K-5 took a dunk...

robr7 · 06-24-2014, 09:15 AM

...in Lake Mauch Chunk. I was hopeful but it looks like a mess right now. Plenty of water came out of the K-5, wiped it down and its now drying covered by a sock in a bag of rice. Everything is covered, closed, etc...which feels counter-intuitive but I've ordered a bunch of bags of silica so I can toss the rice and open it up some more when I get those in. I do though think this going to require some pro work.

The lens, a DA*16-50, is even a bigger mess. I suspect its the source of the leak, I've had internal fogging issues with it that I haven't had with other lenses, so the seals are suspect but they were in the water for a little bit so who knows. This I know is going to require some pro work.

Any suggestions out there? <sigh> at least the SD card was Ok and the pics were there.

**pearsaab** · 06-24-2014, 09:32 AM

sorry to hear that...did the led screen fog up on the k5...i was eventually able to get the fog to go away from it but was still fried at that point...it would cut on but i couldn't see anything...surprisingly the lens i had on it was fine and it was not a wr..go figure

**crewl1** · 06-24-2014, 09:40 AM

Sorry to hear. How long was the camera underwater to have water pour out of it?

I don't think keeping it closed will allow enough drying to occur.
Maybe you could enclose the rice in stockings if you think they will get into the camera and that is why you have it closed?

robr7 · 06-24-2014, 09:43 AM

Originally posted by pearsaab

sorry to hear that...did the led screen fog up on the k5...i was eventually able to get the fog to go away from it but was still fried at that point...it would cut on but i couldn't see anything...surprisingly the lens i had on it was fine and it was not a wr..go figure

So did your K-5 require work? Who did you go with?

**pearsaab** · 06-24-2014, 09:43 AM

i forgot to mention i opened everything up and put in direct sunlight so it could dry out and then put in rice overnight...mine was hit by a wave

---------- Post added 06-24-14 at 11:44 AM ----------

Originally posted by robr7

So did your K-5 require work? Who did you go with?

i had a square trade warranty on it and they proclaimed it DOA..not repairable

---------- Post added 06-24-14 at 11:46 AM ----------

i did not have water pouring out of it...it was the fogging of the LED that made me realize it had an issue

nosliwmit · 06-24-2014, 09:57 AM

Hopefully the fact that it was fresh water rather than salt will give you a fighting chance...

robr7 · 06-24-2014, 10:11 AM

Originally posted by crewl1

Sorry to hear. How long was the camera underwater to have water pour out of it?

I don't think keeping it closed will allow enough drying to occur.
Maybe you could enclose the rice in stockings if you think they will get into the camera and that is why you have it closed?

It was at least 20 minutes. Our canoe turned, it stayed on its side, we listed for a while and then we decided to swim it in. I was more worried about our kids (4, 7, 9 - but they were champs), the camera didn't cross my mind until we got close to the dock. Had the camera's strap fastened to my preserver, I was smart enough to be weary of dropping it just never thought we'd be going over.

I closed the camera up because of the rice & dust. It was the last thing I did last night, after tapping it out, wiping it, etc... Not being at home (some way to start a vacation!) how creative I can get is limited. If I can find something to cover the rice and make packets out of them that would be better so I can open the camera up. Maybe I'll take it out, check on it to see if it looks better and let it air for a bit during the day.

Sun is coming back out so we'll try and go back out and enjoy it while we can. I'll check in later but my thanks for everyone's help (and condolences

- still trying to stay positive about it).

JinDesu · 06-24-2014, 10:16 AM

Just leave it with rice/dessicants for 3-4 days straight. Replace the rice and dessicants if you see them soaking up. My k-x died from a big wave splash and it came back to life 3 days after being buried in rice.

robr7 · 06-24-2014, 10:30 AM

Originally posted by JinDesu

Just leave it with rice/dessicants for 3-4 days straight. Replace the rice and dessicants if you see them soaking up. My k-x died from a big wave splash and it came back to life 3 days after being buried in rice.

What did you cover your camera with or did you just close it up?

JinDesu · 06-24-2014, 10:59 AM

Originally posted by robr7

What did you cover your camera with or did you just close it up?

