My Canon SX30IS got slightly wet in salt water. Need your advise.

Hi,

i am new to this forum, and this is my first query here. Please help.

I own a Canon Powershot SX30IS for last 3 years and worked fantastic. I face a problem that it came in contact with sea water accidently and below is how its now.

1. Last weekend when i took it to a vacation to a beach, i was just near the shore (3 meters in the water clicking pics of the coral.

2. Unfortunately a wave wiped of the bottom half of my camera (half of the level of lens) such that some water slipped in through the bottom side camera, in the gaps of the Batter Door area. ..

3. Out of curiosity, i opened the battery door, immediately in may be 20 seconds, removed the battery and checked inside. Looks like when i inverted, the water seepeed into the terminals that the battery touches and may be further into the chip that lies beneath it contacting the Power button, focus and dial buttions.

4. Please note that this amount of sea water was unfortunately Salt water, but fortunately very less in amount that i dont think it would have caused a full soak. I predict may be just close to the power area may be 20 % of the whole camera in maximum.

4. I kept it for dry for a day  and tried checking it. Below was happening

1) Couldn't extend the lens first

2) tried Rotatin the dial, could see very sliggish yet not clear movement of dial options on the screen

3) Tried extending lens, yes it moved and retracted back,

4) after sometime it  dint . it was showing screen as attached here.

5) Tried again after dying sometime It was also detecting that memory card was isnt there

6) after 2 days, it opned same way - working abnormally.. Switched off it.

7) i notice that when i Open the Door, Put the battery In, The GREEN LED glows without engaging the Power Button, and without closing the battery door even, and the camera Does not turn on even when power button is pressed later.

8) very rarely i get it opening - but working abnormally. Now i have not tried again, but want to take your advice.

Given the above symptoms that there was no physical damage, but some of them were seen working yet abnormally, What do you think. I like this camera the most and want to get it back to action . Feeling very sad ! Please advise the best. I live in India.

What steps should i do now? Should it be fine if it kept it under mild sunlight that beams into the house from the roof?

Thanks,

Binny.

With fresh water, you can dry it and usually save it.  But Salt water is corrosive and much worse  If salt water got into the camera body and onto any of the circuit boards, even if it dries, it will leave a salt residue behind, which is a ticking time bomb.  Mostly, cameras do not recover from salt water, but sooner or later will fail.  So, be prepared.  It all depends on whether salt water entered the main body and got on critical components.  Salt water is not covered under camera warranty repair.
So, that is the bad news... But I am wishing you best of luck.  That is a nasty thing to have happen!!

Salt water is the worst and even if you get the moisture out the salt remains behind and with just moisture for the air it will continue to hard the circuits.

Sorry for your loss.

Binny Jeshan wrote:

Hi,

i am new to this forum, and this is my first query here. Please help.

I own a Canon Powershot SX30IS for last 3 years and worked fantastic. I face a problem that it came in contact with sea water accidently and below is how its now.

1. Last weekend when i took it to a vacation to a beach, i was just near the shore (3 meters in the water clicking pics of the coral.

2. Unfortunately a wave wiped of the bottom half of my camera (half of the level of lens) such that some water slipped in through the bottom side camera, in the gaps of the Batter Door area. ..

3. Out of curiosity, i opened the battery door, immediately in may be 20 seconds, removed the battery and checked inside. Looks like when i inverted, the water seepeed into the terminals that the battery touches and may be further into the chip that lies beneath it contacting the Power button, focus and dial buttions.

4. Please note that this amount of sea water was unfortunately Salt water, but fortunately very less in amount that i dont think it would have caused a full soak. I predict may be just close to the power area may be 20 % of the whole camera in maximum.

4. I kept it for dry for a day and tried checking it. Below was happening

1) Couldn't extend the lens first

2) tried Rotatin the dial, could see very sliggish yet not clear movement of dial options on the screen

3) Tried extending lens, yes it moved and retracted back,

4) after sometime it dint . it was showing screen as attached here.

5) Tried again after dying sometime It was also detecting that memory card was isnt there

6) after 2 days, it opned same way - working abnormally.. Switched off it.

7) i notice that when i Open the Door, Put the battery In, The GREEN LED glows without engaging the Power Button, and without closing the battery door even, and the camera Does not turn on even when power button is pressed later.

