G12 water ingress

[EALandscapes]

Hi all

OK after having a bit of an epic yesterday whilst training with the mountain rescue team in frankly biblical squalls of rain, my G12 has become somewhat damp and refuses to turn on. I removed the battery and recharged, no problem. Removed the SD card and dried off. The camera is currently in our airing cupboard, perhaps not ideal for condensation issues I know, but I need to get it dry.

Now, as I put the battery back in, there is a very faint, motorised sound for literally a second; it is only just audible as I place my ear next to the housing.

I'm hoping that some of you more experienced folk here can tell me if the camera is 'kaput' or if it just needs extended drying time? I'm really angry with myself for not stowing the camera and its case away in a dry bag in my rucksack and also because now I don't have a camera with a built in ND that I can shoot with.

Any help or advice would be very much appreciated.

A very unhappy, Elton

[Mike Buckley]

Try storing the camera in rice, as the rice will help absorb the moisture.

Also turn the camera on with the battery still removed for a few days. Then insert the battery and perhaps it will work. Manfred suggested this trick for me and it worked, though my issue was not pertaining to the camera having becoming wet, at least I don't think that was the reason.

[Manfred M]

Unfortunately electronics and water do not mix. You might be lucky, but based on your comments, I suspect that this is not the case. If the camera does not function normally after a couple of days, there is a good chance that you have had water intrusion that either causes some corrosion or caused an electronic component to short out.

You might ship it to Canon for repair and cross your fingers that the issue is minor; but my guess is that there is a good chance that it is time to go camera shopping.

[RustBeltRaw]

Are you sure the camera hasn't made that noise all along? I suspected one of my dad's lenses was dying before I knew that IS systems made noise.

I've saved several phones and my 60D from water damage by putting them in a bowl of uncooked rice and then storing them in an oven at 150degF for several hours. It's riskier than the rice-only method, but I still haven't found a device affected by the heat. That said, make sure you remove the camera's backup battery (if it has one). Coin cells do not like high temps.

[EALandscapes]

Many thanks for all the helpful responses.

I've tried the rice trick with an iPhone before, which didn't work, but I'll still try it. Unfortunately Manfred, I think you are correct Just wondering if home insurance will cover it, as they replaced the aforementioned iPhone.

[loosecanon]

Wet camera - remove battery asap and dry out before reinserting as battery power + water is likely to cause damage to sensitive components. This is where you use the silica gel packs that come with new gear - dry the gell in an oven at 80 deg C, then when cool in plastic bag with camera, opening camera as much as possible and leave for at least 24 hours.

[inkista]

+1 I think the mistake here was putting the battery back in to test the G12, before leaving it to dry out for a few days in a sealed container with a dessicant (rice, gel packs, etc.). Water conducts electricity, so you may very easily have shorted something out when you tested it.

OTOH, what's it gonna hurt to pack it in rice and leave it alone for three or four days before testing it again? You never know.

[DanK]

This is where you use the silica gel packs that come with new gear - dry the gell in an oven at 80 deg C, then when cool in plastic bag with camera,

Drying out the silica gel, as loosecanon suggests, is essential, because the stuff gets fully hydrated quite quickly. However, the Pelican gel packs I use came with instructions to heat them much hotter, 150 C (300 F).

I would seal it with this or white rice and let it sit for days.

[EALandscapes]

Hey guys

Thanks for all the replies about this.

The camera has been 'drying' for the best part of a week now and I think it's had it

I have considered repairing, but I have no idea how much this is likely to cost, so I think I will need to contact Canon and see if they can do anything with it. Unfortunately, I'm not made of money and can't rush out and just buy another camera...

Elton

[inkista]

You could keep an eye on Canon UK's outlet store on eBay.