I put the k-x in a gallon ziplock bag without lens facing upwards with rice filling the bag up to just below where the sensor opening was. It was kinda a tricky task because I wanted to avoid having too much rice dust inside my sensor box (took a lot of cleaning afterwards regardless).

Since it wasn't drench in water (it was hit by a wave, and water ran onto it as I was in a hurricane), I didn't need to replace the rice. Your k-5 is larger than my k-x, and it was fully drenched, so you may need either more rice or to replace the rice after two days. Or use some strong dessicants.

The greatest fear is that the water has minerals/etc that either corrodes the electronics. If the camera shorted off while in the lake, you may have some electronic issues if it comes back to life. The second fear will be that the seals are now useless after being penetrated by heavy water pressure and covered with minerals/particles. Nothing you can really do about that.

cali92rs · 06-24-2014, 11:16 AM

Originally posted by robr7

It was at least 20 minutes. Our canoe turned, it stayed on its side, we listed for a while and then we decided to swim it in. I was more worried about our kids (4, 7, 9 - but they were champs), the camera didn't cross my mind until we got close to the dock. Had the camera's strap fastened to my preserver, I was smart enough to be weary of dropping it just never thought we'd be going over.

I closed the camera up because of the rice & dust. It was the last thing I did last night, after tapping it out, wiping it, etc... Not being at home (some way to start a vacation!) how creative I can get is limited. If I can find something to cover the rice and make packets out of them that would be better so I can open the camera up. Maybe I'll take it out, check on it to see if it looks better and let it air for a bit during the day.

Sun is coming back out so we'll try and go back out and enjoy it while we can. I'll check in later but my thanks for everyone's help (and condolences

- still trying to stay positive about it).

Same exact thing happened to me last year!
Went on a canoe trip, it tipped, and it was left under for a few minutes (the river being rushing water).
I tried the same thing. It was completely dead.

So, good luck, but don't expect miracles.

carrrlangas · 06-24-2014, 12:18 PM

the disecant packs and rice is ok but leave all the ports opened. Battery door, lens mount, all the rubber flappy doors, pop up flash, grip contacts, etc. so that the moisture finds it way out much faster. Don´t worry about rice, you can shake it off later.

robr7 · 06-24-2014, 02:31 PM

I was worried about leaving it in rice with out a cap on the lens mount but seems it should be Ok (as long as I leave it face up)?

Has anyone brought their units to get serviced after getting them wet? How about a lens? (I know some folk get their lenses serviced periodically... would that be along the same line?) B&H? Pentax?

robr7 · 06-25-2014, 06:18 PM

Looks like it may still have a chance. I left it out to air for the day, all the ports open, etc... by a window. Came back and the water droplets / fog on the back screen and viewfinder were gone. I put a lens on it and it actually looked normal. I put the original battery in and nothing, noticed my mistake and put a fresh battery in it and it came right up. Looked like it reset itself, didn't know the date etc, it was just for a few seconds and I then noticed the screen started to get some ghosting / artifacts, powered it right back down. I'll check in on it again in tomorrow or maybe Friday. Really missed not having it at the boulder field today. Didn't realize what an itch I'd get without having it.

Maybe for the pro repair questions I'll repost somewhere in "camera help central" (would make sense) but I'd thought I'd update and thank everyone here.

**crewl1** · 06-25-2014, 07:30 PM

Originally posted by robr7

Looks like it may still have a chance. I left it out to air for the day, all the ports open, etc... by a window. Came back and the water droplets / fog on the back screen and viewfinder were gone. I put a lens on it and it actually looked normal. I put the original battery in and nothing, noticed my mistake and put a fresh battery in it and it came right up. Looked like it reset itself, didn't know the date etc, it was just for a few seconds and I then noticed the screen started to get some ghosting / artifacts, powered it right back down. I'll check in on it again in tomorrow or maybe Friday. Really missed not having it at the boulder field today. Didn't realize what an itch I'd get without having it.

Maybe for the pro repair questions I'll repost somewhere in "camera help central" (would make sense) but I'd thought I'd update and thank everyone here.

I think the attempt at powering it up was too soon.
If there is still moisture on any of the circuit boards you might cause a short across points that are not supposed to be connected.
Personally I would wait a long time until I was sure it was completely dry inside, then maybe wait an extra week after that.
Just to make sure I didn't fry anything.

