[Eruditass]

i started to get some dust under LCD screen, but thats inevitable when using 18-55 zoom, or any similar

Come again?

You mean viewfinder?

[tempelorg]

Here's my experience which might shed some light on zooming and seals:

I used a K-20D with various zooms in a very very dusty and hot desert for over 4 weeks during two years, i.e. the Black Rock Desert, which is famous for its dried salt lake on which world speed records are established frequently. The dust there is not only super fine but also very sticky.

So, I used the K20D in dust storms where visibility was below 10ft often. I had both a cheap Tamron 18-200mm zoom on at times, as well as the DA* 16-50 at other times.

The unsealed Tamron quickly got a lot of dust particles inside between lenses, while the DA* remained fully sealed and dust free.

Back at home I removed the top lens from the Tamron, dusting that area out. Turns out that this was the only area where dust got in - and guess what - that was the area that moved in/out, i.e. would change volume when zooming. The other parts didn't suck in air and therefore didn't get dust in, either. Whilst the DA* was also changing volume when zooming, it didn't suffer from dust intrusion. I guess their seals are therefore not simply rubber o-rings but have a somewhat spongelike consistency that lets air thru but keep particles out (this is only a guess, but I've seen this sponge-like seal used in the K20D's frame so I guess they might be using it in the lens as well).

However, while such seals kept the dust particles out, it might be totally different when the lens is soaked in water: water contains no air, so if you use the zoom, increasing its internal volume, and if there's not enough air around to be sucked thru the seals, then you might get water inside instead. But that'll probably go with a higher resistance, so as long as the zoom moves easily as usual, I suspect you'll not get water inside.

Furthermore, when I eventually tried to get the sticky dust off from the K20'd body, I did this under running water in the sink. This resulted in some water getting in at the bottom at one area, which I later, when opening the body, found to be a misplaced seal. As described in another thread already, leaving the open body in a hot air oven at 50 deg Celsius for 30 minutes got all the moisture out again and had no problems since (2 year's warranty was just out for 2 months, otherwise I would've gotten it repaired under warranty, as I was told on the phone when calling Pentax in Germany).

Judging from the seals on the body, though, it looked to me as if it shouldn't have suffered from the running water (without pressure!) in the sink had the seals all been well intact.

[jamesm007]

OK made a video shown in my post a couple pages back. But this was not enough to prove the K20D and DA18-55 WR are fully functional (can be zoomed) in any weather. So (Yesterday-Sunday) I had a nice all day hard rain to make another short video. Long story short. I tilted my camera up so the rain would drain down the barrel of the lens then zoomed it. No water has entered the body or lens!!! Hey I have been using it in rain storms and snow storms for a over 3 years now I am not surprised. Just hope others understand Pentax makes seriously sealed gear (but sadly mishaps happen) not semi-sealed, sealed for all weather tough condition use. Polycarbonate and stainless steel is serious semi-pro level stuff as well as Silicone that's used in many of the seals; Pro level sealing. The K20D with grip and lens has 116 seals to keep out moisture and dust. It works when Pentax puts it together right.

YouTube - K20D DA18-55mm WR zooming in the rain

[nah]

sorry to hear this...mine k-5 was with me during tropical rains at Sri Lanka, dusty winds at Kerala, India, fogs in Crimea mountians in Ukraine - without any issue

i started to get some dust under LCD screen, but thats inevitable when using 18-55 zoom, or any similar

anyway, hope you`ll get your k5 back on track soon enough

Actually, my K20D is handled the same way my K5 was and it doesn't have a dust problem.

Here's the description of the K-5 from the Pentax site:

Fully Weather Sealed
Fully weather sealed and coldproof design resists water, fog, snow, sand, dust, and more, for top performance in extreme field conditions as well as in the studio.

[lotech]

Hello there !

I just read the post and would like to share my experience with Pentax DSLR regarding weather proofing.

