Tips for drying a camera? - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5- 5.6G ED DX

03/18/2007 06:44:33 PM · #1

It had to happen one day, didnt it. I'm in mourning. Fortunately it was the compact Sony that drowned in a bucket of water/detergent, rather than my Olympus, although ironically at least the olympus would've been covered by insurance.

I've done the immediately removing batteries, and later rinsed it with distilled water, and its been sat near(ish) a heater all afternoon, but I need some kind of dessicant to do the rest. All the previous threads suggest silica gel, but I can't find any round the house. Will bicarb do the trick? Or something thats easy to get from a DIY shop or pharmacists (the only places I can easily get to on a weekday)? I don;t want to use somethin that could potentially do more harm than good/cause corrosion or something.

Thanks for any advice

Kirsty

Rebecca

Nikon D80

03/18/2007 06:45:56 PM · #2

Rice, maybe? They always put it in salt shakers to keep the moisture from clumping the salt.

kiwinick

Sony DSLR-A550

Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha

03/18/2007 07:03:51 PM · #3

I think what it will need is a good christian burial,same thing happened to my KM 5D into the water it fell and no chance of survival

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX Aspherical DF for Canon

03/18/2007 07:23:40 PM · #4

Originally posted by kiwinick:

I think what it will need is a good christian burial,same thing happened to my KM 5D into the water it fell and no chance of survival

Its not getting any burial I'm afraid. If its no good after a week (and my hopes arent too high, but I'm not giving up on it til I have to) it'll be torn apart (very, very carefully of course) for, er, ~~fun~~ learning.

hankk

Canon EOS-5D

03/18/2007 07:31:12 PM · #5

Silica gel is used for drying flowers, so a florist or craft shop may be able to help you out.

RainMotorsports

Nikon D60

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR

03/18/2007 07:46:19 PM · #6

Good old fashion waiting with the face down on a towel helps. I hope you have not turned it back on yet and don't anytime soon. Yeah I know duh. The best thing you could have done was remove the batterys. With the batterys in the camera could have been off and still fried.

Just dont use heat of any kind at least over 125 degree's.

GoldBerry

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

03/18/2007 07:51:07 PM · #7

I dropped a mac laptop into a sink full of soapy water and after a couple of days of drying out it works fine!

I saw on tv that you should let electronics air dry for 3 days.

emorgan49

Olympus E-5

Olympus 50mm f/1.8 MF Normal Zuiko

03/18/2007 09:12:26 PM · #8

Don't try to turn it on till it is really really dry.

levyj413

Nikon D7100

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Nikon

03/18/2007 09:55:39 PM · #9

Last year a water bottle opened above my A620 in my backpack. I left it outside in warm air for four days and it still wouldn't turn on. That day, I bought my other camera, and that afternoon the A620 turned on for the first time. Maybe it was jealous. ;)

But the pictures had a corduroy-like set of lines across them, so I gave it to my daughter to learn how to use a camera. Three days later the lines disappeared, and it's been working fine ever since. In fact, I just took my best portrait ever with it, for tonight's color portrait challenge.

I recommend just letting it sit, with everything open - battery door, memory card door, etc. For me, that included opening the flip-out LCD. I'd imagine sitting in front of a fan might help, but I'd avoid putting chemicals in it or hitting with high heat like from a hair dryer.

So wait a full week, or even longer if you're in a chilly part of the world at the moment. When you try to turn it on, don't put a memory card in it - no sense frying that if you get a short.

Message edited by author 2007-03-18 21:57:53.

smilebig4me1x

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

03/18/2007 10:27:24 PM · #10

someone on here mentioned using the "do not eat" packets that come with vitamins (basicaly everything thesedays) and putting them in a large ziplock baggie with the camera for a few days and that it worked like a charm...since then I have saved every single one I have found "just in case" I ever have this happen to me.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

03/19/2007 03:38:11 AM · #11

Originally posted by smilebig4me1x:

I save them too, but they're at my parents house and I have no idea which "safe place" I put them in! Oh well, I'll try and find a florists.

Message edited by author 2007-03-19 03:38:41.

Steveinnz

Canon EOS-60D

03/19/2007 03:47:17 AM · #12

My business has been involved with many such dryouts on electronic equipment. We have very good successs with washing in fresh water (distilled proberbly better) then a blow with warm air followed by a further wash with methylated spirits which removes any remaining water. The item is normally left with warm air blowing through it until we are satisfied it is dry.