06-24-2014, 09:15 AM	#1
robr7 Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: NJ Posts: 88	K-5 took a dunk... ...in Lake Mauch Chunk. I was hopeful but it looks like a mess right now. Plenty of water came out of the K-5, wiped it down and its now drying covered by a sock in a bag of rice. Everything is covered, closed, etc...which feels counter-intuitive but I've ordered a bunch of bags of silica so I can toss the rice and open it up some more when I get those in. I do though think this going to require some pro work. The lens, a DA*16-50, is even a bigger mess. I suspect its the source of the leak, I've had internal fogging issues with it that I haven't had with other lenses, so the seals are suspect but they were in the water for a little bit so who knows. This I know is going to require some pro work. Any suggestions out there? <sigh> at least the SD card was Ok and the pics were there.

06-24-2014, 09:32 AM	#2
pearsaab Otis Memorial Pentaxian Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2011 Location: Richmond, Virginia USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,900	sorry to hear that...did the led screen fog up on the k5...i was eventually able to get the fog to go away from it but was still fried at that point...it would cut on but i couldn't see anything...surprisingly the lens i had on it was fine and it was not a wr..go figure Last edited by pearsaab; 06-24-2014 at 09:40 AM.

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06-24-2014, 09:40 AM	#3
crewl1 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,807	Sorry to hear. How long was the camera underwater to have water pour out of it? I don't think keeping it closed will allow enough drying to occur. Maybe you could enclose the rice in stockings if you think they will get into the camera and that is why you have it closed?

06-24-2014, 09:43 AM	#4
robr7 Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: NJ Posts: 88 Original Poster	Originally posted by pearsaab sorry to hear that...did the led screen fog up on the k5...i was eventually able to get the fog to go away from it but was still fried at that point...it would cut on but i couldn't see anything...surprisingly the lens i had on it was fine and it was not a wr..go figure So did your K-5 require work? Who did you go with?

06-24-2014, 09:57 AM	#6
nosliwmit Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Pacific Northwest Photos: Gallery Posts: 913	Hopefully the fact that it was fresh water rather than salt will give you a fighting chance...

06-24-2014, 10:11 AM	#7
robr7 Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: NJ Posts: 88 Original Poster	Originally posted by crewl1 Sorry to hear. How long was the camera underwater to have water pour out of it? I don't think keeping it closed will allow enough drying to occur. Maybe you could enclose the rice in stockings if you think they will get into the camera and that is why you have it closed? It was at least 20 minutes. Our canoe turned, it stayed on its side, we listed for a while and then we decided to swim it in. I was more worried about our kids (4, 7, 9 - but they were champs), the camera didn't cross my mind until we got close to the dock. Had the camera's strap fastened to my preserver, I was smart enough to be weary of dropping it just never thought we'd be going over. I closed the camera up because of the rice & dust. It was the last thing I did last night, after tapping it out, wiping it, etc... Not being at home (some way to start a vacation!) how creative I can get is limited. If I can find something to cover the rice and make packets out of them that would be better so I can open the camera up. Maybe I'll take it out, check on it to see if it looks better and let it air for a bit during the day. Sun is coming back out so we'll try and go back out and enjoy it while we can. I'll check in later but my thanks for everyone's help (and condolences - still trying to stay positive about it).

06-24-2014, 10:16 AM	#8
JinDesu Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: New York City Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,638	Just leave it with rice/dessicants for 3-4 days straight. Replace the rice and dessicants if you see them soaking up. My k-x died from a big wave splash and it came back to life 3 days after being buried in rice.

06-24-2014, 10:30 AM	#9
robr7 Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: NJ Posts: 88 Original Poster	Originally posted by JinDesu Just leave it with rice/dessicants for 3-4 days straight. Replace the rice and dessicants if you see them soaking up. My k-x died from a big wave splash and it came back to life 3 days after being buried in rice. What did you cover your camera with or did you just close it up?

