The worst weather you've subjected your Leica M10 to?

[w44neg]

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Hi all, it's a while since I've owned an M camera; my last being an M-P240 Safari. Today, I was trying out a Fuji X100V (sorry to swear!) and I just can't find any fun in it at all. No contrast, a computer rather than a camera, poor dynamic range and so on.

However it is weather sealed, and that's a major plus. We've had a LOT of rain here these past few weeks and global warming apparently promises a lot more of it in our futures. 

I find myself thinking of an M10. I'm unsure which model yet but the Reporter looks nice, and sadly I can't see any M10 safaris for sale anywhere, but the standard M10 is also appealing in chrome.

I wondered how much real world users have pushed their Leicas in bad weather? Do you baby it or get it wet, even though it's not sealed.

[Peter Kilmister]

I have used an M240-P and an M10-P in light rain. Just avoid getting them soaked. Also, for obvious reasons, avoid half cases which can pool rain water near the electronics.

Rain comes in different forms. Most drips off easily, but remember that every rain drop is formed around a tiny pice of dust or sand. After use in rain your camera body will need cleaning.

 

[dkmoore]

40 minutes ago, w44neg said:

Hi all, it's a while since I've owned an M camera; my last being an M-P240 Safari. Today, I was trying out a Fuji X100V (sorry to swear!) and I just can't find any fun in it at all. No contrast, a computer rather than a camera, poor dynamic range and so on.

However it is weather sealed, and that's a major plus. We've had a LOT of rain here these past few weeks and global warming apparently promises a lot more of it in our futures. 

I find myself thinking of an M10. I'm unsure which model yet but the Reporter looks nice, and sadly I can't see any M10 safaris for sale anywhere, but the standard M10 is also appealing in chrome.

I wondered how much real world users have pushed their Leicas in bad weather? Do you baby it or get it wet, even though it's not sealed.

I take pretty good care of my camera gear but I’ve had the M10 range in heavy rain, heavy snow, and in the shallow waters of the ocean but still hit with water and sand. The camera has been perfect. I would prob avoid those things if the loss of the camera keeps anyone from paying the bills. But they are tough cameras in my experience. Take some common sense precautions and it will last a very long time. 

Edited January 22, 2021 by dkmoore

[jaapv]

 

[KFo]

I regards my M10P as pretty durable but I avoid getting it wet.  Even the most casual inspection will reveal that the lens mount, in particular the lens locking pin area, is far from water proof.  Also worth considering is if the lens you have mounted is water proof as well.  I typically have a small (2L) dry bag stuck in a pocket to pop the camera in if heavy rain comes along.  I don’t normally carry a camera bag.

You can choose to get the camera wet, as many people do, however, I think it’s a crap shoot.  If 5000 - 10000 euros is chump change to you then...

[Dennis]

also here: 

 

It's not an SL camera, but it's more than enough.

[erniethemilk]

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Light rain for me and I find some kind of shelter for my M10-P. They cost a lot of money & I'm not sure I want to take a chance with water ingress. Don’t think they’d mix that well!  

[Stephen.s1]

I'd stow it on a really rainy day; drag out one of the Olympus.

[ELAN]

I walk around with Ms in moderate rain, never a problem.  My M10 regularly goes to the beach and when the wind blows hard sea spray and fine sand covers the camera.  Back at home I blow it with a Rocket blower and wipe it down with a damp cloth and my M10 still looks and operates as new. Same with the M240 before it.

A couple years ago there was a Leica Meet in Rome and on one of the days it rained on and off most of the day. A bunch of us walked around with our Ms exposed to the rain and no one seemed concerned, especially not @jonoslack. 

M10, Summaron-M 1:5.6/28

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[jkcampbell2]

 

[w44neg]

Great responses, thanks. I picked up a Q2 instead of the M, however I know it won't be long before my craving for another M turns in to reality.

[ELAN]

6 hours ago, Steven said:

I’m not scared with my m10 in the rain either, but I’m more cautious with my lenses. So if it’s bad weather outside I’ll tend to mount a cheap Nokton classic 35 instead of my very special 35 Lux. 

