Wave + Splash + Camera = Probably not good...

CWSkopec · April 11, 2009

So I just got home from trying to get some shots for the current challenge... I was down at the coast trying to get a shot of the waves splashing up in front of the sunset... Problem is as I was trying to recompose the shot to get it just right, a monster wave hit the rocks below me and the enormous splash soaked me and (I thought) my camera.

I pulled the battery right away, wiped the camera off as best I could with my undershirt (the water hadn't soaked through my sweatshirt yet) and ran back to the car. Found another sweatshirt in the car, wrapped the camera up tight to soak up the water and rushed home.

Closer inspection once I got home showed that I took the worst of the splash. The battery compartment had no water in it, CF card slot had no water, no water inside the lens mount even though there was a little just out side. Everything is sitting on my desk all taken apart and open to dry.

Should I be worried? Should I send my camera in to get cleaned?
After I ran my remote switch through the washer, Ziggy recommended washing it with diluted water to make sure there wasn't any salt dried inside... I'm not real comfortable giving my camera a bath, but I'll send it to a pro to do that if I need to.

Help... I would be lost without my little XTi!!! :cry

Art Scott · April 11, 2009

next time have a homemade rain cover.......I use 12-15 gal trash bags with one corner cut to fit around my largest lens and make tight fit just behind the lens shade.......works wonders and cost very little for peace of mind.......

I am not into bathing my camera so I would opt for a pro clean of body and lens............

Nikolai · April 11, 2009

CWSkopec wrote:

So I just got home from trying to get some shots for the current challenge... I was down at the coast trying to get a shot of the waves splashing up in front of the sunset... Problem is as I was trying to recompose the shot to get it just right, a monster wave hit the rocks below me and the enormous splash soaked me and (I thought) my camera.

I pulled the battery right away, wiped the camera off as best I could with my undershirt (the water hadn't soaked through my sweatshirt yet) and ran back to the car. Found another sweatshirt in the car, wrapped the camera up tight to soak up the water and rushed home.

Closer inspection once I got home showed that I took the worst of the splash. The battery compartment had no water in it, CF card slot had no water, no water inside the lens mount even though there was a little just out side. Everything is sitting on my desk all taken apart and open to dry.

Should I be worried? Should I send my camera in to get cleaned?
After I ran my remote switch through the washer, Ziggy recommended washing it with diluted water to make sure there wasn't any salt dried inside... I'm not real comfortable giving my camera a bath, but I'll send it to a pro to do that if I need to.

Help... I would be lost without my little XTi!!! :cry

Sorry to hear that...
Let it dry and see if it works. If it does - congrats, you missed it by a hair. Otherwise - Canon Repair Center in Irvine does a great job...

Toshido · April 12, 2009

Best of luck. I sure hope all goes well.

swintonphoto · April 12, 2009

I agree with Nikolai - if it still works you are probably ok. If something strange starts happening or it doesn't work right - send it in for a checkup.

CWSkopec · April 12, 2009

Thanks for the responses everyone...

I'll let the poor guy dry out for a while and give it a test early in the week... keeping my fingers (& toes) crossed the whole time...

Art, great idea about the trash bag... I'll toss a bunch in my bag so I can't forget 'em next time I'm out to try shooting the waves... I actually had a 4 gallon ziploc bag with me in case it started to rain while I was there (odd weather today) but I was looking down when it happened... a bag over the camera & tripod sure would have been nice to have...

Candid Arts · April 12, 2009

EDIT: Previously I reccomended to put camera in a bowl of rice to help draw the water out, as Nik mentioned in the next post that is a bad idea. So NO RICE. If it was salt water, you're screwed. The salt has corroded the electrical circuits. Happened to a camera of mine, it was garbage, had to buy a new camera. Sorry to hear about that if it's the case. But, if it was fresh water try putting some silica bags around it for a couple days, and don't try and turn it on or anything 'till then. take the batteries out as well.

Hope this helps.:cry

Nikolai · April 12, 2009

Candid Arts wrote:

Put the camera in a bowl of rice as rice will help draw the water out.