06-24-2014, 10:59 AM	#10
JinDesu Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: New York City Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,638	Originally posted by robr7 What did you cover your camera with or did you just close it up? I put the k-x in a gallon ziplock bag without lens facing upwards with rice filling the bag up to just below where the sensor opening was. It was kinda a tricky task because I wanted to avoid having too much rice dust inside my sensor box (took a lot of cleaning afterwards regardless). Since it wasn't drench in water (it was hit by a wave, and water ran onto it as I was in a hurricane), I didn't need to replace the rice. Your k-5 is larger than my k-x, and it was fully drenched, so you may need either more rice or to replace the rice after two days. Or use some strong dessicants. The greatest fear is that the water has minerals/etc that either corrodes the electronics. If the camera shorted off while in the lake, you may have some electronic issues if it comes back to life. The second fear will be that the seals are now useless after being penetrated by heavy water pressure and covered with minerals/particles. Nothing you can really do about that.

06-24-2014, 11:16 AM	#11
cali92rs Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 3,354	Originally posted by robr7 It was at least 20 minutes. Our canoe turned, it stayed on its side, we listed for a while and then we decided to swim it in. I was more worried about our kids (4, 7, 9 - but they were champs), the camera didn't cross my mind until we got close to the dock. Had the camera's strap fastened to my preserver, I was smart enough to be weary of dropping it just never thought we'd be going over. I closed the camera up because of the rice & dust. It was the last thing I did last night, after tapping it out, wiping it, etc... Not being at home (some way to start a vacation!) how creative I can get is limited. If I can find something to cover the rice and make packets out of them that would be better so I can open the camera up. Maybe I'll take it out, check on it to see if it looks better and let it air for a bit during the day. Sun is coming back out so we'll try and go back out and enjoy it while we can. I'll check in later but my thanks for everyone's help (and condolences - still trying to stay positive about it). Same exact thing happened to me last year! Went on a canoe trip, it tipped, and it was left under for a few minutes (the river being rushing water). I tried the same thing. It was completely dead. So, good luck, but don't expect miracles.

06-24-2014, 12:18 PM	#12
carrrlangas Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Joensuu (Finland) Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,761	the disecant packs and rice is ok but leave all the ports opened. Battery door, lens mount, all the rubber flappy doors, pop up flash, grip contacts, etc. so that the moisture finds it way out much faster. Don´t worry about rice, you can shake it off later.

06-24-2014, 02:31 PM	#13
robr7 Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: NJ Posts: 88 Original Poster	I was worried about leaving it in rice with out a cap on the lens mount but seems it should be Ok (as long as I leave it face up)? Has anyone brought their units to get serviced after getting them wet? How about a lens? (I know some folk get their lenses serviced periodically... would that be along the same line?) B&H? Pentax?

06-25-2014, 06:18 PM	#14
robr7 Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: NJ Posts: 88 Original Poster	Looks like it may still have a chance. I left it out to air for the day, all the ports open, etc... by a window. Came back and the water droplets / fog on the back screen and viewfinder were gone. I put a lens on it and it actually looked normal. I put the original battery in and nothing, noticed my mistake and put a fresh battery in it and it came right up. Looked like it reset itself, didn't know the date etc, it was just for a few seconds and I then noticed the screen started to get some ghosting / artifacts, powered it right back down. I'll check in on it again in tomorrow or maybe Friday. Really missed not having it at the boulder field today. Didn't realize what an itch I'd get without having it. Maybe for the pro repair questions I'll repost somewhere in "camera help central" (would make sense) but I'd thought I'd update and thank everyone here.

06-25-2014, 07:30 PM	#15
crewl1 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,807	Originally posted by robr7 Looks like it may still have a chance. I left it out to air for the day, all the ports open, etc... by a window. Came back and the water droplets / fog on the back screen and viewfinder were gone. I put a lens on it and it actually looked normal. I put the original battery in and nothing, noticed my mistake and put a fresh battery in it and it came right up. Looked like it reset itself, didn't know the date etc, it was just for a few seconds and I then noticed the screen started to get some ghosting / artifacts, powered it right back down. I'll check in on it again in tomorrow or maybe Friday. Really missed not having it at the boulder field today. Didn't realize what an itch I'd get without having it. Maybe for the pro repair questions I'll repost somewhere in "camera help central" (would make sense) but I'd thought I'd update and thank everyone here. I think the attempt at powering it up was too soon. If there is still moisture on any of the circuit boards you might cause a short across points that are not supposed to be connected. Personally I would wait a long time until I was sure it was completely dry inside, then maybe wait an extra week after that. Just to make sure I didn't fry anything.