# POLL: 6d weather sealing experiences & warning



## Marsu42 (Jul 31, 2014)

The day before yesterday I was surprised by a thunderstorm and shot with my 6d (and a sealed 70-300L lens) for about 5 minutes in the rain. I did my best to still protect the camera and wrapped some cloth around it, but some rain hit it. Afterwards I dried it with a towel as good as you can in a thunderstorm and stored in a waterproof bag.

_Problem 1:_ The back buttons (Q/INFO) and the joystick buttons started malfunctioning after a very short time after the rain began. I have not experienced this behavior with my 60d. 

_Problem 2: _Yesterday the camera broke down completely after some minutes of reviewing pictures - it's now at Canon service and I hope the warranty covers it. I had put it in a dry place over the previous night, but didn't use the "rice bag" method.

*Question:* What are your experiences with the 6d and wet conditions? Was I just very unlucky? I know the 6d sealing level is well below the 5d3 (which itself is way below a 1d), but after this experience I'll have to tread my 6d as I would a Rebel :-\


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## AcutancePhotography (Jul 31, 2014)

No one really knows what the term "weather sealing" means. There is not an objective way of measuring to a standard called "weather sealing". There are no industrial standards for something having "weather sealing"

The problem is what is the definition of "weather" and what is the definition of "sealing"

Note that they don't say it is "weather sealed" There is a difference between sealing and sealed. 

If a camera manufacturer puts in one foam gasket on one part, they can advertise it as having "weather sealing". Sealing really means what ever they choose to make it mean. 

How can one measure "weather sealing" and how can one test it?

Cameras are sealed against all sorts of weather until the point they are not. ;D

There are camera models that are better at resisting weather than other cameras, but that's about as far as one can really go. Even a 1D will fail under the right or wrong weather conditions. 

I treat all my cameras/lenses as being not weather sealed. I try to protect both the camera and lens so I don't have to find out the hard way what the marketing department meant by "weather sealing".


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## Marsu42 (Jul 31, 2014)

AcutancePhotography said:


> How can one measure "weather sealing" and how can one test it?



As discussed over and over, you can't w/o a lot of money and creation of a new industry standard. That's why the only way to tell cameras apart is by collecting user experiences, hence this poll.

Afaik there is one thing that's different between camera models though: Some buttons are "sealed" with just some cheap foam, and some have rubber rings (or the like). Hard to tell since Canon doesn't give us any specs other than fancy "sealing" diagrams-



AcutancePhotography said:


> I treat all my cameras/lenses as being not weather sealed. I try to protect both the camera and lens so I don't have to find out the hard way what the marketing department meant by "weather sealing".



I also try to do that, but shooting outdoors I find this nearly impossible - sand and humidity always linger around the next corner. That's why I cannot tread my dslr as "unsealed" as my cheap mobile phone which breaks even if you put it into a damp pocket :-o


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## wsheldon (Jul 31, 2014)

I haven't soaked my 6D yet (knock on wood), but I was told that 2 6D's and a 50D failed in wet/humid conditions during an insect macro-photography workshop in Belize last year, but 7D's and even some Rebels kept clicking. I bought emergency rain covers for my 6D (the cheap OP/TECH rainsleeve variety) and stashed them in all my bags as cheap insurance. Those have worked well the few times I've been stuck out, and I have gear insurance if those aren't enough.

Good luck getting your gear repaired. Tough break.


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## RustyTheGeek (Jul 31, 2014)

I try to keep it protected but I have to admit I probably push my luck more than I should. Fortunately, I don't get caught in rain very often. I also have the OP/TECH covers.

I have considered the Pentax K-3 someday for more reliable weather sealed protection.


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## Valvebounce (Jul 31, 2014)

Hi folks. 
There is a water and object ingress standard at least in Europe, IP XX, where the first number stands for objects and the second for water, I think it was something like IP 00 means you can get an industry standard finger in there, and water that runs in runs out and IP 67 means that dust has to be below so many microns and you can pressure wash the item and water won't get in.. This is just from memory so feel free to correct me! 
Anyway back to the point if it doesn't say IP XX on the label it isn't weather or water resistant! 

Cheers Graham.


