7D #1 Weather Sealing
December 3rd, 2009 | Author: admin
Canon 7D in a snow blizzard on South Georgia Island, November 11.
TYPE OF TEST: CFR-2 (What does this mean?)
One issue I´ve been very interested in regarding the new 7D, is how well it performs under tough weather conditions. Some of my assignments and expeditions take me to extreme parts of the world, where cold temperatures, snow, rain, sand, or a mix of fine sand, rain and a splash of sea water are the norm. On my recent expediton to Antarctica I had a great opportunity to really test how well sealed and rugged this camera actually is. The other two cameras in my camera bag were the Canon 5D Mark II and 1DS Mark III.
This trip was almost the same 3.5 week photo expedition to Antartctica as last year, where I had a 50D and Canon HF10 HD video camera for testing. On that trip I destroyed the video camera on my first day at South Georgia, and the 50D camera had a one day “hangover” after a wet landing. After a few days I put the 50D away because it was not suited to those conditions. 3-4 photographers with Canon 30Ds and 40Ds broke their cameras during last year’s expedition. NB: My workhorse, the 1DS Mark III worked flawlessly, even after 2 “baths” in cold sea water. After these experiences, I wasn’t sure if the 7D and 5D Mark II would survive for the duration of the expedition this year.
Weather resistant
When I´m shooting I’m very focused on my subject and technique. The cameras and equipment experience extremely hard use. When shooting wildlife I´m usually laying on my stomach, with the camera in direct ground contact. This works great with most cameras if the ground is dry, but in Antarctica the ground is almost always wet, muddy or covered with snow or sand. On my recent expedition it snowed almost every day, and at times wet snow, which is worse than rain.
Rough weather conditions = rough images. This Antarctic Fur Seal was photographed with 7D and 300/2.8L on South Georgia.
I always use the 7D with the attached battery grip because it gives me a much better grasp of the camera. Some 5D Mark II users who use the battery grip have reported some problems with water leaking between the camera and battery grip. The battery grip for 7D is new and seems tighter and better sealed. In my case the 7D had absolutely NO problems with snow, rain and water (sea spray). This was just as I had hoped. I’ve also used the 7D on rainy days in Norway, without any problems. The 7D easily passed the rain and wet conditions test.
My 7D in heavy rain.
Wet snow in South Georgia. These conditions might destroy cheaper cameras after a few hours. I used a ThinkTank “raincoat” for my 300mm, but nothing over the camera.
So, what about the two other cameras?
My 1DS Mark III is built like a tank and is heavily weather sealed. I didn´t drop it into sea water this year, but used it without worry or protecting it from bad weather. It worked as expected, without problems.
The big surprise was the 5D Mark II. I used this camera as hard as (but not as much) the 7D and it performed superbly. I didn´t use any protection from rain or snow. The camera was used without the battery grip, which might have helped. The 5D Mark II has been on 2 expeditions to Svalbard (Arctic – 80° North) and one recent expedition to Antarctica without problems, so the weather sealing is robust enough for most conditions.
Conclusion
All three cameras performed very well for the whole Antarctica expedition. The 7D performed as I had hoped, surpassing 10,000 exposures without a problem. I must admit that the 5D Mark II surprised me as well with its build quality. The 1DS Mark III camera is the most rugged and best weather sealed, but the 7D and 5D Mark II (without battery grip) performed 100% in my opinion.
I have not tried to drop the 7D or 5D Mark II “by accident” into salt water, but I don´t expect them to survive as well as the Mark III / IV cameras. It will be interesting to hear your opinions regarding your use of these cameras (especially the 7D) in extreme weather. Have you had any different experiences, or mostly the same as mine?
OJL
Thanks to Bob Baillargeon for copy-editing!
