Weather sealing -- How much of a factor does it play for you

PB_PM

I don't know about it being meaningless marketing hype. Then again, Nikon never uses the phrase "weather sealed" in any of their marketing material. Nikon tends to say, "water and dust resistant" or "has seals and gaskets", which to me means something totally different. Think of it as being insect repellant, rather a mosquito net.

While I wouldn't take my gear out in a total down pour without a rain cover on purpose, I have used the D300, D700, D800, 24-70 F2.8G, 16-35mm F4G VR, and 105mm F2.8G VR in the rain (not just drizzle) and wet snow. No problems with the cameras or lenses used after the fact either. I did make sure that I dried the gear off after, and kept large amounts of moisture from building up on the gear as I was shooting. When I wasn't taking a shot or video clips I made sure the mount was facing down and away from precipitation.

Bokeh_Hunter

I try to buy the "better" or higher step up gear and in reality you can not separate the higher build quality, better optics, more options, etc., with the "weather" sealed. It is the whole package. It is not like there are two 70-200 2.8s where one is weather sealed and one isn't. Nikon's most expensive glass/bodies are built to handle hard, daily use. The lower/cheaper models are not. Outside of OEM stuff from Nikon, Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, Zeiss, and much lesser brands, the question is how much they can handle. Tokina touts their build quality and weather seals, but I have rarely seen none of the others (except for sports lenses) actually mention anything. When it comes down to it, I'm more concerned about dust than water. When it is raining or I'm near water I am more cautious. When it's dusty, I just curse more about dirt in my mouth than worrying about my camera gear - which of course dust can cause just as many issues.

Nikon's poor use of wording without defining what exactly each word means, and Canon truly making weather tight glass (L-lenses/ the ugly white carpet rolls (; ) is really what all of this is about. I have seen them use the words environment proof, weather sealed, dust and splash along with a random number of sealed gaskets is really what leaves everyone questioning. The comment above about Olympus could also be said about Pentax as well. I would put a D7xxx or a D3xx series up against both of those any day and I'm quite sure they would perform the same. Nikon has always been wishy washy about the subject and what the terms mean when used in real-world situations. They also have never marketed their camera's in that way even if they know they will perform probably just as well.

I have had almost every camera I have ever owned get rained on, splashed and covered with dust. (The Mid-west USA where I live is windy almost every day with farm field dust everywhere.) I have had cameras fall into mud, fall off of ladders, get soaked with soapy bubbles, drenched with salt water from a bow of a boat cutting through waves, and the list goes on. I have only had two lenses stop working and one (85mm 1.8D) was from a major drop (or many over years) and one shooting in rain and dust (24mm 2.8D•AF motor got mucked up.) Nikon's "G" lenses are a major upgrade from the "D" lenses in sealing dust out for sure. (I'm talking about anything with a metal mount.) Nikon's bodies below the D3xx series have also improved greatly. There are 1,000s of photo journalists, sports shooters, war shooters that don't pay for their gear and get it replaced at will who beat the living hell out of all of this stuff. I have seen articles about the US Army Rangers using Nikon equipment in wars and they said it last for about 6 months. Those cameras get used harder in 1 month then most people will ever put their cameras through in a lifetime. Just not worth worrying about in my mind.

If I do worry about weather I use the following:
Cheap small trash bag
Silicone tape (it does not have glue on it, it just seals on itself.)
Gaffers tape
Dry Sacks - I use "Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Nano Dry Sack"
Umbrella and or rain jacket.

An oldie but goodie:

PB_PM

Second, the older your camera/lens, probably the less effective any kind of weather sealing becomes. Rubber tends to recede and come loose with time.

I believe that is why Nikon also uses silicon for some seals in camera/lens bodies. Not that silicon doesn't suffer from the some problem over an extended periods, but far less so than rubber.

spraynpray

Give that the Nikon warrantee, is not be applicable in the case of damage caused by water
and given the weather in the UK normally involves copious amount of water, it is meaningless piece of marking hype

It is obviously better to have than not to have seven.

I would think that the bayonet mount is the major weak point in terms of leakage. The rest of the lens and camera could easily be waterproofed with gaskets and switch covers but it would take a redesign of the lens mount to secure that area. I have a friend who works for a US defense contractor who tells me that waterproofing (no leaks to 48' under water) ads 25% to the cost of their electronic devices. The few times I've been out in heavy rain I've found a plastic rain cover and lots of electrical tape was enough. So I think I would buy a lens based upon the best optical quality I could afford on my budget.