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## NancyP (Jul 31, 2014)

I use mine in good weather or light misting. There is chronic high humidity in St. Louis in the summer. If there is significant rain, out comes the plastic bag and my wide-brimmed rain hat. No problems. Same for 60D. I have the Optech also for longer lens, but for short lens, common kitchen plastic food bag is fine. Sorry for your bad experience.


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## brad-man (Jul 31, 2014)

Valvebounce said:


> Hi folks.
> There is a water and object ingress standard at least in Europe, IP XX, where the first number stands for objects and the second for water, I think it was something like IP 00 means you can get an industry standard finger in there, and water that runs in runs out and IP 67 means that dust has to be below so many microns and you can pressure wash the item and water won't get in.. This is just from memory so feel free to correct me!
> Anyway back to the point if it doesn't say IP XX on the label it isn't weather or water resistant!
> 
> Cheers Graham.



Agree. That is the standard most commonly used in America as well as internationally. Most of my flashlights are IPX7 ;D Camera manufacturers simply choose to not use them.

IPX Standard Code Meanings

IPX-0 No special protection
IPX-1 Protected against falling water Equivalent to 3-5mm rainfall per minute for a duration of 10 minutes.
IPX-2 Protected against falling water when tilted up to 15 degrees – Same as IPX-1 but unit is tested in 4 fixed positions – tilted 15 degrees in each direction from normal operating position.
IPX-3 Protected against spraying water – Water spraying up to 60 degrees from vertical at 10 liters/min at a pressure of 80-100kN/m2 for 5 min.
IPX-4 Protected against splashing water – Same as IPX-3 but water is sprayed at all angles.
IPX-5 Protected against water jets – Water projected at all angles through a 6.3mm nozzle flow rate of 12.5 liters/min at a pressure of 30kN/m2 for 3 minutes from a distance of 3 meters.
IPX-6 Protected against heavy seas – Water projected at all angles through a 12.5mm nozzle at a flow rate of 100 liters/min at a 100kN/m2pressure for 3 minutes from a distance of 3 meters.
IPX-7 Protected against water immersion – Immersion for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter.
IPX-8 Protected against water submersion – Equipment suitable for continual submersion in water under conditions as specified by manufacturer.


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## Marsu42 (Aug 1, 2014)

wsheldon said:


> I haven't soaked my 6D yet (knock on wood), but I was told that 2 6D's and a 50D failed in wet/humid conditions during an insect macro-photography workshop in Belize last year, but 7D's and even some Rebels kept clicking.



Interesting, after my recent experience I believe it - and it's in line with my general assumption that Canon cut corners on the 6d wherever they could, except for the sensor that is. I hope more experiences turn up so we might know if the 6d is really more endangered than for example the 60d or even the 5d2.


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## kennephoto (Aug 1, 2014)

I've shot in the rain with my 5d2 with a 50mm 1.2 and 580exii mounted no issues. But that was pretty sealed up since all of those items have weather sealing. Guess that's one of the pros to the old 5d2, slightly more robust.


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## Orangutan (Aug 1, 2014)

Marsu42 said:


> AcutancePhotography said:
> 
> 
> > How can one measure "weather sealing" and how can one test it?
> ...



I have a friend who shoots Pentax, I forget which body, but it's not the newest. He takes it out in steady rain for hours without covering it. Once he got a little water in the top display and was concerned. He let it dry overnight and had no problems since. If Pentax can do that in a prosumer crop body, then Canon ought to be able to without a lot of R&D money. Please canon, charge me the additional $50 for comparable weather sealing!


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## bardamu (Aug 1, 2014)

wonder how it compares with the D610.


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## HankMD (Aug 1, 2014)

My 6D is stored in a dry box at home when not used as the local humidity makes summer like sauna. It goes back in after a drizzle or two, with or without a rainsleeve. An umbrella comes out when it gets to "medium rain" or downright pours. 

Probably because I make $0 out of my gear


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## MichaelHodges (Aug 1, 2014)

I shoot with my 6D in snow and -20 temps, and never had a problem. I am extremely obsessive about using it when it rains, though. I use plastic sleeves and have a wad of paper towels in my pocket.


