How weather sealed are L lenses ?

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dinners

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I know some L lenses are classed as 'weather sealed' and some aren't but for those which are - how weather sealed are they ?

I tend not to go out in foul weather but like everybody you do get caught out in it sometimes.

Regardless of which body I'm using I try hard to keep the 100-400 dry but if I know I'm going to be out and about with a 1D Mark 2 with a 17-40mm L USM attached in rain and snow, how much stick can it take ?

Also - I see plenty of contradicting views on whether a filter is required to complete weather sealing on those lenses deemed to be weather sealed ??

Thanks
 
Mate of mine dropped his 1dmk3 and 70/200 2.8 into a lake (wakeboard shooting), caught it at a depth of 3ft, survived no problem. Not sure if he had a filter attached.
Matt
 
dinners said:
Also - I see plenty of contradicting views on whether a filter is required to complete weather sealing on those lenses deemed to be weather sealed ??
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Some it does, some not.

However in the manual of each lens it will state if a filter is required to complete the seal. For example your 17-40mm the book says it is required however there is no mention of this in the 70-200mm F2.8 or F4 book.

I think it only really applies to lenses where the front element moves within the lens barrel (like the 17-40mm)
 
dinners said:
I know some L lenses are classed as 'weather sealed' and some aren't but for those which are - how weather sealed are they ?

I tend not to go out in foul weather but like everybody you do get caught out in it sometimes.

Regardless of which body I'm using I try hard to keep the 100-400 dry but if I know I'm going to be out and about with a 1D Mark 2 with a 17-40mm L USM attached in rain and snow, how much stick can it take ?

Also - I see plenty of contradicting views on whether a filter is required to complete weather sealing on those lenses deemed to be weather sealed ??

Thanks
Click to expand...
I,ve got the 100-400 as well as 70-200F4 pretty sure they are not classed as weather proof
I use mine with a good rain hood and have never had any probs all day at the zoo in the rain:)
think the main thing is not to leave it in the bag if it gets a bit wet but let it dry out out of the bag
pete
 
I have a 70-200 2.8 non IS, which isnt weather sealed. However i didn't know this until recently. So i took it out on my 1d3 on some very very wet shoots. Hasn't suffered for it. In my experience its the Bodies that dont like weather. Seen so many dead/sick 50d's, they seem to let water in around the screen. One even died whilst in a rain cover.
 
So (body aside) the 17-40 needs a filter if sat in the driving rain on a tripod for a few hours ?
 
dunganick said:
I have a 70-200 2.8 non IS, which isnt weather sealed. However i didn't know this until recently. So i took it out on my 1d3 on some very very wet shoots. Hasn't suffered for it. In my experience its the Bodies that dont like weather. Seen so many dead/sick 50d's, they seem to let water in around the screen. One even died whilst in a rain cover.
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Its the bodies that show it very quickly after the shower but the lenses can get damp inside and then x months down the line you suddenly realise you have a lens full of fury mould.

dinners said:
So (body aside) the 17-40 needs a filter if sat in the driving rain on a tripod for a few hours ?
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Yep it does, that said if its going to be on a tripod I'd ball bungie a Shammy leather off the top of the body and the lens just to help fend the rain off, also with the short lenses that have the pettle hoods the rain gets on the lens real easy and its a ball ache to clean them

As for how much they can take is any ones guess, I've worked outside all day in heavy with weather proof gear and its never faltered, but then I know guys that have shot outside for 20 mins and had a lens full of water.
 
zilly said:
As for how much they can take is any ones guess, I've worked outside all day in heavy with weather proof gear and its never faltered, but then I know guys that have shot outside for 20 mins and had a lens full of water.
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Many thanks for taking the time to reply Dom. It's this ambiguity that made me ask :thumbs:
 
hollis_f said:
Here's a list of Canon's weather-sealed lenses. If a lens on that list changes length when zooming then it needs a filter to complete the sealing.
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Not entirely accurate as a general statement - for example the 17-40mm doesn't change length while zooming but needs a filter.
 
alastairb said:
don'tbe so pedantic, the front element of the 17-40 moves relative to the barrel of the lens!
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I really don't think I am being pedantic - I made a very valid point that added something to this thread.

The only true way of knowing if a specific lens requires a filter to complete the weather seal is to look in the manual and see if Canon recommend it.