The better lenses do have a rubber seal.

Don't forget the word 'proof' is not used so it is only ever going to be IP54 at best.

Golf007sd

IMHO spending $80+ dollars for Lenscoat for my 300 2.8 was a no-brainer. In fact, it was one of the first things I purchased for it in order to protected from damage...ie hitting thing and such. Now when I purchased the CPL for it was/is a bit of a sting.

Vipmediastar_JZ

Don't forget to cover up the hot shoe.
I lost all my hot shoe covers and at times some mist or drizzle from rain ends up on me and my first reaction is two cover up the hotshoe since there are several contacts there.

Msmoto

My experience recently was during a three day photo shoot to generate a slide show. Two of the three days were rainy. So, I was wet, and the D4 and 24mm f/1.4 Nikkor looked like we had been in the shower. I did not allow the camera to be exposed during heavy rain, but when there is light rain falling, time constraints, and accessibility issues, one does the best they can. I probably would not have had a problem with Sigma 35mm / f 1.4 either, but wanted the wider FOV. In a heavy rain requiring photographer's protective gear, then the camera would have similar protection. Simple plastic film or baggies can prevent heavy direct hit of equipment with falling rain, but some moisture may get on the equipment, primarily superficial and not with any real consequences

manhattanboy

Does anyone have experience with this:
http://www.amazon.com/Altura-Photo-Professional-MagicFiber-Microfiber/dp/B004AH10K8/

Thanks.

ThomasHorton

Unless you are shooting a Pentax, "weather sealing" means only what the marketing department wants it to mean. There is a huge difference between "weather sealed" and "weather sealing". One is a noun phrase and the other is a verb phrase. The two terms do not mean the same. You can glue in one piece of foam and call it "weather sealing".

What is the measurable standard for "weather sealing"? There ain't none.

What do the camera/lens manufacturers warranties say about "weather sealing? Probably not a lot.

A camera that has weather sealing will resist the effects of weather up to the point that it won't.

A marketing department claim of "weather sealing" influences my purchasing decision the same way a marketing department claim of "improved" does -- It doesn't.

I treat all my photographic equipment as if it were "weather vunerable" meaning that I take great care to protect my camera equipment from the environment.

I have to admit that some of those Pentax K5/K3 videos are pretty impressive.

WestEndBoy

Apparently my D7000 has protection but it is always my intention never to test it. The other day a dramatic sky turned into horizontal fine rain in a moment and my body was off the tripod and into the bag the following moment!

If it was my 50 1.4 on my D800, I would have covered it in plastic and kept shooting. With my 85, I would only bother with the plastic if it did not inturrupt my shooting.

I suspect that if I stood in the shower for a minute, everything would be fine. However I won't push my luck that far.

Also, I have budgeted for losing a camera and lens every 10 years. This puts my mind at ease and allows me to enjoy photography.

sevencrossing

I use a think tank cover
http://www.thinktankphoto.com/products/hydrophobia-70-200-rain-cover.aspx
when taking shots like this

manhattanboy

I use a think tank cover
http://www.thinktankphoto.com/products/hydrophobia-70-200-rain-cover.aspx
when taking shots like this

That's an awesome cover and I love ThinkTank products, but its hard to swallow that price given most of the time I never shoot in rain. I will give the one on Amazon a whirl, but the decimal has moved to the left from the Think Tank product, so my expectations are low.

NSXTypeR

I mean, in a pinch I guess you could cut a hole in the corner of a large garbage bag and rubber band the front tip of the bag around the lens hood.

I've never really used a camera in really extreme weather conditions. I've actually put my D40 in worse conditions than my D7000 so far. It has been in light rain, light snow, and slightly below freezing temperature and it had been fine.

In the D7000 I wanted better controls, but it just happens to have some weather sealing.

spraynpray

Things change. When I last posted my camera use was recreational, but now I'm back pro again, if it rains, it rains. Assistant become brolly boy. If my weather sealing lets me down, Nikon will get to hear and have the chance to fix it. Ce'st la vie.

@ThomasHorton said: "What is the measurable standard for "weather sealing"? There ain't none."

Well, actually there is - the IP rating system - but very few people really understand it. If it were a legal requirement, that would be a whole different kettle of fish for the spec-heads to obsess over and brag about.

PB_PM

If my weather sealing lets me down, Nikon will get to hear and have the chance to fix it. Ce'st la vie.

