[Lightstalkers] How sweating keeps ruining my camera

How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:54:53 +0000

I understand that the thought about me sweating might not be the most pleasant one. However I felt the need to write about this on Lightstalkers since it really pisses me off!
A while ago I already wrote that I had to get my 5D repaired since humidity got inside. The LCD display fogged up totally from the inside and the camera stopped working. When that happened I thought it happened because I photographed in a bathroom with a little steam. I can assure you that it wasn't much and humidity was certainly underneith 85% which, according to the user manual of Canon is the upper border.
Well today I understand that this had different reasons... I had an assignment to shoot a backstage story about the fashion show of Austrian/Turkish designer Atil Kutoglu in New York. I was really looking forward to this since I've never done something like that and I thought it might become interesting. And it was... Until my camera pissed me off again big time.
A lot of times when I shoot, and concentrate, and move around and am nervous, etc, I am sweating. And if I am talking about sweating it means that I am sweating really bad. It has always been that way and as far as I can see it's part of my family. Obviously sweat get's on the camera which I regularly wipe away with a small cloth that I carry with me. After some time of shooting my camera suddenly started to make troubles. When I tried to access the menu the LCD screen flickered and I couldn't see anything. Then I immediatly started to get error messages, couldn't shoot anymore, didn't even see flickering on the screen anymore and the LCD screen on the back of my camera once again fogged up from the inside. That's it with my camera today.
Now, about 6 hours later the fog is gone but I can't turn the camera on anymore. I am really pissed, sure the 5D is not weather sealed but come on, some sweat on the back of the camera shouldn't ruin it completely especially since I was wiping it off all the time.
Anybody ever had similar experiences when it comes down to sweating? Strange topic, I know...
Martin

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Sun, 10 Sep 2006 01:07:22 +0000

MartÄ±n, strangely enough, I dÄ±d have the same problem wÄ±th the sweatÄ±ng especÄ±ally when I photograph whÄ±le Ä±t Ä±s hot and humÄ±d outsÄ±de. ThÄ±s problem was very apparent when I was shootÄ±ng the bodybuÄ±ldÄ±ng Ä±mages Ä±n VenÄ±ce Beach last weekend. The same happened at a backstage shoot at a dance performance due to spot lÄ±ghts makÄ±ng the place very hot. Because Ä±t was so hot outsÄ±de Ä±n VenÄ±ce, the sweat kept gettÄ±ng onto the camera and after a whÄ±le I couldnt see anythÄ±ng on the screen eÄ±ther. I wasnt sure why thÄ±s was happennÄ±ng at the tÄ±me but now that you mentÄ±oned Ä±t I experÄ±ence the same problem wÄ±th my Canon. Glad to hear somone else has a problem wÄ±th sweatÄ±ng ...

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Sun, 10 Sep 2006 01:32:00 +0000

Well Martin if it will make you feel any better, I recently had a similar experience though the camera didnt stop functioning as a result. A hot day at a beach resort, assignment: photograph a computer entrepreneur. It was hot and humid as hell, plus I got there early to scout the area and pick suitable shooting environments, so I was already limp when we started. we spent the whole day shooting, and the sweat was pouring off me, off my face, dripping off my nose, onto the LCD, couldnt read it at all, or look through the viewfinder. And of course the subject, who was a saint for his patience, was dripping with sweat as well, and keeping him looking cool and dry and "successful" instead of a red faced, soggy gringo was quite a chore. It worked, but it was damned hard, and this is why we have assistants! My camera was a cheap C7070, which survived and did well, though I think the autofocus got hinky as a result of the heat and humidity. the camera died later in a rainstorm.

Sweating when you shoot is natural, shooting is usually an edgy thing.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Sun, 10 Sep 2006 01:46:17 +0000

Damn, glad I haven't switched over to Canon! Seriously, Martin, can/will Canon fix it?

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Sun, 10 Sep 2006 01:56:14 +0000

I sweat like a mofo. It's really gross. Particularly off my face. It's mostly due to being anxious and neurotic, but add some heat or humidity, and forget about it. Red-faced and drippy. So sweaty that the sunscreen my pale Irish ass complexion has to wear will drip into my eyes causing them to sting. It's great when I'm looking like a red faced drunkard and squinting in pain. Real professional. It's truly embarrassing. Forgetting to breathe when shooting doesn't help either. Anyways, I've been shooting with a 5d for the past 6 months, and soaking it with my salty essence repeatedly, and luckily (knock wood) i haven't had your problem. I fog up the viewfinder all the time and frequently need to use my t-shirt as a squeegee to see through it, but nothing like you speak of. I think you've got a bigger issue with your rig, and might want to send it into Canon. Hopefully you're still under warranty.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Sun, 10 Sep 2006 04:08:31 +0000

Martin,

Humidity can affect inside electrical contacts and increses resistance between contacts. Is your battery fresh? You might want to put a new battery in your Canon to see if it improves.

