Now and then I take my EOS 50E/ELAN IIE with a Canon 17-35 f2.8 and a Canon 550EX with me while doing speleology. I have a sturdy waterproof Peli-case to protect the camera, lens and flash during the transport in the cave, but up till now I didn't dare to use the camera in some conditions due to the high humidity (100%) and splashing/floating waterdrops in some watery caves, for example when standing just besides a 20 meter high waterfall.

I was considering getting a second hand EOS 3 to have a more water resistant body, but is it worth doing so? Is the Canon 17-35 f2.8 not the weakest link? Will there be no water entering the camera by its interface with the camera? And will the 17-35 survive this kind of wet environments?

Thanks for your opinion, David

-- David Chiaradia (ered_lithui@hotmail.com), May 28, 2002

Answers

I think what you really want is an EOS 1V and 16-35 F2.8L, since these offer much higher levels of resistance, including rubber seals around the lens mount. Obviously at a price, however. The EOS 3 is a good step up from the 50E in terms of weather-proofing, but does not offer the lens-mount sealing, which is not offered by the 17-35 also.

-- Isaac Sibson (isibson@hotmail.com), May 28, 2002.

Or you could get a waterproof diving case which, while cumbersome, would let you take photos under any conditions - including underwater - with aplomb.

-- NK Guy (tela@tela.bc.ca), May 28, 2002.

An Ewa-Marine bag for the camera would work for this as well.

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), May 28, 2002.