K-7 Splash!

chattphotos · 08-11-2011, 07:10 AM

I am officially a daredevil and need to remember to use manual focus when at Sea World Orlando. I was at the Shamu show and I sat in the splash zone on purpose because my K-7 + 50-200mm WR lens is well... watertight. And they are!

Needless to say I got splashed(soaked) twice! I couldn't see a darn thing/capture the splash because of the AF was still on and it was confused when some 100 gallons of water came flying at it! Afterwards, I literally ran to the nearest bathroom because I kinda forgot Shamu swims in salt water!!

After rinsing off the camera/lens, I noticed the barrel was a little stiff zooming in and out... i pointed my lens down and started turning the zoom ring quickly and water starts coming out!!! I'm like OMG! a seal broke! Here I am 2 days later and my lens is still crystal clear and super sharp! So there is some sort of water containment chamber inside this lens, good to know...

Note to self, pack toothbrush next time in salt water because some of the screws on the camera body and grip started turning green in 10 minutes.

So yeah Pentax is just that awesome. I approve √ and I hope to see more and better weather-extreme cameras soon!

What was your favorite water-related splash/soak/dunk with your Pentax?

willwalker · 08-11-2011, 08:00 AM

Good to know! I'm heading out of Newburyport, MA on a boating excursion this weekend and will be depending on the "WR" of the K7.

richard balonglong · 08-13-2011, 05:12 AM

Well, here's my experience. Weeks before, I've just got my new K7, and I'm so happy about it that now I can shoot under the rain. But, I don't have any weather sealed lenses.
One day, I was documenting some working street children, then a heavy rain came. The street children still works even though it was raining hard, and I still keep on documenting them. The children are all wet, as well as me and my K7 and my lens (SMC Pentax K 135mm 1:2.5). We were all soaked to the skin. After I was done documenting the street children, I went to a coffee shop to rest and clean and dry my camera. And when I removed the lens, there was some water at the camera's mount! But good thing that it didn't entered the camera. I wiped it and still works.
So, the next time I'll shoot under the rain, I'll make some sort of a seal for the side of the mount. =)

**LaurenOE** · 08-14-2011, 08:03 PM

I'm glad you folks are so brave. The only camera I take into wet situations are my Optio Waterproof cameras. I don't care how much the folks say it's "weather sealed". I'm just happy that I will never experience such extremes with my K5 or take a chance. All it takes is a little water and I have a paperweight.

**Ex Finn.** · 08-15-2011, 04:19 PM

These things are pretty tough. Well...maybe not the flash. It still works BTW.

twitch · 08-15-2011, 04:31 PM

Originally posted by richard balonglong

So, the next time I'll shoot under the rain, I'll make some sort of a seal for the side of the mount. =)

I've heard of people putting wide rubber bands around the lens up hard against the body to stop water leaking in at the mount.

Lloydy · 08-16-2011, 09:32 AM

I use a rubber O ring where the lens joins the camera, very lightly smeared with petroleum jelly. Not between the joint face, around the lens and pushed against the camera.

I've fallen into muddy rivers twice with my K10 and kit lens ( the perils of competing in 4x4 off road events and trying to photograph the other competitors between drives

) and I've just rinsed the camera and lens with clean water, dried it off with a towel, and kept shooting.

I'm very surprised that the kit lens held up, but it did.

jegr · 08-17-2011, 03:21 PM

I shot my K200d with DA 18-55 kit lens and AF220T flash for about 5 hours in the rain during field work (heck, amphibians and rain are kinda connected...) without any issues whatsoever, and also got caught in heavy downpour recently, through which I had to go for about 10 minutes. Nowhere to get out of the rain, so I just relied on the 200's sealing... Also no bag, or rain cover, or plastic bag for that matter in both cases...

The non WR DA 50-200 braved the downpour beautifully, but dripped quite a lot of water out of the barrel, but it's still clear and without issues. Also, I once practically buried the whole thing into very fine wet sand thanks to a fall in a gravel pit. Pentax survived this with flying colour, although the barrel grinded a bit afterwards

Well, at least that rain afterwards got all the sand anyway out

**LaurenOE** · 08-17-2011, 05:04 PM

Wow..These are SCARY stories!!! I use my Optio WGs for extreme conditions.