DON'T!!!!
Rice beans are covered with an extremely fine dust. If that stuff gets to your camera - you'll have a really bad time fixing it.
Silicagel can be used for this purpose, but simply putting it under a desk lamp and let it dry in the open will do the trick.

ziggy53 · April 12, 2009

CWSkopec wrote:

... Ziggy recommended washing it with diluted water to make sure there wasn't any salt dried inside... I'm not real comfortable giving my camera a bath, but I'll send it to a pro to do that if I need to.

Help... I would be lost without my little XTi!!! :cry

If you knew that salt water had for sure gotten inside the lens, then (and only then) you would dilute the salt water and flush the salt water to prevent certain corrosion and further damage. This would mostly be for a case of immersion and when you could see the water inside the lens.

The camera is somewhat similar except that the damage is more likely in the case of immersion as there is more electronics. Since you don't see water in the camera you should just wipe the outside.

If it does not appear to have gotten water inside then you simply clean the exterior and thank your lucky stars. (I am repeating this so that I am not misunderstood.)

Gentle heat from a hair dryer at a distance is OK as is just air from a hair dryer or fan.

If you detect that salt is in the lens (if is feels "crunchy" to zoom or focus) then you should send the lens in for professional repairs. Likewise with the body if you feel or hear any grit in the controls, latches or hinges.

Candid Arts · April 12, 2009

Nikolai wrote:

DON'T!!!!
Rice beans are covered with an extremely fine dust. If that stuff gets to your camera - you'll have a really bad time fixing it.
Silicagel can be used for this purpose, but simply putting it under a desk lamp and let it dry in the open will do the trick.

Good point, and duely noted. I edited my post to reflect your thoughts. Thanks for the tip as I have not had to use this yet, now I won't.

Out of curiosity, what about rinsing the rice first? I know that's what I do before I cook it to remove the dust... But then it would be wet... I dunno, just stick with silica bags I guess.

CWSkopec · April 12, 2009

ziggy53 wrote:

If you knew that salt water had for sure gotten inside the lens, then (and only then) you would dilute the salt water and flush the salt water to prevent certain corrosion and further damage. This would mostly be for a case of immersion and when you could see the water inside the lens.

The camera is somewhat similar except that the damage is more likely in the case of immersion as there is more electronics. Since you don't see water in the camera you should just wipe the outside.

If it does not appear to have gotten water inside then you simply clean the exterior and thank your lucky stars. (I am repeating this so that I am not misunderstood.)

Gentle heat from a hair dryer at a distance is OK as is just air from a hair dryer or fan.

If you detect that salt is in the lens (if is feels "crunchy" to zoom or focus) then you should send the lens in for professional repairs. Likewise with the body if you feel or hear any grit in the controls, latches or hinges.

Thanks Ziggy! Today, I'm feeling pretty good that I may be able to "thank my lucky stars"!

The lens is zooming fine without any crunching sounds and all the latches on the camera open and close without a sound... In fact, the camera and lens look like nothing ever happened!

I'm going to give it a little while longer to be sure it's dry (I should probably look around for the hair dryer, but I think my girlfriend took it out of town with her) before I try turning it on...

The worst part about all this is that I've checked the photos in Lightroom and they aren't worth the stress this incident caused!

CWSkopec · April 12, 2009

Candid Arts wrote:

Good point, and duely noted. I edited my post to reflect your thoughts. Thanks for the tip as I have not had to use this yet, now I won't.

Out of curiosity, what about rinsing the rice first? I know that's what I do before I cook it to remove the dust... But then it would be wet... I dunno, just stick with silica bags I guess.

It's a cool idea Candid Arts... I never would have thought rice could be so helpful... but sounds like the dust is too much of an issue...

I'm going to do my best to never do something like this again, but living so close to the beach, it just might happen again... so I'm going to order some silica gel packs just to have in an emergency!

Nikolai · April 12, 2009

Candid Arts wrote:

Good point, and duely noted. I edited my post to reflect your thoughts. Thanks for the tip as I have not had to use this yet, now I won't.

