glacierparkmagazine Posted August 1, 2010 Share #1 Posted August 1, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) I went on a 100-plus mile hike in Glacier National Park in Montana a couple of weeks ago. About four miles into the hike I accidentally left my 50 summicron on the ground at the base of a tree. It sat there, through thunderstorms, rain and hail for two weeks. Today I went back to look for it and what do you know? There it was. No worse for the wear. Aside from saving me about $900 to replace it, the lens looked fine, though the front filter will have to be replaced. I suspect that if it had stayed wet throughout the period, the lens would definitely need some CLA. But since it rained, and then got hot, it quickly dried. The lens also wasn't in the dirt. It was on a bed of pine needles. But let's face it, any modern autofocus lens out in those conditions for two weeks would have been ruined. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 1, 2010 Posted August 1, 2010 Hi glacierparkmagazine, Take a look here A Leica Advantage?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
giordano Posted August 1, 2010 Share #2 Posted August 1, 2010 But let's face it, any modern autofocus lens out in those conditions for two weeks would have been ruined. What on earth makes you think that a weather-sealed lens with internal focusing and zooming and no aperture ring would certainly have been ruined in conditions that a totally unsealed lens survived just fine? Also, a pro-quality DSLR AF lens is so much bigger than a Summicron 50 that you'd have been far more likely to see it on the ground and pick it up before you continued your hike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
erl Posted August 1, 2010 Share #3 Posted August 1, 2010 I guess the OP was relieved to find the lens again and that it survived, he had to tell someone. I empathize with that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted August 1, 2010 Share #4 Posted August 1, 2010 A good CLA is the best advice i can give FWIW. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted August 1, 2010 Share #5 Posted August 1, 2010 I guess the OP was relieved to find the lens again and that it survived, he had to tell someone. I empathize with that. Me too, definitely, but no need to mix it up with fanboi nonsense. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted August 1, 2010 Share #6 Posted August 1, 2010 I went on a 100-plus mile hike in Glacier National Park in Montana a couple of weeks ago. About four miles into the hike I accidentally left my 50 summicron on the ground at the base of a tree. [...] Glad to hear it worked out! I think you were very lucky. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
glacierparkmagazine Posted August 1, 2010 Author Share #7 Posted August 1, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Yep, I will have a CLA done anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted August 2, 2010 Share #8 Posted August 2, 2010 What on earth makes you think that a weather-sealed lens with internal focusing and zooming and no aperture ring would certainly have been ruined in conditions that a totally unsealed lens survived just fine? Errr... Since when are these lenses weather-sealed on the camera side? I should think moisture getting into the bajonet side would ruin the electronics of such a lens at the very least. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted August 2, 2010 Share #9 Posted August 2, 2010 What on earth makes you think that a weather-sealed lens with internal focusing and zooming and no aperture ring would certainly have been ruined in conditions that a totally unsealed lens survived just fine? I'm not sure that I'd like to repeat this with either a Leica M or a 'weather-sealed' lens - personally 'd say the OP was very fortunate. But I do tend to agree with jaapv about the electronics being very vulnerable, 'weather-sealing' and all (and the Canon L 'bayonet 'seal' is not something that I'm overawed by!). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
erl Posted August 2, 2010 Share #10 Posted August 2, 2010 O.T. warning. Coming a bit out of left field, I can sort of relate to the OP experience. Some years ago, at the end of an assignment I was packing my camera gear (Hasselblad) into the car boot (trunk) and managed to leave one lens sitting balanced on the rear bumper bar. Car was a Saab 99GLE with the large rubber covered bumper. I drove home about 20Km through normal traffic and stop start scenario. At home, I went to unpack the gear from the car and found the 100mm lens still sitting there! I shortly thereafter poured myself a stiff beer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
zlatkob Posted August 2, 2010 Share #11 Posted August 2, 2010 Errr... Since when are these lenses weather-sealed on the camera side? Weather-sealed lenses have a thin rubber O-ring on the camera side. If a rear lens cap is on the lens, it does offer some weather-sealing on the camera side. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted August 2, 2010 Share #12 Posted August 2, 2010 some Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted August 2, 2010 Share #13 Posted August 2, 2010 Weather-sealed lenses have a thin rubber O-ring on the camera side. If a rear lens cap is on the lens, it does offer some weather-sealing on the camera side. Well some, but not all of my Canon 'L' lenses have a rubber gasket around the mount - this is not waterproof, merely 'water resistant to some extent' - a very different concept. I haven't looked at the Nikon lenses and I'd be surprised, and delighted, if they are using an 'O' ring which is genuinely waterproof. Weather sealing is an ambiguous phrase as, unless its backed up by an IP or similar rating, it means very little at all and has no specification associated with it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted August 2, 2010 Share #14 Posted August 2, 2010 I used to have an 17-40L which did have a rubber ring on the mount, but it needed an UV filter to be weatherproof, according to the manual. I never understood how an unsealed filter thread and a filter glass that was equally unsealed could make for a weatherproof lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicoleica Posted August 2, 2010 Share #15 Posted August 2, 2010 Congratulations to the OP on finding their lens intact. But what amazes me most is that they waited 2 weeks before looking for it. Believe me, if I had mislaid a lens in this way, I would have worn my heels down retracing my steps from the very moment that I noticed it was missing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted August 2, 2010 Share #16 Posted August 2, 2010 I used to have an 17-40L which did have a rubber ring on the mount, but it needed an UV filter to be weatherproof, according to the manual. I never understood how an unsealed filter thread and a filter glass that was equally unsealed could make for a weatherproof lens. Simple. It stops rain from getting onto the front element - see what I mean;). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbelyaev Posted August 2, 2010 Share #17 Posted August 2, 2010 Enjoy.. Olympus E3 on Flickr - Photo Sharing! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanG Posted August 2, 2010 Share #18 Posted August 2, 2010 I'm doing a test now. I put a bunch of different lenses in my backyard. I'll report back in a couple of weeks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
holmes Posted August 2, 2010 Share #19 Posted August 2, 2010 Neither Leica nor Canon or Nikon or whoever else is left can say in the US, waterproof. Water resistant, OK. The Federal Trade Commission put a stop to companies using the expression waterproof, watches for instant, and any other item. This was done a number of years ago. Also fraudulent advertising. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_x2004 Posted August 3, 2010 Share #20 Posted August 3, 2010 One can only hope that the boys that glue on the Leica lens elements line are a little more competent than the boys that glue stuff on the Leica body lines. then again with the number of red dots that fall off .... Wonder if this will be a problem lens in future. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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