You dropped your Dslr camera in the water what to do now ?
Last week we have a nice time with my family in Siofok which is the most popular place next to Lake Balaton for a summer holiday. I love to take pictures when I am in the water.
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I was asked to bring something for my daughter while I need to walk a bit. After backwards I see a concrete deck which leads to a shallow 1′(30cm) deep water. Without thinking I put my leg on the deck, than I realized that it is very slippery, because it was heavily covered with green material from the water. While slipping, I try to keep on board with little ski and other sports experience, but at the end of the deck I literally fly 🙂 into the water, with my Nikon D7000 in my hand.
My wife said funny I do waterski or what she didn’t understand. When I stood on my feet again, look at my camera and realized it was underwater.
You dropped your Dslr camera in the water what to do now ?This list is not obligatory, do as you want, just an idea, what I think. 0. Pour water out as quick as you canThis step is the most obvious, turn, shake a camera a little bit to get rid of most of the water. Do not spend much time do the next step instead. In fact the 1. step can be really the first, but when you get your camera out of the water obviously you want to remove all water very quickly. 1. Turn off – Remove batteryIn my study in the Technical University says this, water leads electricity. If water goes to unwanted areas in your camera it is not a good thing for the camera’s circuitry. Advanced cameras has a continuous sleeping mode I think, turning off perhaps not enough to switch off electricity totally, remove battery seems more sure for me. 2. You can spend little more time to remove additional waterYou can exchange this step with the next if you want depend on importance / preference. To do this I opened all slots on my camera and try to hold it in a dry place. I first I hold against bright sunlight, but perhaps not always the best as sensors not really like overheating. 3. Remove memory card if you want to save the pics you madeIf you have very expensive or precious pictures or videos on your camera, this can be the first step even. 4. Remove lens if not water sealedIt was funny this was the first time I realized than my Nikkor 16-85mm has water sealing around the mount. Very useful feature I would say, as not many water was in my Dslr camera inside. In my experience the lens as not vulnerable for water, but it can be nasty if it gets inside. Drying here also needed. 5. Put it in a dry place and wait several days depend on the drynessI put my camera at the top of the wardrobe for 3 days to get dry. There are tricks to put rice in the camera to absorb water if you can. |
What happened with my camera ?
Well after I removed the water, hold it under direct sunlight about 20-30 minutes, At first seem the camera is still working but later get an Err note which stays there even 2 days after the accident.
After at the back LCD has different colors, some parts has white colors others are dark black (looks burned or something) and rainbow colors in between. The situation looks not really promising at all. After I see the Err note I immediately remove the battery (it was needed to do much earlier). I though some reparation is need or other option I will never used the camera again.
After three days the Err massage disappeared and now seems working without any problem. It may not be for every case, I camera had very little water inside, when I removed the lens actually was surprised how little water is inside the camera. Different cameras has different water sealing. I think learn from the steps above if you never experience such a thing and perhaps you will be lucky as well.
Avoid such slippery places if you can 🙂
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