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## e17paul (Aug 1, 2014)

If any piece of electronics gets wet, don't seal it in a bag because that will keep the moisture in and worsen the problem. It's much better to find some shelter and let the camera dry out in circulating air. The only exception is if you have some desiccant with you (eg uncooked rice) and put it in the bag with that.

My 6D with non weather sealed lens dried out fine on a car seat after a few minutes thorough soaking in the rain.


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## Marsu42 (Aug 1, 2014)

Orangutan said:


> Please canon, charge me the additional $50 for comparable weather sealing!



They want you to charge *$5000* more for a 1d camera body  ... but still thanks to the competition, the 6d exists at all. Let's hope they continue to pressure Canon to do less crippling. On the other hand, why would they? Broken cameras due to humidity will earn Canon more $$$ due to "upgrade sales by planned obsolescence" than they loose from some free servicing under warranty.

But I admit the lack of proper sealing is on my short list of "Top Canon Annoyances", offering a $1600+ camera lacking some rubber rings is plain annoying, the same as not selling sealed ef-s lenses at all no matter the lens' price :-\



e17paul said:


> If any piece of electronics gets wet, don't seal it in a bag because that will keep the moisture in and worsen the problem. It's much better to find some shelter and let the camera dry out in circulating air.



Good idea, but in this case I was really caught outside by the thunderstorm, had only my water-proof bicycle bags with me and there was no shelter in sight :-\ ... I hope it won't happen again, at least I'll be quicker to stuff my camera away next time.


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## verysimplejason (Aug 1, 2014)

Just used it in slight rain once with a 24-105L and didn't have any problem. For bad weather/water environments, I use mostly my G11 with underwater casing.


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## tat3406 (Aug 1, 2014)

I took my 6D anyplace and shoot in raining day. My camera survived a couple of raining day and near to waterfall, small to moderate rain ( without rain cover). 

But I had one bad experience that my 6D occur error message when I on the camera when condensation happen in camera. The location was high humidity rainforest, I went down a mountain from 2000m peak to about 200m sea level, when I took out camera, the whole body was wet, viewfinder and inside lens had moisture, I clicked the shutter button and error show up. I dry the camera for couple hours and the camera still function as before.


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## DKN (Aug 1, 2014)

I used my 6D and 24-105 pretty much in every weather, from moderate rain at 0°C to more than 40°C in africa with lots of sand and dust around. I even had sea water leak into a raincover and spill all over the camera, but luckily the weather sealing always worked for me.


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## AcutancePhotography (Aug 1, 2014)

brad-man said:


> IPX Standard Code Meanings



That is exactly what we need for cameras and lenses. I am sure that Canikon would be very resistant to submitting their products to such a standard.


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## AcutancePhotography (Aug 1, 2014)

RustyTheGeek said:


> I have considered the Pentax K-3 someday for more reliable weather sealed protection.



There is a lot that I like about the Pentax K3. Their actual weather sealing is impressive. Some of the YouTube vidoes showing people abusing their K5/3s and they survive nicely are impressive. 

If Pentax were to come out with a FF camera, IBIS, actual weather sealing and a few good FF lenses.......I would be really pissed as I already purchased my new FF system. ;D

I still wonder if a K3 would not have been a better choice. That is a sweet camera.


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## e17paul (Aug 1, 2014)

AcutancePhotography said:


> RustyTheGeek said:
> 
> 
> > I have considered the Pentax K-3 someday for more reliable weather sealed protection.
> ...



+1

If I had not decided to go full frame, Pentax would have been my choice (K-5 IIs at time of purchase). I'm liking my father's K-30, and Pentax have a wide range of APS-C primes unmatched by Canon. Their weather sealed lenses also start at a much lower price, similar to Canon's price for non-weathersealed STM lenses. As the underdog in a world where Canikon is the default answer, they try harder.

I think that you are safe on Pentax not offering a FF camera - the 645Z is their bigger and better answer to that. I chose Canon full frame because it was the right balance between optics and usability/portability for me.


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## Andrew Davies Photography (Aug 1, 2014)

Dont have a 6D but both my 5d2s and my 5d3 have been through storms and rain frequently and been throughly soaked and never failed , i have had sand in a 24-105 other than that no issues with lenses either. The only part of the cameras i have seen a problem with has been a light misting on the inside of the top lcd display during massive temparature changes.

www.andrew-davies.com


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## ditty (Aug 1, 2014)

I shot an entire day in varying weather from extremely humid to periods of moderate rain with the 24-105 attached an no rain protection. I had to towel the water off the camera numerous times. The 6D performed as expected the entire time.