190 Responses to “7D #1 Weather Sealing”
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1st June – Sandwich Terns
30th May – Avocets
Hey Canon 7D, one day you will be mine, nihohahahahah
November 2009, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. Shooting Polar Bears and other wildlife. Weather clear but cold, -14 C to -1 C, for 5 days on the tundra. I was using a Tamron 18-270mm VC lens on a 2 week old Canon 7D. Experienced message which said that electrical contact with lens had stopped. Had to put a hand warmer under lens and 7D body connection to help metal expand. No problems if I rememberd to keep it warm. Polar Bear photos so great, I have been requested to write 3 short stories to go along with photos. Backup camera, Canon 40D, worked fine.
i want is as my first dslr
It’s a good post actually & found another good photography blog finally.
Thanks for this interesting filed report. I can only affirm the very good weather sealing on the 5DMKII. I have used the camera lately in the tropics in the rain, with very high humidity and in spray water. I had more problems with my eyeglasses getting misty than with the camera… The only thing that was left after one month was a little bit of rost on the hinge of the battery-door. I showed it to Canon and they said this is normal, its not a stainless stell used for the hinge.. Funny answers, isn’t it!
I have also “tested” the robustness of the camera: It survived a 60cm /2 feet) drop onto a concrete floor. I was probably more shocked than the camera…
For those who are interesed and speek German I have a field report about the 5DMKII here:
http://www.berndmargotte.com/index.html#2009_12_10
The English Version will be out soon.
Thanks for this interesting filed report. I can only affirm the very good weather sealing on the 5DMKII. I have used the camera
lately in the tropics in the rain, with very high humidity and in spray water. I had more problems with my eyeglasses getting misty
than with the camera… The only thing that was left after one month was a little bit of rost on the hinge of the battery-door. I
showed it to Canon and they said this is normal, its not a stainless stell used for the hinge.. Funny answers, isn’t it!
I have also “tested” the robustness of the camera: It survived a 60cm /2 feet) drop onto a concrete floor. I was probably more
shocked than the camera…
For those who are interesed I have a field report about the 5DMKII here:
http://www.berndmargotte.com/index_en.html#2009_12_12
Thanks for the review. It strengthens my faith in 7D as a decent performer even in more challenging environments.
Looking at the last photo I cannot help but thinking “ok, 7D etc. seem to manage the weather nicely.. how about the camera stand(?) on the left bottom of the photo.. did it survive the (b)eating?
Do you have a weather housing for still cameras. When you brought your hf10 what were you thinking. Although a good video camera (hv30 is better
) it so not durable. Even 3k video cams aren’t that durable. Do you think the 7d has the same weather sealing as the 7d. Most reviews seem that they are very similar.
Lol i just noticed that walrus (is that a walrus?) out of focus in the picture eating your tripod. I thought animals are timid and don’t really interact with people.
Can you elaborate on this… “2 “baths” in cold sea water”
Great review Ole; although the vast majority of photographers (myself included) won’t meet the extreme weather conditions you have, it is good to know how well the camera performed.
I’m looking forward to hear about your other experiences with this camera, since I’m still on the fence to buy one as a replacement for my recently sold 20D. I plan to use it for landscape & wildlife photography along with my 1D MKIII.
There have been some disturbing reviews on the net about image detail and noise.
-noise issues have been reported especially in the low iso range from iso 100 to iso 800. noise performance in this range is reported to be worse than previous cameras like the 40D.
-tiny details in the distance (e.g. foliage in landscape images) appear to have a smudgy look.
A 5D mkII would have been a no-brainer for me except for the better video capabilities of the 7D (flexibility with fps).
Finally I was wondering if it is at all possible to make a decent wildlife video without spending a fortune on accessories.
regards, Marco
As a new 7D owner love the bit on the weather sealing. Looking froward to the next elements of your 7D review. For me, the jury is still out as far as image quality. The 7D is a pleasure to use, the movie mode is great (giving me my first taste of shooting movies–>movie production is a steep learning curve–> I did capture Kenyan lions mating in HD, that was cool). Anyway, keep up the good work.
Hi Ole
I wonder if you or anybody else could confirm something for me about using the Canon 7D. I got mine four days back, and I only shoot in RAW mode. Under Custom Functions II, Image, menu no 2, High ISO speed noise reduction, if I set that to Disable will it have any effect on image quality, noise reduction or buffer speed?
