G:inp (07/21/82)
A kayaking friend of mine published an article describing how to dry out cameras (and presumably lenses, flashes, etc), WITHOUT RUSTING things. Heating them in a low oven would encourage rusting. The alternative is to find a vacuum pump system with a bell jar or other chamber large enough, and dry the equipment out by lowering the pressure instead of heating. He suggested your local high school physics or chemistry lab and attendant teacher, who might be interested as well as willing to help. If the camera was completely soaked, his suggestion was to boil some water to get the disolved air out, and re-immerse the camera in that while looking for the vacuum system, to prevent oxydation in the interim. This sounds really extreme, and many newer cameras have enough electronics to be ruined in any case. I would recommend removing the battery and adding no MORE water to the mess. I would welcome any further discussion, as I still take my camera out kayaking, sailing, etc, and it MAY happen to me! Bob Tidd decvax!ucbvax!g:inp U.C. Berkeley
G:cliff (07/22/82)
A friend of mine once dropped a lens in a large body of water, and his first step was to put the thing in the freezer to keep the rust from happening quickly. This seemed rather extreme to me, but he was able to get the thing in to a camera shop about a week later and the lens was ok, although never quite the same. This sounds about as crazy as putting the thing in boiling water... -Cliff ucbvax!g:cliff
thomas (07/22/82)
I know that I have read that if you accidently drop your camera in SALT water that the best thing to do is to put it in a bucket of water until you can get professional help. =Spencer
lepreau (07/22/82)
There are a couple of other alternatives worth considering --in advance-- if one frequents wet/sandy/rough areas with good equipment. --Insurance: get a Personal Articles Floater just for your cameras. This is just about complete all-risk coverage with no deductible. The premiums vary by state; in Utah it's about $16.50/$1000, I think the max was about $30/1000 in CA and NY (State Farm, another company was similar). It will cover all sort of abuse.... --For really wet stuff like kayaking/rafting/sailing/skiing, get a Nikonos. IV's are now going for < $300 in NYC. The extra pictures and freedom one gets from not having to bury it away when the waves get big make up for the price. It sure was a thrill the first time I jumped into the river with it! There are some good pix in those dark rainy days on the trail.... If you don't need 35mm quality, Minolta makes a yellow 110 that's waterproof enuf, and there are some other 35mm I think, but not as nice as the Nikonas. (net.rec.photo helped me out on this a few months ago) Jay Lepreau
trb (07/22/82)
My sister once swam in the ocean and when she came home I submersed her in fresh water but... Seriously, I don't quite see how freezing or boiling or submersing something in water is going to keep it from rusting or otherwise decaying... I realize that temperature is correlated to speed of oxidation, but would someone out there explain how submersing a lense in water is going to make it not rust? Maybe if you submersed it in a more inert fluid... Chemical engineering student turned hacker (pv=nrt), Andy Tannenbaum Bell Labs Whippany, NJ (201) 386-6491
xchar (07/23/82)
Re Jay Lepreau's advice: Does a Personal Articles Floater insure that if you DO drop your camera into the water, it won't sink? --Charlie Harris (rabbit!xchar)