Nikon D800E vs Pentax 645D

[billh]

I notice during the video they say the D800 is completely weather sealed. I’ve had issues with the D3 in very wet conditions, but the D3s has endured quite a bit without suffering any issues. Is the D800E up to those same standards? I remember Michel writing he had used his E in heavy rain, but because they are rarer than a second Hope diamond, I kept mine covered yesterday when I took this video, http://vimeo.com/42173080
My question is, would Nikon say the D800E is able to function in rain like this?

[ndevlin]

"Weather sealed" is one of those great grey areas of marketing. Can it take a fair bit of moisture without dying? Yes. Will they cover water damage under warrant? Probably no.  Does a camera-condom cost too much to use it to keep the gear dry in a downpour? No.  Will the camera outlast an unprotected photographer in a downpour? Probably.

Nice video, btw.

- N.

[Josh-H]

Despite what the Nikon marketing dept. would have everyone believe the D800 (and E) are NOT properly weather sealed. There is no o-ring seal on the CF and SD card slot, nor around the pop up flash, nor at the battery compartment. The joys stick on the back if pushed off centre exposes the inside of the mechanism to water and there are other potential areas for water to enter as well. Weather sealed? No way... marketing hype - Yes.

would this camera work ok in rain? The answer is most likely yes. However, do not confuse this level of weather sealing with that found in pro bodies like a D4 or D3X or 1DS MK3, MKIV or 1DX. Its a totally different level of weather sealing.

A friend of mine in Sydney has already killed a D800 when he slipped over and dunked it momentarily on a shoot in Western Australia. He watched water then pour out of the battery compartment. and the camera is dead and Nikon have already said bad luck (fair enough).

I slipped over last year in a waterfall at Mount Buffalo and submerged my 1DS MK3. It didn't miss a beat. The 5D however died.

The reality is if you are standing in a light rain shower the D800 will 'probably' be fine (especially if you cover it). However, if you are in the Arctic, Antarctica shooting from zodiac, in jungles or heavy humidity / moisture areas then I have serious doubts about the cameras long term operability in inclement weather. It just doesn't have the rubber gaskets and o-rings required to make it truly weather sealed.

[BernardLanguillier]

The answer is that the D800 has the same level of weather proofing as the D700, meaning excellent.

Is it going to die if being submerged? Yes, probably.

Is it going to die if used for extended period of time in rain? Most probably not. When shooting in rain, use a rain cover. If you are concerned about some potential weak points of the body like the memory card door (it does have a seal contrary to the statement above) or battery door, it is very easy to tape these with little to no impact on convenience. I will not mention the flash that is not relevant since it is mostly isolated from the rest of the body.

Our friend Josh seems to have been lucky this time around with his 1Ds3, but even Canon doesn't claim that it should resist being submerged, so I would not consider this as more than one isolated case of luck. I recommend working on balance, walking skills and selection of footwear.  

Besides, cheaper/lighter bodies like the d800/5DIII make it realistic to carry a back up on important trips in case shit happens.

Cheers,
Bernard

[dturina]

The only brand whose weather resistence claims I fully trust is Olympus, and that's because I used to wash my E-1 with ZD 14-54 lens under tap to wash away salt that ended up there as a result of being splashed by a wave while photographing sea at close distance. Some people had a dog pee on it, then washed it under tap, dried it with a towel, put the lens on and the camera apparently worked like a charm.

As far as I know Olympus advertised E-3 by putting it under shower and leaving it there to soak. Everybody talks about weather resistence but those guys mean business.

edit: I mean stuff like this: http://youtu.be/fhO9YDI8cHk
http://youtu.be/rkRHn25H_V4
http://youtu.be/DxoYP749CzQ

[francois]

The answer is that the D800 has the same level of weather proofing as the D700, meaning excellent.

Is it going to die if being submerged? Yes, probably.

Is it going to die if used for extended period of time in rain? Most probably not. When shooting in rain, use a rain cover. If you are concerned about some potential weak points of the body like the memory card door (it does have a seal contrary to the statement above) or battery door, it is very easy to tape these with little to no impact on convenience. I will not mention the flash that is not relevant since it is mostly isolated from the rest of the body.

Our friend Josh seems to have been lucky this time around with his 1Ds3, but even Canon doesn't claim that it should resist being submerged, so I would not consider this as more than one isolated case of luck. I recommend working on balance, walking skills and selection of footwear.  

Besides, cheaper/lighter bodies like the d800/5DIII make it realistic to carry a back up on important trips in case shit happens.

Cheers,
Bernard

A few years ago, I spent a week in Iceland with my Canon 1D bodies.  We got heavy rain from the first day to the last. My bodies kept working perfectly but water managed to find its way behind the back and top LCD covers. I think I was lucky! Similar cameras from both Nikon (D3 serie) and Canon (1D serie) went belly up during that week. When shooting under adverse condition, I always try to minimize weather exposure.

[BernardLanguillier]

When shooting under adverse condition, I always try to minimize weather exposure.

That's basic wisdom indeed.

Cheers,
Bernard

[BJL]

Does anyone have any comments relevant to the subject line, or about the Pentax 645D?


P. S. "weather-proof" and "water-proof" are very different things.

[tsjanik]

No direct information about the 645D, but presumably Pentax sealed it at least as well as the K-5, for which there are many examples, e.g.,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_-RAzBjakk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iok1I6loC-Q&feature=related

I can tell you that every opening has a gasket, but submersion is not an experiment I am willing to try.
 

[theguywitha645d]

I see weatherproofing as insurance. That is not something I deliberately try to test, but I am glad to have. I also see it as protection against humidity. Being in a tent on a mountain for a week or more is going to subject your equipment to lots of humidity not only from the environment, but also sweat. I feel the weatherproofing is just going to add life to the camera--just like protecting myself from secondhand smoke is going to give me a better chance to reach 90, which does not mean someone exposed to secondhand smoke won't reach 90. It is simply risk management.

[Bernard ODonovan]

The only brand whose weather resistence claims I fully trust is Olympus, and that's because I used to wash my E-1 with ZD 14-54 lens under tap to wash away salt that ended up there as a result of being splashed by a wave while photographing sea at close distance. Some people had a dog pee on it, then washed it under tap, dried it with a towel, put the lens on and the camera apparently worked like a charm.

As far as I know Olympus advertised E-3 by putting it under shower and leaving it there to soak. Everybody talks about weather resistence but those guys mean business.

edit: I mean stuff like this: http://youtu.be/fhO9YDI8cHk
http://youtu.be/rkRHn25H_V4
http://youtu.be/DxoYP749CzQ

No direct information about the 645D, but presumably Pentax sealed it at least as well as the K-5, for which there are many examples, e.g.,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_-RAzBjakk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iok1I6loC-Q&feature=related

I can tell you that every opening has a gasket, but submersion is not an experiment I am willing to try.
 

I see your Lympus's and PenK's and raise you a 7D:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCT-YMgjm9k

 

[mac_paolo]

The topic shouldn't be really focused on weather sealing 

[francois]

The topic shouldn't be really focused on weather sealing  

While the title doesn't mention weather-sealing, Bill's original post revolves around that matter:

I notice during the video they say the D800 is completely weather sealed. I’ve had issues with the D3 in very wet conditions, but the D3s has endured quite a bit without suffering any issues. Is the D800E up to those same standards? I remember Michel writing he had used his E in heavy rain, but because they are rarer than a second Hope diamond, I kept mine covered yesterday when I took this video, http://vimeo.com/42173080
My question is, would Nikon say the D800E is able to function in rain like this?