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10 Weather Sealed Cameras That Can Survive Bad Storms

Brett Day
No Comments
04/21/2019
7 Mins read
Canon EOS R

Last Updated on 04/21/2019 by Mark Beckenbach

Weather sealed cameras will allow you to get the shots that everyone without a weather sealed camera will miss.

Anyone who works out in the field will tell you about the importance of having a solid, weather sealed camera. Weather sealing will allow a photographer to go out into a downpour, a snow storm, or a windy day with dirt and debris flying everywhere. Rain and snow aside, weather sealing will also protect your camera when it is operating in humid conditions, and even the freezing cold. As long as you have a weather sealed lens attached to the front of your camera you will be good to go. Here we take a look at 10 of the best weather sealed cameras currently on the market.

As mentioned above, as long as you have a weather sealed lens attached to your weather sealed cameras, you can go out into the wind, rain, and snow and not have to worry about anything other than taking pictures. Of course, some cameras have better weather sealing than others. We highly recommend you consult your cameras user guide to see what kind of tolerances your specific camera might have before heading out into a storm, but the ones listed below don’t mind getting wet one little bit. If you’re a wildlife photographer, sports photographer, photojournalist, or take any kind of pictures that require you to be out in the elements you should check out the 10 weather sealed cameras below.

 

Fujifilm X-T3

 

weather sealed cameras

Pro

  • Brand new 26.1MP X-Trans CMOS 4 Sensor
  • Brand new X-Processor 4 Image Processor
  • Excellent weather sealing
  • Very solid build quality
  • Excellent image quality
  • In body RAW processing with built in film simulation profiles
  • Versatile RAW files
  • Amazing video capabilities
  • Dual SD card slots (if your workflow requires it)

Con

  • Battery life can use some improvement
  • Lacks in body image stabilization
  • Low light performance is improved over the previous generation X-T2, but hit rates during high speed low light situations still leave much to be desired

Check out our full review

Buy now ($1,499): Amazon

 

Olympus OMD E-M1 Mk II

 

weather sealed cameras

Pros

  • Good image quality though you start to see shadow noise at ISO 6400
  • They’ve finally fixed that stupid problem where ISO 6400 was marked as an extension.
  • Fast autofocus though can sometimes miss moving subjects in low light
  • Weather sealing that is bananas.
  • I handheld the camera and got a blur free image at 15 seconds.
  • Comfortable to hold and I typically don’t like SLR style cameras.

Cons

  • Menus got deeper
  • Price point is hard to justify
  • Despite having some of the best ergonomics I’ve ever felt on any camera to date, they desperately need a dedicated ISO control dial.
  • It’s a professional camera system with no full studio monolight options out there.

Check out our full review

Buy now ($1,599): Amazon

 

Pentax K1 Mk II

 

weather sealed cameras

Pros

  • Enough weather sealing to last a lifetime
  • Rock solid build quality
  • Easy to read LCD Screen
  • In Body Image Stabilization / Pixel Shift
  • Gorgeous 100% coverage viewfinder
  • Excellent image quality
  • Dual SD Card slots
  • Great battery life
  • That little light above the lens mount

Cons

  • Only 33 focus points
  • Autofocus system won’t win any races
  • Extremely heavy
  • No touchscreen

Check out our full review

Buy now ($1,796.95): Amazon

 

 

Pro Tip: If there is one thing for sure, it’s that your gear is going to get dirty fast when you’re shooting out in the elements. Because of this you’re going to want to keep a camera and lens cleaning kit with you at all times so you can wipe the grime off of your gear. This camera and lens cleaning kit has everything you need to keep your equipment clean, and it’s nice and cheap.

 

Nikon Z6

 

Pros

  • Comfortable hand grip
  • Excellent Electronic Viewfinder with 100% frame coverage
  • EVF protrudes from the camera body, minimizing contact between your nose and the rear LCD
  • Top display shows you all of your settings at a glance
  • Intuitive touchscreen rear LCD
  • Solid battery life when using newly designed EN-EL15b batteries
  • Robust weather sealing
  • Works with most existing Nikon F mount lenses using the Nikon FTZ adapter

Cons

  • Single XQD card slot may be a deal breaker for photographers with certain workflows
  • Colors on the rear LCD were inconsistent when compared to EVF
  • Autofocus performance, while better than the Nikon Z7, still leaves much to be desired
  • Certain settings were oddly organized within the menus
  • There is way too much settings information displayed on the rear LCD, often getting in the way of you framing your shot

Check out our full review

Buy now ($2163.94): Amazon

 

Panasonic GH5s

 

 

