Wet camera, please help

[Payt]

So I've been taking star trail exposures for the last few nights, leaving the shutter open for 30+ minutes outdoors. It started out as a nice, clear night, perfect for what I was doing. But of course it started to downpour while I was inside waiting for the time to pass, and being tired as I was it did not register to me that the camera was still outside. So after ten minutes of torrential rain, it clicked and I retrieved my poor camera.

I disassembled the tripod and was able to dry all of those parts, and upon inspection found that my old Nikkormat FT is pretty weather-tight (from what I can tell). It didn't seem that any water got inside the lens, or that any seeped through the body since the inside was still unscathed.

It is a completely manual camera from the sixties/seventies that contains no electronic components (save the battery for light meter, which was not in the camera at the time anyways). The only thing that I'm not sure of is whether this camera really did resist the rain, or whether I need to get it looked at or opened up or whatever to prevent faulty parts.

Another thing is the film. I obviously can't check the back element by opening it up. My hard work and patience from the last week is on this roll, and although I'd be happy to sacrifice it for the camera's livelihood, I'm hoping that it isn't ruined.

Please, someone who is more knowledgeable with this older equipment, let me know whether my camera is doomed or not.

 

[Rachelsne]

ill cross my fingers that everything is ok.

dont know anything about film though

 

[Alex_B]

Well, you are lucky in a sense that it was rain, which is normally not too acid (unless in areas with a lot of dirty industry). So for everything purely mechanical, drying might do it. Keep it in a dry and warm place, opened, for quite a while.


As for the lens, do some test shoots if you cannot see anything with your eyes. unlike water from condensation, water which enters the lens from the outside might contain residues which could show up on the glass after drying. But probably you are lucky here.

As for the film, get it out of the camera in a dry and totally dark place and let it dry there a bit before rolling it up again, at least that would be my suggestion, just do this in a lightproof room. The film has most likely not suffered at all.

I once fell into water in the mountains, and after one night of drying my camera (and the rest of my gear) in a heated wooden cabin, it was fine again.

 

[Garbz]

Rust is the biggest issue I think. Make sure everything is dry. If it means putting it in a room with the heater on then do it.