While I have not had your problem with my cameras, the fluorescent lights in my kitchen would not turn on humid days. I thought originally the lights were getting old, but this started happening more than a year ago and I still have the same tubes. When humidity is high, may be more than even 65% and relatively cold, the light would not turn on for hours. My trick is to run the AC even if it is too chilly to get rid of moisture and the light turns on again.

Drying thoroughly with a hair dryer (without heat on) might help. If it still won't come on, you need to send it to Canon to clean up inside. It could be dirty. Good luck.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Sun, 10 Sep 2006 19:09:21 +0000

I sweat at work like everyone else, no matter whether it's summer or winter, but not as much as Martin described. My only problem is when sweat or excess facial oils gunk up the backplate LCD or the camera viewfinder and I have to pause and wipe the gunk off with my shirt or whatever so I can see what I'm shooting. Back when I was working in Manila, where it's hot and humid all year round, I sweat a lot more, but the company-issued Canon D60 held up. But once when I opened it up (I'm handy with small repair stuff) to check water damage on the D60 after it got really wet in the rain and fireman's waterhose, I discovered dirty oil-like stuff in between the polycarbonate and/or metal plates of the shell and the chassis. This, I believe, meant that the sweat/oil from my face was getting in, but not completely. Maybe they were even good as they became a sort of a sealant against water. Since the built of the D60 is not much different from the 20D, which is my current main camera, I guess I'm still lucky that sweat or other H2O from the evironment doesn't seep in as deeply in the camera as it does on Martin's 5D. After reading Jethro's account, I'd make a leap and say that maybe you got a borderline lemon there, Martin.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 05:24:29 +0000

Well, I had similar problems with my canon as well and thats why I still go around on an assignment with a few rolls of film and my manual camera. I have it for over ten years and it hasnt let me down. By the way I have to have it cleaned and checked (for the first time), just to make sure it will last. I think not only Canon but the new techi cameras have still a long way to go to convince me to give up film photography. I wish you Good luck Martin.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 07:24:34 +0000

Guys I shot on the Bonneville salt flats last month on a reportage piece, my Nikon D2X behaved like a lady - no problems! Makes me think I made the right choice :)

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:38:27 +0000

wow, you guys are hardcore..........

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 16:16:56 +0000

Martin, maybe you got a bad copy? I would ask Canon not to fix it but replace it with a new body. I've been through downpours with my 5d without a hitch, I wouldn't think sweat would be a problem.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 16:55:57 +0000

you sweaty bastards. Maybe it would help to keep your face away from your camera. my friend puts on an eye piece extender that keeps your face off the camera. she uses it so her nose is'nt smashed against the LCD screen, plus it gives you better periferal vision so as nobody can cold cock you with a rusty pipe. it does give you a bit of a "looking through a telescope" POV, but it'll keep you sweaty face of the poor little camera.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 19:09:29 +0000

maybe changing the diet and drinking less toxic drink can help too ...

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 19:14:32 +0000

would something like that help? www.delkin.com/shop/product.php?productid=224&cat=52&page=1

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 19:51:13 +0000

Well sorry guys but I think maybe this might help all of us. http://www.portwest.ie/ecat/index.tmpl?cart=336699649520599&cat1pass=Chemical%20Suits If not then either wrong camera or should be doing something else????????????? GET A LIFE!!!!! Cheers

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 20:37:44 +0000

Thanks for all the replies. Good to hear I am not the only one sweating like a mofo as Jethro described it so well-chosen. It's been two days now and the camera still won't turn on. I am also pretty convinced that I must have gotten a lemon here. This just should not happen! I'll see what Canon says and will let you know once I get a reply. I am a little worried about that... I take the replies by Dana and Ektor as a joke, should I?

