Weather Sealing is a Gimmick.

Eric Nepean wrote:

Paco 316 wrote:

Eric Nepean wrote:

Service Advisory:Product damage caused by sand or liquid contamination will void the original warranty and any extended warranties if applicable. In most cases Olympus service will not be able to repair the camera. In these situations, the camera would be deemed beyond reliable repair and returned without servicing.

In other words - if the weather seals fail, and dust or water is found in the camera, its not Olympus's problem - buy a new camera.

Weather proof warranty - bah, humbug

Integrity - bah, humbug

Lost in translation? It doesn't say dust and it doesn't say water.

Dust and sand are NOT the same. Sand is like salt, corrosive. Dust comes from dirt and pollen in the air. Two very different things.

It is advertised as Splash proof, like it got rain on or you dropped in the pool but pulled it out immediately or it got splashed on when you went canoeing.

Doesn't mean you can abuse it, sink it, soak it, drop it in the sea and you are covered. Liquid contamination is you broke the barriers of the gaskets on purpose not by chance.

Liquid contamination is they found liquid, or evidence of the same, inside the camera. According to their document, we don't have any warranty in that case, it doesn't matter if you just splashed it or if you submerged it. In the case of a poorly installed or deteriorated weather seal, we will be out of luck.

If you got a model with good seals, you're golden. Otherwise you aren't covered.

This is my third Olympus camera over the last 20 years, sold the last one because of a manufacturing defect in the lens. The E-M1 is a nice camera, but my respect and confidence in this company has dropped through the floor.

Weather resistant is just that. Seals protect the camera from water, snow, cold, hot, humid, dry weather, simple enough?

My other cameras (without weather seals) have survived all that with careful handling, the E-M1 will require the same careful handling.

Olympus Weather proofing is just a gimmick.

It is also advertized as shock proof, and I have personally experienced a drop, TWICE actually (stupid butterfingers) on my E-M5 and it works like it should.

So to me there is no false advertisement and there is no gimmick. I know my E-M5 didn't cost me $1,000 for the weather sealing, it cost me that amount because of the technological advances and features of the camera, the weather sealing was just a plus really

i guess you've never been in a monsoon. i can guarantee you your cameras will be dead within seconds even with careful handling.

the nature of monsoon rains is that sometimes you see them coming and sometimes it's clear skies, sunny then 5 seconds later you're drenched to the same degree as jumping fully clothed into the deep end of a swimming pool.

i had 2 cameras die in FAR lighter rain that that while i was trying to bag it and get to shelter. my omd's have consistently functioned again and again. i am not purposely finding ways to drench my camera and in some cases it cant be worked around. unless BOTH my omd's are magical & have enchantments my other cameras dont have, i fail to see how this can be a gimmick. either i'm just consistently lucky or the omd's are built to a much higher standard than some other cameras.

you can be careful all you want but mr monsoon wont care how careful you are when you're in the middle of a field with the closest shelter a 3 minute run away. hunching over wont keep the camera dry. your chest will be just as soaked as your back by the time you pull out your plastic bag.

if you have the luxury of not being in such situations while shooting, good for you but it's a little silly to make conclusive statements like "helmets are a gimmick. i just make sure i'm careful i dont fall when i'm in a bike crash."