Economical DSLR for high humidity environment?

Any suggestions for a sub $1000 DSLR that might survive well in rain forest
conditions?

When I went to Borneo in 2003, I brought a Maxxum 5 (low end film SLR).
It did not fare well. Major corrosion problems despite never being
immersed or directly rained on. It's dead now.

I am now headed for the Amazon and making the jump to digital. I'd like
to get a camera that will hold together and not break the bank. Any
suggestions? I've noticed that reviews seldom mention weather
tolerance or even if the camera has any seals.

--
Photos and travelogues from Africa and Southeast Asia: http://www.exile.org

In article <enn3hm$5hg$1@spica.exile.org>, Eric Edwards
<ese002@news9.exile.org> wrote:

> Any suggestions for a sub $1000 DSLR that might survive well in rain forest
> conditions?
>
> When I went to Borneo in 2003, I brought a Maxxum 5 (low end film SLR).
> It did not fare well. Major corrosion problems despite never being
> immersed or directly rained on. It's dead now.
>
> I am now headed for the Amazon and making the jump to digital. I'd like
> to get a camera that will hold together and not break the bank. Any
> suggestions? I've noticed that reviews seldom mention weather
> tolerance or even if the camera has any seals.

And you probably won't, until you get up into the actual pro bodies.
Even the "prosumer" models are not designed to be weather resistant.

--
You need only reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a
reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating
the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the struggle for
independence.
-- Charles A. Beard

Eric Edwards wrote:
> Any suggestions for a sub $1000 DSLR that might survive well in rain forest
> conditions?
>
> When I went to Borneo in 2003, I brought a Maxxum 5 (low end film SLR).
> It did not fare well. Major corrosion problems despite never being
> immersed or directly rained on. It's dead now.
>
> I am now headed for the Amazon and making the jump to digital. I'd like
> to get a camera that will hold together and not break the bank. Any
> suggestions? I've noticed that reviews seldom mention weather
> tolerance or even if the camera has any seals.
>

Take a look at the Pentax K10. It boasts weather resistant seals and a
street price of just under $1000. It also has an auto ISO/sensitivity
mode, 10 megapixels and in-camera image stabilization.

If I weren't so heavily into Canon lenses, I might have had to give it a
shot instead of the 5D that just arrived via UPS today (I couldn't wait).

Eric Miller

Eric Edwards <ese002@news9.exile.org> wrote:
: Any suggestions for a sub $1000 DSLR that might survive well in rain forest
: conditions?

: When I went to Borneo in 2003, I brought a Maxxum 5 (low end film SLR).
: It did not fare well. Major corrosion problems despite never being
: immersed or directly rained on. It's dead now.

: I am now headed for the Amazon and making the jump to digital. I'd like
: to get a camera that will hold together and not break the bank. Any
: suggestions? I've noticed that reviews seldom mention weather
: tolerance or even if the camera has any seals.

: --
: Photos and travelogues from Africa and Southeast Asia: http://www.exile.org

One thought. It may be less expensive to just get an "underwater housing"
for your camera. There are many types, brands and price ranges. Some of
the less expensive ones (mostly an inflated plastic bag with lens ports)
would likely do you fine.

Randy

==========
Randy Berbaum
Champaign, IL

Eric Edwards wrote:
> Any suggestions for a sub $1000 DSLR that might survive well in rain forest
> conditions?
>
> When I went to Borneo in 2003, I brought a Maxxum 5 (low end film SLR).
> It did not fare well. Major corrosion problems despite never being
> immersed or directly rained on. It's dead now.
>
> I am now headed for the Amazon and making the jump to digital. I'd like
> to get a camera that will hold together and not break the bank. Any
> suggestions? I've noticed that reviews seldom mention weather
> tolerance or even if the camera has any seals.
>
> --
> Photos and travelogues from Africa and Southeast Asia: http://www.exile.org
Pretty much everything rusts and or corrodes here in Hawaii but so far
we have had no problems with either the Canon 20D or the 350D.

Our humidity is generally not all that high, seems to run around 70%
but then we have a lot of sulfuric acid in the air as well and I
believe that helps a lot of stuff rust.

We have had the 20D for just over two years and the 350D just a bit
over half a years and as I said no problems yet.

Scott

In article <enn3hm$5hg$1@spica.exile.org>, Eric Edwards says...
> Any suggestions for a sub $1000 DSLR that might survive well in rain forest
> conditions?
>
> When I went to Borneo in 2003, I brought a Maxxum 5 (low end film SLR).
> It did not fare well. Major corrosion problems despite never being
> immersed or directly rained on. It's dead now.
>
> I am now headed for the Amazon and making the jump to digital. I'd like
> to get a camera that will hold together and not break the bank. Any
> suggestions? I've noticed that reviews seldom mention weather
> tolerance or even if the camera has any seals.

