I've used mine in some light drizzles but like others have said use a rain cover if needed. I personally wouldn't take mine out in heavier rain, not worth the risk for myself.
I'm too much of a pussy to shoot in the pouring rain - and I just don't like it and the pictures are usually not much good either - so why are all you fetishists doing it? If I absolutely must take a picture in the rain then I cover the camera - hold it under my coat/bag etc. Never had a problem with the 6D in this regard. Clearly though I am just not a good enough photographer (or tough enough) to be required to be out photographing in a monsoon.
Robin Smith wrote:
I'm too much of a pussy to shoot in the pouring rain - and I just don't like it and the pictures are usually not much good either - so why are all you fetishists doing it?.
I shoot sports in the rain. I also shoot on small high-speed boats, which is like shooting in salt water rain. I sometimes shoot weather, like in a major storm or hurricane. Call it a fetish if you like. I call it fun.
I've been shooting the 6D since they were new and I would not call it weather resistant. I don't know what "DWR" means. My first (well, only) bad experience was after a half day street shooting in a steady, but light, rain. I took no precautions except sliding it under my coat sometimes. Then it started going berzerk, cycling through the menus endlessly, not responding to any input. I had to remove the battery to reboot it and return to intermittent operation. It worked again with only occasional burps after drying out overnight, then repeated the behaviour in the next rain.
It dawned on me that water was creeping in through the backside buttons. I could see drops sometimes accumulating around the buttons. I despise those plastic covers, so here's what has worked for me for three years: I carry a cowboy style bandanna and drape it over the 6D in the rain. It wicks away most of the water and I rarely get drops accumulating on the buttons. I use the bandanna to wipe the water from time to time. I don't spend hours in driving rain. Not my idea of fun...
High on my list of wants for my next body is better weather resistance. Doesn't Canon claim weather resistance for the 7DII?
I don't enjoy shooting in the rain but if I've gone somewhere to take photos I'm not going to sit idle or leave because it's raining. In fact it's sometimes possible to get some very nice photos in rain. Until buying a Canon 5DSR about a year ago I only had Canon 1-series cameras since way back in the film days. I used to be paranoid about water but I grew to trust the waterproofing after getting caught out in unexpected heavy rains many times over many years. If it's raining and there's a dry place like a vehicle to be I'll get out to take photos in the rain without a rain cover and dry things off back in the vehicle. OTOH if I know I'll be photographing all day in rain I always use a rain cover.
FWIW, late one evening a few days ago I was shooting waterfalls with the 5DSR in very light rain. Due to habit never thought twice about it. As I was shooting it started raining harder and harder. I was wearing a big hat and raincoat so I didn't feel it. Between concentrating on what I was doing and the roar of the falls I didn't notice or care much until photography became impossible and water was literally running off of the camera. It didn't bother me until I suddenly realized this is not a super-sealed camera and I had been using the top mounted ISO and other buttons while water was pooling on them. I tried to pad the thing dry with a small towel but that was difficult because the rain had turned into a real downpour. I hiked a couple miles back to the car, dried things off, and left everything out on a table in my room overnight. I guess the camera is sealed better than I thought it was since there are no problems, but I'll be a bit more careful in the future.
I don't think Canon provides IP code ( IP Code, International Protection Marking, IEC standard 60529, sometimes interpreted as Ingress Protection Marking), and other Camera manufacturers does not either. (except for action cameras)
IP codes can tell you if your device's water / dust / impact resistance ratings.
1D (Best), 5D / 7D (Good), 70D/6D (Better than Average), Other (Average)
StevenSHH wrote:
I don't think Canon provides IP code ( IP Code, International Protection Marking, IEC standard 60529, sometimes interpreted as Ingress Protection Marking), and other Camera manufacturers does not either. (except for action cameras)
IP codes can tell you if your device's water / dust / impact resistance ratings.
1D (Best), 5D / 7D (Good), 70D/6D (Better than Average), Other (Average)
Any meaningful IP rating for a camera would need to consider the lens. I suppose a manufacturer could rate all of the cameras and lenses with caps on the interface ends, and the rating of any camera/lens combination would just be the lower of the two. Even that would be complicated by whether the camera is in position for a vertical or horizontal photo. For instance, there's no gasket on the downward facing 5-series battery door so it might get a 53 in the horizontal orientation and a 52 in the vertical orientation, not considering the lens. I'd also guess that even the best cameras would not rate more than IP 54 or (unlikely) 55. Lenses with no gasket to seal against the body would likely get no more than a 50.
Unless you are using a lens with sealing, all the sealing in the world on a camera will be useless. That lens mount will let water pour into a camera. Use a weather sealed lens with a filter (Many require a filter to complete the sealing.
Otherwise, a plastic bag to cover camera and lens will help, but water can enter the end of a lens sticking out of the bag, so use a filter.
scalesusa wrote:
...a plastic bag to cover camera and lens will help, but water can enter the end of a lens sticking out of the bag, so use a filter.
Yep. Because I live near Seattle, a pair of Rainsleeves is always handy in the outside pocket of my camera bag. Whether I'm using my 6D or my 7D, I'd rather be safe than sorry. At less than $10.00 each, it's cheap insurance.
Just had my first "oh crap" moment today. I got a "Severe Thunderstorm Alert" on my smart watch and within 5 minutes we had rain going sideways so strongly that another family's domino table + chairs flew away. We got soaked entirely, which included the camera + lens, plus the camera bag and the sigma bag, and my wife's fuji, my cell phone, watch. Think "drenched"...my leather wallet was leaking color on my white shorts...that kind of drenched.
I thought I would lose some or all of the electronics...but everything is safe! I inspected carefully and water only got ON the cameras, but neither the 6D nor the Fuji got water inside. I've checked all the lenses, camera bodies, inside and out, and nothing but superficial coverage. Wiped off with a soft towel and we're back in business.
Whew. So yeah, the 6D is probably not weather proof, but it's got enough sealing to not die on me on the worst soaking I've gotten in my life.
My un-sealed 5D got very wet in a similar situation; T-storm while hiking out of Calf Creek, UT. It took about four months before the corrosion related to that soaking caused the camera to stop working. The official diagnosis was "camera brain dead". After replacing some circuit boards (i.e. computers) it was fine.
weezintrumpete wrote:
As the title states...there seems to be some misleading information about it. Some say yes, it is, others don't think so.
So what's the deal? Anyone have some first hand experience? I want to go shooting in the rain!
No camera is weather SEALED, except the Nikon 1 AW1 (and perhaps some of the recent Olympus and Pentax cameras).
The Canon and Nikon "prrosumer" and pro bodies are weather and dust resistant, which means they can handle limited exposure to the elements, but prolonged use in heavy rain without some sort of protection may not end well.
It's raining today, so I think I'll go out with a 1D2 and a 1D3 to capture some Motocross racing in the mud out in the boonies. I'll let you know how it worked out.
molson wrote:
...No camera is weather SEALED, except the Nikon 1 AW1 (and perhaps some of the recent Olympus and Pentax cameras)...
Let's not forget the many waterproof and underwater cameras out there. For those who shoot a lot in the rain or near surf, those are viable options even if they never plan on deliberately going under water.
I went snorkeling a couple of days ago. I have a "dry" snorkel. I didn't have a good seal of my mouth around the mouthpiece, so a little water got in my mouth. I gave a good, hard blow, and all the water cleared through the snorkel. I dove below the surface, and still no more water got in. In fact, no more water got in for the next hour. But, had it been needed, water could have got out. The seals work to keep water out, but they don't keep it in.
