Questions about the rubber o-ring gasket on L lenses

Hi everyone, just 2 quick questions about the rubber o-ring gaskets at the base of all L series lenses. 1. Has anyone ever had problems with this as per ripping, tearing or just plain drying out over time or years of use?? Second does that rubber seal actually keep any extra water or moisture out the lens or body during use??

One last question......I have only used canon gear in life. Does anyone on here know if Nikon puts those seals on the base of there high end lenses aswell??, just curious. I saw Nikon just release a whole bunch of profesionall primes. 24mm 1.4, 35mm 1.4 & 85mm 1.4. Do those lenses have those rubber o-rings?? They cost significantly more than the Canon versions.

Thanks for your time, Adam

1st. Not all L series lenses have that seal at the mount. Only ones that are weather sealed have that seal as far as I know.
2nd. Nikon does have some weather sealed lenses, same as Canon, but I'm not sure which ones are and aren't.

So not a single person can say if the rubber o-rings gaskets at the base of most L-series lenses hold up to the test of time?? No one knows about them ever drying out, ripping or tearing down the road??

Also are they present on Nikon's high end professional lenses??

Dustman wrote in post #10945211
So not a single person can say if the rubber o-rings gaskets at the base of most L-series lenses hold up to the test of time?? No one knows about them ever drying out, ripping or tearing down the road??

Also are they present on Nikon's high end professional lenses??

You don't post here much so I'm assuming you don't frequent here that much either but the masses here are very vocal about every little issue that they have. I've yet to see anyone complain about the sealing on the L lenses or about them ripping/tearing or drying up for that matter so that's a good sign that there usually isn't a problem with them even on older L lenses. Hope that helps. Also a buddy of mine IIRC uses an Nikkor 85 f/1.4. I'm assuming the new one you're talking about is a mkii kind of like our 85L and 85Lii?

I have had a few of the weather sealed L lenses. I also have had a few non sealed L lenses. Not all are. Most aren't, in fact. My 24-70 is a 2006 model. The seal is fine. Even if it did tear or dry out, so what? You can get it fixed. They are probably dirt cheap to order from Canon and you could just replace it yourself.

I'll also add that I used to own the non-IS version of the 300 f/4, which is not weather sealed. I used it in a medium rain for a Lacrosse game with my old 1DMK2. No problems at all. I just kept wiping it off. Why are you asking? Your persistence for an answer make it sound like this is a real concern to you…

The rubber seal can leave a bit of black rubber on the metal lens mount on the camera after a while. I haven't had one rip or tear. They aren't really that old as Canon only made them fairly recently, come back in 5-10 years... Canon would repair them if they tore I'm sure.

Do they help? I think so and lenses which are weather sealed also have seals under the buttons, switches and focus and zoom rings. Along with a 1D they should let you shoot in just about anything.

there are nicks in both my 24-105 and 70-200.

I haven't seen a weather-sealed L that DOESN'T have at least one chunk missing from the rubber o-ring yet (that is, if it's actually used to take pictures as opposed to being admire on a shelf or in a dormant bag).

Ive never had one go bad!

Haven't gone bad yet here though I must say I tend not to switch lenses much, I'll use 2-3 bodies instead of switch a lot. This is especially true if I'm in moist or dusty areas where I'm worried about weather sealing, I won't change lenses, cards or batteries at all there, another reason to use a backup body instead so you can just grab it and shoot instead of swapping out cards and lenses. 1D with two cards is also good there so you don't need to open up and put another one in, just switch to the other card if you aren't already backing up to it already.

For the record, my 70-200 2.8 IS V1 and 2X TC V2 both have pieces of the rubber gasket missing. They've never been abused, just frequently used.

PicSniper wrote in post #11407212
For the record, my 70-200 2.8 IS V1 and 2X TC V2 both have pieces of the rubber gasket missing. They've never been abused, just frequently used.

My 24-70 had pieces missing too .. the rubber is quite thin and subject to friction every time you mount the lens so it will tear over time. No way around it.

Dustman wrote in post #10945211
So not a single person can say if the rubber o-rings gaskets at the base of most L-series lenses hold up to the test of time?? No one knows about them ever drying out, ripping or tearing down the road??

Also are they present on Nikon's high end professional lenses??

Rubber is an elastomer...over time, it will dry, become brittle, and crack. How long is anyone's guess...a lot depends on the formulation of the elastomeric material and the conditions in which it is stored. The only way to tell if its nearing the end is to inspect it visually, looking for tell-tale signs of aging (hardness, slick feel or look, wear, etc.)

As far as functionality goes, they do what they're supposed to do. My old 5D and 17-40L took a complete dunking at Havasu Canyon after I slipped on some silt in knee-high water...not a drop of water got into the lens (had a polarizer on it at the time) or into the camera body. That was three years ago...the lens is still functioning perfectly.

Dustman wrote in post #10945211
So not a single person can say if the rubber o-rings gaskets at the base of most L-series lenses hold up to the test of time?? No one knows about them ever drying out, ripping or tearing down the road??

Also are they present on Nikon's high end professional lenses??

Well, is rubber. Of course they do get worn out. Canon can easily replace it. They work. I have shot my 500L during snow and rain storms.

1st of all i appologize for posting on a really old thread. But i have searched and searched and can not find a part number or where to order the Rubber O-ring gasket for my ef 70-200mm f/2.8L is usm lens. Can anyone tell me the part number or where i can order this gasket? I have a couple chunks missing out of my gasket and would like to replace it. I feel its kinda dumb to send my lens thousands of miles away just to get the gasket replaced when i could do it myself.
any help would be appreciated
thanks