weather tolerance

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weather tolerance

lucas lumiere
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p.1 #1 · weather tolerance

Hi there Canon fans.

These epic white-out conditions we're having here in Ontario have got me thinking. I'd like to hear about the craziest weather your various canon bodies and lenses have endured and lived to tell about it... or any tragic scenarios you lost a beloved piece of gear.

Please include:

1) camera and lens used
2) the type and severity of the weather (extreme cold / precipitation / heat / whatever)
3) did the equipment perform beyond manufacturer specifications or did it fail from getting sneezed on?

I once had a 20d fail during a really hot wedding shoot, I think my super sweaty forehead may have soaked into the power switch and caused it to behave erratically. It started working again at the air conditioned reception.

That same 20d went out in some crazy wind/rainstorms on the west coast in bc. I did use a garbage bag for protection but the camera and my 70-200 f4 L series lens still got pretty wet. I never had any problems that day.

I've never even batted an eye bringing any 1 series out in the snow / rain. Anyone have any issues? I'd love to hear some stories about the various 5d cameras as well... what they survived or what did them in. Hopefully through this discussion we can all get a better idea of what to reasonably expect from our gear.

Cheers!

Feb 08, 2013 at 10:05 PM

Will Patterson
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p.1 #2 · weather tolerance

Two years ago at the 24 Hours of Daytona, my friend and I were there shooting as usual, and right before the race it started TROPICAL DOWNPOURING and it continued for 3 hours. It rained so hard the race started under yellow and stayed that way for a few hours.

He was shooting with a rented 1D Mark 4 and 1D Mark II, and I was shooting with a 1D Mark III. He had a 24-105 and I mostly was using a 70-200 2.8 IS. We didn't have any rain gear and just hoped that everything was going to be ok, and it all was. We were shooting in the rain the WHOLE time.

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Feb 08, 2013 at 11:54 PM

lucas lumiere
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p.1 #3 · weather tolerance

Great, it's nice when you're gear just keeps on tickin'. I've never worried at all about any 1 series camera. I bet you were soaked to the bone.

Feb 08, 2013 at 11:58 PM

jcolwell
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p.1 #4 · weather tolerance

For me, three specific situations come to mind:

1. fresh water freezing spray, Dartmouth NS (first two photos);

2. salt water blowing spray, North Atlantic Ocean (last two photos); and,

3. significant internal condensation in 5D mirror box and 24-105L internal elements, Calf Creek UT (no photos).

Feb 09, 2013 at 12:03 AM

gome1122
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p.1 #5 · weather tolerance

I'm In western New York and have the whiteout conditions like you. I just went out for an hour with a 7D, and an 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS II. Was windy cleaned my gear for 20 mins when I got home because of the blowing snow. I would have used my 70-200 f/4 but I needed wide angle. Worked fine. Took it out to some train tracks and it survived the wind and snow blast of being 3 feet away from a freight train. I wasn't concerned about the 7D it was more the lens, since it's not weather sealed.

Feb 09, 2013 at 12:32 AM

lucas lumiere
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p.1 #6 · weather tolerance

Wow that's one frosty looking camera! Was it still operational (if you could get the button pressed?)

What kind of situation led to the 5d and 24-105 condensation failure?

Feb 09, 2013 at 12:35 AM

lucas lumiere
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p.1 #7 · weather tolerance

Gome1122,

Your gear was "naked" right? Great to hear the 18-55 held up okay. I hope you got some nice photos while you were out!

Feb 09, 2013 at 12:38 AM

jcolwell
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p.1 #8 · weather tolerance

lucas lumiere wrote:
Wow that's one frosty looking camera! Was it still operational (if you could get the button pressed?)

Yes, it was completely operational. 1DII and (unsealed) Mamiya A 200/.2.8 APO lens. In fact, soon after taking that photo with an equally frosty 5D +135L, the 5D froze up (not a firmware issue) and the 1DII kept on working.

lucas lumiere wrote:
What kind of situation led to the 5d and 24-105 condensation failure?

I changed lenses in a very humid and warmish environment, at Calf Creek Falls, UT. Then we walked out (and down) as a thunderstorm rolled in. Long story short, the temperature dropped and the warm and humid air inside the camera and lens turned into fog.

Feb 09, 2013 at 12:55 AM

lucas lumiere
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p.1 #9 · weather tolerance

I'm sensing a theme here. With 1 series you get what you pay for!

jcolwell,

Thanks for contributing your experiences.

I've never seen one of those mamiya 200s before. I glanced at it and thought it looked a bit like a 400DO. But upon closer inspection I noticed it said 200. Looks like some nice alt glass.

Feb 09, 2013 at 01:28 AM

PetKal
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p.1 #10 · weather tolerance

jcolwell wrote:
1. fresh water freezing spray, Dartmouth NS (first two photos);

That picture of ice encased camera/lens still gives me chills although I had seen it before. Jim, my good man, what pleasure could you possibly derive from taking pictures in such foul weather ?

