Rain - What can I expect?

kshapero

kshapero

South Florida Man
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If I get caught in a rainstorm and a metered rangefinder gets pretty wet, what damage can I expect if any?
Any thoughts or experiences?
I have a tendency to be very paranoid about this.
 
Rain killed my XA2 but it was a torrential downpour. I was standing in it taking pictures. It caused flooding here.
 
speaking only from experience with an m7 and m8 as metered rangefinders being used in the rain (i've had both drenched in florida summer downpours as well as a few accidental sprays to the camera with bleach/water when working on a documentary project)...I haven't had a problem with either. That being said, they aren't weather sealed, so taking one out in the rain is at your own risk and subject to your own personal amount of good or bad luck.
 
Apparently Leica film rangefinders can take a drowning and keep on pounding. I've read in RFF (but not experienced myself) that war phtographers used to clean the sand and dirt off their Leica's by putting them in a toilet tank and flushing it until the camera was clear. I wouldn't do that myself, but it sounds like the film RFs are pretty hardy. With electronics - I'm sure its different. If the water gets inside the circuit boards anything can ahppen.

/T
 
Well, I had my Bessa R out for the weekend in light rain/mist, and it's still ticking.
As far as I'm concerned, if it's not pouring, take it with, just try to keep it beneath the jacket between shots.
 
Which camera, and how wet?

I've used Leicas in the monsoon, keeping them covered when not shooting, and shaded only by a rain-hat when shooting. No problem.

Dry 'em out well or the shutter curtains may get mildewed...

In ordinary rain, I really don't worry too much -- and I've used quite a lot of RFs, ancient and modern, in moderate rain.

Cheers,

R.
 
I was shooting during rain few times with my bessa r3 (it just happens that I always have my camera with me and sometimes when I go from/to work it rains) and it still works. I don't have any umbrella or jacket.

I was more afraid of water getting inside lens than about camera (one can change body's but lenses remain).
 
In the worst case, the malfunctioning meter can produce interference to Large Hardon Collider in Switzerland, and the Earth will be sucked into a forming black hole.

Usually it will be just fine though, unless you manage to get the camera thoroughly wet.
 
I've used both M7 and MP bodies in moderate rain, had them in humid environments for fairly long periods of time (a few weeks), and carried them in rain-proofed Domke bags through torrential downpours. If they get wet I dry them off with an old towel. So far no problems. Maybe I'm lucky.
 
When in doubt about weather effects, I usually use zip lock plastic bags. When something comes out of the bag, I shield it as much as possible, and dry it as soon as possible if it gets wet. If the rain is too bad, I'm probably not in it either. :D

Has always worked so far.
 
I am on shaky ground here but I think I recall reading that cameras can be weatherproofed. I believe that Nikon with the F3P (professional) as opposed to the F3HP was sold weatherproofed. Maybe, a combat photographer can add to this disscussion. I did once speak with a repairman who spoke of a Nikon F that was run over by a tank in Vietnam. All he need to do was remove the lens and the camera was good to go.
 
I have a friend who was a military photographer for 20 years. He advised me that dust and wind was the biggest problem. Lenses are not sealed and setting a camera down next to a fan was for him an important No-No.
 
I've got a Bessa R that was soaked. The viewfinder filled up about half way with water (not fog, a puddle) but everything kept working except that it wasn't much point using the viewfinder or rangefinder any more (which didn't matter anyway; I was using 25/4 snapshot). When I got back I took the lens off and sat the body on top of a lamp shade with the lamp on (probably not the right thing to do) to dry it out. The camera still works.
 
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