One of the deciding factors for buying a premium quality DSLR is its ability to withstand harsh weather conditions. Outdoor photography enthusiasts are always willing to invest their money in buying a DSLR that can capture sharp and precise photographs in rainy or windy conditions. If you’re looking for such a camera, the Canon 80d is a mirrorless camera with advanced weather sealing features.
Weatherproofing is a broad term that includes resilience towards rain, sandstorms, dust particles, and water splashes. If a camera isn’t weatherproof, you can’t capture photographers during a heavy downpour or a sandstorm. In contrast, weatherproofing gives you a considerate time window to continue your outdoor shoot in case of a sudden unfavorable change in the weather.
It’s important to keep in mind that weatherproofing consists of the following four aspects:
- Water resistance
- Splash proofing
- Dust proofing
- Freeze proofing
The Canon 80d can withstand all the harsh weather conditions mentioned above. Its dynamic camera design doesn’t let water accumulate near the external dials and knobs. The camera body not only repels raindrops and water splashes but also stops humidity from hindering its performance.
The condensation on the exterior of the camera isn’t anything to worry about either. With the Canon 80d, it is impossible to have condensation in the interior. It has perfect sealing with click locks around the mode dials and terminal covers.
Keep on reading if you want to learn more about how you can make the Canon 80d weatherproof.
Is The Canon 80d Weatherproof?
The weatherproof features of the Canon 80d qualify it to be an ideal partner for your travel photography pursuit. Since the Canon 80d is a mirrorless camera, it implies that you don’t need to worry about water drops or dust particles entering the camera body and damaging the lens mirror.
Weatherproofing Mechanism of the Canon 80d
Let’s look closer at the ergonomics of the Canon 80d to understand its weatherproof system.
Joints And Buttons
The build of the Canon 80d is similar to any other Canon mirrorless DSLR camera. There is an LCD panel at the top right side of the camera along with the ISO, metering mode, AF area selection mode, and the main dial. All these dials, joints, buttons are perfectly sealed around the corners to block any water droplets or dust particles from entering the camera body.
The mode dial is present on the left side of the camera and allows you to select different shooting modes such as M, P, Av, Tv, and others. It’s made with silicon and rubber to ensure smooth operation even in rainy or windy conditions. There is also an external locking mechanism to lock the selected mode in case of a sudden hand jerk or bump.
There is zero chance of any leakage complaint with the Canon 80d because of its additional splashproof feature. This Canon camera is designed to repel water to avoid seepage near the setting buttons and mode dials.
Touch Screen
The Canon 80d is a highly advanced mirrorless camera with a touchscreen interface. Operating different setting buttons and modes on the camera body during extreme weather conditions can be troublesome. Moreover, you have a limited time window in which you can capture photographs once the weather becomes unfavorable. For example, the subject may become less visible during snowy or windy weather, making it difficult for you to capture an image via the small viewfinder. The photographer’s breath may cause moisture on the viewfinder, making it even harder for you to capture photos during cold weather.
It’s a more convenient approach to track your subject in live view mode on the LCD. All the functions available at the top of the camera can be adjusted through the touchscreen interface. A Q menu is available at the upper right side of the touchscreen, which allows you to change the ISO and aperture settings. You can even press the shutter button with a single tap of your fingers.
The waterproof touchscreen LCD is an incredible enhancement in the Canon 80d. It increases your efficiency as a photographer by reducing the time taken to operate different setting buttons and dials. Do you know that you can capture photographs in the cold while wearing the gloves with the Canon 80d? Just choose the sensitivity mode to increase the responsiveness of the LCD touchscreen.
Q Menu And Auto ISO
One of the proprietary features of the Canon 80d is its customizable Q menu at the touch screen. You can preset ISO, aperture, focal length, and white balance in the Q menu, according to the weather. This means that you can have a preset white balance fluorescent mode to capture snowflakes and a warm mode to capture beautiful ocean waves on beaches.
There is a programmable slider for Auto ISO shutter speed on the touchscreen, in addition to the physical shutter speed button. It’s a known fact that the default shutter speed is always slower than it should be to capture the movement of things such as raindrops, snowfall, or beach waves. You can set the auto ISO shutter speed slider towards a higher speed or 2-stops above the focal length to reduce image distortion.
Both the Q menu and auto ISO add to the weatherproof features of the Canon 80d and make it an excellent performer, even in rough weather conditions.
How To Make The Canon 80D Weatherproof?
Before Using the Canon 80d In Rainy Weather
It’s vital to ensure that there are no apparent cracks or scratches on the camera body or the rubber seal of the battery and memory card cover. A good habit to follow is to wipe off all the rubber seals, terminal covers, and camera surface with a soft cotton cloth.
The Canon 80d is equipped with click locks for the lens lock as well as battery and card cover. After the click sound, you can operate the camera stress-free in outdoor locations. Canon advises its users not to remove or change the battery and SD card during rain or wet weather to avoid any internal damage to the camera.
After Using The Canon 80d In Extreme Weather Conditions
Photographers often commit the mistake of removing the battery or SD card right after using the Canon 80d during rain or a sandstorm. This causes more harm than good to the camera. You expose your camera to internal damage by allowing the water to enter the camera through the open terminal covers.
Before removing the battery, lens, or an SD card, you need to make sure that all the water droplets on the camera body have been wiped thoroughly. The camera body must be dried to ensure zero moisture. It’s bad practice to wipe sand or dust particles with a cloth as this may cause scratches on the camera body. You can use a blower to remove dust particles before cleaning the camera exterior with a soft lint-free cloth.
Using the Canon 80d During Harsh Weather Condition
You can weatherproof the Canon 80d with the help of a rain sleeve or cover to give extra external protection of the camera. However, exposing your camera to raindrops or snow for a short period will not affect its performance.
You should clean the camera body and lens with a soft microfiber cloth before packing it in the bag. It’s never advised to pack a wet camera as this allows the moisture to enter inside the camera.
Conclusion
Bad weather can damage the functionality and performance of a camera. Luckily, you don’t need to worry about this happening with the Canon 80d. This camera is designed to be your perfect companion when it comes to outdoor photography, no matter what the setting, whether it’s cloudy mountains or beach parties.
You can operate the Canon 80d in various external environments with full access to its settings via a touchscreen LCD and live viewfinder. The camera’s exterior is designed to repel water drops without letting them accumulate near the dials and buttons. The buttons and mode dials are also sealed, allowing for no entry of any water droplets, moisture, or dust particles.
With the Canon 80d’s fully customizable touchscreen, you don’t need to pack right away in case it starts raining. You have a grace window to capture the photographs by presetting the aperture, white balance, and focal length on the Q menu.
Using the Canon 80d saves you from changing all these settings by having to adjust the buttons and dials at the top and backside of the camera. You can perform all these operations with a single touch on the water-resistant touchscreen. The Auto ISO shutter speed slider enables you to set your camera settings towards a higher shutter speed and capture continuous shots of the scene too.
The purpose of making the Canon 80d weatherproof is to decrease the time and effort needed to take pictures and increase the chances of getting a good picture without harming your camera, in case of a sudden change in weather.
