[Rover]

Speaking of weather sealing: the repair people told me that the malfunction in my 80D (sticky and then downright unworkable mode dial) was caused by water ingress. Probably from shooting in the rain, though I didn't remember any accident of this kind (however, that in itself isn't surprising as I don't baby my gear, and probably take weather sealing for granted from using Canon 1D bodies for 10 years, so I might've just exposed the 80D to danger without thinking, and forgot about it).

So if one of the users here doesn't need weather sealing at all, that doesn't mean it's totally useless.

[toni-a]

Weather sealing is very important IMHO, on rainy days or harsh conditions I keep EOS RP at home and prefer taking my 7DMKii which never failed me.
weather sealing is not just for water, sandy conditions can be even worse, and the sealing here is highly efficient, learnt it the hard was with my Sony A6000 failing with 7D2 kept working normally.
Also sealing is incomplete if the lens itself is not weather sealed it's just like closing the car windows with sunroof open 

 

[killmyx]

I have a hard time to believe that I'm the only one on the planet requiring a super-compact, weather-sealed mirrorless camera kit.

I second that !
I'm mostly shooting while hiking and weather-sealed kit is mandatory.
So great to be able to shot at any moment.
So great to keep the kit on my shoulder all day long with just a thin protection and not caring about the small rain.

Just did the Kilimanjaro with my OM-D E-M5 III and my 12-100 f4. Even during the last night with the icy polar wind, i could shot.

[Brightcolours]

So, who actually needs weather sealed lenses? Quite a pointless feature for almost everyone, to be frank.

     Going back some years I spent many annual summer holidays sailing around both the coast and the inland waterways of Holland, it's very nice and allows you to pass under bridges and the like with the mast up ..... all very civilized ..... but .... with one caveat ....... it's awful often wet and cold climate .... even in the summer.  (like England but worse)

  In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth ..... shrewdly, he left it to the Dutch to pump it out !!
  

         Probably the most appropriate country in the world for weather sealed lenses!   

Yet, I never feel the urge to walk around making photos when it poors down, and have I never had an issue with any lens due to water drops/snow.... 

Only pros who need to make images regardless of conditions really benefit from "weather sealed" lenses? How many lenses have you damaged with "weather"?

[toni-a]

So, who actually needs weather sealed lenses? Quite a pointless feature for almost everyone, to be frank.

     Going back some years I spent many annual summer holidays sailing around both the coast and the inland waterways of Holland, it's very nice and allows you to pass under bridges and the like with the mast up ..... all very civilized ..... but .... with one caveat ....... it's awful often wet and cold climate .... even in the summer.  (like England but worse)

  In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth ..... shrewdly, he left it to the Dutch to pump it out !!
  

         Probably the most appropriate country in the world for weather sealed lenses!   

Yet, I never feel the urge to walk around making photos when it poors down, and have I never had an issue with any lens due to water drops/snow.... 

Only pros who need to make images regardless of conditions really benefit from "weather sealed" lenses? How many lenses have you damaged with "weather"?

In sandy conditions it's easy to damage any lens believe me

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FWIW Nikon had made a very interesting camera Nikon1 AW1 it was weather sealed and water proof, unfortunately the sample Dpreview reviewers failed because of sand issues, can't say it's the sample they had or the camera line itself however the concept was interesting, too bad no new models with such features came out

[mst]

Yet, I never feel the urge to walk around making photos when it poors down

Me neither, but I don't agree that you can limit the benefits of sealed lenses to just 'pros'. Situations I remember I've been in, where having a sealed lens/camera kit was certainly helpful:

- dog sledding race, getting close to the action and ending up with quite some snow on my gear several times (on a very sunny day)
- several occasions where I intentionally tried to capture the mood of mist and fog and ended up with lots of moisture on the camera and lens (no puring down)
- similar to the above: while hiking in the mountains, where clouds easily cover you in thick fog within minutes or even seconds
- shooting on a beach or close to the coast/on a boat with either sand or fine droplets of salt water in the air due to wind (no rain)
- mud and some water/moisture from the action of a downhill bike race or rallye motorsports
- the funny fountains near the UN offices in Geneva (and any similar water installation)
- shooting near a waterfall


Just a few examples of occasions where I took out the camera and shot for fun, not for money (I rarely do the latter). Still, on some of them, having a sealed camera was helpful, but maybe not necessarily required. Most cameras and lenses can handle a small amount of moisture. Like in fog or in a cloud, for example.

---

FWIW Nikon had made a very interesting camera Nikon1 AW1 it was weather sealed and water proof, unfortunately the sample Dpreview reviewers failed because of sand issues, can't say it's the sample they had or the camera line itself however the concept was interesting, too bad no new models with such features came out

Yes, that was a nice idea, but also a bit expensive for what you got.

My son has a Fuji XP series compact camera that is waterproof. Of course it has a much smaller sensor than any system camera (with the exception of the Pentax Q maybe), but for occasional use in and under water and also on the beach and in sand, it's great. Also, because it's designed as a tough camera that withstands some mistreatment, it's the perfect camera for a child

[JJ_SO]

Between pouring down and wet air are a lot of gradients of waterflow. I sometimes feel the urge to take pictures in rain or snow as it is a totally different situation.

https://sojujo.smugmug.com/Street-Scenes/Solothurn-rainwalk

There are highlights and reflections you otherwise never see. Of course I know that Olympus and some Pentax lenses excel when it comes to resistance against the elements, but I didn't know that Nikon also did a good job on the Z lenses / bodies.

[toni-a]

My son has a Fuji XP series compact camera that is waterproof. Of course it has a much smaller sensor than any system camera (with the exception of the Pentax Q maybe), but for occasional use in and under water and also on the beach and in sand, it's great. Also, because it's designed as a tough camera that withstands some mistreatment, it's the perfect camera for a child

I gave my daughter fuji XP90 too , yes she didn't manage to break it (yet) but she easily manages to leave it  in places where I would never find it
now she wants to offer it her 3 months old brother and take mine 

[davidmanze]

So, who actually needs weather sealed lenses? Quite a pointless feature for almost everyone, to be frank.

     Going back some years I spent many annual summer holidays sailing around both the coast and the inland waterways of Holland, it's very nice and allows you to pass under bridges and the like with the mast up ..... all very civilized ..... but .... with one caveat ....... it's awful often wet and cold climate .... even in the summer.  (like England but worse)

  In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth ..... shrewdly, he left it to the Dutch to pump out Holland !!
  

         Probably the most appropriate country in the world for weather sealed lenses!   

Yet, I never feel the urge to walk around making photos when it pours down, and have I never had an issue with any lens due to water drops/snow.... 

Only pros who need to make images regardless of conditions, really benefit from "weather sealed" lenses? How many lenses have you damaged with "weather"?

   Isn't it more about being caught out in the rain, rather than setting off to shoot in it?

PS. How many pros shoot Pentax?

[Klaus]

Well, I have been in deserts and I have been in the tropics - and that's why I like some kind of sealing.