Thanks
Grant
This is the kind of entry that I’m looking for. Keep up the good work. I look forward to your future entries.
Lol…love that the seal is chomping on your tripod in foreground.
I think it is now established that the Canon EOS 7D is a professional grade camera when it comes to durability. It is the first moderately priced pro grade SLR body by Canon.
By the way, I personally went for the EOS 1D IV as an all-round sports/nature/landscape/portrait/everything camera, it has some distinct advantages but at the same time I do not think the differences are so great in favor of the 1D-model as the price premium would indicate.
Per Inge Oestmoen, Norway
i have the canon eos 5d m2 with the canon battery pack and the pack flexes a bit such that i do not think it’ll survive your tests.
as such, you showed us our canon pro grade cameras can be abused. thanks!
now, how on earth (arctic) you managed to keep your sensors cleaned under those conditions?
puzzled,
paul
Thank you for creating such a useful blog. this blog is not just useful but also very creative too. We come across only few experts who are capable of create technical articles that creatively. I keep searching for articles with regard to this topic. We ourselves searched in dozens of websites to come across knowhow regarding this.Looking for much more information from you !!
I have worked my 5D MKII through some pretty tough conditions. It’s held up well, with only a bit of rust showing on the hotshoe. My 580EX (MK I) flash didn’t like the rain very much though.
What do you do to deal with condensation and other inevitable moisture on the front of your lens when shooting in these conditions?
Easily, this article is really the most informative on this deserving topic. I agree with your conclusions and am eagerly look forward to your future updates. Just saying thanks will not just be enough, for the extraordinary clarity in your views and writing. I’m signing up to
That is some inspirational stuff. Never knew that opinions could be this varied. Thanks for all the enthusiasm to offer such helpful information here.
I used the 5D Mark II in a very rare snow storm in Monaco … yes, Monaco December 19th.
I charged out of the flat forgetting the special camera protector that I had bought for damp weather but this camera worked incredibly well in the wet snow for 2 1/2 hours only but I had zero probs then & not after. No camera grip used!!!
Hi sir, great site from another canon fan. just wondering on the 7d’s battery grip. i saw bg-e7 made in taiwan and curious if it’s the same you used on your test? thank you sir!
I was wondering what gloves you were using? Since I have problems with having to have gloves on and not being able to control the camera, and freezing me hands off.
Thanks!
Really appriciate for t’post. As a 40D user it will be great leap to have 7D. The article make me confidence to get 7D & prepare myself 4 more challenging task:)
Thanks for wonderful post regarding weather sealing of Canon 7D. I am planning to buy it as well.
Good clear review on a piece of kit i’m seriously thinking of investing in – look forward to reading your next reviews and posts
Best regards
Nigel
I really like this blog. Please continue the great work. Regards!!!
As good as your article, I’ve brought EOS7D with BG-E6 for 3 months ago, no problem with camera.
Excellent and to the point review! This is the factual(tried & tested)information you need before investing in a great camera like this.
You NEED to say that you are SPONSORED by Canon when writing something like this, Liodden.
I don’t think people who are linked to this site get it. Even if you are writing that EVERYTHING is PERFECT
And you want to be hounest, right?
Samuel
I am NOT sponsored by Canon when writing these field reviews….
I will let you know when I find issues with equipment which I don´t like.
I own a 7D and used it in stormy conditions, 10bft at the atlantic coastline.
The camera was subjected to alot of saltwater spray from every angle.
I encountered no problems during my shoot sessions, no leakage of any kind inside the body.
Robin
That is not true – just because Canon and Nikon call the sponsing “Canon ambassadeurs”/ “Nikon ambassadeurs”, it is still sponsing. Just like Yngve Ask is a Nikon ambassadeur for Nikon and gets all the new gear for free, you are a Canon ambassadeur, right?
Not that it matters – except that one has to TELL IT to the readers in plain text, som that it is not recognized as a review.