Not sure how you managed to destroy your camera, but this hasn't
happened to me. I've been to Borneo several times over the past years
and the compact digital cameras (Olympus) I've used never experienced
problems, even in hot places with close to 100% humidity.
--

Alfred Molon
------------------------------
Olympus 50X0, 7070, 8080, E300, E330, E400 and E500 forum at
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/MyOlympus/
Olympus E330 resource - http://myolympus.org/E330/

ese002@news9.exile.org (Eric Edwards) wrote:

> Any suggestions for a sub $1000 DSLR that might survive well in rain
> forest conditions?

MUST it be a DSLR? Your past experiences seem to indicate you need to rank
sheer survivability over full functionality. What about bringing several
cheap point&shoot digicams sealed in with silica gel... when one dies, open
up a new one!

Maximum protection would be an underwater housing. One for a true DSLR
costs several times your camera budget. Cheap compromise might be the
Canon S3-IS ($370) with an Ikelite underwater housing; cost together is
about a kilobuck.

--
Anti-Spam address: my last name at his dot com
Charles Gillen -- Reston, Virginia, USA

On Fri, 5 Jan 2007 19:03:18 -0800, Eric Edwards wrote
(in article <enn3hm$5hg$1@spica.exile.org>):

> Any suggestions for a sub $1000 DSLR that might survive well in rain forest
> conditions?
>
> When I went to Borneo in 2003, I brought a Maxxum 5 (low end film SLR).
> It did not fare well. Major corrosion problems despite never being
> immersed or directly rained on. It's dead now.

My Nikon D70 held up very well in the Philippines for 18 months, despite
terrible mistreatment. I had it out in typhoons, salt spray and blowing sand
on jetties and boats, and dropped it several times. I even changed lenses
during typhoons, using only a palm tree and wide-brimmed Tilley hat for
cover. (Those Tilley hats are really something.) It has a few nicks and
scratches, but I still use it today. All of this despite the fact that the
camera is not weather sealed. Neither was the hat, which I also still use.

Eric Edwards wrote:
> Any suggestions for a sub $1000 DSLR that might survive well in rain forest
> conditions?
>
> When I went to Borneo in 2003, I brought a Maxxum 5 (low end film SLR).
> It did not fare well. Major corrosion problems despite never being
> immersed or directly rained on. It's dead now.
>
> I am now headed for the Amazon and making the jump to digital. I'd like
> to get a camera that will hold together and not break the bank. Any
> suggestions? I've noticed that reviews seldom mention weather
> tolerance or even if the camera has any seals.
>

Have you considered the Olympus E-1? It is a pro camera, admittedly a
little old by today's DSLR standards (at 5.5mp) but a very capable
camera nonetheless. It is weather sealed and for under $1000 you could
probably pick up a weather sealed lens with it (the versatile 14-54
equivalent to 28-108 on a 35mm). It is quite robust, a joy to use,
almost indestructible and will put up with just about any abuse you
throw at it on a trip to humid environments.

Ron

--
And it really doesn't matter if
I'm wrong I'm right
Where I belong I'm right
Where I belong.

Lennon & McCartney

Pentax K10D is weather sealed. Sealed lenses for it due early and mid 2007.
$1000 or less for the camera.

ljc


"Ken Lucke" <ken@glass-stones.com> wrote in message
news:050120072010366486%ken@glass-stones.com...
> In article <enn3hm$5hg$1@spica.exile.org>, Eric Edwards
> <ese002@news9.exile.org> wrote:
>
>> Any suggestions for a sub $1000 DSLR that might survive well in rain
>> forest
>> conditions?
>>
>> When I went to Borneo in 2003, I brought a Maxxum 5 (low end film SLR).
>> It did not fare well. Major corrosion problems despite never being
>> immersed or directly rained on. It's dead now.
>>
>> I am now headed for the Amazon and making the jump to digital. I'd like
>> to get a camera that will hold together and not break the bank. Any
>> suggestions? I've noticed that reviews seldom mention weather
>> tolerance or even if the camera has any seals.
>
> And you probably won't, until you get up into the actual pro bodies.
> Even the "prosumer" models are not designed to be weather resistant.
>
> --
> You need only reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a
> reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating
> the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the struggle for
> independence.
> -- Charles A. Beard
>