You want a tough camera? This is how companies weatherproof their gear

This is a fascinating video that shows just what goes into making a camera 'weatherproof'. This is essential watching for anyone who thinks it should be straightforward!

It may seem odd to link to a video made by a 'rival' site. However Imaging Resource is different. For one thing it's mainly focussed on stills cameras, so it is sufficiently different from RedShark, but in news that emerged last year, the site has announced it is to close down this year. As one of the original, and largest resources for would be purchasers of a new stills camera this came as quite a blow, even if the existing content might remain accessible.

That said, site owner, Dave Etchells, is not letting that deter him from posting interesting content right until the end. The video below is a fascinating insight into what goes into weatherproofing Olympus cameras. Interviewing Takao Takasu, Manager of Imaging product Development , Research & Development, the video shows the detail of the types of sealing used and how the company overcomes challenges such as weather sealing a lens with an extending zoom barrel.

Panasonic also released this visually effective video showing pretty much everything you can think of, including fire, being thrown at an S1R. Having used an S1 directly under a waterfall I can vouch personally for its toughness!