And Nikon will say, "hand over the $$$$ buddy" because water damage is explicitly not covered by the warranty. Not saying you don't know that already, but just pointing that out for anyone who doesn't.

ThomasHorton

Well, actually there is - the IP rating system -

The IP rating system addresses solid objects (dust being one of them) and water. Camera manufacturers are careful not to mention dust and water but use an ill-defined term "weather".

Are there any DSLRs that are advertized as being dust resistant or water resistant? There may be a few, but not many.

Do any major camera manufacturers put their cameras through an IP certification?

Now if a camera manufactuer would put their cameras through IP certification, that WOULD affect my purchasing decision. Even an IPx1 rating would mean a lot more than some marketing guy writing the phrase "weather sealing".

I still maintain that the term "weather sealing" means only what the marketing department wants us to think it means.

Msmoto

One recent shoot in the rain and 40°F, shooting the D4/400mm f/2.8, with a LensCoat RealTree cover, monopod, plus, I use a rain cape for myself which allows a lot of flexibility in how I am positioned to the camera, etc., and the result was very comfortable shooting in horrid conditions…..



1/250th sec at f/5.6

Seen better here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fantinesfotos/15220447235/sizes/o/

Photobug

Tommy not only was the equipment shielded from the weather but it sure sounds like you were well shielded. Nice image.

Fritz

I remember an article that I read a few years ago about the US Navy combat photography unit in Iraq and the conditions they operated their D3s' and D700's under. The article mentioned how well the equipment withstood the desert conditions that they operated in with the exception of the Uv filters on their lenses that literally got sand blasted to death, I googled the unit to see if there was any publicity information and didn't find any. I know that the blowing sand in Afghanistan is as fine as talcum and abrasive as all get out so it would be very informative to understand the techniques the combat photographers have evolved in order to keep their equipment operating. Has anyone heard anything recent about those folks?

spraynpray

Water is one thing @PitchBlack - salt water is quite another. I would at least have mine covered in a plastic bag.

@ThomasHorton: I agree about marketing departments, but the IP system needs an amendment IMHO to make it able to best represent what it is needed to be for items such as cameras etc.

NSXTypeR

Not really about weather sealing, but what about clothing for the photographer? Your gear is only as good as you can last.

Right now the weather is quite cold, what sort of gloves do you guys use? I feel like thick gloves can be used, but is not ideal. I can generally press the buttons for ISO okay. However, those thick gloves make it very difficult to change frame rate on the D7000 as the little button is extremely hard to press without taking off your gloves.

Ironheart

I use these:
http://www.amazon.com/HEAD-Digital-Running-Sensatec-Compatible/dp/B00EKWV15C
They work for smartphones too.

Also, it's an old "trick" but if you keep your core warm, your extremities won't be as cold. Think heated vest, pocket warmers, electric blanket...

Photobug

Not really about weather sealing, but what about clothing for the photographer? Your gear is only as good as you can last.

Right now the weather is quite cold, what sort of gloves do you guys use? I feel like thick gloves can be used, but is not ideal. I can generally press the buttons for ISO okay. However, those thick gloves make it very difficult to change frame rate on the D7000 as the little button is extremely hard to press without taking off your gloves.

Lets me share my experience. For years I used a pair of LowePro photo gloves. I paid $25 for my first pair and then a little more for a pair for the wife. I liked them because of the rough texture to help grip my camera. Dealers sell them for $29.99 but you can find them for less. Amazon is out, here is the link:
]http://www.amazon.com/Lowepro-Gloves-black-Lycra-Thermax/dp/B00023JEXO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422323260&sr=8-1&keywords=lowepro+glove

I lose one of them on a winter shoot so I bought a pair similar to the one @Ironheart mentions, immediately above this message. Mine has white finger tips, really thin. No issues operating my camera with them. I was outside in 35 to 40 degree weather for 5 hours shooting Bald Eagles two weeks ago and my hands never got cold.

Because I am not a "spring chicken" I know the importance of warm feet. I have a thick pair of wool socks and a pair of insulated boots. It keeps me warm down to zero F. Also, my boots are water resistance. I also have a pair of low hiking shoes and the wool socks are perfect.

As far as the rest of the outfit...layer and layer. Typically I have 3 or mostly 4 layers. You can always peel off a layer but you normally can't put on another layer.

sevencrossing

there is a thread on winter clothing

http://forum.nikonrumors.com/discussion/778/recomendations-for-winter-clothing/p1

plus one to layers and keeping your core warm

Msmoto

@sevencrossing

Thanks for the reminder about the clothing thread....