Aside from this, I would personally recommend a filter on all weather sealed lenses where the hood will not provide rain protection - I'd rather wipe rain of a filter regularly than off the front element of the lens.
 
RichardtheSane said:
Not entirely accurate as a general statement - for example the 17-40mm doesn't change length while zooming but needs a filter.
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Well, if you want to be pedantic, it is an entirely accurate statement. I said that if a lens changed length it needed a filter. I didn't say that if it needed a filter it changed length.

It's as if I said - If it's a Lion it has fur. And you said that Leopards have fur but aren't lions.
 
I don't want to be pedantic - I'm just trying to help the OP get an accurate answer to their question.

I don't know why I bloody bother sometimes.
 
dunganick said:
I have a 70-200 2.8 non IS, which isnt weather sealed. However i didn't know this until recently. So i took it out on my 1d3 on some very very wet shoots. Hasn't suffered for it. In my experience its the Bodies that dont like weather. Seen so many dead/sick 50d's, they seem to let water in around the screen. One even died whilst in a rain cover.
Click to expand...

On the other hand, I use my 50D in all weather, usually with a bar towel along the top of the lens/body. If it's really bad then I put it inside a food bag or bin bag. I keep a microfibre cloth to dry anything else off. Not had any issues so far.

124033393.jpg
 
Right, I've done some research as the answer seems to be quite difficult to pin down.

Below is a list of all the Canon weather sealed lenses I am aware of and information about whether the user guide states a filter is required to complete the weather seal.

The only lens I could not get a definitive answe on is the 16-35mm F2.8 Mk 1 - if anyone has this lens and could check their user guide it would be appriciated. Then the list will be complete

As it stands right now, according to the Canon user guides I could find the only lenses that require a filter to complete the seal are 16-35mm F2.8 II, 17-40mm F4 & 50mm F1.2

Here is the entire list

  • Canon EF 16-35mm/2.8L USM - Unknown but constructed same as 17-40mm so probably requires filter
  • Canon EF 16-35mm/2.8L II USM - Requires filter
  • Canon EF 17-40mm/4L USM - Requires filter
  • Canon EF 24-70mm/2.8L USM - Filter not required
  • Canon EF 24-105mm/4L IS USM - Filter not required
  • Canon EF 70-200mm/4L IS USM - Filter not required
  • Canon EF 70-200mm/2.8L IS USM - Filter not required
  • Canon EF 28-300mm/3.5-5.6L IS USM - Filter not required
  • Canon EF 50/1.2L USM - Requires Filter
  • Canon EF 200mm/2L IS USM - Drop In Filter
  • Canon EF 300mm/2.8L IS USM - Drop In Filter
  • Canon EF 400mm/2.8L IS USM - Drop In Filter
  • Canon EF 400mm/4DO IS USM - Drop In Filter
  • Canon EF 500mm/4L IS USM - Drop In Filter
  • Canon EF 600mm/4L IS USM - Drop In Filter
Hope this helps someone
 
OK, so we have established which lenses are weather-sealed by themselves and which need a filter.

However, the OP did ask HOW weather sealed they are...

The answer in my experience is, enough to cope with a good misting but not enough to cope with diving (though I do see the exception to that has already been posted).

That's the problem with teh internets...you wait long enough, someone will come along and tell you black is white and left is right. :p

If you've bought a £2000 lens, surely you can stretch to a £150 raincover... :shrug:
 
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jamesb84 said:
OK, so we have established which lenses are weather-sealed by themselves and which need a filter.

However, the OP did ask HOW weather sealed they are...

The answer in my experience is, enough to cope with a good misting but not enough to cope with diving (though I do see the exception to that has already been posted).

That's the problem with teh internets...you wait long enough, someone will come along and tell you black is white and left is right. :p

If you've bought a £2000 lens, surely you can stretch to a £150 raincover... :shrug:
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Yea, I've got no direct experience of 'extreme' weather sealing, so couldn't help with how effective it actually is :)

Even if you don't want to spend £150 there are options for rainproofing. Personally I always keep a couple of optech rainsleeves in my bag. £6 for the pair and are remarkably effective at keeping my partially weather sealed gear dry.
 
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Thanks for all the feedback folks.

Looks like a filter may be in order then for the 17-40
 
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