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## tomscott (Aug 1, 2014)

No experience with 6D

But soaked my old 40D many many times which I would say has the same WS as the 6D. Only problem I had was the shutter button stopped working as some bumf managed to get between the contacts. Put some Contact cleaner down the battery slot sorted it.

Soaked 5DMKIII a few times too, no issues so far.


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## Stephen Melvin (Aug 1, 2014)

Remember the torture test Kai over at DigitalREV put a 7D through? That is one seriously tough camera! The Mk III seems to be equally robust. I doubt the 6D is, though. For the most part, cameras seem to be tougher than you'd think.


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## randym77 (Aug 1, 2014)

Never had a 6D, but my 5D Mark II doesn't seem to like rain much.

I had it out all day in the rain. With a rain cover, but it was so wet that day I guess the rain cover wasn't enough. 
The shutter went wonky. I would just touch it and it would shoot off in burst mode forever. Until I turned the camera off. 

I took it home and gently blow-dried it. It was fine the next morning. I was worried there would be permanent damage done, but it's been a couple of years now and the camera's been fine. Knock on wood.


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## bereninga (Aug 1, 2014)

brad-man said:


> Valvebounce said:
> 
> 
> > Hi folks.
> ...



Camera manufacturers should adopt some set of standards for weather sealing ratings or specs. I'm surprised there's none yet. What's the point of claiming something w/ no verification or support?


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## AcutancePhotography (Aug 1, 2014)

bereninga said:


> Camera manufacturers should adopt some set of standards for weather sealing ratings or specs. I'm surprised there's none yet. What's the point of claiming something w/ no verification or support?



Because they can make claims and not have to back them up. I think it would be a long time before Canikon would ever subject their cameras/lenses to a truly independent weather proofing standard test like this. 

Also if a camera manufactuer does state that their camera/lens is IPX-4 I assume there would be a liability issue. But then how can the customer prove that they used their camera at or below the IPX-4 level and the camera manufacturer claims that the customer exceed the IPX -4 rating.

The only people who would be happy would be the lawyers. :-\


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## unfocused (Aug 1, 2014)

AcutancePhotography said:


> The only people who would be happy would be the lawyers. :-\



Hit the nail on the head. Personally, I'm not anxious for some class-action lawsuit when some idiot dunks his camera. Lawyers will get $300 million and consumers will get a $10 coupon off their next lens purchase.


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## chrysoberyl (Aug 1, 2014)

My experience: 100 L macro, very light rain, brushing against wet foliage. The shots started looking funky - too dark, blurred. I stuck it in a Ziploc with rice and the next day it was fine.


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## CurtL5 (Aug 1, 2014)

Not a 6D but have some experience with Canon and moisture...

My 5DmIII was in Maui last year and reacted very poorly to the wet conditions. Moisture built up quite a bit in the viewfinder and the LCD on top. Took _EVERYTHING_ off, out and apart and let the car AC blow directly onto and into it for 30-45 mins while driving and the moisture seemed to go away.

As soon as it was buttoned back up, the back button and the top wheel ceased to function. Other buttons seemed to reprogram themselves and in general, the camera was a mess. CPS took it and diagnosed a problem in a control board and fixed it but the days of allowing it to get into that environment are done!


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## e17paul (Aug 1, 2014)

brad-man said:


> Valvebounce said:
> 
> 
> > Hi folks.
> ...



I would much rather see IP and 2 numerals, not IPX and 1 numeral. The X signifies lack of a rating for dust ingress, and we need that too in some environments. IP 65 and upwards are the standards that camera and lens manufacturers should strive for.


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## Sporgon (Aug 1, 2014)

Pentax advertise their camera covered in rain water - the great adventurer's camera - or something like that. You get stupid videos of some army guy covering a K7 and K5 in sand, then washing it off with a hose pipe. Or a YouTube video of someone holding a K7 + 50-135 under a shower. 