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 21:03:42 +0000

"maybe changing the diet and drinking less toxic drink can help too â€¦"

Is that why my camera smells like Juniper Berries and Quinine? I thought it was a new anti-mosquito feature Canon devised.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 21:19:01 +0000

Martin, my guess is that the camera had already been compromised and now it is very susceptible to any change in humidity. I suggest that you write a letter to Canon Professional Services, telling them who you are and what the problem is, and follow that with a phone call. The least they can do is loan you a 5D and try to fix the problem on a priority basis. Its a very expensive piece of equipment and you have every right to expect that it should work under minimal conditions of light rain and or humidity. I have had a 10D and 20D that worked with considerable moisture and even rain, with no problem. Unless there is some defect in the 5D it should be operable in those conditions. Good luck Martin.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 21:33:39 +0000

Thanks Andy! I will e-mail Canon Europe from whom I got the camera as a payment for two photographs they used. However I talked to the person responsible for CPS in Austria already a couple of months ago to see if I could become a CPS member. I told him that I do not yet have the equipment I need to apply to CPS (two professional or semi-professional camera bodies and 3 L series lenses) but that I am keen on getting the stuff I need with time. I asked him if I could still become a member since I am shooting for Austrian magazines and papers even though I am still starting out. Nope, I can't. And honestly I am a little unhappy about that. How can a yound photojournalist who is slowly getting a foot into the door of photojournalism afford to buy that much of equipment just to get decent support? Well, I'll see if they can offer me a solution. The user manual doesn't say anything about sweat though... I guess it will be treated like rain. :-(

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 21:43:45 +0000

Martin. Since you are in NYC, why not join CPS in the states? You needn't own all "L" glass and top end cameras to join. Just some tear sheets, and proof that you are a working photographer. Though for Rush service repair, I believe they will only work on a certain caliber of gear which the 5D does fall into.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 21:52:54 +0000

Martin, Maybe when you write to Canon support or Canon Public Relations (even better)you could drop the name Magnum a few times. That should wake someone up! Greg

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 22:10:49 +0000

Good advice Greg, although I would be cautious about using the Magnum name too. Since Martin isn't a Magnum photographer, it might be better to have someone at the agency make a inquiry for him, if that is possible.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 22:16:37 +0000

Andy, Whats the Magnum in Motion reference in Martins profile? G.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 22:55:25 +0000

I'm so glad it's not just me that's a big sweater. In Cancun, a few years ago, the screws on my Nikons got corroded due to all the salty moisture heading their way. Since I switched to Canon, no such problems. I also always carry a headband (sweatband) and wrist bands to help catch sweat from my forehead or arms, running down to the hand holding the camera body. Years of playing tennis finally paid off....

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 22:57:50 +0000

I have the same problem (joining) with NPS as you have with CPS....

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 23:57:12 +0000

I believe he does the multimedia for them. He isn't an associate or member of the collective Greg.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 00:17:59 +0000

Andy, He's still in the ballpark. They know of him as do other members of LS. He should ask who he does work with at Magnum if he could use their name in solving a problem that my affect many photogs in the field. The suits at Canon will take notice if they see a serious problem for their image. Think so? Greg

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 00:50:18 +0000

That doesn't sound realistic to me, Greg, but anything is possible. My experience with camera companies is that they are unwilling to admit a problem, unless they are confronted by numerous irrefutable complaints, such as the backfocus issue with the 10D.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 01:01:42 +0000

I too sweat like a waterfall and I shoot Nikon. When younger and living in the Middle East I was a professionally coached squash player. I was always playing my brother who is a large chap. However, I seemed to go through a couple of grips a month whereas his would last 6 months. If I wear a black t-shirt on assignment, as I often do as I shoot with black cameras, by day's end I'll have a perfect white t shape on the back as a result of all the salt sweated out. My wife is a doctor and she said that about 1 in five men sweat heavilly. It's all related to metabolism. We process certain kinds of foods differently too including alcohol, caffine and some meats apparently. I love a hot climate but I tend to require substantially more fluid than most people. Also, when I'm out for a few jars of an evening I'll need to pee about twice for every pint consumed. It's hard to get drunk like that but that's a good thing as I like to have my wits about me as I always have a camera on me and can't afford to have it knicked. Besides, Nikons make for fine defensive weapons.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 01:58:00 +0000

Andy, OK.As this post gets longer and longer with photogs chiming in with similar complaints...would it make sense to send off a group letter from affected LS members asking the corporate suits to WAKE UP! Just as a side thought...just when did this particular problem raise its head? Cameras have gone to war , disasters, bad weather, under water, space, yadda yadda yadda. NO screaming about equipment. Is .this a sensitive DIGITAL thing vs.traditional film thingie? Remember all the pics from Viet NAM shot with Nikon F's? No problems with sweat. Digi cameras today just have too much unneeded features. Good for camera corps but a pain for photogs..Hmmm... Greg

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 02:48:33 +0000

I had the same problems with Nikon Profesional Services. I don't know anybody (I assume that any of my friends) is a member oof NPS. So, I have no body to act like a sponsor. Shit!