Phew... :-)

Out of curiosity, what about rinsing the rice first? I know that's what I do before I cook it to remove the dust... But then it would be wet... I dunno, just stick with silica bags I guess.

Yes, rinsing the rice is a most common method of getting rid of that very dust. Prior to cooking.
But, as you have mentioned yourself, rinsing itself would saturate it with water way beyond what it can possible suck out of the air.

So, using it to dry the wet shoes: yes. Rinsing it before cooking: yes. Using it for drying fine mechanics: no-no...

Photoskipper · April 13, 2009

Bring the camera and lenses to the seashore is always very dangerous. The wave with salt water may get the camera body and lens case wet and deposite the salt crystal on the coating. Sea water vapor may also slip into the gaps, then the salt crytal formed inside the lens and increase the friction of moving parts and cause damage in long run.

The salty vapor will also deposit on the hands, so keep a wet towel handy to clean the hand before touching the camera and lens.

I live in an island tropical country, facing the challenge very often. Everytime after the sea shore shooting, I have to clean the body and lens with a damp cloth to remove the salt crystal which we may not be able to see by eye. Then keep it in the electric dry box ASAP for a day or two at least to dry it, particularly to removal those moisture trap in the gaps.

For your case, it would be better to use a bit more moisted cloth to clean the exterior and put inside a airtight container with some silicon gel in order to dry it.

The way to prevent splash other than using the "raincoat" is to keep away from the wave. It can be done by use a bit longer lens and stand well above the shore line.

Good luck

CWSkopec · April 14, 2009

Photoskipper wrote:

Bring the camera and lenses to the seashore is always very dangerous. The wave with salt water may get the camera body and lens case wet and deposite the salt crystal on the coating. Sea water vapor may also slip into the gaps, then the salt crytal formed inside the lens and increase the friction of moving parts and cause damage in long run.

The salty vapor will also deposit on the hands, so keep a wet towel handy to clean the hand before touching the camera and lens.

I live in an island tropical country, facing the challenge very often. Everytime after the sea shore shooting, I have to clean the body and lens with a damp cloth to remove the salt crystal which we may not be able to see by eye. Then keep it in the electric dry box ASAP for a day or two at least to dry it, particularly to removal those moisture trap in the gaps.

For your case, it would be better to use a bit more moisted cloth to clean the exterior and put inside a airtight container with some silicon gel in order to dry it.

The way to prevent splash other than using the "raincoat" is to keep away from the wave. It can be done by use a bit longer lens and stand well above the shore line.

Good luck

Thanks for the suggestions Photoskipper!
I'm not sure when I'll be brave enough to bring my camera down that close to the waves again, but I'll be sure to follow your advice if I do!

CWSkopec · April 14, 2009

Thanks for the well wishes everyone!!

Just a quick update, I gave the camera a trial run earlier this evening and everything appears to be functioning properly!! I'm going to have to give it a more thorough test later in the week, but it certainly seems that the sacrifices I made to the God of Cameras paid off!!

Time for me to resume breathing!!

lacunae · April 14, 2009

CWSkopec wrote:

Thanks for the suggestions Photoskipper!
I'm not sure when I'll be brave enough to bring my camera down that close to the waves again, but I'll be sure to follow your advice if I do!

Yeah, I use a waterproof point and shoot for playing in the water (and snow sports), but its definitely limiting for creative shooting. I have also taken my DSLRs to take photos of waves/sea spray, always keeping an eye on the incoming waves (because that's what I'm shooting and cuz I don't want to get drenched either -- even tho my camera's a little better weather sealed than yours)

I live in the midwest (usa) tho, so I don't get to spend much time at the ocean/seashore, but if you do get to the shore a lot, then maybe one of those inexpensive waterproof enclosures would help (like this one for $119). There are "real" waterproof DSLR enclosures (from companies like ikelite and aquatica), that offer much more flexibility/functionality, but they usually cost more than most of the cameras that they're designed to hold (the ikelite one for the XTi is $1329) and they're camera-specific, so if you upgrade your camera body (even just to the XSi), you'd probably need to get a new enclosure too.

