Nikon "weather sealed" what does that mean?

[cichlid]

Hi All,

Long time no post, but I've been visiting everyday.

I'll be heading off on vacation soon and I'm concerned about my new Nikon D7000 getting wet. I'm concerned about rain. I'm not going rafting or anything. The Nikon website talks about the camera being weather sealed and that the F-mount Nikkor lenses also have a good weather seal.

But what does all that mean. What will be too wet?

Thanks All,

Erik

[Colin Southern]

Hi All,

Long time no post, but I've been visiting everyday.

I'll be heading off on vacation soon and I'm concerned about my new Nikon D7000 getting wet. I'm concerned about rain. I'm not going rafting or anything. The Nikon website talks about the camera being weather sealed and that the F-mount Nikkor lenses also have a good weather seal.

But what does all that mean. What will be too wet?

Thanks All,

Erik

Hi Erik,

It something that you'll never find specifically defined - bit like watches.

What it means is that there is a degree of "safety net" built in should something happen - think of it as somewhat of a backup plan / insurance, rather than something to be relied on.

[ktuli]

Basically it means you don't have to panic if a few drops of water hit it, but don't expect to be able to drop it in standing water or pour a glass of water on it. Generally it means it should be able to work in "light rain"... now what "light rain" is, is another definition to be debated... is that a drizzle, or mist, or fog?

Like Colin said, a little backup plan, but don't rely on it.

- Bill

[Colin Southern]

now what "light rain" is, is another definition to be debated...

I think the manufacturers definition would be something like "if there's water damage inside the camera then the rain was too heavy"

I shoot with a 1Ds3, which is "fully weather sealed" - I've heard of folks using them for days on end in solid rain - and personally, I don't get too excited if I do get mine wet - but faced with the prospect of spending thousands if it ever got water damaged, I still do what I can to protect it where practicable - eg throw a sun hat over it if it's on a tripod and it's raining. As a rule, I don't find heavy rain very condusive to photography anyway.

I bit like watches ... mine is a diving watch - seperate lock-down crown - and guaranteed to 1000 feet ... and I have no hesitation wearing it whilst swimming ... but if I had one that was merely "water resistent" (as opposed to waterproof) I probably wouldn't push my luck too far.

[Eric M]

In camera terms, weathersealed means the manufacturer can charge more for it and then not stand behind it if it fails. In other applications (riflescopes, binoculars, GPS units, rangefinders, etc) the term waterproof is used and the equipment is warrantied if it fails.

[Dave Humphries]

There is a well defined IP rating system for ingress of both water and slid objects - we might idly wonder why they cannot use that, but I suspect that a DSLR camera and (interchangeable*) lens, especially in operation is a just too complex a scenario - all those moving parts; zoom barrels, focus rings, battery and memory card slots, etc. plus 3 axis of orientation/movement would be just too expensive to design to be "waterproof" for.

Other items; "riflescopes, binoculars, GPS units, rangefinders, etc" and watches, are far less complex in comparison and hence easier to get right.

* You can bet your life that if it said it was "waterproof", that sooner or later, some twit will take the lens off, stand it in a puddle and casually put on another, while doing one of those "Maid of the Mist" Niagara Falls boat trips then sue when their camera and lens stops working!

Just my thoughts and ramblings