I’m also more cautious with lenses, in bad weather I take out Karbe lenses as those are more easily fixed or replaced. Knock on wood, never had to fix or replace a lens because of bad weather damage. My Mandler lenses are babied and only come out in good weather. 

[feelssadman]

I think the worst weather mine has been in was a severe snowstorm. I hardly baby my cameras and don't see the point to do so if it isn't for a rare collection model. Anyways, the camera obviously got wet but it took no damage since I wiped it off afterwards and made sure to keep it under my coat while walking around. The M10 isn't as weather sealed as other cameras may be but if you take a bit of care you'll have no problems with that. Just make sure not to drop a bucket of water on it and you'll be fine 😉

 

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Edited January 24, 2021 by feelssadman

[MyLeicaWorld]

3 years ago in Singapore, 500 meters  to hotel,  a heavy rain started and I got wet ‘till my underwear.. but I tried to keep my m10 with cron28  under my arm; as you can imagine it was fully wet but the rain didn’t fell directly on the camera .. I dried it with a towel at the hotel.. and turned on.. everything was ok .. try not to drop into water like sea, river etc. any kind of rain ok IMO.. 

[dugby]

I used my M240/50APO at the other end of the weather spectrum in the Gobi desert near Turpan, Xinjiang, China

I took photos of the giant outdoor thermometer which displayed 65C in the sun. It was 45C inside the shade.

I was concerned about how such heat might distill out any volatile components of lubricants in either the M or the 50APO, so tried minimise their usage time in direct heat.

As a West Australian, we know how to live with 45C heat, but this experience in the Gobi desert was a magnitude higher.

Just for my own head (heat) protection I wore my trusty insulated brownie, but this was not enough, had to additionally pop open a double lined sun-umbrella, which only my wife and I had anticipated. 

[jonnyboy]

I think all Leica are pretty rugged and there is no need to have the camera exposed under heavy weather condition for long time. I use to shoot my M8 in the rain I just used to cover the body with my arm whilst I was walking.

This was a pretty bad rainy night:

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[kristyansen]

And don't forget Thorsten's experience and advice:

https://www.overgaard.dk/Leica-M10-digital-rangefinder-camera-page-03-Leica-M10-in-rainy-weather.html

[beewee]

My M10 has gone through rain and dense drizzle/mist in Alaska, winter blizzards in the Canadian rockies, and humid summers along the Dalmatian coast and never had a problem. That being said, my M8.2 which isn’t weather sealed, had seen much harsher conditions and still works fine to this day.

[Harvard Kiwi]

I've used my M10 in light rain and haven't been too worried. I gave it a thorough wipe-down afterwards not really out of concern but because I have a tendency towards buying nice stuff and take care of it. 

I'm certainly not rich, so my philosophy is to buy quality and hope it will last longer due to superior build quality and love/care for these inanimate objects.

I live in the world's windiest city (not hyperbole) and we get more than our fair share of rain. I do some night street work so I appreciate the reflections off the street on wet nights.

However, this year, I have a project I'd like to work on. We have some truly spectacular wind tunnels in our city, and I want to capture people struggling to cross the worst affected intersections, with their umbrellas turned inside out, struggling to hold onto their possessions, and leaning 45 degrees into the wind as they inch across the street. We have to capitilise on what we have to work with where we live!

In this situation, I am more concerned as the wind is quite often accompanied by torrential rain. Living at the end of the world and with shipping times and costs being what they are, I really do not want to have to send my camera back to Wetzlar, which is literally on the other side of the world. Does anyone have any suggestions for protecting my camera and lens in these situations? Is there any useful cover I can buy? Otherwise this is going to have to be a project for my weather sealed X100V.

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[Narsuitus]

On 1/21/2021 at 5:55 PM, w44neg said:

I wondered how much real world users have pushed their Leicas in bad weather?

This past winter, I used my M10 in cold weather with snow on the ground. To protect my M10 from condensation, I placed my M10 a small plastic bag when I bringing it indoors from the cold weather.

However, my M10 cost too much for me to use it in snowy or rainy weather. Instead, I use a weather resistant Fuji X-Pro2 with weather resistant lenses.

When the weather is too severe for my Fuji, I use a Nikonos underwater film camera.