My first Pentax was the K20D, together with the 18-135 WR I used in moderate rain few times, and I got fog in the view finder and top LCD after less than half an hour, but no fog in the lens and the camera working fine. Then later I upgraded to the K7, I've very little experience with it, coz it has problem with the sensor, a greenish vertical band shown on the left with ISO 800 and up, I sent it for repair, and at the same time I got a bargain clearance sales on the K5, I sold the K7 and get the K5 after the repair ! Now I am with the K5, and the top of the line DA* 16-50, also the lower end 50-200 WR, I never hesitated to use them in rain, I've no problem with the set so far, but I am worry about the un-locked memory card compartment, this is no doubt the weakest link in the set, also the pop up flash, is there a weather sealed flash from/for Pentax ?

Afterall I am quite satisfied with the K5 and the DA*, but I will be cautious when use it in heavy down pour, the pressure of the rain could break thru' the seal, especially in the lens, this is not a defect, but the limit of the design, even my Goretex boot will leak !

[eddie1960]

I don't have the 18-135, but i've shot numerous times in the rain with my K10 and K7. frequently with a no WR 24-70 sigma that i seal at the base with gaffer tape . caught in more than one downpour or steady rain while shooting events. some of these events i'm out there for several hours (though i do duck out of the rain and wipe things down regularly myself included)
never had an issue knock on wood. No point in a top line camera being advertised as WR and then it not being able to withstand rain. that excuse just sounded like an reason for not repairing. Now dunking it under water, rinsing it under the tap etc those are all just idiotic things that ask for it.
If indeed it was caused by not a good enough seal on the 18-135 the easiest and cheapest non destructive sure bet is a strip of gaffer tape sealing the mount. ugly as hell but works fine (used to do this with film cameras shooting sporting events as a kid, just sealed all the most likely points of entry voila WR camera

[jamesm007]

OK made a video shown in my post a couple pages back. But this was not enough to prove the K20D and DA18-55 WR are fully functional (can be zoomed) in any weather. So (Yesterday-Sunday) I had a nice all day hard rain to make another short video. Long story short. I tilted my camera up so the rain would drain down the barrel of the lens then zoomed it. No water has entered the body or lens!!! Hey I have been using it in rain storms and snow storms for a over 3 years now I am not surprised. Just hope others understand Pentax makes seriously sealed gear (but sadly mishaps happen) not semi-sealed, sealed for all weather tough condition use. Polycarbonate and stainless steel is serious semi-pro level stuff as well as Silicone that's used in many of the seals; Pro level sealing. The K20D with grip and lens has 116 seals to keep out moisture and dust. It works when Pentax puts it together right.

YouTube - K20D DA18-55mm WR zooming in the rain

Pentax has the same amount and quality of sealing as the most expensive Canon and Nikon cameras if not more. This is one year since I posted the above. My K20D is heading to 60,000 shutter actuation's and has no problem in snow storms, very hard rain, any outdoor condition. Pentax had a goal of making the bodies air tight and have complete weather sealing. This goal is expensive but not hard to do. If you google and search all the forums you will find Pentax has few problems compared to people pushing their Canons or Nikons. Sound like a fanboy cry I know, but I will not write it if I did not do my home work. I have been tracking Pentax WR bodies for 5 years and completely trust my K20D out in the rain.

To Lotech:

You can use all Pentax weather resistant models in snow or rain storms with the flash up! The button on the side that pops open the flash and the latch that holds the flash down are in one small sealed compartment in the camera. There are so many little things with Pentax that they do that no one knows about. So next time outside in bad weather and you need your flash feel free to pop it up. All owners should know this.

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Last edited by jamesm007; 04-30-2012 at 04:41 AM.

[lightbulb]

Videos of water-testing the k-5, I have seen, do not include repeated zooming of the lens. Therein, I fear, lies the problem.

Spot on! Been using the k5 in rain and salt splash with no problem. I once pumped the zoom under the shower. Condensation ruined the camera for next couple of days but everything was fine thereafter. Still a crazy tough dslr and I once dropped it from 4 feet height without any problem.

But the op likely to have a lemon.