SL3 Under Water

[algrove]

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Took an 8 day rafting trip down a very red Colorado River.
All was fine for 5 days until I got off on the wrong front side of raft. I was in 5-6 feet of water before I knew it and my SL3 was on a shoulder strap. Needless to say I immediately raised the camera up and out if the river, but then lost my footing while lifting up arm and the camera took a second bath!
Finally got on shore and looked at my VERY reddish camera strap which had been black and thought the worst.The captain gave me some paper towels to dry off camera. I decided to just let it dry out for 24 hours. However curiosity got the better of me once we stopped for dinner.
I first opened the battery compartment. Looked inside and it was dry. Next opened SD+ card door and pulled out the SD card. It was dry. Then the big gamble, I unmounted the 28-200 Panasonic lens I had just acquired this trip , leaving my Leica SL lenses at home. To my pleasant surprise the sensor was dry and the lens was OK at the rear element. When zooming a little river water showed on the lens barrel. I kept drying it and eventually no more river water was present.
Still decided to dry in the hot sun until sunset with it all assembled together.

So the next evening I tried it and all was flawless. ++ for Leica and Panasonic. Have taken over 500 images and it works flawlessly.

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[Leicalook]

A nightmare with a happy end. Never would have ecpected that!

 

[Olaf_ZG]

Great to see that also Panasonic is holding up. (Didn’t had doubts about the sl)

[algrove]

I can tell you  there are several people who were on that trip who will looking at Leica in the future. Sure it costs more, but all were highly impressed it survived the worst case ordeal.

 

[Ken Abrahams]

Phew, great suspense building for a potential nightmare and then happy ending. 

[Eclectic Man]

There was an advert many years ago (1990's I think) showing a Leica R5 without lens or body cap half submerged in a stream pointing out the 'Leica Passport' 30-year (I think) repair guarantee.  Gave me palpitations to see it. (I still own my gorgeous Leica R5 💌 💌 💌.)