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 08:12:40 +0000

In a way isnt this the reason they have the weather sealed 1d series? I shot with mine in the sea today and it got pretty soaked with sea water. Once it was dried, i ran the cloth over it and all is good, but i wouldnt do the same thing with the 5d as there is little sealing at all. Shooting in a bathroom with any humidity is madness imho

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 12:13:16 +0000

I have the sealed D200 and use it with sealed "pro" lenses. A few times I got caught by heavy rain and the camera withstood the punishment...

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 13:41:59 +0000

Greg, why don't you take care of that?

I am sure you can organize a petition for 5D owners, assuming you are one, and send it to Canon. Personally, I shoot only a 20D so I am in no position to participate, and I have had no problems with the 20D. My concern was only to make some suggestions to Martin that I thought practical to help him out. Contacting CPS in Mineola is one such suggestion. But if you are willing to take some action in the way of a petition, then by all means, best of luck.

Sorry to hear about the difficulties you are having with you career, but I suggest you hang in there as best you can.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 13:56:04 +0000

I can't belive Canon used your pictures in their ads and don't let you join CPS, that seems a little hash

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 14:04:24 +0000

Andy, Sorry but I'm a very happy D-200 user. I suggested that some Canon users,preferrably with some professional clout, get together to bug Canon on this issue. Greg

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 14:14:30 +0000

And its a good idea.....hopefully someone will be motivated to do it!

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 15:14:20 +0000

Martin, I was not meant to offend u; your so well detailed description - that i admit sounded to me a bit grotesque - made me think that besides the tech support by canon, you should also take care about your health, 'cause your problem, as you state, seemed to me quite serious ... that's all; take care, dana

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 15:31:23 +0000

I also tend to sweat a lot. The rubber on my Nikons becomes loose every here and then. Even this is a known issue with the cameras, mine tend to fall off every 3-4 months or so.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 15:59:44 +0000

film cameras are not immune from this -- the strap rings on my Leica M2 RUSTED through during monsoon season in Hong Kong -- and because they became brittle and coarse, they acted as sandpaper on the strap lugs themselves and the camera fell off of my shoulder. And during a crazy crowded Buddhist festival in Singapore, I sweated so much INTO the waist-level finder of my Rolleiflex that i had to open the top up and clean the ground glass and mirror. but what i've been told is that, actually, the number one cause of equipment troubles for professional photographers is VIBRATION. from airplanes. cars. constant use. One of two airplane rides already begins to subtlely loosen screws. big changes in temperature, humidity, pressure, especially if it's checked into the unpressurized baggage hold of an airplane. All of that "ages" the equipment in an invisible way that has nothing to do with how much the camera or lens is actually in your hands. In other words, for example, the 80-200mm that you never use but always carry still absorbs almost as much long-term degradation as the 28mm that you shoot 80% of your pictures with. So it's best to wrap each piece in BUBBLE WRAP while travelling. This dramatically reduces the vibrations. of course you can't always do this. but that's what I've been told.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 15:08:58 +0000

hey together, just to give you all an update on this case. i sent an e-mail to canon europe explaining my situation and expressing my worries about my camera model maybe being a "lemon". canon europe right away offered to send me a new eos 5d. i hope to get it by the end of next week... martin

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 15:26:43 +0000

martin,why didn't they do that when you first pointed out the problem to them?bunch of cheapskates i reckon.if the 5d is prone to this sort of thing,i wouldn't want it replaced.i would get my money back and buy something else.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 15:36:05 +0000

Bottom line, as expensive as they might seem, cameras are disposable. Just like computers.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 22:58:02 +0000

Hey Martin, How are you? Please do me a favor; I am a very old student of â€œEric Lessingâ€™(1986,INDIA )who is from your city only. But now there is no contact, can you find his present address, email and phone number for me. I want to say hello to my grand old teacher. Thanks Naveen saxena

