Canon 5DII moisture related failures

1/4 of the 5DII's had intermittent or permanent failures on this trip:

"" The largest group of failures through were among the Canon 5D MKIIs.
Of the 26 samples of this camera onboard, one quarter (six) failed at
one time or another, and while three recovered, the other three never
did. ""

""Of particular concern were two cameras [5DII] which stopped working
while completely protected within Kata rain covers during a light rain
ashore.""

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/es...9-worked.shtml

In there it is noted that a possible culprit is use of a vertical grip -
water collecting in between. This is not proven, just a culprit.

Nikon and Sony worked fine and in the later case w/o issue despite
deliberate unprotected work in the rain. (There were only 2 Sony a900's
on the trip, v. 26 5DII's, however).

One Nikon lens "came apart" whatever that means.

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"Alan Browne" wrote in message
...
1/4 of the 5DII's had intermittent or permanent failures on this trip:

"" The largest group of failures through were among the Canon 5D MKIIs. Of
the 26 samples of this camera onboard, one quarter (six) failed at one
time or another, and while three recovered, the other three never did. ""

""Of particular concern were two cameras [5DII] which stopped working
while completely protected within Kata rain covers during a light rain
ashore.""

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/es...9-worked.shtml

In there it is noted that a possible culprit is use of a vertical grip -
water collecting in between. This is not proven, just a culprit.

Nikon and Sony worked fine and in the later case w/o issue despite
deliberate unprotected work in the rain. (There were only 2 Sony a900's
on the trip, v. 26 5DII's, however).

One Nikon lens "came apart" whatever that means.

So 26 people brought 5D IIs into an environment for which they were clearly
not designed, and 75% of them worked? Not bad!

On 21-06-09 12:51, Bowser wrote:

"Alan Browne" wrote in message
...
1/4 of the 5DII's had intermittent or permanent failures on this trip:

"" The largest group of failures through were among the Canon 5D
MKIIs. Of the 26 samples of this camera onboard, one quarter (six)
failed at one time or another, and while three recovered, the other
three never did. ""

""Of particular concern were two cameras [5DII] which stopped working
while completely protected within Kata rain covers during a light rain
ashore.""

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/es...9-worked.shtml

In there it is noted that a possible culprit is use of a vertical grip
- water collecting in between. This is not proven, just a culprit.

Nikon and Sony worked fine and in the later case w/o issue despite
deliberate unprotected work in the rain. (There were only 2 Sony
a900's on the trip, v. 26 5DII's, however).

One Nikon lens "came apart" whatever that means.

So 26 people brought 5D IIs into an environment for which they were
clearly not designed, and 75% of them worked? Not bad!

That's not what the article said. Those photogs were protecting their
cameras from direct rain - I guess condensation/mist was too much for
them, however.

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-- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm
-- [SI] gallery & rulz: http://www.pbase.com/shootin
-- e-meil: Remove FreeLunch.
-- usenet posts from gmail.com and googlemail.com are filtered out.

Bowser wrote:

"Alan Browne" wrote in message
...
1/4 of the 5DII's had intermittent or permanent failures on this trip:

"" The largest group of failures through were among the Canon 5D
MKIIs. Of the 26 samples of this camera onboard, one quarter (six)
failed at one time or another, and while three recovered, the other
three never did. ""

""Of particular concern were two cameras [5DII] which stopped working
while completely protected within Kata rain covers during a light rain
ashore.""

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/es...9-worked.shtml

In there it is noted that a possible culprit is use of a vertical grip
- water collecting in between. This is not proven, just a culprit.

Nikon and Sony worked fine and in the later case w/o issue despite
deliberate unprotected work in the rain. (There were only 2 Sony
a900's on the trip, v. 26 5DII's, however).

One Nikon lens "came apart" whatever that means.

So 26 people brought 5D IIs into an environment for which they were
clearly not designed, and 75% of them worked? Not bad!

5D's are officially *NOT* professional cameras. They have no gaskets or
'O' rings sealing them from the environment and if you shoot 10 frames
at maximum speed the mirror will fall out.

I would have thought 5D Mk II's would be an improvement, wouldn't you?
Well they are. The battery door has environmental sealing! If you add a
'grip' to these cameras that sealing is removed and the camera is
vulnerable to the environment.

I'm not defending Canon. I think their cameras are crap. What I'm saying
is that to buy a camera that is not waterproof, take it out of a warm
cabin and put it in a rubber boat ready for use on ice is just asking
for trouble... And they got it!.