8) very rarely i get it opening - but working abnormally. Now i have not tried again, but want to take your advice.

Given the above symptoms that there was no physical damage, but some of them were seen working yet abnormally, What do you think. I like this camera the most and want to get it back to action . Feeling very sad ! Please advise the best. I live in India.

What steps should i do now? Should it be fine if it kept it under mild sunlight that beams into the house from the roof?

Thanks,

Binny.

Your camera is toast!! Throw it out. Buy a SX50.

panamforeman wrote:

Binny Jeshan wrote:

Hi,

i am new to this forum, and this is my first query here. Please help.

I own a Canon Powershot SX30IS for last 3 years and worked fantastic. I face a problem that it came in contact with sea water accidently and below is how its now.

1. Last weekend when i took it to a vacation to a beach, i was just near the shore (3 meters in the water clicking pics of the coral.

2. Unfortunately a wave wiped of the bottom half of my camera (half of the level of lens) such that some water slipped in through the bottom side camera, in the gaps of the Batter Door area. ..

3. Out of curiosity, i opened the battery door, immediately in may be 20 seconds, removed the battery and checked inside. Looks like when i inverted, the water seepeed into the terminals that the battery touches and may be further into the chip that lies beneath it contacting the Power button, focus and dial buttions.

4. Please note that this amount of sea water was unfortunately Salt water, but fortunately very less in amount that i dont think it would have caused a full soak. I predict may be just close to the power area may be 20 % of the whole camera in maximum.

4. I kept it for dry for a day and tried checking it. Below was happening

1) Couldn't extend the lens first

2) tried Rotatin the dial, could see very sliggish yet not clear movement of dial options on the screen

3) Tried extending lens, yes it moved and retracted back,

4) after sometime it dint . it was showing screen as attached here.

5) Tried again after dying sometime It was also detecting that memory card was isnt there

6) after 2 days, it opned same way - working abnormally.. Switched off it.

7) i notice that when i Open the Door, Put the battery In, The GREEN LED glows without engaging the Power Button, and without closing the battery door even, and the camera Does not turn on even when power button is pressed later.

8) very rarely i get it opening - but working abnormally. Now i have not tried again, but want to take your advice.

Given the above symptoms that there was no physical damage, but some of them were seen working yet abnormally, What do you think. I like this camera the most and want to get it back to action . Feeling very sad ! Please advise the best. I live in India.

What steps should i do now? Should it be fine if it kept it under mild sunlight that beams into the house from the roof?

Thanks,

Binny.

Your camera is toast!! Throw it out. Buy a SX50.

.

Ditto

Have the funeral and move on.

Saltwater is death to electronic gadgets like a camera.  It's never going to be the same.

Been there, done that, got the XL T-Shirt.

I2K4 wrote:

Never with a camera (I own SX10), but with a couple of drink spills on computer keyboards I had excellent experience with electrical contact cleaner spray, available at shops like Radio Shack. Pure isopropyl alcohol and propellant, be sure it is not the kind of spray that contains lubricants or leaves any residue. Only an example, there are others:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102649

It's an extremely volatile solvent that will spray on in liquid to wash out the parts and restore electrical contact, then evaporate quickly. It's safe for plastics.

I think I'd drench the battery and other compartments and any crevices or buttons affected, clean and help the solvent into the cracks with a cotton swab, and let it dry thoroughly before inserting fresh batteries (not the ones that were wetted). Good luck.

For drink spills and oils and oily gunk what you suggest is an excellent option.  That's what it is made for.  The problem is that it is not a good solvent for salt residue.  Lots of pure distilled water and then very good deep quick drying would actually be better than the solvent, because pure water is the best solvent for salt.  But damage done by the salt water cannot be undone.  That is the problem.

I2K4 wrote:

You may be quite right. Though there's a fair amount of oil, gunk etc. in seawater that distilled water wouldn't clean. They're not really mutually exclusive. In fact, a virtue of the solvent is it will remove residual moisture if used after a water cleaning. The camera looks like a brick right now, so maybe worth a try, and the spray is handy for other purposes if it doesn't work.

That is a good idea.  Follow a fresh water clean with the solvent clean to remove oil based gunk and help speed drying.  At this point, it is worth trying.  Otherwise, the camera is likely a lost cause.  Not much more to lose.