PDA

View Full Version : "A slightly cautionary tale" or, "Don't do what I did"



NoxNoctus
11-17-2009, 08:03 AM
Environmental Sealing is a well-debated topic so I'm not going to get into the merits of what I would qualify as a "sealed" piece of equipment.

I went mudding. Without any protection. The camera had no cover. It took wave after wave of nasty gritty grimy North Carolina mud.

The last part of the day, it took a direct and literal title wave of muck as I was in the back seat of my Jeep and filming as a wave crashed over the truck into the back seat.

The camera was fine.

It was the cleaning part that zapped the camera.

I figured if it could take a relentless pounding like that, what harm would a sink dish sprayer do against it? Bad mistake. Somehow or another my stupidity caused the entire camera's innards to render completely soaked. She stuttered for a second then cut off with a "low battery" warning and poof. I thought I was screwed.

When I got home, I dried off as much mud as possible, Deoxit'd the contacts, and tossed it in the oven for 2 hours. Took it out, threw it in an airtight box of kitty litter and rice and let it sit in there overnight.

The camera works fine. There's still condensation through the viewfinder, rendering it useless until it dries, but I am extremely impressed. Canon made a camera that was not water resistant, but idiot resistant.

Anyways, here's the fruits of my quasi-destruction. Enjoy! It was worth it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCzGY6pZIr0

ethan cooper
11-17-2009, 08:13 AM
Note to self:
If you see someone selling a used 7D in Raleigh, NC dont buy it.

NoxNoctus
11-17-2009, 08:15 AM
Hell no, no way I'm selling this thing! haha. The camera paid itself off in the first 2 weeks, I would just buy a new one. But, we've bonded now :)

Image from a minute afterwards

http://captured-essence.com/photos/716176490_2gb6S-O.jpg

johnhafner
11-17-2009, 08:19 AM
That story gave me chills man... poor camera...

NoxNoctus
11-17-2009, 08:25 AM
The 7D was unfortunate, but I did have a HF10 mounted to the top of the windshield that got the worst of it all day. Despite being caked in mud it works flawlessly. I went out there expecting to give my old cam a proper sendoff, damn thing still works!

ethan cooper
11-17-2009, 08:29 AM
trash bags are cheaper than cameras... just saying...

NoxNoctus
11-17-2009, 08:41 AM
Trust me I'm kicking my own ass for not using my rain gear :) It was still extremely fun. I don't even care about the $700 damage done to the Jeep.

JoeC
11-17-2009, 09:20 AM
Here I was, about to clean the inside of my car, trying to get motivated because I was going to scrub the carpets and everything... Thank You. I'm now motivated. My clean-up is no where near as bad as yours will be.

NoxNoctus
11-17-2009, 09:25 AM
3 of us spent an intimate 3 hours hosing the inside down, scrubbing, pressure washing, cleaning the engine, she's about 30% clean, which to me anything more would be like stripping off some badges of honor :D

Fluke
11-17-2009, 02:37 PM
So this thing has survived a tidal wave of mud, a sink dish sprayer, an oven and kitty litter. Holy crap. Now that's environmental sealing. Still, I'm more than happy to take your word for it and never, ever test it on my 7D...

(Also, Mogwai, hells yes).

Rick Rock
11-17-2009, 06:59 PM
Man, I need to come party with you guys. Looks like tons of fun!

NoxNoctus
11-17-2009, 11:33 PM
Man, I need to come party with you guys. Looks like tons of fun!

Let me borrow your camera and I'll let you drive :Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)

Osslund
11-19-2009, 06:17 AM
You put the camera in the oven??? Wow, first you soak it then you toast it!
And it survives :)

When I don't dare using the 7D or GH1 I reach for the waterproof FT1 and I'm safe.

NoxNoctus
11-19-2009, 08:47 AM
She was toasted in the oven at 120-150 for about 3 hours.

The only thing still "wrong" with it after all of this was it looked like it rained inside the viewfinder. I put it inside a cabinet that had a low-wattage bulb in it for a little while and it zapped out the moisture. It's not like I've been using the viewfinder anyways though :-p