New Pentaxian here! How Far Do You Push Your K5/K7 Weather Seals?

sperdynamite wrote:
New Pentax user here! Just ordered a K-5 kit, after selling off my 5D Mark II. I'm tired of those giant "L" zooms which aren't even as good as everybody raves... Looking forward to a more compact system, that's more affordable all round!

I ordered a K-5 and the 18-55mm WR kit. I haven't decided to bank the 16-50mm 2.8 yet, but I do want a primarily weather sealed camera so I can pretty much use it in the rain without worrying at all. I've seen the internet videos of dumping water on it, putting it in the shower etc.. I'm just wondering how careful should I be?

Should I try not to shoot in the rain, but not worry too much if I get caught? Or should I just shoot away rain or shine, assuming I'm using a weather sealed lens? I'm talking Costa Rica in the rainy season here (which is where I'm going this fall).

Also how reliable is the sealing on the 18-55? Any less than the pro lenses? An 18-55 sounds so "meh" to me, but I also ordered the 70mm 2.4 so hopefully it's a nice combo while I save for either the 31mm or the 16-50mm.

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testdasi wrote:
The 18-55 is drizzle-safe. I don't even bother to take pictures when it's pouring (I'm more worried about myself getting sick than the camera) so can't test.

Your combo sounds nice. I found the 16-50 too heavy though. None of my current lens has working weight (body + lens) above 1.3kg and even so 800 pics in 2 hours can wear your fingers down pretty quickly.