

I was shooting in New York a few months ago and got caught in a sudden rainshower. I went into an office building for cover and noticed they had this unit dispensing free wet umbrella bags. They're great for protecting your camera in a pinch, even with a long lens.

 

[dgatwood]

Hi dgatwood.
I think the electronics are the easy bit, but a tide line in the lens might show up if the water gets in the lens. Similarly water in the viewfinder or shutter box would be a problem, high speed burst might splash it around a bit!

Obviously the lenses would have to be similarly sealed if you wanted to actually use it underwater. Either way, just ensuring that the electronics won't corrode if your camera falls in the pool is the difference between a $600 repair and (at worst) a $100–200 cleaning bill. And if you design it with drain tubes so that if water does get in the wrong places, it can drain into the lens mounting area in front of the mirror box, you could typically clean it yourself by flooding the camera with isopropyl alcohol, draining it, and letting it evaporate. (Just use silicone seals; rubber seals would degrade in isopropanol.)

Please also bear in mind that your $5 watch has no user interchangeable parts that make a seal and maintaining the seal guarantee requires battery replacement by an authorised service agent costing $4 so you bin it and buy another!

There are two main reasons for those requirements:

1. The battery compartment isn't separately sealed, and the main seal isn't designed to stay in place when you remove the back. This is a cost-cutting measure in a watch that's really cheap and doesn't require you to change batteries every day....

2. Rubber seals had to be replaced periodically. With modern silicone gaskets, the operational life can be as long as 50 years, so that shouldn't be much of an issue unless you tear or dislodge the seal.

Both are readily avoidable through proper design.

 

[Reiep]

I used mine last week-end in a large cave with an underground glacier while a violent storm was happening outside => 200% humidity in the air ;D It got its shower while climbing back and I used it with my hands covered in mud, it still lives.

 

[Ruined]

I try to cover my 6D if it is raining, as Canon do not seem confident in their communication of the 6D's weather sealing capabilities. While I believe it is more robust than the sealing on a Rebel SL1, I am betting it is significantly below the level of a 1DX.

 

[mackguyver]

I used mine last week-end in a large cave with an underground glacier while a violent storm was happening outside => 200% humidity in the air ;D It got its shower while climbing back and I used it with my hands covered in mud, it still lives.

I've never taken a camera into a cave, but used to do a lot of caving (or spelunking for others) and can't remember when I've been more covered in mud & sweat. I'd be scared to take a 1D X in a cave...so if the 6D can survive that, I'm very impressed!

 

[Marsu42]

Fyi all: When my 6D was at Canon service, it obviously self-repaired so that's was the reason why they didn't charge me anything . They did a perfect job at cleaning the camera inside out though and replaced the top dial plate that had fallen off, so I'm a happy camper.

Conclusion: Even if your camera is "broken", it might still be worthwhile to let it dry even for a week before deciding to have it serviced if you have to pay for it yourself. The moisture obviously is very quick to get in, but takes a lot of time to get out.

 

[Sporgon]

The moisture obviously is very quick to get in, but takes a lot of time to get out.[/i]

That's the worst part of inadequate sealing. There is an answer though; get an original 5D. The moisture is quick to get in but comes out just as easily

 

[CookieMonster]

I shot some pics at a festival where the weather was so hot the firefighters constantly used their hose on the crowd. The 6D went through, like the 135L even though it was not sealed. Hid it under my soaked shirt for one hour, between two shots