Pentax's WR?? submersion in saltwater

What specific model?   WR could mean a waterproof point-n-shoot film camera, a zoom lens, others.

Is an interchangeable lens system what you are looking for?   Video or stills or both?  Zoom or not?  Shoot RAW capability?

In the Nature and Wildlife forum here I have seen a number of postings from kayakers.  If I recall correctly, the ones with interchangeable lens cameras were typically storing them in waterproof containers (bags or bins)  and taking them out when photographing birds and the like.

Action video buffs like Gopros, and they should certainly stand up to the conditions, but I wouldn't ue one for stills.

For the smaller, easy-to-handhold cameras for diving, a Sea and Sea is water resistant to some depth even without its housing, and the TG5 has quite a following for divers shooting macro.

I used to follow reports on the Nikon AW system, and leaks were notoriously common.   I'm suspicious of any camera with a slapped-on gasket system.

I'd be very suspicious of any interchangeable lens camera not in a housing surviving a seawater splash, much less a submersion.

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2017/10/about-getting-your-camera-wet-teardown-of-a-salty-sony-a7sii/

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2020/08/the-fujifilm-gfx-100-vs-salt-water-teardown/

j3ffw wrote:

thanks for taking the time to respond. I am specifically interested in Pentax's interchangeable lens system of the k-1 with a WR lens.

I understand what you are saying about being suspect, I remember always needing to be extra careful with my Nikonos cameras, lubing the gaskets and keeping hair or sand particles off them.

again thanks for any insights.

Hi j3ffw,

I looked in the net and see that Pentax WR lenses are weather resistant lenses. I suppose, pretty like weather sealing in other systems, e.g. Olympus MFT. Such a camera with lenses is best transported in a kayak in water tight tons, polstered with foam material, as e.g.: https://www.amazon.de/Certeo-Weithalsfass-Kunststofffass-Standfass-Weithalstonne/dp/B00XWCLRCI/ref=bmx_7?pd_rd_w=2yNAv&pf_rd_p=e658eece-dae1-4cfe-b01c-9342170a2229&pf_rd_r=5K6DGA3CE61F9CWZGT5J&pd_rd_r=20260853-6a74-4a88-9c8f-b60f6f52c186&pd_rd_wg=1tDZA&pd_rd_i=B00XWCLRCI&psc=1

When you take a photo you take your gear out and after the photo you put it back. Weather sealing will help to keep your gear intact, but it is not a means to make it waterproof for eskimo-rolls...

In case you want to take with you a high quality ILC system, such a ton is the way to go (and WR will help).

Often kajakers use Olympus TG series cameras (small sensor but raw files and reasonable IQ) for photos and/or actioncams for video, when they want really waterproof cameras...

Wolfgang

I have no experience with Pentax or it's WR range, but as mentioned above the WR stands for "Weather Resistant", not water resistant or waterproof. The Pentax website actually mentions "it’s weather-resistant to handle damp, inclement conditions."There is a BIG difference between "damp" conditions and submersion

In Canon L series lens and camera body terms weather resistant means different things, especially with the bodies, but it NEVER means waterproof. A Canon 6D body is described as weatherproof and so is a Canon 1DX, but the 6D might handle a few minutes of light drizzle, whereas the 1DX might handle a wave splash. Some L series lenses are described as weather resistant against dust or dampness ingress (I have a few L lenses and have never more anything more definitive than this on Canon's literature), and some of them require a filter to be fitted to the front element to achieve this.

There has been many discussions in the Canon forums about the WR and the reports vary significantly with some indicating survival of a short fresh water submersion (on a pro-level body and L series lens), whereas others report water damage (terminal or requiring a Canon repair) after being caught in a shower of rain, so there is no definitive standard.

Worth noting that Canon doesn't actually state that any of them are warranted against water damage.

So, unless Pentax has done something dramatically different to Canon, the WR just means that the gear is likely to survive a light drizzle of rain, but not much more. On ILC systems the WR means something completely different generally to what WR means on a small compact camera.

Colin

j3ffw wrote:

key phrase there is "actual experience using"

I don't think that too many people would be "brave" enough to fully submerge in rough salty water in a kayak a camera & lens that the manufacturer rates for "damp and inclement" conditions :-), so I am not sure how many "actual user experiences" you will find.

Good luck in your search.

Colin

j3ffw wrote:

I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I am a firm believer in searching past threads and manufacture's info prior to posting a redundant question. So yes I am aware that WR relates to the phrase weather Resistance not water proof.

However in the defense of the original question, there are numerous Youtube videos showcasing the Pentax system being rinsed off or dunked into bathtubs. Demonstrating a WR beyond anything I've experience with Canon, Sony, or Nikon cameras.

I don't own a Pentax system nor have a local camera store - it does look like the WR lenses are equipped with a rubber gasket within the mounting ring - neither Canon, Sony, or Nikon provide this element of WR in their systems.

Really what I was hoping with the first post was actual first hand experience from users who are around boats/water and have actual insights using these Pentax bodies in these environments. key phrase there is "actual experience using"

I didn't mean to ask a silly question thinking WR could mean a camera I could jump in the pool with.

Some Olympus cameras and lenses provide weather sealing that is at least as good as the one of Pentax. I also saw Youtube videos where people wash their Olympus cameras with lens under a shower. There are images from Olympus advertismenet that show cameras in heavy rain and partially frozen in ice-blocks...

=> I never would tare to expose my camera to such conditions and firmly believe those people that do so, in the meantime have stopped, because they ran into problems and their gar was ruined...

Wolfgang