Camera got wet

smr

smr

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Joel
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Ok so I went out last Friday and my Camera got a bit wet. I came home and left it to dry on my table. Went out with it yesterday on Sunday and before doing so checked battery levels, it came on so thought it was fine. Got to the Peak District, turned off - even though battery was more than 50 percent. Changed battery, came back on, assumed it was the battery. Then stayed on for a few minutes before turning off.

A few more times on and off and then stayed off. Left in my camera bag over night and checked this morning and it turned on.

So what should I do, obviously hoping it's ok, but should I try putting it in a sealed bag with rice for moisture absorbency or is it beyond that?
 
If it was fresh water (I'm assuming rain) then removing the battery and leaving it in a warm room to dry out with the aid of rice or some bags of silica gel will probably resolve the issue.
 
If you can sit it above a radiator or in airing cupboard on the hot tank it should dry as much as it's going to after 2 or 3 days.
Generally speaking for electronics it is often survivable to get wet especially if it wasn't turned on and any doors were closed.
But it wants to be fully dried out before powering up again.

Actual water on any live contacts or circuitry can allow current to flow and in worst case arcing across which will likely be terminal.
So plenty can go wrong without visible damage.
 
My supposedly water sealed camera got wet and stopped working (to be fair, it was quite elderly). I took the battery and memory cards out, took the lens off and put on a body cap, then put it in the airing cupboard for a week.

It was fine after that.
 
I've got a cupboard in my study which houses my boiler, and it's a bit of a storage cupboard as well. Its generally the warmest place in my house, I haven't yet put the heating on this Autumn but I could do that to get the boiler warm as well and put the camera in a sealed sandwich bag with the gel pads and leave it for a few days.
 
smr said:
I've got a cupboard in my study which houses my boiler, and it's a bit of a storage cupboard as well. Its generally the warmest place in my house, I haven't yet put the heating on this Autumn but I could do that to get the boiler warm as well and put the camera in a sealed sandwich bag with the gel pads and leave it for a few days.
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You need to ensure the Silica gel is dried out first.. put then in a very low oven for a couple of hours before using them.

If they have been standing about for a while they will be fully saturated and do nothing.


I would prefer to leave the camera in a warm airing cupboard where the air can circulate, rather than a sealed tin.
It will disperse any condensation much faster and better.
 
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From experience with keyboards things can be nasty and will never dry if you have thin sandwich layers of circuits where moisture can get in between.

Out of interest what camera was it (so we can avoid them)?
 
Terrywoodenpic said:
You need to ensure the Silica gel is dried out first.. put then in a very low oven for a couple of hours before using them.

If they have been standing about for a while they will be fully saturated and do nothing.


I would prefer to leave the camera in a warm airing cupboard where the air can circulate, rather than a sealed tin.
It will disperse any condensation much faster and better.
Click to expand...

Makes me wonder why no websites mention making sure they are dried out.

If I leave the camera in my cupboard yet not in any sort of container does that make using silica irrelevant?
 
smr said:
Makes me wonder why no websites mention making sure they are dried out.

If I leave the camera in my cupboard yet not in any sort of container does that make using silica irrelevant?
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Probably because those sachets that you 'showed' are intended for single use only, the larger 'industrial' sachets have a clear window and are dyed to show state/condition and I cannot recall if dry and ready for use whether they are "pink" or "blue" :thinking:

PS it has been some many years since I used the larger packs!
 
smr said:
Makes me wonder why no websites mention making sure they are dried out.

If I leave the camera in my cupboard yet not in any sort of container does that make using silica irrelevant?
Click to expand...


In the "old days" everyone knew that silica gel was reversible and needed drying out.
Mostly it was supplied with a blue dye indicator that told you when it needed drying.

The web today feeds off itself, and perpetuates bad or incomplete knowledged with the same gusto as it does the good stuff. So I am no longer surprised by such things.

And no, you do not need to use silica gel in a warm airing cupboard. But it is a good way to keep things dry in storage.
Which is why camera makers and the like, often put it in their boxes. However once you have removed the film outer wrapping it soon loses its effectiveness, but can be reactivated with heat by driving off the water.


An airing cupboard will not get hot enough to dry out silica gel when it is saturated.
 
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As already said, silica gel may need drying - if it comes in a plastic bag then it's likely wet, but if it's supplied in a tin or foil sachet it's probably dry. To dry it off will require significant heat, 90 degrees Celsius or more. Apparently it can also be dried in a microwave, but be careful not to overheat to much. Also keep it away from food.

IIRC the blue/pink dye is toxic, hence why it's no longer used so much. Blue is dry, pink is wet.

If you're drying the camera WITH silica gel then keep it sealed so the gel absorbs water from a small volume of air, driving evaporation from inside the camera. If air-drying the camera then use warmth and lots of air circulation. In any case take the body cap off and do a sensor clean afterwards.
 
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Thanks for the advice. All okay! I left my Camera to dry in my cupboard (where my boiler is) and just left it for a few days. All good. Its due a sensor clean. I'll do that tomorrow or over the weekend.
 
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