Canon 7D weather sealing problem?
 

During the olympic torch relay at UBC, it was raining lightly and this was the first time I took my 7D out in the rain. After being out for aobut 15min, when I went back in doors, while previewing the images, I noticed the joystick was not responding to an upward push. After drying the camera off and 10 min later, it started working again. I suspect it was the moisture that caused this. I'm surprised by this as I recently read a review of someone taking the 7D to antarctica without having issues.

I called Canon technical support to report this problem and the technician tells me to monitor the situation and avoid using the camera in moist environments. :confused: He tells me that if they find that the problem is due to moisture damage, then it won't be covered under warranty anyways. Isn't that what this camera is advertised to be able to do? The environmental seal is supposed to allow the photographer to be able to use the camera in moist conditions? :confused:

I was at the same relay location and I didn't think it was raining lightly- it was POURING. So much so I had to put my 50D in a plastic bag with a hole for the lens.

I don't think that the 7D is water-PROOF, and that the seals have a natural breaking point before they start letting water in.

Now I don't know how much you were in the rain (I was lucky my friends all brought umbrellas and I was able to nudge under), but it's very likely that in that kind of rain without any umbrella or rain-shield, most if not all cameras will be able to take it.

i didn't have problems with my 7D during one of the rainy torch relays.... and mine was literally soaked

I've also used my 7D in some pretty good rainy conditions, including last saturday when it was pouring downtown. It's been working like a champ! I've used it in the rain with my 70-200 2.8 non-is, 17-40L, and 500L too and its been great all the time!

Moisture damage = voided warranty on 7D? really? Isn't canon's main selling point "WEATHER-PROOFING"? I call bullshit

anyways, I went shooting with my T1i that same day under the rain, but just took a plastic shopping bag, ripped a hole for the lens, and carried on. Lots of people followed suit :D

It's technically not weather proof.. it's more weather resistant. Water can still get through the seals, if you get enough on the camera.
No where does it say waterproof. The weather sealing is supposed to sit between the 5D2 and the 1D3. (correct me if I am wrong). However a light sprinkle shouldn't do anything to a 7D.

I'm surprised... I sold my 7D (for personal reasons) and I'm back to 40D and I was using that in the pissing rain yesterday night for about 2 hours and still works like a charm. I don't see why 7D couldn't handle the rain better than a 40D.

hm... thanks for clearing that up for me... I always thought that the 7D would feature the latest and greatest in terms of weather sealing because it's the newest.

40D FTW!

I used my 40D last year in the snow. It was not really soaked, but it did get wet. But during the torch relay around my area, I had a plastic bag with a hole and rubber band ready.

I was reading on POTN that sometimes camera's don't fail because of moisture directly (i.e. shorting), but fail by corrosion on the inside (i.e. contacts). Just some food for thought.

As you didn't mention it before, what lens were you using? There's only a select few lenses which are weather sealed so while the body may hold up to rain, the mount point may not unless you have something with a rubber oring there.

I was using it with the Canon 17-55mm F2.8 IS. Not weather sealed lens I know. I used this lens with my old 40D in the snow before and its gotten just as wet without any issues.

I really wish I had a weather sealed lens. I even seriously considered selling the 17-55mm for the 24-70 F2.8 L since I have a Sigma 10-20 but I was persuaded by several photographers (even some from craigslist when I posted a FT ad) to keep my 17-55mm lens.

I wish there wish either canon or a 3rd party would make a wide lens comparable to the 17-55 2.8 but weather sealed (like the Nikon version).

doesn't canon have a 16-35mm F2.8 II ?

yep I think that's the closest thing.. unless you want the 17-40 f/4L.

There's quite a bit of range lost, but you could always pick up a nifty fifty to make up some of it I suppose.

The 16-35 2.8 would be nice but I would have to change lenses quite often as I often shoot in the 30-50mm range for portraits and such.

actually I had the same problem on the 5d2. Apparently it's due to moisture. Be careful :)

really? you had the exact same problem with the multidirectional button? did you ever have that problem repeat?

That's pretty strange. Silly how moisture can do that specifically. At least you memory unit didn't give out like my 7D (stopped reading/formatting/writing to any card I tried :S). It's on it's way back to Canon.

^^ wow crazy. That sucks.

if you use your camera outside (and it's cold) leave it in a doorway with the door open to warm up to house temperature or else moisture will fuck your camera.

or carry around a ziplock bag.

^^ Or keep it in your closed camera bag while it warms up.