Which of my gear is water resistant and Ideas for shooting in rain

T

The Irish TRex

Well-known member
I have 3 Sony A7s camera and a few lenses and while shooting a wedding out here in St. John Island it started to rain. The party didn't stop. But I realized I didn't really know which of my gear was okay in that rain and what was not. I'll list my camera gear below but I'd also love to know what other A7s owners do when shooting events in the rain.

Sony A7s
Sony Power Zoom 18-200mm
Sony 10-18mm
Sony FE 55 1.8

Any of those okay in rain? And what if the camera is resistant but the lens is not? What then? Real curious what others do shooting events (or other run n gun type scenarios) in wet conditions.

Thanks!
 
I would not trust any piece of gear in the rain unless it is specifically advertised as being water resistant.

I also have a clause in my wedding contract that says I will stop recording in circumstances where either myself or my equipment are in danger (including weather), and that it is the responsibility of the couple to ensure the location is adequate. Basically if they choose to keep going and not move indoors in the event of rain, I'll only record at my discretion. I've never had to action this clause, thankfully, and I've worked around the weather in many cases, but it means the option is there if the situation gets serious.
 
I'd be especially careful with the a7s in the rain, don't think it has any weather sealing and I've heard reports of it's internals corroding due to moisture.
 
Ive used my A7s within splashing distance close to water on a moving boat, and outside during light rain and heavy snow, and have had no issues. The camera is advertised as dust and splash proof, but not weather sealed. The battery compartment and SD card slot dont have rubber gaskets on them so that could be an issue if you saw a lot of water, but the buttons seem to have some sort of seal on them to prevent water from messing it up.

I'm personally the kind of person who will do anything it takes to get the shot. If you so concerned about your gear that it's preventing you from shooting, find some sort of raincoat or protection for your camera, or find another camera that doesn't give you that fear or hesitation that might ruin a shot or moment for you.
 
I always tape an umbrella to my monopod or tripod. It is difficult when it's windy but it works excellent.
Better controle than a raincover and it also keeps me and my backback dry.
 
Stu Siegal said:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/891383-REG/ruggard_rc_p18_18_plastic_rain_cover.html

Basically camera-shaped plastic bags, cheap enough, keep a couple in your bag.
Click to expand...

Good idea. Although I might have to grab a different one to work with the xlr-k1m adapter. Maybe one of these?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/893960-REG/ruggard_rc_p18f_18_rain_cover_for.html

Not sure. I've been lucky to go 8 years of weddings with no real rain in California. But this Island trip caught me off guard.

So the A7s is splash proof but not water resistant huh? Okay. How about this lenses? Any one know?
 
After some more investigation it appears that the weatherproofing is incredibly minor:

http://tobinators.com/blog/index.php/2014/04/everything-else/sony-a7r-in-not-weatherproof-shock/

I asked what the moisture sealing did, and was given the response that it could “withstand teperature change when there is water in the air, but no more”. That to me means condensation. So if I interpret what I was told correctly, the A7R isn’t really weatherproof, or weather sealed, or really moisture resistant. In fact all it can stand is a bit of condensation. I’d love to know what the design specifications for water resistance are for the camera, as Sony clearly have some that they aren’t sharing.

The blurb on Sony’s web site currently says this:

“Dust and moisture resistance: Durability-enhancing measures include sealing around the buttons and dials, as well as a protective double-layered structure that tightly interlocks panels and components.”

There seems to be some history here, as Sony Alpha Rumours reported that any references to weather sealing had been removed from Sony literature.
Click to expand...



 
What a camera, or any piece of gear can take when it comes to moisture is a really wide range. A bunch of guys I know who were used to shooting with DVXs and other cameras bought the FS700 and expected it to have the same level of weatherproofing...nope. $2,000 repairs for a little bit of snow.
My Canon DSLRs like the 5D3, 7D, EOS-3 can shoot all day directly exposed to rain when they're running L lenses, but the non L lenses can get messed up quickly. My C-100 has an air intake and exhaust port that make it a no go for direct exposure to weather, but I hear the C-300 is water and dust sealed.
Then there's the question of what similar or even identical models can take. I've seen a DSLR go right into a swimming pool, get fished out, and then kept on shooting like nothing ever happened. I've also seen a little dampness in the camera bag cause that same model camera to act funky until properly dried out.
 
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