# Hot Shoe Corrosion



## mackguyver (Mar 12, 2015)

It looks like my 1D X didn't escape the experience (below) unscathed. After two hours in the surf (sometimes IN it) I cleaned the camera thoroughly (I thought) but a little bit of saltwater must've remained in the hotshoe and now I see some rust in the metal springs and liner (the contacts are gold, so they're good).

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to clean? I thought I might try CRC QD contact cleaner as it's plastic safe, but I'm not sure it will remove the corrosion. Any thoughts?


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Mar 12, 2015)

I'd recommend having someone open up the camera to check everything inside and replace any parts with corrosion. Catching it early might save big $$$ down the road. I do not know of any way to stop corrosion once it gets started. You can wipe it away, but the areas you can't see may keep on getting worse.

Salt corrosion can eventually work its way thru most plating gold is porous, they use electroless Nickel over a copper flash under the Gold to keep salt from the base metal. But, wear can expose tiny areas of base metal, and it eats the entire part thru just a tiny opening. That corrosion you wipe off can be material that is pushed out as the part is corroded away under the plating.


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## ERHP (Mar 13, 2015)

I've used wooden Q-Tip's with alcohol to clean those hard to reach areas in the hot shoe after being near the salt spray. Both the 1DX and the two 5D MK III's I've used have remained pretty immaculate but I've only had to deal with spray, fog and rain. I bought some black gaffers tape and cut some squares to just go over the hot shoes and this has helped cut down on the potential issues, at least for the hot shoe.


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## privatebydesign (Mar 13, 2015)

I worked on yachts for years, far and away the best thing is vinegar, doesn't matter too much what variety but white always seems to be in my cupboard.

Just dab some vinegar on the rusty bits and leave it a few hours, then clean that off with some normal cleaner and you are good. Vinegar works really well on all salt spray, I have done it to lenses and bodies and they have all been fine. As well as the hotshoe check the strap lugs, they always hold the spray especially if you have a strap through them.


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## mackguyver (Mar 13, 2015)

Thanks for all of the great advice. I think I'll give the vinegar & Q-tip idea a try and see how much of the rust I can remove. I'll keep an eye on it from there if I can get most of it off the metal. If I can't get enough of the rust off, I might have Canon replace since I'm getting ready to send in a lens I recently dropped for repair.


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## mackguyver (Mar 20, 2015)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> I'd recommend having someone open up the camera to check everything inside and replace any parts with corrosion. Catching it early might save big $$$ down the road. I do not know of any way to stop corrosion once it gets started. You can wipe it away, but the areas you can't see may keep on getting worse.
> 
> Salt corrosion can eventually work its way thru most plating gold is porous, they use electroless Nickel over a copper flash under the Gold to keep salt from the base metal. But, wear can expose tiny areas of base metal, and it eats the entire part thru just a tiny opening. That corrosion you wipe off can be material that is pushed out as the part is corroded away under the plating.


$308 repair (with CPS Gold Discount) for the repair...I'll be *a lot *more careful cleaning everything next time


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