'Rain Coat' for wet weather

[honcho]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Well, they are, to the tune of 15 Billion and counting...

 

Didn't stop them lying did it.

[jaapv]

Actually this is totally enforceable under law. Suitability for use, and honouring publicly made claims will always be sustained by any German (and most other countries') court. You can be sure that  Leica knows this and their legal department will have told marketing so.

 

Anyway, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. There are many tens of thousands of M240ies in use, not a few in heavy use in all conditions. This forum is by far the largest Leica forum. How many complaints about water damage to M240ies have you seen here? Nil.

[jaapv]

Didn't stop them lying did it.

Yes - and it taught them that it is illegal to do so.

[honcho]

........ This forum is by far the largest Leica forum. How many complaints about water damage to M240ies have you seen here? Nil.

 

If that is supposed to be some kind of measure, it's meaningless.

 

As said earlier, common sense is rather more useful.

[Steve Ricoh]

https://de.leica-camera.com/Fotografie/Leica-M/Leica-M/Produktdetails

 

Screen Shot 2016-07-29 at 01.32.17.png

Had to use Google translate, but can't see anything about IP ratings. The words chosen are somewhat qualitative, but a court (if it came to that) would rule that intention is there and anyway, Leica wouldn't want an adverse advertisement anyway, so would fix the camera, or provide a replacement.

 

Moving on, what about fitting a thumbsup, does that invalidate any claim? So in wet weather it's probably best to refit the hot shoe cover that came with the camera.

[jaapv]

Yes - it is part of the weatherproofing

[Guest]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Unfortunately I have made very bad experiences with supposedly waterproof wristwatches.

Leica-M equipment would be for similar experiences too expensive for me at extremely rainy weather at the seaside or on board.

There are better waterproof cameras. 

While analog times a Minolta Weathermatic accompanied my wet activities and later digitally an Olympus μ.

Leica offers the X-U, a quality waterproof camera I would like to take for sailing, water rafting and mountain tours in rain and snow.

[edwardkaraa]

Ah, the X-U, that would be perfect for next year's water festival in Thailand!

[honcho]

And this:

 

[pgk]

Had to use Google translate, but can't see anything about IP ratings. The words chosen are somewhat qualitative, but a court (if it came to that) would rule that intention is there and anyway, Leica wouldn't want an adverse advertisement anyway, so would fix the camera, or provide a replacement.

 

The problem with IP ratings is what they are supposed to do. Say an IP rating test is submerging a product for 30 minutes in 5m of water (as an example) so the rating would be 'static' submergence at +0.5 bar water pressure. No problem - except that in the real world this isn't how most products like cameras are actually used. Generally a water resistant (as opposed to waterproof) camera is used at much lower water pressures but with controls being operated - i.e. not 'static'. So an IP test can indicate an intention but not an actuality in the field. So Leica's statement is if anything more robust in as much as it states an actual usage intention. In the case of water ingress the way to check seal integrity would be to dry the camera out then use it in similar or synthesised 'adverse conditions' again to see if water enters. If it fails to do so then the camera probably got far more of a soaking than could be considered 'reasonable' (perhaps dropped in deeper water or left in the rain - I've seen this done with binoculars - an overnight dowsing in rain which they survived).

 

FWIW, with Underwater Camera Housings (obviously designed for greater pressure and fitted with 'O' rings rather than the gaskets used in cameras themselves) we tend to find that the vast, vast majority of flooding is user caused as opposed to due to equipment failure. I sell underwater housings rated as waterproof to 80m (no IP rating here) but we know that some mad divers have used them at 150m - the controls tighten up substantially at +15bar pressure apparently but they remain watertight! Obviously operating them below 80m invalidates their warranty - so if it was suspected that one had flooded at a deeper depth, I would have an independent repairer dry the housing out and retest it to 80m (+8 bar water pressure) - not foolproof, but if it remained watertight then I would suspect excess depth or most likely user error.

