My 7D has died warning about weather proofing!

[Badllarma]

Well my 7D is officially dead but what has really concerned me is when I've been sent the image of the interior from a Canon approved repair shop the corrosion internally is frightening!

I've hardly ever had this camera get wet I mean made slightly on one or two occasions (rain) and always cleaned afterwards, anyway had a fashion shoot the other weekend and to cut a long story short it got a bit of a dip less than a second but the bottom part of the camera went into water and so i sent it off to repair and it looks like the entire interior is corroded there is no way this could of happened that fast so looks like a long term thing to me, so beware about getting your 7D's even slightly wet, weather proofing my A%$s

Oh and corrosion is not covered by warranty! So I'm looking at a £1200.00 paper weight at present

[Jim Ford]

Sorry to hear about your 7D. The body is supposed to be 'environmentally sealed' but what about the lens you were using?

You should get one of these next!:



I've also had my Olympus E3 unprotected out in pouring rain for 8hrs with no problems.

Jim

[Jim Ford]

It's just occurred to me. Have you tried posting in the Canon forum on dpreview? You might get some advice about pressurising Canon into making a 'goodwill gesture', especially if it looks like you're going to give them bad publicity.

Canon EOS 7D / 50D - 10D Forum: Digital Photography Review

Jim

[squishy]

Surely if you're using a non weather sealed lens you can't rely on sealing at all anyway?

[slimrbp]

Sorry to hear about your 7D.

I too would be interested to know if the lens you were using was weather sealed. Also what did it take a dip in?

When my mobile phone had a quick dunk in salt water it corroded pretty quickly where as when it had previously been washed in a washing machine it recovered quite well.

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by squishy

Surely if you're using a non weather sealed lens you can't rely on sealing at all anyway?

We don't know (yet) whether the O.P. was using a weather sealed lens.

I'm paranoid about weather sealing, and when I go camping and trekking only take my sealed lenses with the camera.

Also, don't rely on the 'all weather' cover of a Lowe Pro case. The cover only protects the front of the case. Where the case lies against your body it's unprotected. A few years ago I ended up with an inch of water in a case, because it ran down my rain jacket and penetrated the case through the back. I prefer just to sling the camera over my shoulder unprotected now.

Jim

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by slimrbp

Sorry to hear about your 7D.

I too would be interested to know if the lens you were using was weather sealed. Also what did it take a dip in?

When my mobile phone had a quick dunk in salt water it corroded pretty quickly where as when it had previously been washed in a washing machine it recovered quite well.

It does depend on the liquid, sudden and total death is Cola of any sort. I have heard a story about an old car that was seized solid, a shot of Coke in each cylinder and shortly afterwards it was freed up. Do not try this without seeking further advice, pistons may go down as well as up, and I accept no responsibility for any mayhem caused by adopting the procedures described.

[Boddie]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

It's just occurred to me. Have you tried posting in the Canon forum on dpreview? You might get some advice about pressurising Canon into making a 'goodwill gesture', especially if it looks like you're going to give them bad publicity.

Canon EOS 7D / 50D - 10D Forum: Digital Photography Review

Jim

Hang on. It sounds like he dropped it in liquid and it was immersed. What does he expect? None of mine have ever failed. Its a piece of high quality electronics and needs to be treated as such.

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Boddie

Hang on. It sounds like he dropped it in liquid and it was immersed. What does he expect? None of mine have ever failed. Its a piece of high quality electronics and needs to be treated as such.

Errm, not quite "immersed"

"it got a bit of a dip less than a second but the bottom part of the camera went into water"

He also implied the the corrosion had been over a long term and was as a result of getting it wet "slightly on one or two occasions" with rain. I would expect a camera whose makers claim environmental sealing to do better than be rendered scrap after such treatment.

Jim

[moonyaker]

That's bad luck indeed.

I see that you are based in the North West, Badllarma.

The sort of damage you describe sounds salt-induced; have you used the camera on the coast much?

A mate of mine shoots professionally down in the South West and his cameras last for around 18 months before the salt gets in and kills them off; (not Canon's but similar price bracket and spec. to the 7D). He reckons it's the fine sea spray that does the damage - things don't appear wet but the surfaces get coated with a thin layer of salt spray and the corrosive salts (which are moisture attracting too, creep slowly into the camera body via the various openings).

A possible explanation for the corrosion but no comfort I am afraid.

Sounds like everything was working before the dunking and that it was this that finished off the camera, so if this occured within the curtilage of your house you may be covered under your household insurance.