I had a K7 for a short time ( the worst sensor in any camera - ever ) but I did use it in the rain and it was OK. However you do hear reports of weather sealed Pentax dslrs failing after getting wet. Seems like the sealing is not guaranteed hence no IP rating, so you take your chances with your particular camera. 

Canon specifically do not advertise their dslrs covered in water. ( maybe there once was a 1D advert like that). I am very wary of getting them wet. The weather sealing on the 5DII served me well when I dropped the camera in sand and the grains into the buttons and dials, but over time as they dried they just fell out; the seals had stopped them penetrating the body. 

Water though is another thing altogether, it's ability to find its way past sealing - not just in cameras- is uncanny. I would avoid getting any camera wet. It is, after all, an electrically powered computer. 

(This advice doesn't apply to a Pentax K7 - it has such a low value who cares ?)


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## mackguyver (Aug 1, 2014)

Marsu, sorry to hear about the camera and I hope they repair it for free or at least for a reasonable fee. I have never used a 6D, but have had a 5DII + 24-70 f/2.8 (mk I) out in a tropical storm and a hurricane with rain cover that quickly filled with water (during the hurricane) and it survived both, but was a little funny with button presses for a day or two. I got stuck in a heavy downpour with a 60D + 70-200 f/4 IS as well for about 30 minutes while I jogged back to my car and it was just fine. I shut it off and yanked the battery as soon as it started raining, though. After that experience, I upgraded my camera bags to the "AW" series from Lowepro and those covers work extremely well.

I have a book from Ralph Clevenger and he recommends trash compactor bags and that's what I carry in all of my bags. I don't know if they sell them in Europe as I don't remember seeing a trash compactor during my years living there. They are 2.5 mils thick which is very heavy duty, but they fold up very small and are reusable and I mainly use them as ground cover to sit in the mud, but they also serve as backup waterproof gear covers. I'm sure you can probably find something similar in Germany.


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## shawnc (Aug 1, 2014)

I've had my 6D with Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 in light to moderate rain a few times with no trouble. This was in Colorado where even after rain the humidity drops really quickly so things dry out fast. One concern I've had is having it or my 60D hanging upside down from a Black Rapids strap in the rain. I wonder if some of the "sealing" is more like shingles only protecting from rain coming from the camera's top, but not from other directions, particularly with regard to the flash on the 60D.


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## Botts (Aug 1, 2014)

Orangutan said:


> I have a friend who shoots Pentax, I forget which body, but it's not the newest. He takes it out in steady rain for hours without covering it. Once he got a little water in the top display and was concerned. He let it dry overnight and had no problems since. If Pentax can do that in a prosumer crop body, then Canon ought to be able to without a lot of R&D money. Please canon, charge me the additional $50 for comparable weather sealing!



I'd raise that $50 to 10% of the bodies cost if Canon would guarantee IPX-6 or IP66. Similarly with lenses. Not having to worry is well worth the peace of mind 10% buys for me.


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## dgatwood (Aug 1, 2014)

Botts said:


> Orangutan said:
> 
> 
> > I have a friend who shoots Pentax, I forget which body, but it's not the newest. He takes it out in steady rain for hours without covering it. Once he got a little water in the top display and was concerned. He let it dry overnight and had no problems since. If Pentax can do that in a prosumer crop body, then Canon ought to be able to without a lot of R&D money. Please canon, charge me the additional $50 for comparable weather sealing!
> ...



You can achieve IPX-7 on electronics just by adding a spray coating. The fact that Canon doesn't do so tells me that they *want* their devices to fail when they get wet, so that they can make more money from repairs or replacements.

Personally, I think that Canon should guarantee IPX-8 without raising the price at all. If I could buy a $5 watch from Wal-Mart that was waterproof to 250 feet thirty years ago, there's really no excuse for a multi-thousand-dollar camera to not be waterproof today.

Ditto for cell phones.


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## Valvebounce (Aug 2, 2014)

Hi dgatwood. 
I think the electronics are the easy bit, but a tide line in the lens might show up if the water gets in the lens. Similarly water in the viewfinder or shutter box would be a problem, high speed burst might splash it around a bit!  
They need to start at the outside with gaskets and seals to stop the water entering the body / lens in the first place. This is, as stated before far more difficult to achieve, and ongoing maintenance is critical, underwater housing springs to mind! I realise that we are not looking to make them submersible, it was just an example of the ongoing maintenance that might be required to maintain a guarantee of water resistance. 
Please also bear in mind that your $5 watch has no user interchangeable parts that make a seal and maintaining the seal guarantee requires battery replacement by an authorised service agent costing $4 so you bin it and buy another!

