Moisture inside SL2 viewfinder

[dem331]

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Recently on holiday, I was photographing for a few hours in heavy rain with SL2 and SL 24–90mm. The camera was just hanging off my shoulder so got very wet.  Back in the car I left it inside the Wotancraft bag, which was also soaking on the outside, for the drive back home. 
 

Back home I forgot to take the camera out and wipe it down. The next day the camera was wet so I wiped it down, but when I went out to photograph I had moisture inside the filter and inside the viewfinder. I cleaned the filter, but the moisture returned as soon as I put it back on, so I just left it off. 
 

The moisture inside the viewfinder was there for a few hours. In the car I left the camera outside the bag and the moisture disappeared, but when I stepped outside it returned. After a couple more hours outside it eventually disappeared for good.  
 

Obviously it is not best practice to leave a wet camera inside a soaking bag the whole night, but aside from this, is it normal to have moisture/condensation inside the viewfinder of a weather sealed camera? Should it concern me? 
 

Thanks for your thoughts. 
 

Enrique

[Guest]

Was the temperature in your house really cold? Weather sealing may have kept the rain out but a camera and lens can still fog up on the inside when you take it from a cold room or car to warm/hot weather outside. 

Edited August 24, 2024 by TwentyEighthParallel

[beewee]

I would suggest getting a bunch of silica gel packs and putting the camera inside a airtight container or large ziploc bag and let it sit for a week so that the silica gel can absorb all the excess moisture.

[Virob]

The Leica sl2 is ip54 rated.

“IP” stands for Ingress Protection, and the two numbers following it indicate specific levels of protection:

• 5: The first digit indicates protection against solid particles. A rating of 5 means the device is protected against dust to a level that prevents it from interfering with normal operation, though it is not completely dust-tight
• 4: The second digit indicates protection against liquids. A rating of 4 means the device is protected against splashing water from any direction

In summary, an IP54-rated device is dust-protected and can withstand splashes of water, but it is not fully waterproof

[jaapv]

To add - the resistance to water is tested to a maximum of 10 minutes with IP54. That is not a "few hours". Unless you get a device like an iPhone, which is IP68, you must shield your gear in really bad weather, despite it being marketed as weather protected. Note that moisture damage is excluded from the warranty (with all brands) No camera is resistant against internal condensation - which your problem sounds like. 

Yes, it should concern you - you may have had a lucky escape, but if the moisture has induced corrosion - different metals and electric current are an excellent breeding ground- any damage will be progressive. 

[beewee]

You don’t need water ingress to get moisture inside the camera. An extended period of 100% humidity with warmer temperature than the body is enough to cause condensation to build up. It’s not liquid water that enters the body, it’s water vapour that is going in.

[dem331]

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Thanks for the replies. I am thinking it was probably condensation and not water inside the camera. Now I am back in Madrid with temperatures over 35° C and very dry conditions, so hopefully everything is back to normal. 

[BillCB]

Condensation often occurs when bringing a cold or wet camera back into a warm house. The humidity of the house will cause dew to form on the camera and possibly in it. I routinely put my camera in a sealed plastic bag after a cold weather shoot, before going indoors,  and I don't take it out until the body feels its at room temperature. This can take several hours if you've been shooting at -20C and your home is at +20C!

[dem331]

But does the condensation inside the camera come from humidity that is already in the camera or from the outside? My scientific concepts are clearly letting me down.