Adventure with sea water

[Besprosvet]

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Hi everybody,

While I was shooting sea waves yesterday, me and my Leica got a splash of water. At home I cleaned the camera with wipes as much as I could. While air pumping around the on/off and shutter speed dials, salty water was still coming out. It still function properly, but I wonder if you have any tip or advise to clean the camera further. Water went around the mount but I believe the inside is safe.

Thank you

[dpitt]

Maybe put it with a body cap on in a bag of dry rice for a few days to get all the moist out. This trick has been successful with iPhones that where dropped in the water.

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[fotomas]

My M 240 was also sprayed with sea water in September 2022. Wiped it up with a paper tissue and then cleaned it with another one with sweet water. Worked so far for me. The camera is still alive. But I didn't had air to blow out the water. So I only can hope that I didn't missed some. The camera was covered with drops of salt water all over and not totally soaked.

[Besprosvet]

10 hours ago, dpitt said:

Maybe put it with a body cap on in a bag of dry rice for a few days to get all the moist out. This trick has been successful with iPhones that where dropped in the water.

I put it in my dry cabinet, morning after was completely dry. I just had to push the shutter button a bit harder than usual for just one time (likely dried salt between the dials)

 

9 hours ago, fotomas said:

My M 240 was also sprayed with sea water in September 2022. Wiped it up with a paper tissue and then cleaned it with another one with sweet water. Worked so far for me. The camera is still alive. But I didn't had air to blow out the water. So I only can hope that I didn't missed some. The camera was covered with drops of salt water all over and not totally soaked.

I got a whole wave on me, I got soaked. I even checked the sensor for dust and I spotted two thingies that looked like micro crystals (salt???), so I -successfully- cleaned the sensor as well.

[LocalHero1953]

The risk with sea water is corrosion, which you will not avoid by just drying. And you might not find out for a while.

If you asked Leica they would probably say the same, and might advise you to send it in for them to dismantle and clean. That adds another risk that you lose the camera for up to six months. In the end, though, it's the only way to be sure your camera will have its full, normal and happy life.

[pgk]

First remove and do not refit the battery! Send it straight to Leica so that they can clean it and remove any residual salt. This is IMPORTANT as salt is deliquescent and will never dry out leading to potential future corrosion and failure. 

[wattsy]

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Yes, a dousing in sea water is a bit of a bummer I'm afraid. The Mediterranean (looking at your location) has a higher salinity than some other seas so corrosion down the line is a reasonable prognosis.

[MarkP]

Is it insured?

 

[jto555]

I had a Canon lens that got wet with sea water. I sent it in for full cleaning and re-greasing. When I collected it I was advised to send it in again three months later for the same to catch any new corrosion. Luckily there was none.

Sea water is very corrosive so you can't be too careful.

[ECohen]

A little off topic. But back in the 70s I worked in Camera Shop there was a handout from Hasselblad describing what to do if your camera ever gets wet and seawater. As I recall, their suggestion was to fill a bucket full of cold water and wash out your camera dunking it several times in the fresh water. Then you were to put it in a Tupperware container filled with fresh water And send it back to them so that they could take it apart for cleaning. Those were the days of mechanical cameras, gears, and such. Either way, I can’t imagine the nightmare or the cost. But it was always fascinated by the fact that there was an actual hand out with photographs. I guess it happens fairly often.