Also if you want a long story ask me about the coated car alarm board! 

Cheers Graham. 



dgatwood said:


> Botts said:
> 
> 
> > Orangutan said:
> ...


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## xps (Aug 2, 2014)

I was suffering from the same electronic problem, after I took some shots in the tropical greenhouse in the botanical gardens in munich. I dried the cam and put it in to my backpack, with some small drying bags (small bags often added to prevent moisture). Condensating water (outside -10°C) corroded the electronic inside. 
The back dial wheel, the info button, the menu button, and the right upper buttons did not work anymore.

It was not easy to convince the Canon Service partner that this issue is under guarantee. They just did it, because there were no water drops inside. 
The technican there told me, that the 6Ds back is weakly water seald. In their experience just the 7D, 5D,1D are sufficently water sealed.
The funny thing is, that my old 60D never had any problem when I annually stayed inside the tropical greenhouse for hours. 

Maybe, the Maerz GmbH in Berlin is quite as fair as the Service Center where I sent my Cam.


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## randym77 (Aug 2, 2014)

mackguyver said:


> I have a book from Ralph Clevenger and he recommends trash compactor bags and that's what I carry in all of my bags. I don't know if they sell them in Europe as I don't remember seeing a trash compactor during my years living there. They are 2.5 mils thick which is very heavy duty, but they fold up very small and are reusable and I mainly use them as ground cover to sit in the mud, but they also serve as backup waterproof gear covers. I'm sure you can probably find something similar in Germany.



Hey, thanks for this tip! 

I went down to the grocery store to look for some. They didn't have any (I guess trash compactors have fallen out of favor in recent years), but they did have contractor bags. Trash bags meant for use by contractors and other commercial users. They are also 2.5 mil thick. They are a little bigger than compactor bags (3'x4') but easy to trim to fit.


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## mackguyver (Aug 4, 2014)

randym77 said:


> mackguyver said:
> 
> 
> > I have a book from Ralph Clevenger and he recommends trash compactor bags and that's what I carry in all of my bags. I don't know if they sell them in Europe as I don't remember seeing a trash compactor during my years living there. They are 2.5 mils thick which is very heavy duty, but they fold up very small and are reusable and I mainly use them as ground cover to sit in the mud, but they also serve as backup waterproof gear covers. I'm sure you can probably find something similar in Germany.
> ...


Glad that helped, Randy. The contractor bags are pretty big, but they are definitely just as tough. I can't remember where I bought my bags - it was either the grocery or Walmart/Target.


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## xps (Aug 5, 2014)

I use a product of the company Neewer (bought via Amazon). The clear cover is thicker, so there are not so many folds and the water is drained better. It is easier to get this shell dry again.

In winter, I use a shell from Enjoyyourcamera (M-6399), that protects against storm and icecold conditions. 

Maybe someone can post better products


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## Marsu42 (Aug 7, 2014)

xps said:


> The back dial wheel, the info button, the menu button, and the right upper buttons did not work anymore.



Right, so I guess 6d owners should be most careful not to let water condensate or let rain drop on the *back* side of the camera, the top or front might be sealed better.



xps said:


> The funny thing is, that my old 60D never had any problem when I annually stayed inside the tropical greenhouse for hours.



+1, exactly my experience, I always was too lazy to wrap my 60d into a plastic bag in the tropical garden and nothing happened. With the 6d, I definitely won't try that. 



xps said:


> It was not easy to convince the Canon Service partner that this issue is under guarantee. They just did it, because there were no water drops inside. Maybe, the Maerz GmbH in Berlin is quite as fair as the Service Center where I sent my Cam.



I seem to be lucky, too (knock on wood): Though a repair part is missing and it will take more time than the cps time span, the repair information they just sent me just states "warranty" ("Garantie") even though it's in a really "used" condition on the outside.

