Wrecked my 6D today, what a POS

[J.R.]

Trouble is that Canon raw the weather sealing on both the 5d3 and the 6d to be equivalent to the EOS 1N film camera ... Whatever that means. I wasn't shooting film with the EOS 1N (which was released almost two decades back so would request someone to throw some light on this rather confusing statement by Canon.

 

[Jack Douglas]

Jack D doesn't have a lens coat but I've wondered about getting one. I'm pretty careful walking in the trees etc. but it only takes one wrong move. Not really nuts about that camoflage look. However, I'm giving hints to my kids re. Christmas .

I see rain as a more pressing and serious issue but would like to hear what others think of coats in general.
This topic is similar to buying a watch and then going swimming with it on - I wouldn't.

Jack

 

[brad-man]

Lots of retailers carry LensCoat products, but worth noting that if you buy a RainCoat (except the smallest one) direct from them, they'll throw in a RainCap for free ($20 value).

I was out shooting in moderate rain for ~1 hr last week with the 1D X + 600 II. No issues, but I think I'll pick up a RainCoat for next time...

I was/am considering this. The LensCoat RainCoat Standard can be bought from Amazon, B&H, etc for $80 w/free shipping. If you buy it from Lenscoat, you will receive the cap for "free", but it will cost about $12 for shipping and insurance. So, is the cap worth $12 or will a sandwich bag suffice?

 

[brad-man]

Jack D doesn't have a lens coat but I've wondered about getting one. I'm pretty careful walking in the trees etc. but it only takes one wrong move. Not really nuts about that camoflage look. However, I'm giving hints to my kids re. Christmas .

I see rain as a more pressing and serious issue but would like to hear what others think of coats in general.
This topic is similar to buying a watch and then going swimming with it on - I wouldn't.

Jack

They come in four versions of camo, but are also available in black, blue or green.

 

[Chuck Alaimo]

I hope you get things working again... but.

The 7D was rated as weatherproof (whatever that actually means).
The 6D is not.

Maybe you shouldn't have cut corners yourself.
Not suggesting you should have had to pay an extra grand for a 5D3 with weather sealing, but $60 on a kata jacket or even $5 on a throwaway rain cover...

My over-riding feeling is empathy, sympathy even, but you can't really blame canon. You made a bad call, but the punishment seems undue.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK yikes. While I want to say, you take your risks with your gear when shooting in conditions like that, and when you do it you best make damn sure that the benefits outweigh the risks. But in reality, I take the other course way too often, forget the weather and go for it!!! a bunch of times so far this summer - hiing the trails at watkins glen, storm moved in, nothing we could do about it other than hike back. I will say my thinktank bag is why that ended up not going horribly south for me. 2nd one I got real lucky - shooting the tragically hip, this deep dark black cloud ominously moving in. The skies were intense and the images were great...but wow - you know how it goes - you get your 3 songs in the press area and thats that...so I do the 3 songs, talk to the other phtographers for a moment, and start waling to the car. Half way there i felt a sprinkle. And 10 steps away from my car it unloaded on us, freaking torrential downpour. If the Hip had come on 5 minutes later --- yikes. As it was, --- for the Tragically Hip, ---- ALL their gear was destroyed by the storm!!!!!

Thats the 2 most memorable. I take the weather for granted because of my mk3, but often forget that the 6d isn't quite as rugged.... I gotta watch that!!!!

On another note --- 2 years ago, event shooting in clubs --- had a full beer spilled on my 7d - on the backside. I dried it off with a rag and it was fine to shoot with for the rest of the night. I no longer own it, but, sold it to a buddy who took it to africa - it survived that and did admirably. When he got back, he had 1 month left on the B&H extended warranty (3 year plan, so that camera is doing quite awesome). He sent it in, the replaced the shutter, cleaned the sensor real good and replaced some other gaskets and stuff. That camera could last him another 3 years unless he wants to upgrade.

 

[Loswr]

I was/am considering this. The LensCoat RainCoat Standard can be bought from Amazon, B&H, etc for $80 w/free shipping. If you buy it from Lenscoat, you will receive the cap for "free", but it will cost about $12 for shipping and insurance. So, is the cap worth $12 or will a sandwich bag suffice?

