Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/08/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Without belaboring the issue of Leicas at sea for too long, we must remember that Leica cameras are not now and never were intended to be water tolerant. Equipments for use in a marine environment are rated for the degree of water resistance by a number of agencies. The scale ranges from 1 to 10 with the lower numbers meaning less water resistance. An object (marine radio, camera, binocular, etc.) rated JIS-4/IPX-4 is considered splash resistant but not suitable for immersion. Objects with a lower raitng can withstand light rain showers or heavy mist but no direct application of water. Most marine handheld radios or "waterproof" cameras such as the Pentax Optio 10 are rated JIS-7/IPX-7. This means that they will withstand a 30 minute dunking under one meter of water and still operate. Real waterproofing starts at JIS/IPX ratings of 8. A device so rated will function after it has been submerged under 8 feet of water for half an hour and at lesser depths for an indefinite period. True underwater equipment like the Nikonos series of cameras will function normally when submerged at a depth of 160 feet (50 meters). But even they are not suitable for deep sea diving. Trivia: In bygone years, Nikonos cameras were permitted in surgical operating rooms because they could be sterilized by dunking in a bucket of bleach. Small boats are not the best environment for precision mechanical and electrical equipment unless suitably sealed for marine use. By a small boat, I mean anything from a kayak or canoe to a 40 foot motorsailer. In ordinary use. on anything but extremely sheltered waters, boats this size get doused with green water from waves and in windy conditions are covered with spray. Kayaks, canoes, and small sailboats capsize and are righted by their crews as a part of normal operation. Bigger boats offer drier conditions and some degree of shelter from the elements but even cruise liners occasionally get water on deck. I'm not saying that Leicas will fail immediately if they get wet, but they have little water resistance to speak of. I'm gazing fondly at my M3 as I write this and I see that water can enter through the shutter release, the winding lever, the rewind lever, the frame lever, the lens release button, the speed dial, the back inspection door, and the base plate. There are no seals on any of these openings. The innards of the camera are loaded with small steel parts, springs and bearings that will deteriorate if water enters and the camera is not immediately dried. Spray, particularly salt spray should be wiped off immediately. Even high humidity wrecks its havoc, as anyone who has used a camera in the Asian monsoon season knows. If you use your Leica regularly in a marine environment or at the beach and it functions well forever after, you are lucky. But I still wouldn't take mine on a canoe trip unless it was packed in a waterproof bag and I used it only on dry land. There are other cameras which will do the job on the water. A used Nikonos with an excellent Nikkor 35 mm F2.8 lens costs only about as much as a Leica CLA. Why take the risk? Larry Z