 

And FWIW for anyone with a gasket sealed waterproof camera, ALWAYS ensure that the gaskets are clean and have no foreign matter on them - especially important around the battery compartment seal which get most use.

[Herr Barnack]

The M240 platform camera bodies are weather sealed; the M lenses are not.  That is the real issue.

 

Two weeks ago, I did some street photography with my M-P Safari and my 90/2 APO lens.  I tried to stay under awnings on the sidewalk but got caught up in what I was doing and after a couple of hours of shooting, the camera and lens were pretty well drenched.  I  used a microfiber lens cloth to dry them off and let them air dry afterwords.  Both camera and lens seem to have suffered no ill effects - so far.

 

I had thought about putting the lens in a gallon size ziploc bag along with a silica gel dryer pack and letting it sit overnight to suck any moisture or humidity out of the lens, but ultimately decided against doing this out of a concern for negative effect on the internal lubricants used in the lens.  After giving this issue more thought, I do not think it would cause a problem since the lubricants are not water based.

[jaapv]

According to Mr Daniel - and who am I to doubt his words- the lenses are weatherproof through narrow tolerances and grease. Everybody is free to his beliefs, obviously, but in general I tend to credit the manufacturer.

[Peter H]

I've never had a problem with M Leicas in some really very severe weather conditions over many years of use.

 

Up here where I live on the extreme NW coast of Scotland, a camera that can't withstand gales and storms and salt water spray and regular drenchings of an interesting variety would be no use at all.

 

I can't say that the M240 is any better than earlier Leicas since they've all been fine.

[pgk]

According to Mr Daniel - and who am I to doubt his words- the lenses are weatherproof through narrow tolerances and grease. Everybody is free to his beliefs, obviously, but in general I tend to credit the manufacturer.

 

Canon have only rubber gaskets on their L lenses and these provide a 'loose' (as in contact) as opposed to 'compressed' (i.e., clamped down and thus pre-compressed) seal, so like the gap between mating bayonet surfaces, the potential is there for 'capillary' action to draw in water but as jaapv says, the tolerances are narrow - I can't see much water penetration through these simply because it would require pressure to force water through such narrow gaps and unless the camera is submerged, the pressure simply isn't there.

 

I don't think that there is any problem in using a dehumidifier or desiccant to ensure that damp cameras are thoroughly dried - mine don't seem to have suffered from either practice.

[jaapv]

Yes, and the Canon internal spaces are so wide that they are only weathersealed when an UV filter is mounted - so I suspect that the tolerances used are not comparable. Drying out gear after it has got wet is always a good plan. Be it your boots or your camera...

[algrove]

OP

 

To your question, in pounding rain I prefer the Op-Tech rain sack made for camera use. It has a draw string for the lens end and an elbow allowing for your hand to get to camera controls. Might be a bit big for an M, but works and for the price you get two sacks for like $5. Perfect for tripod use too.

[Steve Ricoh]

I have one of those 'trench coat' size Op-Tech rain sacks, massive doesn't do it justice. But as someone mentioned, it would only work with f8 and zone.

 

Anyway, no need for me to worry about rain and water issues, my M240 is on its way back to Leica for its 3rd shutter. Original shutter that came with the camera as new 9 months ago (that's right, only 9 months old) 2nd shitter approximately 4 weeks ago, but the replacement is malfunctioning too, so back again for a 3rd shutter. How long must I endure this **** camera?

[jaapv]

That real bad luck... But be careful with such wishes - remember Thomas Becket.

[jmahto]

I have shot M240 in rain many times. It is never out in the rain continuously and covered by jacket in between shoots. Never had a problem. In fact I look forward to the rain since there is more drama and lush colors.

 

My main concern is rain drops falling on the lens front element/filter which may go unnoticed since VF is not through the lens. 

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[harmen]

How about using an umbrella? (My favoured approach)