Salt Water Damage - Any Hope?

While on a recent trip to the coast, we got caught in a storm while on a boat. Waves were crashing over the sides and we got SOAKED!! I had wrapped my camera (70D) in a poncho (water-proof), but when we got back to the dock I noticed that some water had found its way inside the poncho. At first, it looked like only the external surfaces were wet. No water was in the battery compartment or around/inside the lens mount, mirror or sensor area. I removed the battery and SD card. I then wiped everything down good with a wet (fresh water) cloth, dried it off good, then I covered it with white rice in a ziplock bag. After waiting 4 days, I removed the camera and lens (separate bags). The lens is fine, but the camera will not power up. I used 3 different batteries with no luck.

So, I guess it is safe to assume that SOME water got inside and caused damage. Am I SOL, or can it be repaired?

MacA488 wrote in post #17742330
While on a recent trip to the coast, we got caught in a storm while on a boat. Waves were crashing over the sides and we got SOAKED!! I had wrapped my camera (70D) in a poncho (water-proof), but when we got back to the dock I noticed that some water had found its way inside the poncho. At first, it looked like only the external surfaces were wet. No water was in the battery compartment or around/inside the lens mount, mirror or sensor area. I removed the battery and SD card. I then wiped everything down good with a wet (fresh water) cloth, dried it off good, then I covered it with white rice in a ziplock bag. After waiting 4 days, I removed the camera and lens (separate bags). The lens is fine, but the camera will not power up. I used 3 different batteries with no luck.

So, I guess it is safe to assume that SOME water got inside and caused damage. Am I SOL, or can it be repaired?

Best bet is to send it in to Canon quickly. They'll take it apart to access the damage. Salt water corrosion is worse the longer you leave it.

If it's not left too long, a thorough cleansing and corrosion inhibition by Canon may revive the camera.

Time is your greatest enemy here.

Good luck and I hope you get your camera back on track soon.

Unfortunately, if the circuit boards and connectors became wet with salt water, my gut instinct just thinks it will get worse over time. It acts in a similar fashion that rust does.

If there's corrosion on any main circuit board, then it's at least a several hundred dollar repair. There may be a shorted circuit board, as well as ancillary components that got shorted with it. Send it immediately and get an estimate of the repair. It's worth a repair estimate fee to see if it's more expensive to repair then buy another camera.

Thanks for the replies! I contacted the Canon Factory Service Center this morning and will be sending them my 70D ASAP!

Do you carry accidental damage insurance? .. if so you may need it.

Im reckoning on $495 estimate from Canon. Will be interested to know your quote.

I didn't think Canon would work on any anything if they see salt water? I guess time will tell.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #17744401
I didn't think Canon would work on any anything if they see salt water? I guess time will tell.

Yeah they will. It's just that "water damage" is not covered by the warranty. I had a bead of sweat get in my 5Dc once....it's was over $850 (which at the time was less then buying another camera).

TeamSpeed wrote in post #17744401
I didn't think Canon would work on any anything if they see salt water? I guess time will tell.

Thats what I was told by a guy, who had a problem after shooting water skiing, Canon UK apparently would not repair it.
Probably kinder to the customer in the long run, as once corrosion has been started , apparently can fail later.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #17744401
I didn't think Canon would work on any anything if they see salt water? I guess time will tell.

I believe Canon will service water-damaged gear but obviously not under warranty, and they won't honor a repair estimate if they open it up and discover water damage that wasn't disclosed.

Archibald wrote in post #17744715
I believe Canon will service water-damaged gear but obviously not under warranty, and they won't honor a repair estimate if they open it up and discover water damage that wasn't disclosed.

I didn't know what was wrong with my camera when I sent mine in, and they contacted me to say it was "water damaged". That I could either agree to pay for repairs or get it returned. They're happy to do a repair on your dime

My experience with Canon has always been, a fixed surcharge to open up the unit. A final quote will be presented once they find out what needs to be replaced or done. Either way, the surcharge has to be paid.

Depending on where you are at and the competence of the technicians at that svc center, they may even try to repair units which are discontinued.

davesrose wrote in post #17744728
I didn't know what was wrong with my camera when I sent mine in, and they contacted me to say it was "water damaged". That I could either agree to pay for repairs or get it returned. They're happy to do a repair on your dime

Sure.

I was just saying that there are situations where they will quote an amount for a repair, and on actually doing the repair, find further damage - for instance hidden water damage. In such cases they will not honor the original quote.

From Canon: "Any damage due to liquid, sand, corrosion, battery leakage, or accidental damage is specifically excluded from warranty coverage. In the unlikely event that
any internal or external damage is found due to any of the above mentioned conditions, a revised estimate will be sent for your authorization."

So certainly, Canon will do repairs like this.

My experience was that they inspect and quote out before doing any repair/maintenance.