Weather Sealing

[markgay]

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I took the M8 to the pool to photograph my one year-old son having swimming lessons.

 

Needless to say I didn't use it. Big poster at the entrance shouting: CAMERA PHONES ARE STRICTLY FORBIDDEN.

 

I got thinking, as I sat watching from behind the security glass, about humidity.

 

Perhaps the absence of weather sealing is down to this: the Ms have metal top and bottom plates that can easily cause condensation.

 

If Leica sealed the unit, the condensation would not escape. I guess it's better to try to seal and isolate the components inside the body, rather than the body itself.

 

Hasten to add, I've not had any weather related problems with the M8 or 7 but the pool humidity got me wondering.

[SJP]

THE M8 IS NOT A CAMERA PHONE SO YOU SHOULD HAVE USED IT!!!!

 

Enough capitals for the time being. Is anyone else as irritated as I am about this? I don't have any intention of taking pics at a swimming pool but why on earth should we accept the axiom that everyone wielding a camera (phone) at a pool is a pervert?

 

Everyone driving a car is planning to rob a bank (or have just left the premises), everyone weeding their garden is planning to or growing cannabis, everyone.....

[ho_co]

Amen, Stephen!

 

1) The sign said 'camera phones,' excluding the M8 from the rule.

 

2) If I'm not mistaken, photography is allowed in any public place in the US unless specifically forbidden (e.g. Post Offices).

 

3) If photographers don't exercise their rights and extend rights recognition to others, those rights will disappear.

 

 

 

BTW--Mark, to me weather-sealing is a non-issue with the M. The M8 has proven itself robust enough that no changes were made in this regard to the M9.

 

Michael Reichmann's report that 25% of a new model weather-sealed camera failed on his latest Antarctic trip seems to me to support your thesis.

[ljclark]

I noticed several years ago that the bars in New Orleans with the female impersonators also banned cell phones.

 

But back to the sub-topic...

 

People are starting to get nervous. People take pictures of kids playing, swimming, whatever. They post them on websites in salacious contexts. So now your kid becomes the overt focus of attention for people with social -- er -- complications.

 

As a result, you are more likely to be confronted by such signs, or by irritated (or hostile) parents if you show up with a camera where kids are being kids.

 

I shoot soccer (football). No way am I going to show up to a kids' match these days unless invited by a responsible party.

 

It sucks, because sometimes there are neat pictures to be taken of kids just being kids. Not any more.

[ulrikft]

Amen, Stephen!

 

1) The sign said 'camera phones,' excluding the M8 from the rule.

 

2) If I'm not mistaken, photography is allowed in any public place in the US unless specifically forbidden (e.g. Post Offices).

 

3) If photographers don't exercise their rights and extend rights recognition to others, those rights will disappear.

 

 

 

BTW--Mark, to me weather-sealing is a non-issue with the M. The M8 has proven itself robust enough that no changes were made in this regard to the M9.

 

Michael Reichmann's report that 25% of a new model weather-sealed camera failed on his latest Antarctic trip seems to me to support your thesis.

 

You would have to mention which camera (the just partially weather sealed 5DmkII), and that the fully weather sealed competitor camera, the D700, managed perfectly well.

[ptarmigan]

You certainly need to careful in swimming baths. A couple of years ago I was invited to shoot a swimming gala but I had permission of the committee (and a request). Even so, the sports centre got all twitchy and I had to get the chairman to speak with them before they'd let me shoot anything. Good fun though and I got some nice images.

 

Must say it's a pet hate of mine this 'mind the pedophile with a camera' attitude we have in good old Blighty. When my daughter was 9 I went to the first big 'all England Sport' thingy - my local one at the time was in Bath at the Sports Academy. There were hundreds of kids between 6 and 18 trying all kinds of sport.

 

I was there with my 'pro' Canon and big white lens. I queued up to get my 'official' sticker so I could take some shots. When I asked if they wanted ID they said "no, we're only doing this as we have to to cover our backs". So I registered as Ronald MacDonald. Absolute farce.

 

And there were dozens of mom/pop compact camera toting parents who never bothered signing up at all. No one tried to stop them taking shots of their own kids! That was 8 years ago and it become so much worse now.

 

I suppose on the plus side, if you get stopped and arrested you are not likely to be detained under The Prevention of Terrorism Act.