08-11-2011, 07:10 AM	#1
chattphotos Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: TN Posts: 53	K-7 Splash! I am officially a daredevil and need to remember to use manual focus when at Sea World Orlando. I was at the Shamu show and I sat in the splash zone on purpose because my K-7 + 50-200mm WR lens is well... watertight. And they are! Needless to say I got splashed(soaked) twice! I couldn't see a darn thing/capture the splash because of the AF was still on and it was confused when some 100 gallons of water came flying at it! Afterwards, I literally ran to the nearest bathroom because I kinda forgot Shamu swims in salt water!! After rinsing off the camera/lens, I noticed the barrel was a little stiff zooming in and out... i pointed my lens down and started turning the zoom ring quickly and water starts coming out!!! I'm like OMG! a seal broke! Here I am 2 days later and my lens is still crystal clear and super sharp! So there is some sort of water containment chamber inside this lens, good to know... Note to self, pack toothbrush next time in salt water because some of the screws on the camera body and grip started turning green in 10 minutes. So yeah Pentax is just that awesome. I approve √ and I hope to see more and better weather-extreme cameras soon! What was your favorite water-related splash/soak/dunk with your Pentax?

08-15-2011, 04:19 PM	#5
Ex Finn. Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern Maryland. Espoo. Kouvola. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,975	These things are pretty tough. Well...maybe not the flash. It still works BTW. Last edited by Ex Finn.; 11-11-2014 at 05:49 PM.

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08-11-2011, 08:00 AM	#2
willwalker New Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Massachusetts Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17	Good to know! I'm heading out of Newburyport, MA on a boating excursion this weekend and will be depending on the "WR" of the K7.

08-13-2011, 05:12 AM	#3
richard balonglong Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Baguio City, Philippines Photos: Gallery Posts: 350	Well, here's my experience. Weeks before, I've just got my new K7, and I'm so happy about it that now I can shoot under the rain. But, I don't have any weather sealed lenses. One day, I was documenting some working street children, then a heavy rain came. The street children still works even though it was raining hard, and I still keep on documenting them. The children are all wet, as well as me and my K7 and my lens (SMC Pentax K 135mm 1:2.5). We were all soaked to the skin. After I was done documenting the street children, I went to a coffee shop to rest and clean and dry my camera. And when I removed the lens, there was some water at the camera's mount! But good thing that it didn't entered the camera. I wiped it and still works. So, the next time I'll shoot under the rain, I'll make some sort of a seal for the side of the mount. =)

08-14-2011, 08:03 PM	#4
LaurenOE Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Back in Florida, but worldwide gigs! Photos: Albums Posts: 3,690	I'm glad you folks are so brave. The only camera I take into wet situations are my Optio Waterproof cameras. I don't care how much the folks say it's "weather sealed". I'm just happy that I will never experience such extremes with my K5 or take a chance. All it takes is a little water and I have a paperweight.

08-15-2011, 04:31 PM	#6
twitch Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4,571	Originally posted by richard balonglong So, the next time I'll shoot under the rain, I'll make some sort of a seal for the side of the mount. =) I've heard of people putting wide rubber bands around the lens up hard against the body to stop water leaking in at the mount.

08-16-2011, 09:32 AM	#7
Lloydy Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Shropshire, UK Posts: 1,114	I use a rubber O ring where the lens joins the camera, very lightly smeared with petroleum jelly. Not between the joint face, around the lens and pushed against the camera. I've fallen into muddy rivers twice with my K10 and kit lens ( the perils of competing in 4x4 off road events and trying to photograph the other competitors between drives ) and I've just rinsed the camera and lens with clean water, dried it off with a towel, and kept shooting. I'm very surprised that the kit lens held up, but it did.

08-17-2011, 03:21 PM	#8
jegr Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Slovenia Photos: Gallery Posts: 73	I shot my K200d with DA 18-55 kit lens and AF220T flash for about 5 hours in the rain during field work (heck, amphibians and rain are kinda connected...) without any issues whatsoever, and also got caught in heavy downpour recently, through which I had to go for about 10 minutes. Nowhere to get out of the rain, so I just relied on the 200's sealing... Also no bag, or rain cover, or plastic bag for that matter in both cases... The non WR DA 50-200 braved the downpour beautifully, but dripped quite a lot of water out of the barrel, but it's still clear and without issues. Also, I once practically buried the whole thing into very fine wet sand thanks to a fall in a gravel pit. Pentax survived this with flying colour, although the barrel grinded a bit afterwards Well, at least that rain afterwards got all the sand anyway out

08-17-2011, 05:04 PM	#9
LaurenOE Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Back in Florida, but worldwide gigs! Photos: Albums Posts: 3,690	Wow..These are SCARY stories!!! I use my Optio WGs for extreme conditions.