Rain and DSLRs

[DisneyGrampa]

I was in the parks last week and got caught in two major storms. I got soaked, but I kept the camera dry. I'd like to know what experience you all have with taking pictures in different levels of rain. Has anyone experienced damage at low rain levels?

 

[DisneyGrampa]

Anyone?

 

[VVFF]

Anyone?

It all depends on which camera we're talking about. I'd take a 1D camera out in a rainstorm...well...maybe lol.

The cheaper bodies I probably would avoid any rain at all as there are typically no weather sealing. Semi-pro bodies like the 50D and D300 often have some amount of weather sealing and I wouldn't be too worried to use them in a light misting rain but certainly wouldn't pull them out in a shower.

 

[DisneyGrampa]

I have a D5000.

 

[Suburbanmom]

I have not had my cameras (Nikon D50; D300) in anything stronger than a sprinkling. Like the above poster said, some bodies are designed to withstand water better than others.

 

[My2Girls66]

My cameras(dslr's and p&s's) have gotten slightly wet in light misty rain and survived but I wouldn't intentionally try and shoot in the rain without a rainsleeve(2 for $6 at Ritz) or plastic bag. I got caught in a downpour in Italy with my D50 a few years back so I stuck it under my shirt. I was out walking around the farm where we were staying with nothing but what I was wearing and the camera. It got a little wet since my shirt was soaked thru, it was fine. I got stuck in another downpour in Rome with it but had an umbrella- I used the umbrella to protect the camera rather than my family! My Canon A560 was used a few times in misty drizzle while hiking. It survived, also. I made sure to dry the lens before shutting the camera off and it went back inside the camera body.

 

[VVFF]

I have a D5000.

Personally, I'd put it away at anything more than mist. That's an entry level body and I don't think it has much in the way of sealing.

 

[Chikabowa]

Ditto.
It totally depends on the model and the more professional the model, the more weather sealing, and the safer it is to get a little damp.

With that body, I wouldn't take it out if there is anything other than mist or just sporadic rain drops.

 

[My2Girls66]

I would put it away also in the rain unless you have good protection for it. If you really wanted pictures on a rainy day take an inexpensive p&s that you wouldn't be terribly upset about it getting ruined. Protect it as best you can- I used a Nikon Coolpix on Kali Rapids- I stuck it in a small plastic bag and got some cool shots. My dslr was in a bag in the middle compartment on the ride keeping dry. Or maybe invest in a waterproof camera for rainy days.

 

[VVFF]

I would put it away also in the rain unless you have good protection for it. If you really wanted pictures on a rainy day take an inexpensive p&s that you wouldn't be terribly upset about it getting ruined. Protect it as best you can- I used a Nikon Coolpix on Kali Rapids- I stuck it in a small plastic bag and got some cool shots. My dslr was in a bag in the middle compartment on the ride keeping dry. Or maybe invest in a waterproof camera for rainy days.

I don't think I would even bring a DSLR on Kali if it was in a bag! I'd rent a locker solely for that. Maybe I'm overprotective lol.

 

[DisneyGrampa]

Thanks for the advice.
I notriced the FP photogs stayed out in light rain-what model do they use?

 

[My2Girls66]

I don't think I would even bring a DSLR on Kali if it was in a bag! I'd rent a locker solely for that. Maybe I'm overprotective lol.

Believe me I was a bit worried but it was WELL protected. I bought a Zing neoprene cover for it before the trip, put it in a Disney plastic bag and put that in my backpack. It wasn't getting wet unless the raft tipped over and it sat at the bottom of the river
The Zing covers are great. I bought it for hiking because the camera gets banged around a bit while climbing, its water resistant, drops just roll off it and offers a little cushion against small bumps. I wouldn't trust it in a downpour or if the camera was getting smashed on rocks, tho.

 

[WillCAD]

My camera body is also an entry-level (Digital Rebel 300D). Any rain at all, even a light mist, and I put on a camera poncho.

My cameras have gotten a little wet here and there over the years, but I'm careful enough to keep them dry enough not to suffer leaks into the mechanisms. Besides, I don't like getting rained on myself, so when it starts, I usually stay indoors anyway.

But I did once take a shot in heavy rain from inside the camera poncho, at Epcot:

 

[ssanders79]

It also depends on how bad you want a shot. Sometimes the rain provides some really nice opportunities. That is of course you are protecting your camera from the actual rain. If you had a choice you would put on a raincoat or grab an umbrella.

 

[GrillMouster]

Ditto.
It totally depends on the model and the more professional the model, the more weather sealing, and the safer it is to get a little damp.

With that body, I wouldn't take it out if there is anything other than mist or just sporadic rain drops.

If I expect rain I try to prepared. If it suddenly starts drizzling and I'm using one of my weather sealed cameras, I don't panic. However, at the first opportunity I try to protect it. I see weather sealing as a good back-up layer or protection, not as a license to be careless. Additionally, a weather-sealed body could be meaningless if the lens isn't also weather sealed. Same for flash units on the hotshoe.

 

[Experiment_626]

Thanks for the advice.
I notriced the FP photogs stayed out in light rain-what model do they use?

They use mostly the Nikon D70, with a few having the D80. When I had the D80, I was known to use it sparingly in a very light rain. But also remember that the PhotoPass photographers are using cameras that they didn't buy with their own money!

SSB

 

[VVFF]

They use mostly the Nikon D70, with a few having the D80. When I had the D80, I was known to use it sparingly in a very light rain. But also remember that the PhotoPass photographers are using cameras that they didn't buy with their own money!

SSB

Also keep in mind that a couple photopass pictures sold can buy Disney a new camera body. So its also cost effective to take the risk.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I don't think I would even bring a DSLR on Kali if it was in a bag! I'd rent a locker solely for that. Maybe I'm overprotective lol.

Life is short. Hope that you end up on the dry side.

 

[Groucho]

I've heard a lot more stories of people having their cameras out in light mists with no damage than of people actually damaging their cameras that way - I think most cameras will survive some light rain OK, just like other basic electronics (like your cell phone) usually do. Probably the most important thing is to keep any water from coming inside the camera body through the lens mount and also keep it out of the lens, especially if it's a cheaper one with loose tolerances.

FWIW it's not always entry-level vs high-end; all current Pentaxes are completely weathersealed and I believe some cheaper Olympuses are, too. Combined with a weathersealed lens, I've found the weathersealing to be extremely effective and have no issues whatsoever about letting the camera get soaked.

After some rain at MK:

Splash Mt:

I would probably take it out on Kali but haven't ridden that in the past trip or two.

 

[Navywifebreezy]

I shoot no matter what. Now if I have an umbrella handy I will stand under it but I don't run at the drop of rain either. That is what I have insurance for
That said we were in Hawaii last month and we went trecking through what looked like a jungle to get to the "do the dew" waterfall. Cloudy but no rain, we got halfway down the trail and it started raining (more than a drizzzle but not a down pour). So I trucked on. Got to the water fall and the bottom fell out literally. I continued to shoot cause at that point it was going to get soaked either way.
I bought the cameras and lenses to get "the" shot not gonna miss it cause of some rain
But that is just me