Pros

  • Weather sealing
  • Great autofocus in most situations
  • Focus peaking for manual focus lenses
  • High ISO output is great
  • Because this is a 10.2MP Four Thirds sensor, the pixels are more densely packed and therefore give off pretty detailed images.
  • Tactile things on the buttons that help you realize what they are

Cons

  • That’s a lot of money to pay
  • Detail loss above 6400 is a bit too much

Check out our full review

Buy now ($2197.99): Amazon

 

Canon EOS R

 

weather sealed cameras

Pros

  • Build quality
  • Weather sealed like crazy
  • Autofocus is good
  • Protects the sensor when off
  • Canon’s menu system is still simple
  • Ergonomics feel nice
  • With a lightweight lens, it feels just as nice as a Sony camera.
  • These are some of Canon’s best RAW files that I’ve seen in years
  • Good battery life
  • Fast Wi-Fi transfers, though not as simple as Sony’s

Cons

  • Needs Dual SD cards
  • Needs a joystick
  • The magic touch bar is odd and could use refinement.
  • Optimizing the way the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed dials work, such as the automatic remetering for ISO, not cool
  • Canon needs to improve or change their Face and eye detection.
  • Bigger than Sony, but the L lenses are about on par with their G Master glass

Check out our full review

Buy now ($2,299): Amazon

 

 

Pro Tip: No matter how well sealed your camera might be, your lens may not as well protected, or worse, it might not have any weather sealing at all. There is no need to let this stop you from getting out into the weather to shoot though. Keep some weather proof camera and lens covers in your camera bag, or on your person, and you’ll quickly be able to give your gear an extra layer of protection from any nasty weather coming your way.

 

Canon 5D Mk IV

 

weather sealed cameras

Pros

  • Great image quality, though I still feel that I can do MUCH more with Sony and Fujifilm files when it comes to color. But Canon’s dynamic range is pretty darn good.
  • Ergonomical feel reminds me more of the old 5D Mk II than the Mk III, and I like that.
  • Fantastic autofocus
  • Touchscreen, finally
  • Quiet shutter is nice
  • Weather sealing

Cons

  • Price point

Check out our full review

Buy now ($2,669 w/grip): Amazon

 

Nikon D850

 

Pros

  • Fantastic image quality
  • Built like a tank
  • Buttons that light up
  • Touch screen makes the menu navigation so much better
  • Great color depth and versatility
  • Wifi and Bluetooth
  • Putting the ISO button on the right side of the camera by the grip is the better long term strategy
  • Weather sealing
  • Lots of video options
  • Dual Card slots
  • The best viewfinder of any DSLR that I’ve used, but still not as great as many older medium format DSLRs and SLRs.

Cons

  • Slower autofocus than the Nikon D810 in some situations
  • I wish the white balance levels were a bit more adjustable. Many of you may groan about fixing it in post and I know photographers who would want to smack you, accordingly. But I maintain the judgement that having a consistent, film-like white balance can help you in the editing process so much more when it comes to both exposures and working with color channels.
  • Sort of shocked the dual card slots aren’t both SD; I don’t know anyone that used XQD. Sony, the developer of the card, doesn’t even use them in their still cameras.
  • I’m over DSLRs at this point except if they’re medium format. The viewfinders are bugging me now

Check out our full review

Buy now ($3,296.95): Amazon

 

Sony a9

 

weather sealed cameras

Pros

  • Fantastic build quality
  • Overall very good image quality
  • The best autofocus of any Mirrorless camera out there
  • Dual card slots are nice
  • 20fps is pretty insane
  • Added dials and ergonomics controls are very welcome
  • Weather resistance
  • Significantly improved battery life
  • No blackout of the viewfinder is nice

Cons

  • Skin tones can come out sort of weird
  • Odd metering in relation to Sunny 16 rules
  • AF point being highlighted when moved around manually with the joystick would be very nice
  • Not sure how to use the Ethernet port
  • Touchscreen navigation of the menu would be great

Check out our full review

Buy now ($3498): Amazon

 

 

Pro Tip: Not having to worry about your camera, and even your lenses is a wonderful thing, but what about all of the other gear we need to carry around? It too needs to be protected from the elements as well right? This is where having a well made, weather sealed camera bag comes into play. Fortunately you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a stylish one that will keep your gear nice and dry. The Mariner from Portage Supply is weather sealed, and super comfortable to carry for long periods. The best part is that it’s super affordable.

 

Fujifilm GFX 50R

 

Pros

  • Great image quality
  • Excellent high ISO output
  • High speed sync with the Profoto Air system is a delight
  • Autofocus that isn’t all that bad
  • Weather sealing that is top notch
  • Lightweight
  • Not at all that large overall
  • The ergonomics are very good

Cons

  • This system really needs lenses faster than f2
  • The autofocus could still use some revamps

Check out our full review

Buy now ($4,499): Amazon

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