How fragile is the OM-D E M10 Markii to cold or wet weather?

Don't go out in the rain with it.
Low temps are not an issue for me in the topics  
Battery performance drops in low temps, so the manual advises you warm it up in your pocket for a while.
The manual states and operating environment: 0 °C - 40 °C (32 °F - 104 °F) (operation) and –20 °C - 60 °C (–4 °F - 140 °F) (storage)

 

The temperature ranges are pretty standard for consumer electronic devices and certify minimum range the devices will operate over. Figure it will work in the same environment as your cell phone. The only thing I would suggest is if you take the camera/lens out side long enough for it to cold soak to outside ambient, keep it in a camera bag or plastic bag when brought back into a warm and much more humid environment, like your house, to prevent condensation forming on it.

 

I am not a very graceful person. On a recent snowshoe hike, I managed to catch my snowshoe on a fallen tree limb that wasn't visible on the surface and took a face dive into the snow. I had my EM10 MKI around my neck at the time. Snow was literally packed entirely around my camera and lens. I was able to blow all the snow off, and the camera doesn't seem to be any worse for wear. The lens on the camera was the O12-40 2.8 and is weather sealed. I'm sure that helped greatly. But still, definitely a panic inducing experience and one that I don't care to repeat.

This Winter I have consistently had the camera out in 0-5°F or ~ -15°C temps with various lenses, and camera seems to be doing fine with it. Of course, I have no idea if it is going to make the camera last only 3 years vs 6 years or whatever life expectancy is on these things. My point being, that the camera is performing well in those conditions and I see no immediate damage or adverse effects to IQ.

Rain freaks me out a bit though. I definitely play it safe with rain.

 

Like the others above, I don't like using my cameras in rain very much, but both my GX1 and GX7 - which have no specific temperature rating, to the best of knowledge - have seen cold temperatures down to about -15 C (which is about as much as I can tolerate, really...). The battery life is reduced, but I can't shoot in those conditions for much longer than my cameras can, so it's not really a big deal to me.

In short, I really wouldn't worry about it. Or at least, I haven't!

One of these days I think would like to get an E-M1 (or E-M1 II?) to complement my 11-22mm and really be able to forget about weather conditions and shoot as I please. That would really transform the utility of that lens, since I could use it with PDAF autofocus in the rain or snow and not need to worry about its fiddly focus-by-wire controls.

 

Bag it!
Decent clear plastic bag with a hole cut for the lens to poke through, and then secure it in place with an elastic band around the lens, just behind the lens hood.
Or buy a purpose made rain coat.

I've never really given a thought to photographing in the rain, just got on and done it. But in the days before weatherproofing of the pro camera bodies became a reality (or trustworthy, shall we say?), I would often use a bag, although I did buy a couple of purpose made camera rain coats.

This image was an E-M1 and 40-150mm Pro and no protection in a fair downpour:

LE: Bridal Rain Portrait

I actually gave less thought to the matter than with the Nikon D4, or others I use.

 

Excellent tip! thanks

 

Yes, I definitely do this.

If you're out in really cold conditions, keep your camera in a big, sealed ziplock bag when you get back into a warm environment. This will prevent the moisture in the warm air from immediately condensing on (and inside!) the cold lens and camera.

 

I'm using the old E-M10 but I guess it's similiar enough  
For the rain, I just put on a shower-cap on the body (those disposable ones you get at hotels) with an elastic band around the lens. With my 12-40 I attach it right behind the zoom band (since it's supposed to be weather-sealed and i need to use the zoom), and with the 25mm I wrap it all the way to the hood. I haven't had any trouble yet. I've done this with several different cameras/lenses in the past 6-7 years, none of which were weather-sealed and haven't had any issues whatsoever.

As for the freezing temperatures, I think the coldest I've used mine was -10 C. But as others have noted, the biggest problem is not really the temperature itself, but what happens when you come back into a warm environment. I take out the SD-card and battery, then put the camera inside a closed plastic bag before going inside and don't use the camera for some hours until it has had time to heat up slowly.

 

I abused a little the E-M10 mk1 without problems. Once it spent the night here, in a tent, this picture was took at 9 A.M. the following morning:



It was about zero degrees and the humidity...I think those are clouds   The tent cover was completely wet.

Two other times I shot it in light rain for about 30 minutes, once with the P20, the other with the O12-40. I wiped it a few times to remove the rain.

This only means that the camera is not extremely delicate but...YMMV.

 

Sorry I would not worry about it at all. I never do or did. I shoot pro gear Nikon D700, Nikon D7000, Nikon D70s, Pentax film and Olympus M10 Mark II. Tons of lenses and other gear. I am really rough with my gear and have never had any problems. Just today we went snowshoeing in -7c temps and heavy downpour of snow. Camera was covered as was the lens. No issues. I never equalize the gear, ever! Only when coming from an air conditioned building to a 30+ humid outside day. You will fog the lens and eyepiece.

You can put it in bags, you can do all kinds of stuff with it but it is built for abuse. Give it to it. I use mine in -40c arctic and snow to +40c desert and sand.

I dont have dust bunnies or any other critters inside any of my lenses or cameras. Its not a delicate flower.

 

The dog looks quite dashing in his winter coat.

 

This isn't about E-M10 but it shows what modern camera can survive - Eoin’s -60°C photography tips.

 

Not quite the winter coat the Lab has so we need to keep her a bit warmer. They are great for anyone in need of one. www.ChillyDogs.ca

 

The main irreversible consideration is that it might prematurely age/degrade your battery. Other considerations, like variation of sensor performance with temperature, are likely to be reversible- when the temperature returns to the approved range, performance returns to spec.

And take care with those snowshoes.

 

I appreciate the info! And yeah... there's no real hope for me, I'm a chronic klutz! lol

 

Ask Jamie or Mike. They are both Olympus Visionaries who live in MN.

Visionary: Jamie MacDonald | Olympus

Visionary: Mike Boening | Olympus