Originally posted by Reportage actually...has there ever been a controlled experiement to measure just how weather sealed a lens advertised as such is?
Is there an international standard for defining the lens weather resistance capability?
Would be interesting to know whose brand lens has the best weather sealing....and it looks like india could be one the best places to test it.
Good question - I was asking myself the same. When something is sold as WR then how long can it resist in a humid environment? Does WR mean that your lens has to be always mounted on the lens? What's the difference in handling of a WR lens compared with the handling of common lens in a humid environment?
I was afraid that something like this may happen in a tropic environment - that's why I spend quite some money to have a WR equipment.
Today I've called a Pentax service partner - they first told me that they can't believe that there is Fungus in the lens. First they where like "Uhm..Fungus..what's that?" ;-) They told me to have lenses which fell into water and those lenses had corrosion/rust issues. But never Fungus. They also don't take my lenses for repair as they are afraid that their equipment gets contaminated. But I've read on a German forum that some independent repair centers/private people to this job. But I'm afraid they are not able to deal with a WR lens with special sealings.
Quote: Build the dry cabinet you mentioned and take out your equipment only when shooting. Your fungus will not increase if you keep the humidity lower than the dormant level.
Well, now my lenses are exposed to European humidity only. I read that the dormant level is about 60% so you have to keep in under this value. Some users said if the humidity is too low (under 30% when I remember right) this can also damage your lens coating. Actually I don't know the humidity at home - I've to check and if needed build such a cabinet.
Originally posted by luftfluss Just a thought... WR (weather resistant) is not the same as weather-proof.
I shoot in light rain and snow with my non-WR lenses and so far no fungus. I keep silica gel packs in my camera bag, and rotate them out frequently. Of course, the humidity in the NE USA is not like in more tropical locales.
Is there something like a Lens Skin for the 50-135?
Absolutely agree that WR doesn't mean weather proof. The lenses where never exposed to rain too long. But when wet air destroys a weather resistent lens already I'm not sure how much you can rely on such a feature.
Dunno if there's a lens skin - but what I read out of the other posts is that the weak part is the back of the lens - when it's not mounted on the camera.