Feb 09, 2013 at 01:45 AM

StillFingerz
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p.1 #11 · weather tolerance

One fail to date, summer of 77, I was 20 with a Yashica rangefinder and a pocket full of Kodachrome and Ilford PanF. The location was the Mojave Desert area, event a 14-day survival training 'vacation'.

The film did not like the extreme temps, nor did I, I'm here typing the film was less then correctly exposed; we had no moisture of any sorts but in our canteens, however the film canisters did, needles to say images; other then in my mind, did not develop well, actually all was a bit foggy...

As for the adventure, this SoCal native luved the heat, the nights were damn cold, the stars were absolutely beautiful and hornny toads, bugs and snakes do not taste of chicken

Feb 09, 2013 at 02:21 AM

PetKal
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p.1 #12 · weather tolerance

StillFingerz wrote:
One fail to date, summer of 77, I was 20 with a Yashica rangefinder and a pocket full of Kodachrome and Ilford PanF. The location was the Mojave Desert area, event a 14-day survival training 'vacation'.

The film did not like the extreme temps, nor did I, I'm here typing the film was less then correctly exposed; we had no moisture of any sorts but in our canteens, however the film canisters did, needles to say images; other then in my mind, did not develop well, actually all was a bit foggy...

As for the adventure, this SoCal native luved the heat, the nights were damn cold, the stars were absolutely beautiful and hornny toads, bugs and snakes do not taste of chicken

It's all in the receipe used.......when prepared by a skilled cook, even an old saddlebag can taste like chicken.

Feb 09, 2013 at 02:51 AM

StillFingerz
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p.1 #13 · weather tolerance

PetKal wrote:
StillFingerz wrote:
One fail to date, summer of 77, I was 20 with a Yashica rangefinder and a pocket full of Kodachrome and Ilford PanF. The location was the Mojave Desert area, event a 14-day survival training 'vacation'.

The film did not like the extreme temps, nor did I, I'm here typing the film was less then correctly exposed; we had no moisture of any sorts but in our canteens, however the film canisters did, needles to say images; other then in my mind, did not develop well, actually all was a bit foggy...

As for the adventure, this SoCal native luved the heat, the nights were damn cold, the stars were absolutely beautiful and hornny toads, bugs and snakes do not taste of chicken

It's all in the receipe used.......when prepared by a skilled cook, even an old saddlebag can taste like chicken.

The cook was/is quite skilled, it was the lack of a decent, proper, set of spices that just ruined our meals.
In reality cooking by sterno while watching out for four legged critters with sharp teeth and an appetite for slow moving two legged beasties, turned the delicate tasty morsels rather tough, the jerky was more pallet pleasing. Except for the grubs, they were quite moist, a bit bitter...at first

Feb 09, 2013 at 03:03 AM

PetKal
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p.1 #14 · weather tolerance

Feb 09, 2013 at 03:22 AM

gome1122
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p.1 #15 · weather tolerance

lucas lumiere wrote:
Gome1122,

Your gear was "naked" right? Great to hear the 18-55 held up okay. I hope you got some nice photos while you were out!

The gear was completely 'naked'. The 18-55 is an amazing lens especially for it's price. I ended up screwing up an .45X wide angle converter onto it to get some wider shots from it. Decreased the IQ but I got a bit wider view. Here's the 2 pictures I got from being 3 feet away from a freight train.

http://imgur.com/TR24X9h

http://imgur.com/TiAiVKy

I was going for a bit more motion blur, but I like it. Going out again tomorrow. I tried to have the broom on the opposite post of me come out, but it didn't work out like I thought it would. You can see the blast of snow from the train I was about to get too, bit of unplanned. Hopefully tomorrow will be better at mid day. It was closer to dusk here.

Feb 09, 2013 at 04:33 AM

lucas lumiere
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p.1 #16 · weather tolerance

careful near those trains!

Feb 09, 2013 at 05:05 AM

bkpix
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p.1 #17 · weather tolerance

I live in western Oregon and left my camera with a mid-range zoom on a tripod in the pouring rain one winter afternoon for more than an hour.

Camera and lens were fine.

Oh, right, I use Pentax

Feb 09, 2013 at 05:32 AM

Shutterbug2006
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p.1 #18 · weather tolerance

Never had a problem with any 1-series camera in rain, snow or dust cloud, but I killed my 5D2 in light rain.

Feb 09, 2013 at 08:40 AM

gome1122
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p.1 #19 · weather tolerance

lucas lumiere wrote:
careful near those trains!

Made sure I was safe. Grew up around trains so it wasn't a huge problem.

Feb 09, 2013 at 03:52 PM

jcolwell
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p.1 #20 · weather tolerance

jcolwell wrote:
1. fresh water freezing spray, Dartmouth NS (first two photos);

PetKal wrote:
That picture of ice encased camera/lens still gives me chills although I had seen it before. Jim, my good man, what pleasure could you possibly derive from taking pictures in such foul weather ?

Great pleasure!

Feb 09, 2013 at 04:40 PM

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