I morgen kommer den med posten
NANNSENIOR
Hi Samuel
I wish you were right, but the truth is that I don´t get any new gear from Canon for free. But, hopefully this will change in the future…
I start every new field review on equipment with a code like “CF-2″ to show the status of the equipment (read this: http://canonfieldreviews.com/about/), and if you can see the code “CF-4″ in the future, you will know that I have gotten this equipment for free or a good price. Until now I haven´t published any reviews with “CF-4″ equipment, but maybe we will see many of them in the future!
The canonfieldreview.com site has never received any payment from sponsors like Canon or other Companies, but I hope this will change in the future. That is also why I can´t publish as many reviews as some reader of this would like, because I have to focus on paid work like photography, publishing books, workshops etc.
OJL
Your field reviews are very interesting!
I have used a Canon 5 D Mark II for about 6 month, kayaking and hinkig. It worked well untill it got a big sea water splash. After that the camera went black and never worked again. Canon refused to do anything about guarranty. “It´s water inside” so what? Their conclusion: “my fault”
They advised me to buy a new one because repair would almost as expensive as a new one.
So better be carefull with your 5 D Mark II out there, if you don´t want to burn your money…
Björn from germany
I have used it in snow, but nothing as extreme as you have. It has always performed flawlessly for me, and I was happy to hear your positive review of it.
Because of your review, I bought a 7D!
I’ve had a few days now, and so far I’m liking it a lot!
I am in awe of your fortitude in photography, working in these conditions is beyond my health at the present moment. I was looking for some advice on what conditions are too extreme for a Canon 7D, after all who wants to trash one out from ignorance, and found your article and photography. It really blessed me. Thanks.
love, earl
I’m curious. Have you used non-”L” glass in these types of conditions? Do you run the risk of getting damaging moisture/debris inside the camera body if the lens itself isn’t weatherproof or just damage to the lens?
Hi Matt
I always use original Canon L-lenses because they are more weather proof, more rugged and have better overall quality than other lenses (for Canon cameras). With non-L optics you get easier moisture inside your camera and lens.
I must say this review was amazing… I’ve had my 7D about 3 and ah half months now and it is the best camera I’ve ever come across. It have been used in rallies in some rain and dirt conditions and I’ll also agree it’s one tough camera!!!!!
Thanks for the reply! Your work is awesome! Love the blog.
Great review, OJL. I can see myself investing in this as a second body in future. Got my 5D2 2 months ago. Have used it in rain with zero problems to report. I also used my 400D in rain a few times, but was a lot more careful
Greetings from Kenya
Mark
Sea spray fried my 50D about two week ago in the islands. Rice bagged it and aired it out for a week still no luck. Im going to be replacing it soon but cant decide between the 7D or the 5D mark2…mostly outdoor shooting with minimal studio work for me. All my glass is L series so the 1.6x does slightly factor in but not a deal breaker for me. Just looking for some firsthand users advice.
Thanks
*The tripod seal snack is to funny.
Thanks for this great review, OJL! A good reference on the 7D’s performance.
My 5D2 actually had a shower for over several hours, and i spare you the details how or why, and that was too much for it. the shutter button doesn’t work, the top Lcd screen doesn’t work (the backlight does, though), and the menu screen seems to work too, but i always get ‘error nr. 20′ whenever I do anything else than browsing the menu… Bummer! But don’t weep for me, I have a new one already.
cheers,
HBjr. from Belgium
Great review.. love the blog..
i recently purchase 7d after debate for 500D, 40D, 50D, 7D or 5DM2 also with the same level Nikon has.. and i decide not to go with 5dM2 because to much for the photo hobbies..
and yes, definitely i will not go to Antarctica to test my 7D in snow, but it’s so relief that i could use my camera in bad weather..
thanks for the review..
Great review.
I have a question! Have you ever tested a Nikon camera in extreme situation like this, and do you have any idea regrds to compare same Nikon and Canon cameras in extreme situation like this review?
TX
Great review. I have been on the fence about getting a 1D Mk II N vs. a 5D and now have taken into consideration the 7D after reading your review. Since I now have definitive proof the 7D can stand up to foul weather, I will be picking one up.