Anyone contemplating a trip to Antarctica would do well to pay for a
decent camera. It's not as if the cost of the trip is trivial. Why ruin
it by taking a cheap camera known for it's problems rather than it's
strengths?

--
You don't stop laughing because you grow old,
You grow old because you stop laughing!

daveFaktor wrote:
Why ruin it by taking a cheap camera known for it's problems rather than it's
strengths?

That'd be "its problems" and "its strengths". Remember the rule I taught
you two years ago: You had it right for a while.
--
lsmft

daveFaktor wrote:


I'm not defending Canon. I think their cameras are crap.

You and .... how many pros? Hmmm .... I sure lee lots of
white lenses. Does Nikon sell white lenses?


What I'm saying
is that to buy a camera that is not waterproof, take it out of a warm
cabin and put it in a rubber boat ready for use on ice is just asking
for trouble... And they got it!.
Ummm ... you've got it backwards. The problem is taking a cold camera into
a warm humid place.

I don't have a 5DMkII, only a lowly 30D. It has worked perfectly
in hot humid weather, cold humid weather, a snow storm (with
the caveat that it was only taken out of a dry bag for each shot
and then put back in.)

Of course, I doubt it would survive what my
old 4x5 Pacemaker Crown Graphic did, which was have
an elephant **** on it.

Doug McDonald

In article , Doug McDonald
wrote:

You and .... how many pros? Hmmm .... I sure lee lots of
white lenses. Does Nikon sell white lenses?

yes

http://imaging.nikon.com/products/im...zoom/af-s_vr_z
oom70-200mmf_28g_if/img/pic_001.jpg

John McWilliams wrote:
daveFaktor wrote:
Why ruin it by taking a cheap camera known for it's problems rather
than it's strengths?

That'd be "its problems" and "its strengths". Remember the rule I taught
you two years ago: You had it right for a while.

Right up until I recall dropping a 5D in the drink right after the
mirror fell out. Then it's glovse obf wit th spellin!

--
You don't stop laughing because you grow old,
You grow old because you stop laughing!

Doug McDonald wrote:
daveFaktor wrote:


I'm not defending Canon. I think their cameras are crap.

You and .... how many pros? Hmmm .... I sure lee lots of
white lenses. Does Nikon sell white lenses?


What I'm saying is that to buy a camera that is not waterproof, take
it out of a warm cabin and put it in a rubber boat ready for use on
ice is just asking for trouble... And they got it!.
Ummm ... you've got it backwards. The problem is taking a cold camera into
a warm humid place.

I don't have a 5DMkII, only a lowly 30D. It has worked perfectly
in hot humid weather, cold humid weather, a snow storm (with
the caveat that it was only taken out of a dry bag for each shot
and then put back in.)

Of course, I doubt it would survive what my
old 4x5 Pacemaker Crown Graphic did, which was have
an elephant **** on it.

Doug McDonald

I very fitting fate for a very heavy camera. I had a go at using my
speed graphic again last year. Your tale has me looking for an elephant!

I didn't get it backwards, incidentally. The outside of the camera
freezes and inside it's still warm. Take a lens off and the mirror will
not just be likely to fall out, it is highly likely to crack if it doesn't.

--
You don't stop laughing because you grow old,
You grow old because you stop laughing!

nospam wrote:
In article , Doug McDonald
wrote:

You and .... how many pros? Hmmm .... I sure lee lots of
white lenses. Does Nikon sell white lenses?

yes

http://imaging.nikon.com/products/im...zoom/af-s_vr_z
oom70-200mmf_28g_if/img/pic_001.jpg

You should have let the fanboi keep his romantic notions mate.
Maybe where he comes from the world is still square but where I am, the
hottest selling item amongst Professional sports shooters is a Nikon D3x
- and about $100,000 worth of lenses.

Ask yourself. Why would a Pro football shooter dump their Canon gear and
forego being able to rent big lenses, and spend serious money on a brand
(Nikon) that they have to pay for the lenses with?

Ehhh. Is it that black lenses don't have focus errors? Maybe.

Is it that white lenses make you stand out in a crowd and finger you as
a target for thieves? Maybe... Then they could buy Nikon with the
insurance payout.

Personally I think it's the ISO 125,000 they are so comfortable with or
maybe it's the ISO 250,000 that gets them in for night games. Either way
they make a Canon 1D or 1Ds look positively pedestrian by comparison.

--
You don't stop laughing because you grow old,
You grow old because you stop laughing!