CWSkopec · April 14, 2009

lacunae wrote:

Yeah, I use a waterproof point and shoot for playing in the water (and snow sports), but its definitely limiting for creative shooting. I have also taken my DSLRs to take photos of waves/sea spray, always keeping an eye on the incoming waves (because that's what I'm shooting and cuz I don't want to get drenched either -- even tho my camera's a little better weather sealed than yours)

I live in the midwest (usa) tho, so I don't get to spend much time at the ocean/seashore, but if you do get to the shore a lot, then maybe one of those inexpensive waterproof enclosures would help (like this one for $119). There are "real" waterproof DSLR enclosures (from companies like ikelite and aquatica), that offer much more flexibility/functionality, but they usually cost more than most of the cameras that they're designed to hold (the ikelite one for the XTi is $1329) and they're camera-specific, so if you upgrade your camera body (even just to the XSi), you'd probably need to get a new enclosure too.

I've seen the ikelite housings, but since I'm not really into diving never really considered it as an option ($1329... ouch!!) but that one on B&H looks pretty nice! From the picture, I'm not sure I would trust it to actually submerge my camera, but it would definitely add much more ease of mind when down along the shore...

Thanks for the link, Lacunae!!!

Robinivich · April 15, 2009

I scuba dive a fair bit, and haven't yet gotten enough $$$ together to feel okay putting my babies into a housing underwater, largely due to the fact that salt water, in addition to being seriously corrosive to metals, is an incredibly efficient conductor.

Complex circuitry and microchips don't like having everything connected to everything else at the same time. Usually this results in instant, irreparable damage! Cameras exposed to even a slight leak in a housing are usually dead-on-arrival at the surface.

So let me re-emphasize the magnitude of bullet you just dodged!!! And emphasize that salt water is probably the most dangerous thing you can expose electronics to! So be careful!

Art Scott · April 15, 2009

CWSkopec wrote:

I've seen the ikelite housings, but since I'm not really into diving never really considered it as an option ($1329... ouch!!) but that one on B&H looks pretty nice! From the picture, I'm not sure I would trust it to actually submerge my camera, but it would definitely add much more ease of mind when down along the shore...

Thanks for the link, Lacunae!!!

the cheapest and easiest raincoat is a small (10-13 gal) trash bag.....I cut out a corner so that my largest dia lens (siggy 24-70 f2.8) will fit thru and secure with rubber band.......pics to floow later tonigt in same post.

Side view
(1)

Closer up showing rubber band directly behind lenshood
(2)

Left Rear View....
(3)

Nikolai · April 15, 2009

Art Scott wrote:

the cheapest and easiest raincoat is a small (10-13 gal) trash bag.....I cut out a corner so that my largest dia lens (siggy 24-70 f2.8) will fit thru and secure with rubber band......

Totally!

Art Scott · April 16, 2009

photos inserted as i said I would:D

That set up can be sued handholding or on tripod and since the draw strap is still in tact you tighten as needed to keep rain out or salt spray...........

CWSkopec · April 16, 2009

Art Scott wrote:

the cheapest and easiest raincoat is a small (10-13 gal) trash bag.....I cut out a corner so that my largest dia lens (siggy 24-70 f2.8) will fit thru and secure with rubber band.......pics to floow later tonigt in same post.

Side view
(1)

Closer up showing rubber band directly behind lenshood
(2)

Left Rear View....
(3)

Thanks for posting the set up shots, Art!! I already slipped a couple trash bags into my camera bag, and I'll grad a handful of rubber bands from work tomorrow to slip in as well!

Side note: I did my first full fledge test in the aftermath of the splash, and everything worked perfectly!! I'm waiting for the photos to finish importing but as far as I can tell, auto focus worked correctly, colors look good, no residue in the shots (from water inside the lens) there was no grinding noise in focusing or zooming! I'm happy to say I think I dodged a major bullet with this one!

Thanks everyone for the ideas to prevent it next time and words of support despite my stupidity!

Art Scott · April 16, 2009

not stupidity.....just learning....and living............

Wave + Splash + Camera = Probably not good...

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