[frogfoot]

I was shooting under the moderate rain with K-3II and DA16-85. After a couple of hours exposure meter of the camera stopped working. Actually it was not very active shooting - I've taken just a dozen of pictures. I took the camera to authorised service center and reply I got from them embarassed me:

"The cause of the malfunction was the liquid entering the internal components of the camera.
K-3II does not have a design regulated by JIS and / or IP standards, therefore it is not sealed, so it must be protected from rain and splashes.
Based on the above facts, it can be concluded that the malfunctions identified during the diagnosis are not classified as production flaw. Camera repair is not possible under warranty."

So what's the point in weather resistance like this?

[Adam]

DSLRs are not marketed as waterpoof, just water resistant. For best results, you have to make sure all the seals are clean of dirt/dust, that flaps/covers are closed, and exercise due diligence such as minimizing zooming (when using a lens that lacks internal zooming such as the 16-85mm), zooming slowly, shielding the camera from direct rainfall when possible, and drying the camera off when possible. Of course, the camera might be able to withstand some pretty harsh conditions, but the more you push it the more likely it is that things will go south.

What I do while shooting in the rain is I angle the camera down while not in use so that the monitor is almost perpendicular to the direction of the rainfall. I consider the lens as the weakest link, so keeping it as dry as possible is the way to go IMO.

While the manufacturer's warranty clearly states that water damage is not covered, there are many (usually cheap) third-party warranty providers who will gladly cover all sorts of incidental damage.

[BigMackCam]

Sorry to hear about your experience

So what's the point in weather resistance like this?

Well, it's weather-resistance - not weather-proofing - and in that sense it reduces (rather than prevents) the possibility of water ingress in wet weather. If you'd been shooting a camera without weather-resistance, I imagine the failure might have happened a lot sooner.

There's been some discussion on whether cameras like the K-3 should be advertised showing their use in wet conditions. Personally, I think it's teetering on the edge of mis-representation... But, that aside, Pentax weather-resistance is some of the best you'll find on DSLRs. Which doesn't help you, of course.

For what it's worth, I generally don't use my K-3 in moderate-to-heavy rain without protecting it under my jacket, or placing it inside my bag until I need it. I'll use it happily in very light rain, and don't mind it getting splashed if I'm shooting near water. But, I carry a small, absorbent cloth and wipe the camera and lens down frequently so there's never any standing water around the controls, viewfinder, doors, lens mount, and lens barrel.

[D1N0]

It is not fake but is is not guaranteed either. So when water enters it is always user error. It can not be checked if a seal failed or whether the user has been careless, used a non sealed lens or didn't close door or flap properly or changed lenses in a torrential down poor or a very moist atmosphere. Sealing is a service enabling you to keep shooting in the rain with proper care but at you own risk.

[Fogel70]

I was shooting under the moderate rain with K-3II and DA16-85. After a couple of hours exposure meter of the camera stopped working. Actually it was not very active shooting - I've taken just a dozen of pictures. I took the camera to authorised service center and reply I got from them embarassed me:

"The cause of the malfunction was the liquid entering the internal components of the camera.
K-3II does not have a design regulated by JIS and / or IP standards, therefore it is not sealed, so it must be protected from rain and splashes.
Based on the above facts, it can be concluded that the malfunctions identified during the diagnosis are not classified as production flaw. Camera repair is not possible under warranty."

So what's the point in weather resistance like this?

DSLR can't get weather sealed rating by JIS and / or IP standards as the mount is not sealed against water entering. The same for lenses.
So even if the DSLR used with a lens is sealed well enough to requirements of the JIS and / or IP standards, the DSLR or the lens themselves can't get approved for JIS and / or IP certifications. Or at least not a rating high enough to be worth to mentioned by the manufacturer. If the lens was fixed on the camera I'm pretty sure Pentax would fulfill JIS and / or IP standards high enough to be mentioned on the datasheet.

A weather sealed Pentax DSLR would probably get a IP rating of IP10 and a weather sealed Pentax lens IP20.
And if above DSLR and lens were fixed together they would probably get get rating of IP52 or IP62.

Because none of the DSLR or lens is fully sealed, it will be difficult claim warranty on damages caused by water.
The damage could be caused by the user not being careful enough. FI a grain of sand on the lens o-ring could be enough to cause a leakage between lens and camera.

IP Rating Chart | DSMT.com

[aslyfox]

can anyone tell me the difference between the " W R " and " A W " designations on Pentax lenses:

examples:

HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW

HD Pentax-D FA* 70-200mm F2.8 ED DC AW

both have the " umbrella " symbol indicating WR

and

HD Pentax-DA 16-85mm F3.5-5.6 ED DC WR

which has the " umbrella " symbol indicating WR

in the profession I am educated and trained in different symbols/names/initials mean different things

what about here???

[D1N0]

AW is better. It stands for All Weather. WR is only Some Weather. Only * and High end lenses have AW.

[aslyfox]

AW is better. It stands for All Weather. WR is only Some Weather. Only * and High end lenses have AW.

I just found this from 2012 - 2013:

TL;DR: Both WR and AW indicate weather resistance, but AW indicates a higher level of environmental sealing than WR.

---

What is the difference between WR and AW?

• What is the difference between DA WR and DA* lenses in terms of weather sealing?
• Why are the D FA 645 55mm and DA 645 25mm lenses designated as AW?