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 16:30:34 +0000

Howdy Martin. I sweat like hell too. As we all know moisture is bad for cameras/lenses, what's worse, sweat! Moisture + bacteria, its very potent combination, especially when kept kept in a camera bag, no ventilation, its almost a suicide case for fungal attack too. I'm shooting on a D2X now, and used to shoot pretty much on F4S and a Bronica GS1 with a prism finder. What I usually do, I wrap a long towel on the strap to keep it dry and also have a jungle net towel slung on my neck so i could wipe easily whenever needed. Whenever possible I take out the camera straps (I use OpTech straps, they're easily detachable via clasps) or let it hang outside the camera bag (for the case of D2X) hooked to the bagstrap with a carabiner to prevent the moisture buildup inside the bag at the same time air the strap. I've gotten a few camera bags infested with fungus in the past because of that, and it got to the equipment that it was carrying too. now my bags are fungus free, it has pretty much airing the insides are dry and safe though its much worn on the outside.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 14:13:22 +0000

guess what... happened again although i wipe that face of mine as well as that camera of mine off with two different towels all the time. conclusion: really need to loose weight and see if i start to sweat less. really need to go out and search the street for these approximately 7.000 bucks that i need for a 1dsm2. :-(

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 14:17:04 +0000

Except that will be even heavier... more sweat carrying that around. Me - unhelpful. :)

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 14:46:57 +0000

Wow, mirrors falling out, sweat killing them, the 5D must be the biggest turkey ever turned out by Canon durability wise. Glad I didn't get one, the 1 series cameras have been bullet proof in my experience, even in downpours (from the sky, not my skin).

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 01:52:27 +0000

Yes, a s**tload of money will solve most camera problems, I have observed..... Martin, I lost 20 pounds recently and I found it materially improved my agility for shooting action stuff (that was about a 10% loss for me). It had some other good ramifications (overall cholesterol level moved well outside of the danger zone and the bad kind of cholesterol really plunged). Of course I do miss the sausages, cheeses and chocolate...

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 04:38:25 +0000

Yep, same problem here - expecially working in Southern Thailand and Malaysia.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 22:38:26 +0000

I am thinking to buy 5D, but each day I hear stories like this one from my colleagues who use Canon cameras (1D Mk2 and 5D). Lot of crazy shit happened with their equipment. Canon needs to improve their quality control.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 00:35:37 +0000

Hey I am for one really glad to read this post today! This may be the crucial point for me in my final decision between a 5D and 1Ds MkII 'cos well even though my mum used to say, 'horses sweat, men perspire and women glow' I must be luminous when I work! I too sweat when I am running around and am nervous (which when I work is always- its the adrenaline) and I have had bad experiences with film cameras and humidity so that its for me! 1Ds MkII here I come!

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 00:54:15 +0000

I love my 5D's, but have already had one overhauled internally (w/ CPS charging me $600) from a rainy/humid day in Jamaica and my current one has been flaky a few times when it's gotten wet. It's unfortunate, because this camera is about perfect to me and I don't like the extra bulk of the 1Ds.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 21:20:59 +0000

Just to add my own experience here. I blew up my D70 by sweating into it. I was shooting in a lowland tropical rainforest. 100% humidity, 34++ deg C. Like warm chicken soup. Face and clothes soaking wet, with rivulets running down my brow and nose. Evidently some sweat got into the pop-up flash module, even though I was using an external flash mounted on the hotshoe with the pop-up closed. But I did not realize it at the time. All I noticed was, as I was winding down the shoot, the LCD going a bit funky. No problem, since I was all done. Back at camp, checked the camera, and everything was copacetic. LCD back to normal, camera switched on and off fine. Just a temporary fit due to the humidity I reckoned. I continued to use the camera for the next month and a half, and everything seemed to work great. Then one day I picked up an SB-800, and instead of using the cord, decided to use the on-board pop-up to trigger it (I had never used the on-board pop-up till then, always using an external flash). Camera on, commander mode, pop-up flash up, SB-800 in slave mode, channels set OK, etc. etc. Press the release. Shutter opens and closes, image recorded, but no flash. Tried again, still no luck firing the flash. I had used the wireless CLS before, and so I knew it was not operator error. Closed pop-up, switched camera off and on, pressed the little button to release the pop-up and suddenly there was a *LOUD* "BANG!" and a smell of electronics burning and that was that. Camera was dead. Completely and utterly. Still under 8 mo+ warranty, so took it into Nikon, who, after keeping it for 2 months, refused to repair it due to evidence of "water damage". Showed me photographs of the charred circuit boards with "waterlines" around. Total write-off. Thank goodness for insurance. I replaced it with a D70s, and then a D200. I'm fairly sure the D200 would have survived the experience. In fact, I think the D200 could probably survive a tornado. Now, though, for better or worse, I've switched to Canon, and use a 5D, which looks to me no more hardy than the D70, so I'm careful with the sweat thing and other field abuses!

