Watch video: Water jet camera weather sealing test
We all experience 'the fear' at the thought of taking our precious camera kit into rainy conditions. Even a spot of drizzle can be enough to make many photographers cradle their cameras like newborn babies, shielding them under their jackets.
This, obviously, is where cameras with weather sealing come into play. The best professional cameras are designed to protect your precious investment from the elements, but only the bravest photographers would dare put their gear to the test.
• Hands on: Olympus OM-1 review
However, shooting in the rain is one thing; having a camera absolutely blasted by jets of water is quite another. So it was with wide eyes that we beheld the above video, depicting the new Olympus OM-1 undergoing stringent stress testing to demonstrate its weather sealing.
In the video, we see the camera – paired with the new OM System M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro II – being pounded by 15 jet streams of water simultaneously at all angles. From the lens mount to the electronic viewfinder, the memory card compartments to the shutter button, the setup is shown no mercy.
While it made us feel squeamish watching it, the video certainly proved its point. The Olympus OM-1 is the world's first system camera to feature an IP53 rating. This rates a product's ingress protection when it comes to particulates (the first of the two digits) and water (the second digit).
Typically, weather-sealed cameras boast a rating of IPX1. This means that the camera is certified to resist water that drips vertically onto the product. However, an IP53 rating means that the Olympus OM-1 is protected from dust ingress that will interfere with its operation, and water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° will not cause harm.
In other words, you don't need to worry – the camera in the video is absolutely fine… though we'd advise you don't try this at home!
