5D2 and 7D - fantastic weather sealing!!
As you all know by now, I have just returned from a month long trip to Antarctica and one day I did something so stupid I still can't believe it - however, I am willing to bite the bullet and share the results.
Bottom line - fantastic wx sealing - and many many times I really allowed them to get very wet in the light rain; if it was pouring I quit for the day.
During the trip I carried ashore the 5D2, 7D, 24-105, 70-200, 300, and the 1.4 and 2.0 extenders.
One "wet" day I needed to do a quick lens switch and removed a lens from the 5 and laid the camera face down on my pack without putting on the front cap and put the lens on the 7.
Dummy me - I forgot about the 5 and walked off for 30 minutes leaving the 5 - back up - in what turned out to be a constant drizzle.
When I returned to my stuff and saw the 5 laying there soaking wet I nearly s*** myself.
What can you do - I dried the camera with a towel and went back to the ship and followed my return from the cold (sometimes zero F) procedure: layed out a towel on the bed, removed the lens-battery-CF card, layed the body face down. I also removed both lens caps and layed down all lenses and left the stuff alone until everything reached room temperature.
I didn't have any problem with any gear the entire trip.
For those interested there are a sealing diagrams from Canon on the dpreview site:
5D2: http://a.img-dpreview.com/reviews/Ca...ages/seals.jpg
7D: http://a.img-dpreview.com/previews/C...es/sealing.jpg
Rain covers - I carried the Storm Jacket and the Kata covers.
Hardly used them which means that I allowed everything to get wet; sometimes remembered to carry a small towel and wipe down the camera and lens every so often while shooting.
Storm Jacket: When I remembered to use the Storm Jacket it was effective; however, with a lens like the 24-105 where the front element moves in and out attaching the jacket so that the len can come all the way in was difficult.
Kata: PIA - the stiff velcro strapping was simply to difficult to use - at least for me.
Alternative: the most effective and easy to use covers that I observed on the trip were used by Phil Colla - a professional from San Diego. He used the Aqua-Tech system which I will now investigate!
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Originally Posted by Charles Glatzer