Only about $9 to ship the RainCoat Pro to me (arrival in 2 days), so I'd say the cap is worth that. In fact, I just ordered it.

 

[brad-man]

I was/am considering this. The LensCoat RainCoat Standard can be bought from Amazon, B&H, etc for $80 w/free shipping. If you buy it from Lenscoat, you will receive the cap for "free", but it will cost about $12 for shipping and insurance. So, is the cap worth $12 or will a sandwich bag suffice?

Only about $9 to ship the RainCoat Pro to me (arrival in 2 days), so I'd say the cap is worth that. In fact, I just ordered it.

It does seem to be a very effective solution. The only thing keeping me from pulling the trigger is this nagging feeling that I won't have it when I need it. I very rarely intend to shoot in inclement weather. It's a little large to always carry, as I like to travel as light as possible.

 

[jrista]

I've used the RealTree version of LensCoat's RainCoat for a while...since winter. It is definitely worth the investment if you shoot in any kind of weather. You never really can tell how save your gear will be when its exposed...having the ability to slip on the rain coat when you need to gives you that extra peace of mind.

I will say that with smaller lenses, it is much more difficult to use. It is designed to work with long lenses, so on something shorter, like the 100-400, you get a lot of bunched up material, particularly at the camera end. It works much better on the 600mm f/4, as it stretches out more appropriately and gives you more freedom at the camera end. It is also easier to balance on a longer lens than on a shorter lens (the bunching tends to be erratic, making it possible to unbalance a lens on a gimbal just by shifting the rain coat material around during use.)

 

[brad-man]

I've used the RealTree version of LensCoat's RainCoat for a while...since winter. It is definitely worth the investment if you shoot in any kind of weather. You never really can tell how save your gear will be when its exposed...having the ability to slip on the rain coat when you need to gives you that extra peace of mind.

I will say that with smaller lenses, it is much more difficult to use. It is designed to work with long lenses, so on something shorter, like the 100-400, you get a lot of bunched up material, particularly at the camera end. It works much better on the 600mm f/4, as it stretches out more appropriately and gives you more freedom at the camera end. It is also easier to balance on a longer lens than on a shorter lens (the bunching tends to be erratic, making it possible to unbalance a lens on a gimbal just by shifting the rain coat material around during use.)

Are you speaking of the regular version or the pro? The pro is rated for 300 f/2.8 and above, while the regular is for the 100-400 and below.

 

[expatinasia]

The three rain covers I have are the:

EOS Rain Cover ERC-E4S, ERC-E4M, and ERC-E4L. (only difference is the size: small, medium and large, depending on your lens).

This is the large in the Canon US shop:

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/product-accessories/eos-digital-slr-camera-accessories/eos-tripods-other-accessories/eos-rain-cover-large-erc-e4l

I am very happy with their quality, and am confident they will help protect my gear when things get wet.

 

[kaihp]

I was/am considering this. The LensCoat RainCoat Standard can be bought from Amazon, B&H, etc for $80 w/free shipping. If you buy it from Lenscoat, you will receive the cap for "free", but it will cost about $12 for shipping and insurance. So, is the cap worth $12 or will a sandwich bag suffice?

Only about $9 to ship the RainCoat Pro to me (arrival in 2 days), so I'd say the cap is worth that. In fact, I just ordered it.

Have anyone used the ThinkTank Hydrophobias rain covers? - any comparison between LensCoat and the ThinkTank?
The TTP's are a fair bit more expensive

 

[RLPhoto]

I've had to shoot my 7D + 50L in the rain. It worked flawlessly and I'd feel comfortable doing it with a 5D2. It's crazy why on earth canon would skimp alittle on some gaskets for 6D.

 

[gmrza]

Well, not only this site has it stated (http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/tech/report/2012/10/), as someone said, but we get this illustration found in this other site (http://imagesandcameras.com/canon-eos-6d-dslr-camera):

Where did they get this from, I dunno, but I beleive they got it from a Canon press release or something like that.

But the truth is that no camera is safe. Read this: http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3371529

Note the term "DRIP PROOF" *grin*

 

[dgatwood]

Note the term "DRIP PROOF" *grin*

There you have it. A rainstorm is nothing more than a series of drips.

