Black and White Photography Blog, Vol. I

Second Avenue Street Fair (today). I too was caught in the downpour. Yes, the 40D got soaked. And when I picked it up a few minutes ago it was dead as a doornail. I tried switching the battery and CF card and it remains quiet. I have to admit, that I was doing high angle stuff with the cable release which means that little plastic thing was open - maybe that was the problem. Anyway, I’ll let it air out and maybe it’ll come out of its coma, otherwise I’ll need to send it in to be fixed and remember that it is not weatherproof.

* * * STILL DEAD * * *

Camera was bought on 2/3/08

They do say in their promotional literature that the camera is “weather-resistant,” but the warranty reads a bit differently. We’ll see what happens when I send it to be repaired (it is still under warranty).

From the Canon 40D warranty: “… Without limiting the foregoing, water damage, sand/corrosion damage, battery leakage, dropping the camera, scratches, abrasions or damage to the body, lenses or LCD display or damage to the any of the Accessories mentioned in the first paragraph above will be presumed to have resulted from misuse, abuse or failure to operate the EOS Digital Camera as set forth in the operating instructions…”

The only mention of water damage is this line in the manual:

“The camera is not waterproof and cannot be used underwater.”

So, since I didn’t use it underwater, is the warranty still good? Probably not.

* * *

Frankly, since I was shooting some of this with the 12 - 15 foot tripod gizmo I put together - and there was some lightning - it was lucky I wasn’t fried.

* * *

THE STORY HAS A HAPPY ENDING.

I opened all the ports on the camera, pulled the CF card and battery out, left the doors opened, and put it under a 60 watt bulb to dry it out. After four hours, much to my surprise and delight, I flicked the on switch and it came alive. The lesson, I think is to be a bit more careful in the rain, especially if I’m going to use the cable release. I think that the “weatherproofing is okay if all the flaps are closed, but with the cable release and the opened flap - water may have dripped into the camera. In a word: phew. I was already thinking about what camera I’d get as a backup…. and had decided I’d just buy a second 40D, I like it that much; or when the next version (I guess the 45D arrives, get that). But for now, I’m okay.