GH2 So... SD cards are waterproof?

L

L1N3ARX

Well-known member
So, you know that devastating feeling you get upon realizing that you left something in your pocket only to be destroyed by the washer? My 64gb Extreme Pro 95/mbps card went through the wash, stagnated in my wet damp clothes overnight (forgot to throw my stuff in the dryer), then in the morning did a 2nd wash since now my clothes smelt nice and moldy... then passed through the dryer at the highest temperature setting for more than an hour. When I popped open the dryer my heart sunk as my beloved sandisk was the first thing to fall out. Well I was pretty positive at that point this thing was a goner... $200.. just like that. But as luck would have it... this thing is solid as a rock. No damage done... all files intact and my gh2 records on it just fine. Upon researching this... it's not a surprising finding; it appears that most decent brand SD cards are water proof up to around a meter.
 
Indeed, I guess it is a rather obvious finding. But when one hasn't given a thought to that kind of situation until it happens... it's a relief nonetheless.
 
It is waterproof also if a card has been immersed, I would recommend to dry it as soon as possible and wait a little before reinserting it in the camera. Powering a damp card could create a short circuit.
 
Technically- no they are not waterproof. However, most of the time an SD card will survive momentary immersion in fresh water, especially if it's not being used at the moment of contact and are left out to dry for a while before re-using. But drop your camera into the ocean while it's on and your chances of the card frying are much higher (not to mention the camera too). Water and electronics in general do not mix- keep them dry.

-Noah
 
It helps that you had the Sandisk Extreme - it's the one that's suppose to be tougher than most.

Not all SD cards are that tough. They're all waterproof (at least until we get bio-degradable cards) - but I would be more concerned about the high heat and static discharge.
 
Kdawg said:
Makes me wonder if Phillip Bloom's card is still in tact at the bottom of that harbor with his GH2 ;)
Click to expand...

Probably - the memory cards were retrieved from the tsunami months later, there was the Canon DReb that was retrieved from the ocean 1 year later and the files were still intact.
 
Panasonic SDHC card dropped into a cup off hot coffee - rinsed under water, dried with cloth, submersed in a cup of rice. Prefect - now about 50-60 cycles later still perfect.
 
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