 

[Marsu42]

It's crazy why on earth canon would skimp alittle on some gaskets for 6D.

No, it isn't, because word gets around when people read threads like this and then Canon gets $1000 more selling 5d3 instead of 6d bodies - imho Canon cut corners all they could on the 6d to be able to lower the price much more than it currently is.

 

[RLPhoto]

It's crazy why on earth canon would skimp alittle on some gaskets for 6D.

No, it isn't, because word gets around when people read threads like this and then Canon gets $1000 more selling 5d3 instead of 6d bodies - imho Canon cut corners all they could on the 6d to be able to lower the price much more than it currently is.

Not really. 5d2 was weather sealed.

 

[BillH]

I know its a bit late for you now, and your 6D seems to have survived OK thank goodness, but I always carry a plastic Wal-mart carrier bag in my pocket when it looks as if it might rain. I has saved my 40D a few times!

 

[Marsu42]

I know its a bit late for you now, and your 6D seems to have survived OK thank goodness, but I always carry a plastic Wal-mart carrier bag in my pocket when it looks as if it might rain.

+1, there's no urgent need for "professional" bags, in Berlin there are a lot of pro photojournalists around and I'm often seeing *them* to what amounts to a "do it yourself" bag sealing solution ... which imho proves they are professional, they're interested in the result and not the looks.

 

[jrista]

I've used the RealTree version of LensCoat's RainCoat for a while...since winter. It is definitely worth the investment if you shoot in any kind of weather. You never really can tell how save your gear will be when its exposed...having the ability to slip on the rain coat when you need to gives you that extra peace of mind.

I will say that with smaller lenses, it is much more difficult to use. It is designed to work with long lenses, so on something shorter, like the 100-400, you get a lot of bunched up material, particularly at the camera end. It works much better on the 600mm f/4, as it stretches out more appropriately and gives you more freedom at the camera end. It is also easier to balance on a longer lens than on a shorter lens (the bunching tends to be erratic, making it possible to unbalance a lens on a gimbal just by shifting the rain coat material around during use.)

Are you speaking of the regular version or the pro? The pro is rated for 300 f/2.8 and above, while the regular is for the 100-400 and below.

I didn't realize there were two versions. At the time, the only one I found was the Pro version.

 

[Dr.Jones]

I feel greatly sorry for you. No matter how much you asked for it yourself it is always a sad thing you gear starts malfunctioning.

If it's okay with the OP I'dd like to ask you all for some advice in what to do in my own situation. I have a 5D Mark III which is currently in for repair by water damage. Canon has opened up the camera and found several spots where water has damaged multiple parts of the camera.. My problem however is not whether or not water has damaged my camera as canon have already sent me pictures of the internals of my camera. My problem is that this damage has happened over night where i was sleeping in a tent. The camera what functioning perfect when i went to sleep and not at all when i woke again. Therefor i suspect the camera to be damaged only by moisture and condensation, which i find to be less than satisfying.. Another thing to add is that my 5D Mark II was right next to it and it suffered no malfunctions.

I am very disappointed with this. And of course the bill that followed, which right now I'm refusing to pay...
I live in Denmark, if that is of interest for anyone. In Denmark the price for a 5D mark III is just about 4000$ and the cost of the repair is 2800$... Almost 3/4 of the price of a new one...

So if anyone can provide some help in any way i would be more than thankful also pictures like the one of the 6D's sealing would be nice to have. Thank you all in advance!

this link, posted twice already, states that the 5DIII sealing is better than the 5D II.
http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/tech/report/2012/10/
I presume there may be other tech reports on that site, which have other little tidbits.
As to your particular case, it's rather difficult to judge what has been going on. Even though one camera is dead, and the other not, maybe even small differences in location may have done it, i.e. one underneath the other, liquid going down, etc. Also, did it rain during the night, was the tent waterproof, i.e. a little water dripping here or there exactly on the one camera, but not the other, while you were sleeping.

It didn't rain at all. And just for the sake of it, the tent was waterproof anyway. Though I get your point in regards of small differences in location might have done the trick, i still don't understand as they were just beside each other.

As to the part of the 6D pictures I wasn't looking for the 6D pictures or links for them, but rather similar pictures of the 5D mark III