Weather resistance

[Celestrian]

Hi.

I am in the market for a DSLR, but I am really unsure what camera to go for. I've done lots of research, but I can't really decide between
Pentax K-30/K-5/K-5II
Nikon D7000/D7100

I think I'm going for one of those 5 cameras. I have no lenses or other equipment. I will mostly bring my camera when walking my dog in various conditions (both with regards to weather and light). I also want to take pictures of various situations (like my dog running etc, som amateur sports etc), in addition to nature, landscape, architecture, people, macro etc.

I live in Norway, so the weather is often cold or wet.

My problem is this: I like the Nikon because of the more popular system, so it's very easy to get lenses++ used compared to Pentax (especially in Norway). I like the Pentax because I don't want to be anxious about the camera/lenses are being ruined if there is some rain or or lots of fog/humidity.
The Nikons are supposed to be weather resistant, but from what I can gather the Nikon lenses that are good and are weather resistant, are quite expensive.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

 

[Mully]

I would buy a used D300 Nikon or D300s they are built like a tank.

 

[Celestrian]

I would buy a used D300 Nikon or D300s they are built like a tank.

But wouldn't I also need sealed lenses? Which lenses should I go for if I can grap a used D300/s? (They have to be affordable lenses though...)

 

[tirediron]

Instant weather-sealing kit. Fits any camera.

 

[cgw]

The Nikon D7xxx cameras should be fine. You're unlikely to be out long in a downpour and probably not shooting anyway. I've shot in crappy weather year-round here in S. Ontario and never had a moisture or cold-related failure with Nikon film AF or digital--outside of dead batteries in -20 C weather. I am careful about bringing a stone-cold camera+lens into a heated house in winter and put them into a large ziploc bag before coming inside. Trying to keep things reasonably dry and drying them if they do get wet is really all it takes to prevent problems.

The D7000 is an excellent all-rounder and should be getting a little cheaper as supplies of the new D7100 hit the market. Use the savings to get some lenses.

 

[smenkhare]

Judging by my experience in norway, I'd get a proper rain cover regardless of the weather sealing.

 

[cenote]

Between the two, diffidently the Nikon D serious. Look for used, usually in good condition.

 

[Big Mike]

A bit of common sense will probably be enough to protect your camera gear from water. For example, if it's pouring rain, you probably don't want to be standing out in it, shooting away. But a little bit of water probably won't hurt any of those cameras.

A more important decision (in terms of weather protection) is likely the camera bag that you choose. If you do get caught out in a heavy rain, you want something that will keep your gear dry when it's closed up. Many camera bags come with built-in rain covers.

But if you have to (really want to) be shooting when it's raining, then there are rain covers you can buy (as shown above). Or there are expensive 'professional' level cameras that are much more resistant to rain & weather. These are usually what pro sports/wildlife photographers might use. But most hobby photographers don't need to shoot in pouring rain, so they can just put the camera away until the rain lets up.

Many years ago, while in the rain forests of Costa Rica, I got caught in a torrential downpour while holding my camera (no bag). The camera got soaked, so much so that the LCD screen fogged up on the inside, and took more that a week to fully dry up. The camera was a mid level Canon DSLR, and it still works great to this day. I'm not suggesting that you can soak any DSLR, but I am saying that you probably shouldn't worry too much about getting a camera a little wet.
Just make sure to let it dry out, don't keep it zipped up in a damp camera bag.

 

[monoloco]

I have the Pentax K-5 and can say from experience that the weatherproofing is really good, I have used mine in the jungles of central America in pouring rain storms and never had any moisture infiltration. I really love the camera, it's easy to navigate the menus, really intuitive, and I'm very happy with the images I get.