WR and AW both designate weather-sealed lenses. Non-star lenses that are designated WR use a "simplified weather-resistant construction" to protect against ingress of water. DA* lenses, although not indicated as such in the lens name, are considered AW (newer boxes for DA* lenses are often marked as such) and are "dust-proof and water-resistant because each part is individually sealed" (page 7 of the DA lens manual), offering a higher level of protection against environmental conditions than the WR designation indicates. The above 645 lenses are marketed as fully sealed against dust and water, at the same level as DA* lenses.

--DragonLord

I trust this is accurate even if the lens is not a DA * lens?

can anyone confirm?

confirming info:

https://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/27412/what-are-the-differences-bet...lings-da-wr-aw

[BigMackCam]

thanks but what is that ??

all weather means ???

some weather means ???

is it the amount of moisture or cold vs. warm ??

i have 2 lens with AW:

HD Pentax-D FA 4.5 - 5.6 150-450mm ED DC AW 86 f

HD Pentax -DA af rear converter 1.4 AW

some others with WR

and some without either designation

I've never seen any published measurements relating to the WR and AW designations, Allen. AW allegedly offers a greater degree of sealing and weather-resistance over WR, and has typically been applied to premium DA* lenses only, with the 150-450 being a departure in this respect (it's a premium lens, but doesn't have the star designation).

[normhead]

Some cameras have worked fine after total emersion. But, the older a camera gets, the more likely the seals will be worn and less effective. When I sent my DA*60-250 in for repair, they replaced 3 seals. That was at about 4 years old. There are probably things that can be done to keep the seals functional, but personally, I always try and protect my cameras. The WR is a boneus and many times my gear has been quite wet. but it's no excuse to get crazy. If the camera doesn't tell you how many feet it can be immersed to, it's not water proof, even by design.

[aslyfox]

---------- Post added 07-28-17 at 08:33 ----------

thanks to all who have helped to educate me

all who have done so, or do so in the future receive Bonus Points

remember that you can use Bonus Points to receive free beverages when you add to them a suitable amount of the local $.

______________________________________________



info on initials ( designations ) used by Pentax:

3. Terms to Know
AW or WR? DC or SDM? Here’s how to decode Pentax lens names.

If you’re in the market for a new Pentax lens, you’re going to be wading through an alphabet soup of acronyms and unfamiliar terms as you shop. Here’s what you ought to look out for.

Pentax Lens Detail
DA: This is the basic label applied to Pentax lenses designed to cover the APS-C image sensor.

DA L: DA L lenses are lightweight, less expensive versions of existing Pentax DA lenses, often sold bundled with the company’s most affordable DSLRs.

FA: This is the basic label applied to Pentax lenses designed to cover the 35mm full-frame image circle.

D FA: Describes full-frame lenses designed in the digital era.

★: DA* and D FA* lenses feature robust build quality, high-quality optics, and weather sealing, making them suitable for professional use.

Limited: DA and FA Limited lenses feature all-metal build quality, unique focal lengths, and compact design.

Pentax WR Weather Sealing
Pentax WR lenses include a visible red o-ring seal around the lens mount, along with various internal seals that you can't see.

DC: Short for “direct current.” Refers to Pentax’s newest kind of electronic autofocus motor.

SDM: Short for “Supersonic Drive Motor.” A type of electronic autofocus motor that was used in some DA* lenses.

WR: Indicates that a lens is weather resistant—sealed against moisture and dust. WR lenses feature a bright red o-ring gasket on the metal mount.

AW: A beefed-up kind of weather sealing found on some DA and D FA* lenses. DA* lenses feature weather sealing generally considered equivalent to AW.

AL: Describes lenses that use aspherical elements, which help produce higher corner sharpness and reduce optical aberrations.

ED: Describes lenses that employ extra-low dispersion glass elements, which can help eliminate chromatic aberrations (color fringing) in photographs.

SMC: Short for “Super Multi Coating,” this was Pentax’s standard lens coating for many decades. Designed to reduce flare, ghosting, and internal reflections.

HD: This is the new Pentax lens coating, which the company says provides a more than 50% reduction in reflections over the previous SMC coating. May also reduce flare and ghosting.

RE: Describes collapsible lenses, which are designed to be more compact when not in use.

A Guide to the Best Pentax Camera Lenses - Reviewed.com Lenses

[pk5dark]

Well you are not the first one with a water damage K-3II. On a German user board at least two reported a water damage K-3II, while I do not remember any other models.

I just got a K-3II with a 16-85 and noticed a light breeze in my face while zooming. It came from the ruber covered HDMI/Power slots. I never noticed that with my K-5 and lenses like the 18-135. IRC breezes while zooms where noticeable somewhere in the front. My K-5 got quite wet and it is still working.

To me it looks like the K-3II is more vulnerable and if you zoom it simple sucks water maybe directly on the mainboard?

[DeadJohn]

Regardless of WR or AW, neither is covered by warranty. If you know you'll be in the rain use a rain sleeve with WR/AW as a backup.

[MrB1]

I've never understood how WR can work when using lenses that change length when zoomed. For example, my 18-135 must virtually halve its internal volume when zoomed out wide, i.e. from 135 to 18mm. Indeed, if this is done quickly on my K-5, it often blows the rubber stopper out of the mic port. Similarly, but more problematic, the lens must virtually double its internal volume when zoomed all the way in on the subject, i.e. extended from 18 to 135mm. Presumably, despite the seals, it must pull in all that extra air, together with any water around wherever the air gets in.

Philip

[boriscleto]

---------- Post added 07-28-17 at 08:33 ----------

thanks to all who have helped to educate me

all who have done so, or do so in the future receive Bonus Points

remember that you can use Bonus Points to receive free beverages when you add to them a suitable amount of the local $.

This is what AW means

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