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

03/19/2007 01:57:33 PM · #13

Originally posted by Steveinnz:

I panicked when it happened and simply removed the batteries, towelled dry and left open in a warmish place. A couple of hours later I realised it needed distilled water, so conjured up the guts to re-wet it with ditilled water, but I dont know how thoroughly, as I was scared to get the water inside further than the original water.
That was yesterday afternoon. Now its sat in a ziploc bag with about 10sachets of silica gel (from a shoeshop in the end, on the advice of a florists)
Do you think its still worth rinsing with meths, and if so, how thorough should I be? (ie inside cardslot etc)

Thanks for the advice, you seem to know what you're talking about :)

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

Canon RF 24-70 f2.8 L IS

03/19/2007 02:07:58 PM · #14

The only thing that methylated spirits (methanol) is going to do is to further dry the electronics. It's useful because it penetrates into small areas and absorbs water that may be trapped there. The downside to it is that it attacks many plastics and also removes oils that are meant as lubricants. Methanol will also attack soldering residues that are meant to be left in place. Partial removal of these residues can lead to early failure.
Bottom line is, if you are sure that you've dried out the electronics thoroughly then the methanol will gain you nothing further, and could hurt.

digitalpins

Canon EOS-60D

03/19/2007 02:18:04 PM · #15

I hope it works out ok and it turns on. That happened with my dads p&s camera but it was just plain water it fell in so we let it sit for a week near the heater and then it turned on when we powered it up.

Originally posted by GoldBerry:

I dropped a mac laptop into a sink full of soapy water and after a couple of days of drying out it works fine!

OMG I dont know what I would do if I dropped my mac laptop in water...geese I just cringed when I read that.

RainMotorsports

Nikon D60

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR

03/19/2007 02:21:11 PM · #16

Do not used the distilled water unless you want to put some major risk intoit. I know deionized water apparently doesnt conduct electricity to some point but whatever it is thats done to it is never 100% that way. I forget what the process water is put through to where it doesnt conduct learned about it in auto electric but i just know theres still a riskin using it.

The flash charges off a capacitor all it needs is water to connect betwen the two terminals and bam more voltage then the battry put out just ran across anything the water was touching.

aliqui

Nikon D300s

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

03/22/2007 03:26:56 PM · #17

I know this isn't directly related, but since other people are sharing their electronic vs water stories I need to share something.

I used to always drop my pager into the toilet when I was standing up. It always stayed in there for a few seconds while I stood over it cringing and saying "ahh man!" Then I'd fish it out. Sometimes it was still on, sometimes not. I always just washed it in the sink with regular soapy water and it always came back to life in a couple days. Tough lil bugger. His name was Pedro.

soup

Canon EOS-30D

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

03/22/2007 04:22:06 PM · #18

why would you always drop it in the toilet?

i wouldn't recommend doing so on an airplane...

//forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=11211166&sid=1

//www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=6a11bd67-f717-4aa3-80a9-840c07949730&k=28503

Originally posted by aliqui:

Message edited by author 2007-03-22 16:23:06.

EducatedSavage

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II

03/22/2007 04:34:03 PM · #19

Hehe. I remember that WoW one.

My little brother's have that problem, though. There was a 6-8 month streak about a year ago where they each kept dropping their cell phones in the toilet, about once a month or so. I don't understand it, but I don't ask, either. Oh, and the cell phones never made it.

aliqui

Nikon D300s

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

03/22/2007 08:27:19 PM · #20

It just happens. You stand up while turning around a little to flush the toilet and in the process it comes unclipped and... sploosh...

I lost that same pager in a snowdrift which then got run over by a snowplow. Later that week my friend found it in the gutter after the snow melted a bit.

I'm so glad pagers are a thing of the past!

Art Roflmao

Canon EOS-6D Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

03/22/2007 08:58:04 PM · #21

I know how NOT to dry a camera...

pgirish007

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

Canon EF 24-70 2.8L II

03/23/2007 01:47:27 PM · #22

I had Olympus camera and one day it got hit by water at Niagara fall (American side) and at that point of time, I turned it off and took out the battery to make sure no power supply is running. at hotel room I turned on a table lamp and put down my camera under that for about a feet away from the bulb and kept it there for whole night. next day morning I put battery back and turned it on and it was up with no issue.