This might be because the camera is less than one year old, and afaik in the EU/Germany in this timespan the *manufacturer* has to prove _to_you_ that you broke it, after one year it's vice versa and they might just try to lay it on you. Or maybe their repair policy is simply more relaxed on newer gear for publicity and customer satisfaction reasons, I don't know.


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## tron (Aug 7, 2014)

AcutancePhotography said:


> brad-man said:
> 
> 
> > IPX Standard Code Meanings
> ...


So you mean that instead of producing weather resitant bodies, they are ... IPxx resistant companies ? ;D


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## androiduk (Aug 7, 2014)

I was shooting in New York a few months ago and got caught in a sudden rainshower. I went into an office building for cover and noticed they had this unit dispensing free wet umbrella bags. They're great for protecting your camera in a pinch, even with a long lens.


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## dgatwood (Aug 7, 2014)

Valvebounce said:


> Hi dgatwood.
> I think the electronics are the easy bit, but a tide line in the lens might show up if the water gets in the lens. Similarly water in the viewfinder or shutter box would be a problem, high speed burst might splash it around a bit!



Obviously the lenses would have to be similarly sealed if you wanted to actually use it underwater. Either way, just ensuring that the electronics won't corrode if your camera falls in the pool is the difference between a $600 repair and (at worst) a $100–200 cleaning bill. And if you design it with drain tubes so that if water does get in the wrong places, it can drain into the lens mounting area in front of the mirror box, you could typically clean it yourself by flooding the camera with isopropyl alcohol, draining it, and letting it evaporate. (Just use silicone seals; rubber seals would degrade in isopropanol.)




Valvebounce said:


> Please also bear in mind that your $5 watch has no user interchangeable parts that make a seal and maintaining the seal guarantee requires battery replacement by an authorised service agent costing $4 so you bin it and buy another!



There are two main reasons for those requirements:

1. The battery compartment isn't separately sealed, and the main seal isn't designed to stay in place when you remove the back. This is a cost-cutting measure in a watch that's really cheap and doesn't require you to change batteries every day....

2. Rubber seals had to be replaced periodically. With modern silicone gaskets, the operational life can be as long as 50 years, so that shouldn't be much of an issue unless you tear or dislodge the seal.

Both are readily avoidable through proper design.


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## Reiep (Aug 14, 2014)

I used mine last week-end in a large cave with an underground glacier while a violent storm was happening outside => 200% humidity in the air ;D It got its shower while climbing back and I used it with my hands covered in mud, it still lives.


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## Ruined (Aug 14, 2014)

I try to cover my 6D if it is raining, as Canon do not seem confident in their communication of the 6D's weather sealing capabilities. While I believe it is more robust than the sealing on a Rebel SL1, I am betting it is significantly below the level of a 1DX.


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## mackguyver (Aug 14, 2014)

Reiep said:


> I used mine last week-end in a large cave with an underground glacier while a violent storm was happening outside => 200% humidity in the air ;D It got its shower while climbing back and I used it with my hands covered in mud, it still lives.


I've never taken a camera into a cave, but used to do a lot of caving (or spelunking for others) and can't remember when I've been more covered in mud & sweat. I'd be scared to take a 1D X in a cave...so if the 6D can survive that, I'm very impressed!


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## Marsu42 (Aug 21, 2014)

Fyi all: When my 6D was at Canon service, it obviously *self-repaired* so that's was the reason why they didn't charge me anything . They did a perfect job at cleaning the camera inside out though and replaced the top dial plate that had fallen off, so I'm a happy camper. 

Conclusion: _Even if your camera is "broken", it might still be worthwhile to let it dry even for a week before deciding to have it serviced if you have to pay for it yourself. The moisture obviously is very quick to get in, but takes a lot of time to get out._


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## Sporgon (Aug 21, 2014)

Marsu42 said:


> The moisture obviously is very quick to get in, but takes a lot of time to get out.[/i]



That's the worst part of inadequate sealing. There is an answer though; get an original 5D. The moisture is quick to get in but comes out just as easily


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## CookieMonster (Aug 21, 2014)

I shot some pics at a festival where the weather was so hot the firefighters constantly used their hose on the crowd. The 6D went through, like the 135L even though it was not sealed. Hid it under my soaked shirt for one hour, between two shots


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