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 02:07:15 +0000

As I travel thru Nicaragua these past two weeks I too sweated into my camera both digital and film. It was 105 and 90% humidity. I had a lot of problems with my digital battery. It seemed to run out faster than usual. I also had condensation on my 14mm lens. The polaroids I brought along with my sx-70 melted in the atlantic coast. Oh well, I don't think there anything I can do about any of these problems. I really wanted to leave the people in Rama Island some polaroids, at least I will be able to send them prints with the contacts I made with the Island leader.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 03:40:23 +0000

martin... sweat and humidity is definatley a problem. i'm pretty sure profuse sweating can be treated by doctors... my D100 was urinated on by a dog once... it also went through a cyclone, the bloody thing still works.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 07:53:03 +0000

Hey Jake- Do you think the animals are trying to tell you something ? First your camera gets pissed on by a dog and now the bull shit! Best wishes from a very sweaty JR.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 07:55:31 +0000

enough of the bullshit already!

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 08:25:17 +0000

Hey don't go to a bat cave Jake otherwise everything will become as boring as batshit............................................. sometimes film is moreb usefull to fill a gap in the conditions

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 13:41:20 +0000

Martin I read this thread a while ago. I heard you sent a letter to canon regarding this problem. I had the exact problem, sweating into the camera, sent the body to canon in NY, got it back past the warranty time in bogota, colombia, used it for a couple of days and the camera died again, two days of working equipment for $388.00? Point is I wrote to Canon about the eos 1d and tey never answer to me, rude bastards, anyway, could you tell me who you sent your letter to? They did answer to you, yes? Thanks man, c

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 16:35:48 +0000

Carlos, I had a direct contact at Canon Europe because they sponsored a project of mine in 2005. The first time that happened they repaired the camera although they said they wouldn't need to do this, it was a favor... The second time they replaced it, the third time I didn't even talk to them anymore. The person who granted me sponsorship doesn't work at Canon anymore so I can't give you the right person to talk to because I don't know whom to talk to myself. Sorry about that!

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 23:51:33 +0000

Hi Martin... I too sweat like a hog! And I live in Texas, at least it's a dry heat... I couldn't live without my bandannas and other headbands. They work great. I suspect sweat from your forehead may be getting through your buttons on top. There are more sweat glands up there than on the face. Check out www.sweathelp.org There is a prescription strength antiperspirant available, but it may cause irritation on the face. I sometimes use a coolmax based headband from cycling clothing manufacturers. It isn't hot and it absorbs well and dries fast (get two). Plus terry wrist bands that I use to wipe my face. Keep in mind that sweat contains salt, which is highly corrosive. Tiny electrical traces and such don't stand a chance. Is there a way to add some sealing yourself with a tiny bit of silicone? Perhaps a small piece of clear plastic over the top to protect the buttons. I know nobody wants to spoil the look, but... I'm sure you don't want to stand along the fashion runway with your 5D in an underwater housing, or do you? : ) Bill

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 01:32:13 +0000

Hey Martin... I don't know what is gonna happen to you in the next years with the global warming...(sorry..just an easy joke) Maybe what you got is Hiperhidrosis..*3% of the population have it...INFo for Dana de Luca...I dont see anythink grothesque..Check this.. Haider A, Solish N. Focal hyperhidrosis: diagnosis and management. CMAJ. 2005 Jan 4;172(1):69-75. Hornberger J, Grimes K et al. Recognition, diagnosis and treatment of primary focal hyperhidrosis. J Am Acad Dermatol 2004; 51: 274-86 Al.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 02:04:36 +0000

After reading this, I'm glad I'm as cold as ice.

Re: How sweating keeps ruining my camera

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 04:54:22 +0000

Martin, See a dermitologist. There might be something they can give you for that.