HELP, camera took a swim; what to do?

[Doug Hitchcox]

So I have a story that has lead to some problems and I need a solution. Sorry if this is a repeated question, I searched the forums but couldn't find the answer I was looking for.

The story:
While doing a bird survey of the Scarborough Marsh (Maine) I stepped into a well disguised 'sink hole' and my camera (Canon 30D w/grip and 100-400mm) got fairly wet, never fully submerged.

Some problems:
First the grip was acting up and would continuously take photos until turned off. Worked like normal yesterday but now not at all, power is still transmitted to the body but no buttons work.
The camera body had been working fine until this evening, now the only working button is the shutter release. The screen had been working but now seems dead. Basically the more I use it, the worse it gets.
The lens got pretty messy and should probably also get checked out and cleaned.

Need a solution:
Can I get the camera and/or grip repaired? How do I go about getting those repairs done?

Thanks for any help.

[Lance Peters]

Hi Doug - water and cameras do not mix real well - Once it was wet - you should not have turned it back on - should have taken the battery out, lens off and tried to let it dry out - then you could have tried to see if it was working - Personally I would have turned it off and got it straight to a repair centre.

I think you might soon be the proud owner of a new camera.
:)

[John Chardine]

And salt water is way worse than fresh because it conducts electricity so much better and when dry of course leaves the salt behind. Not sure what your sink hole was full of? Whatever, the case, agree with Lance. Cut your losses now, try to dry everything out, send to Canon for repair. The lens is the biggest concern because of the replacement cost.

[Arlon Motsch]

With the power on and moisture you can have all kinds of short circuits that will kill any modern electronic device. Haven't dunked a camera but have run the kids cell phones through the washing machine a few times. I tossed them in the oven over night with just the pilot light running. They dried out pretty well and worked fine the next day. Well two out of three worked again.. )-:}

[Cal Walters]

Doug,
All the advice above is correct - first actions are crucual. Applies to phones and other small electronics too - turn off, take out battery. Then work to get it dry.

One other thing that has helped me in the past is to put the camera in a ziplock bag with a desiccant pouch - you can get them from places like REI or look online. It is basically Silica gel packs - sucks the moisture out of most small sealed environments. Leave it in there overnight.

[Doug Hitchcox]

Thanks for the advice everyone, brought the rig with me to see a Buff-breasted Sandpiper... checked it when I got there and miraculously it worked fine. Maybe the heat from my trunk helped dry out things that hadn't previously.

One more thing if anyone still checks this thread:
What is the best way to go about getting dust cleaned out of my 100-400? I assume some Canon center... do I just schedule something online or should I find (does anyone know) a number to call?

Thanks again

[Arlon Motsch]

Check a few shots with the lens first. I've never seen a lens that would show dust on an image. I have an old 80-200 f2.8 that has water spots, dirt, fungus and dust in it and it still takes perfect images. I sure would test it on a white backdrop and see if you can see anything. If you do see something, be sure it's the lens not sensor bunnies..

[Doug Hitchcox]

The sensor is clean, test shots will come up spotless. Does all that dust building up near the front element effect the overall sharpness though?

[John Chardine]

Thanks for the advice everyone, brought the rig with me to see a Buff-breasted Sandpiper... checked it when I got there and miraculously it worked fine. Maybe the heat from my trunk helped dry out things that hadn't previously.

One more thing if anyone still checks this thread:
What is the best way to go about getting dust cleaned out of my 100-400? I assume some Canon center... do I just schedule something online or should I find (does anyone know) a number to call?

Thanks again

I don't think dust inside a lens is ever noticeable. It will cause an imperceptible decrease in contrast in the image so best not to worry about it. And definitely don't make the mistake of looking through your lens with a bright light in front (because you will see all sorts of dust and begin to worry!).