Hardcore weather sealing test for the E-M5 / 12-50 lens.

Great dramatic shots Bitmatt...! Thanks for posting these and testing the weather sealing for us... 

 

Ha ha Crazy!! Great camera! No fog issue with the viewfinder ?

 

Nice dramatic photos.

I was able to test the E-M5's weather sealing last weekend when I went to Hakone, Japan for vacation. The weather is not so good. It rains from time to time. I have the 20mm and 45mm but I opted to use the 12-50mm kit because of the bad weather.

I was still able to get pictures inspite of the rain. Thanks to the weather sealing.

Normally, when I'm out and it's raining, I don't shoot anymore. I will just keep the camera in my bag until the rain stops. But with E-M5 + 12-5- combo, I'm confident to shoot even when it's raining. The E-M5 was not soaking wet during picture taking. Just some water droplets from the rain. I feel secure and confident to shoot knowing that the camera in my hand is weather sealed.

 

Fun photos! Knowing that I'll be taking the camera to Iceland later this year is one of the reasons that I ordered the E-M5 instead of the X-Pro1. Reading Lloyd Chambers's comments on the X-Pro1 reaffirmed the wisdom of that decision.

—Andreas

 

Awesome photos! Looking forward to more native m4/3 weather-sealed lenses in the future.

 

Dramatic stuff! Did you have a towel to wipe off the camera afterwards?

DH

 

Stunning images, thanks for posting. Also a stern test for weather sealing.

Yesterday evening I waited patiently in my car for the rain to stop so I could take a shot of the scene below with my Panasonic G3 and 14-45mm kit lens. The rain never stopped so, just as the light was rapidly fading, I improvised and "weather sealed" my G3 with a plastic bag I got free with some Chinese food.

I made a hole in the bottom of the bag that fit tightly around my lens hood then used the hole in the top of the bag to access the controls. The rain was medium to heavy by British standards, so it was a reasonable test of my "weather sealing". I managed eight or nine reasonably worthwhile shots in about five minutes in the rain. When I got back to the car, I only had to dry off the lens hood. Luckily, there was not one spot of water anywhere else on the camera or lens.

So who needs an E-M5, eh?  

View attachment 201183
Panasonic G3, 14-45mm, 1/40 sec at f/5.6.

 

The only camera I ever owned that had insane weather sealing was my old Pentax K10D. I went water rafting with it, and dipped it into a river because it was dropped in mud, and that thing survived like a boss. Oh and the 1D Mk? that was with us died half way through.

 

Did your viewfinder fog-up?

 

Great pics!

 

dito

 

Please don't do that.   The K10D is a cheap camera, and mine was paired with a weather sealed DA* 16-50mm. I am quite sure it was better built than the E-M5 to be honest. As much as I love the E-M5, I don't think it can match the weather sealing of the K10D.

 

I wonder what the audio portion would have sounded like...

"oh, $#!%" <click> <splash>

 

 

The BW shots were already fantastic; thanks for adding the color shots of the sunset.

When my family and I lived in Pittsburgh we used to go by the Lake a lot, but only in sunny weather. Needless to say, I have never seen it as wild as shown in your photos. Great stuff.